中西方婚礼异同论文

题目: On the Study of the Differences between Chinese and American Wedding Culture (中美婚礼折射出的中美文化差异)

一、Introduction （介绍）definition 提出论点：通过婚礼对比，全面了解中西方文化历

史背景知识，同时在保有自身文化特色的原则下不断吸取西方国家文化的优点，更新自己文化的不足之处，达到扬长避短的目的。

The wedding is one of life's primeval and surprisingly unchanged rites of passage. Nearly all of the customs we observe today are merely echoes（回声，效仿） of the past. Everything from the veil（面纱）, rice, flowers, and old shoes, to the bridesmaids and processionals, at one time, bore（使烦扰，钻孔） a very specific and vitally（极其） significant meaning. Today, although the original substance（物质，主旨） is often lost, we incorporate（吸收，合并） old world customs into our weddings because they are traditional and ritualistic（）.

As an old saying goes: marriage is the most important matter in women’s life. Marriage is a very important part in one’s life. So does the wedding ceremony.

二、Necessity of knowing the culture differences in Chinese and western

weddings

1. Globalization（全球化）

2. Culture and Conflict （文化冲突）

三、Compare the Similarities and Differences in Chinese and W estern W eddings

（异同点）

1. Propose a marriage (提亲)

In the West, if the men in love want to marry, he must first propose to the groom's family by the bride's side. When proposing, the groom's family should bestow the betrothal ring to the bride's side (an engagement ring). Therefore, when the people mentioned “He gave her

a ring”, it usually means that they are now engaged.

Engagement in America

Traditionally, a young man asks the father of his sweetheart for permission to marry her.

If the father agrees, the man latter proposes to her. Often he tries to surprise her by “popping the question” in a romantic way. Sometimes the couple just decides together that the time is right to get married. The man usually gives his fiancée a diamond ring as a symbol of their engagement. They may be engaged for weeks, months or even years. As the big day approaches, bridal showers and bachelor’s parties provide many useful gifts.

Today many couples also receive counseling during engagement. This prepares them for the challenges of married life.

Engagement in China

Before getting married, young people have to pay a formal visit to each other’s parents. When visiting the girl’s parents, the boy has to bring with him the betrothal gifts

in order to show sincerity. When the gifts are received, then both the boy and the girl are

engaged. When the girl visits the boy’s parents, the parents have to prepare a formal gift

for the future daughter-in –law.