Comparison of the Cultures of Dog between China and Western countries.docVIP

Comparison of the Cultures of Dog between China and Western countries 　　【Abstract】This paper focuses on the comparison of cultures of dog in China and western countries in a comprehensive way so that foreigner can understand the Chinese culture better. 　　【Key words】comparison； cultural differences； dog； China 　　1. Introduction and background 　　The issue of eating and maltreating dogs has now become a hot topic in China. It also brings misunderstanding to foreigners about the culture of dog in China. It is high time that an objective analysis of cultural differences between dog in China and Western countries were introduced to foreigners so that they can better understand the culture of dog in China. 　　Many researchers believe the culture of dog is negative in China and that in the western countries is positive. But they fail to recognize that both China and Western countries all have negative language related to dog， and language itself is keep changing too. So we try to compare these two cultures of dog in a progressive way. 　　2. Cultural meanings of dog in China 　　2.1 in history 　　As one of the top five animals and 12 zodiacal animals， dog is favored and admired by the ancient Chinese people. In traditional myth， the image of Pan Gu， a powerful and admirable god， has the head of a dog and the body of a man. The image of dog also appears in the Dun Huang paintings. The virtues of dog， like bravery， fearlessness， fertility， and perseverance， have lasted. 　　Dog is also favorable meat enjoyed by people. It is a precious animal sacrifice presented to ancestors. Ancient people believe the meat of dog is delicious and beautiful in the aspects of color， aroma and taste. The price of dog in the past is much more expensive than that of mutton and pork. 　　2.2 in language 　　Language related to dog reveals people’s complicated emotions towards dog. Some phrases praise dog’s loyalty： “Dog dont dislike and avoid its poor family，” “serve like a dog and horse.” On f