东西方文化的根本差异在于东方重视整体，而西方重视个体。
我们可以从语言上来考察，因为语言是文化的产品，也是文化的载体，它最能反映文化差异。
从英文和中文文字的比较可以看出，英文文字简单易写，而中文则讲究字的整体结构映衬，富有美感，但也复杂难写。
在汉语中，姓放在名的前面，这个人先属于某个姓氏，即整体，然后再是他自己；而在英语中，名在姓的前面，先是他自己，然后再补充说明属于哪个整体。
在英文中，兄和弟是一个词，而在中文则是两个词。类似的情况很普遍。英文的词汇相对于中文很缺乏。它只能表达出一个模糊的大概，而不能像中文一样表达出细微的差别，也就无法像中文那样表达出很多细腻完美的情景。这体现了西方文化讲究简单实用，然而缺乏美感。它们的文学是惨不忍睹的简陋。
西方很早就出现民主和人权的概念，这和西方重视个体的文化有关；东方的传统的专制制度则是和重视整体的文化相适应。
东方文化里对事物的考量包括过去，现在和未来。而西方则是定格在现在。
对于西方人来说，自己就是自己，想怎么着就怎么着；可是对于东方人来说，自己是整条链中的一环，承上启下。
西方人努力奋斗是为了个人价值的体现，和及时享受。而对于中国人来说，还另有一层重要的意义，那就是光宗耀祖，泽披后人。
这种东方式的时间思维方式使我们考虑问题全面和连贯，但也有不好的一面，各有利弊。
东方的文化崇尚含蓄，而西方则推崇直接开放。
西方世界文化丰富多样. 在全球化过程中, 各个国家和民族的文化, 相互融合, 互相促进, 呈现出多元和谐的发展局面. 面对东西方文化的差异, 我们应该平等对待. 我们要抱沟通的态度. 既尊重自己民族文化的价值, 又尊重其他民族文化的价值, 主张平等交流, 相互学习. 同时, 又要抱扬弃的态度, 取其精华, 弃其糟粕, 使我们自己的文化体现民族性, 突出时代性. 文化像火车，简洁高速的往前；而东方文化像房子，讲究结构，较固定，和保守。
对待中国传统文化，我的观点是应当以继承为主. 中国社会之所以能够延续了五千多年的发展历史, 一个重要原因就是我们的传统文化在起重要的作用, 否则中国早不叫中国了. 但是, 我们在近代的发展过程中, 对传统的东西一度采取了完全抛弃的方式, 对传统的精华造成了极大的伤害. 直到中国现在的改革开放, 由于人们的目光都集中在金钱和利益方面, 传统的东西更是被冲击的支离破碎. 等以儒家思想为主导思想一些国家包括日本, 韩国, 新佳坡以及我们国家的台湾地区在儒家思想的推动下快速发展时, 我们才发现, 产生于自己国家的精华思想并没有被我们所好好利用, 反而是其他一些国家保存的更加完好. 恢复传统文化并不是简单地返回到封建时期的状态和思想, 而是将有利于我们的精华保留下来, 不要让他在我们手中以创新等理由被抛弃. 创新是应该的, 没有创新, 社会发展就不会有动力, 但是缺少传统基础的社会, 还
叫中国吗? 长期以来，部分人士把传统文化与儒家文化等同起来表述，这种观点是片面的。传统文化的外延显然要比儒家文化宽泛得多，传统文化是一个民族各种思想文化、观念形态的总体表征，而儒家文化则仅仅是民族思想文化形态中的一种而已。传统文化除儒家文化外，还有各种各样的文化形态，如道家文化、法家文化、墨家文化、名家文化、佛教文化……等等。就儒家文化而言，在其历史演进过程中，大量融汇、吸收了其他各种不同的思想文化内容，从而丰富了自己的思想体系，如荀子集百家，自成一体；董仲舒重儒家、阴阳家，自立一说；宋明理学家更是融释、道于一身，终使儒家达到较完备的形而上理论形态。同时，儒家思想也不断被其他文化所融透和吸收，如魏晋以后的佛教思想，自觉不自觉地汲取儒家文化的内在精神，这是儒家文化与其他思想文化相叠合的一面。但是，在中国思想文化发展史上，还存在大量独立于儒家文化之外的文化内容，这些文化内容都程度不同地渗透、影响着传统文化的形成、民族心理素质、风俗习惯乃至人们的思维、行为、生活方式，譬如墨家主张的“兼爱”、“尚同”思想，道家提倡的自然无为、逍遥羁放的思想情趣和人生态度等，这些思想意识对中国国民心理影响至深至远，在意识形态上往往与儒家文化形成互补结构。这些内容不同、类型相异的思想文化与儒家思想文化相互激荡、吸收、融合，共同熔铸了中国的传统文化。因此，所谓“传统文化”是指中华民族共有的、以儒家思想文化为基线的、涵括其他各种不同思想文化内容的有机的构成体系。
3. 关于中国传统文化与西方传统文化
每个民族都有构成本民族精神凝聚力的文化传统。一般而言，中国传统文化与西方传统文化有着迥然不同的价值取向，如西方传统文化的价值取向中，强调人与自然的对立、强调人的独立自主和进取精神、强调只有真实的才是美好的，这种价值取向使得西方文化不断处于永恒的冲动和超越之中；与此相反，在中国文化的价值取向构成中，始终把谋求人与自然、社会的和谐统一作为人生理想的主旋律(这就是“天人合一”、“天人合德”观念的体现) ，反对人的独立意志和锐意进取，培养人的群体意识、顺从诚敬意识等，此种价值取向使得中国传统文化一开始就具有很大的惰性，它所寻觅的是一种中庸的、调和的途径。在中国传统文化中，价值判断总是与事实判断相脱节，而与伦理道德观念紧密相联，契合为一，就是说，美的东西总是与善的东西相联为一体，只有善良的，才是美好的。两种不同的价值判断组合形式，导致中西方思想文化中非常不同的内容形式和思维方式：一方是对自然本体的追求，一方是对社会人生的探讨；一方是纯知识体系的建构，一方是道德规范原则的叠加；一方是理论性思想的突破，一方是直观性思维的构想。两种不同类型的民族文化特征十分明显。通过这种简单的中西文化和思维方式的对比，我们可以看出，中国传统文化价值取向的一个重要特性就是具有浓厚的伦理道德倾向。
4. 传统文化进行现代转型的内在机理
不管是东方传统文化，还是西方传统文化，都是动态文化。传统文化不是静态的存在，而是动态的观念之流；不是静态的积淀物，而是动
态的价值取向，是肇始于过去融透于现在直达未来的一种意识趋势和存在。传统文化，必定在社会机体组织及人的心理－生理结构中有着强大的生命力和潜在的影响力，这些业已积淀为人的普遍心理-生理素质的因素时刻在规范、支配着人们未来的思想和行为，不具备这一特征，就不能划归到传统文化的范围。
文化形态的东西之所以能够传承下来，必须通过两种途径（或形式）：一是“民族凝聚的形式”，二是“个体转换的形式”。这两种形式彼此呼应，构筑成一个稳固的文化观念传承体系。任何形态的文化，首先是民族性的文化，它是适应民族生存的特点而形成发展的，它往往凝聚为民族特有的国民性格和社会心理意识。不同时期、不同民族有着不同甚至非常不同的文化传统和文化类型。但是，民族精神和社会心理必须通过具体的活生生的个体生命的存在得以凸显，一切自然的、社会的、历史的、文化的、意识形态的历史，都要经由“个体”思维的反馈、转换、过滤、筛选等活动，才能获取其崭新的思想内容和理论价值。缺少“个体”这一现实媒质，一切将变得毫无意义。在自然－社会－历史所建构的三维文化背景中，与历史发展相伴随的文化成为对人们影响最大的文化背景，历史形成的文化氛围每时每刻都在塑模着符合文化类型的人格，每个个体也以自身的心智去建构、维系、支撑传统文化的平衡与存在。传统文化时时刻刻在影响人，改造人；人又在既定文化环境中保存、再造传统文化，保存、再造的过程也就是传统文化不断得以延续流传的过程。这样，传统文化就形成了一个自我更新的内在动因、内在机理、内在规律，世世相传，代代相继。
当然，现代社会传统文化与现代文化冲突不断，表现为思想意识、观念形态的冲突，是传统心理与现代心理承受力之间的冲突，而不是物质层面上的冲突。因此，发展繁荣社会主义先进文化，仅靠传统文化自身弱势繁衍生息是远远不够的，要继承和发扬传统文化的精髓，消化和吸收外来文化的精华，创新和升华民族文化的内涵，不断为先进文化提炼新的精神因子、注入新的精神元素。
5. 基于社会主义先进文化的前进方向，探索继承创新传统文化和发展繁荣先进文化的有效途径
始终代表社会主义先进文化的前进方向，是“三个代表”重要思想的重要内容之一。党的十六四中全会又把不断提高建设社会主义先进文化的能力，作为加强党的执政能力建设的重要内容之一。国家“十一五”规划纲要把《加强社会主义文化建设》单列一篇加以部署，指出：“牢牢把握先进文化的前进方向，坚持为人民服务、为社会主义服务的方向和百花齐放、百家争鸣的方针，繁荣社会主义文化，不断满足人民群众日益增长的精神文化需求。”可见，发展繁荣社会主义先进文化，已经成为国家21世纪经济、政治、文化、社会“四位一体”发展的重点战略之一。
事实上，自从“洋务派”提出“中学为体，西学为用”方针以来，我国就一直存在对西学的不同看法。在世界经济、政治、文化日益全球化的大背景下，在我国实行社会主义现代化和社会主义市场经济的今天，人们的主体意识、主体价值进一步觉醒，传统文化的现代转型日益成
为人们关注的焦点问题。因此，发展繁荣社会主义先进文化，要注意做到：
第一，要以人为本，处理好批判和继承的关系。对待传统文化，我们不能采取“文化保守主义”或“文化虚无主义”的态度，不能采取“非此即彼”的形而上学的思维方法，也不能采取“中体西用”、“西体中用”或“中西互为体用”的思维方法，而应看到中国传统文化中的多元性和复杂性，取其精华，弃其糟粕。对于中华文化中的合理和优秀的成分应该加以继承和发扬光大，对于以家族为本位的宗法等级观念、封闭保守的生活习性、反民主、反自由、反人权的的专制等级思想必须家决加以清除。文化的核心是价值体系，而价值体系又是围绕人来进行的，对人尊重，以自由、平等为核心的价值倾向应该是人类追求的共同目标，也是构建和发展先进文化的重要内容。
第二，积极进行文化整合，洋为中用。对多元文化选择、批判，对不同文化价值观进行抉择、融合，反对文化相对论和绝对论，立足于本国世纪、本民族传统吸收外国优秀，坚持本民族道德伦理、传统思维的基础上，满足人们日益提高的审美水平的需要。在文化整合中，树立文化的主题意识，保持自己文化应有的地位，坚持民族化大方向，向世界展示中华文化的博大精深，树立中华文化应有的国际形象。同时也要排除华夏中心论，以兼容的态度、开阔的胸襟，站在世界文化和民族文化的角度上看中华文化。
第三，高举科学与民主旗帜，积极进行文化创新。科学与民主是今天这个时代所要求的，传统文化与现代的民主和科学并不矛盾。中华民
族传统文化特别是儒家文化中有许多思维方法对克服西方实证科学思维方法中的某些偏面性有着重要的启发意义；同样，儒家文化中的一些政治理想、治国原则、官僚人格等理论对改善当前的政治制度和政治环境等也不乏可借鉴之处。因此，当前中国社会迫切需要要强调继承和发扬中华民族的传统美德，高举科学与民主旗帜，积极进行文化创新，建立起符合时代精神所需要的伦理观念、道德规范和社会秩序。
社会主义先进文化是中国特色社会主义的精神旗帜。积极吸收一切人类文明成果，这是发展繁荣社会主义先进文化的基本原则。坚持科学与民主，是发展繁荣社会主义先进文化的基本要求。坚持面向现代、面向世界、面向未来的文化，是发展繁荣社会主义先进文化的基本方向。坚持发展民族的、科学的、大众的文化，是发展繁荣社会主义先进文化的本质特征。因此，发展繁荣社会主义先进文化，要采取批判地继承、综合创新的办法，努力寻求传统文化向现代社会、现代价值观念转换、创新的有效途径，使现代中国在面临挑战的21世纪，能够充分吸收中国传统文化的优秀思想成果，借鉴外来文化的有益营养成份，使中华民族以崭新的姿态迎接世界不同文化的冲击和挑战，实现中华民族的伟大复兴。
这是我选中的一个：
What leads to the cultural difference?
The cultures of the East and the West really distinguish each other a lot. This is because the culture systems are two separate systems on the whole.
The origin of the eastern cultures is mainly from two countries: China and India. Both of the two cultures are gestated by rivers. In China, the mother river is the Yellow River while the Indian one is the Hindu River. These two cultures were developed for several thousand years and formed their own styles. Then in Dang Dynasty of China, the Chinese culture gradually went overseas to Japan, mixed into the Japanese society and shaped the Japanese culture nowadays. Though a bit different from the Chinese one, it belongs to the same system.
When the two mother rivers gave birth to the eastern culture, another famous culture was brought up on the Mesopotamian Plain ---- the Mesopotamian Civilization. This civilization later on developed into the cultures of the Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome. And these two are well-known as the base of the European culture. Like the Chinese culture, the European one also crossed waters. When the colonists of England
settled down in America, their culture went with them over the Atlantic Ocean. So the American culture doesn't distinguish from the European one a lot.
At the same time, the difference of the language systems adds to the cultural differences. In the East, most languages belong to the pictographic language (see the picture below) while the Western languages are mostly based on the Latin system, for example, the one I’m using to write this paper.
Other factors like human race difference counts as well. But what’s more, due to the far distance and the steep areas between the East and West, the two cultures seldom communicate until recent centuries. So they grew up totally in their own ways with almost no interference from the other.
Pictographic charactors
Part II How differently do people behave in daily life?
The differences are everywhere. They affect people’s ways of thinking
and their views of the world. Even in everyday life, the cultural differences show up from the moment the eyes are opened to the minute the dreams are invited.
In the following, I’ll give some typical example of the differences.
Section 1: Greeting
Greeting is the first step to form a culture, because people begin to communicate with others. The individuals become a community.
How do we Chinese greet each other? Informally, if we meet an friend in the street, we are used to say: “Hi, have you had your meal? ” or “Where are you going?”. When it is the case of two gentlemen, they tend to shake hands.
However, in the western countries, the above questions are just questions, not greeting at all. They may think you’re inviting them to dinner if you ask about their meals. Usually, they ’ll just give each other a smile or greet with a “Hi. ”. They’ll shake hands only in some formal situations.
By the way, Westerners can leave a party or meeting halls without a formal conge, nor should they shake hands with every attendee like most of us will do here.
Section 2: Expressing gratitude
Think of the situations below. Y our mother is busy in the kitchen. She suddenly asks you to fetch a bowl for her. Y ou do so. What ’ll your mother ’s response be? Probably she’ll just continue doing the cooking. After a while, the dinner is ready. Your mother hands you your bowl of rice. What’s your response? Probably just begin to eat.
That ’s what I want to say. In Chinese families, we rarely say “Thank you ” to other family members for receiving help or service. Neither will we say so between good friends. It’s such an unpopular response that if you say it, the counterpart will think you are treating him as a stranger, otherwise you are lacking of intimacy.
But in the West, "thank you" is one of the most frequently used sentences. Teachers will thank a student for answering a question; husbands will thank his wife for making a coffee.
However, as an interesting phenomenon, it’s a custom to say "thank you" in Japan. No matter in family or among friends, Japanese chronically use it all the day. This is probably the aberrance of the culture.
Section 3 Dining
The ways people eat, that is, the table manner, really distinguish a lot. The reason for this is probably because of the different dining tools and menus.
Easterners use chopsticks, or sometimes even grasp rice straightly with hands as Indians do. The thin and long chopsticks cannot be used to cut food, so we usually use our teeth to act as knives. We hold our food, meat or vegetable, with the chopsticks, send them to the mouths, bite off a part
of it and remain the other part on the chopsticks. That’s the usual way we eat. We are also used to hold up our bowls when having rice or soup. Japanese hold bowls to have miso soup without spoons. But all these habits are considered rude in the Western countries.
The etiquette in the West requests that when eating, bowls and plates cannot leave the tables. Food should be cut by knives to fit into the mouths. Of course your mouth cannot touch the plates or bowls. So the regular process is like this. You cut your steak on the plate with fork and knife, send the meat cube into the mouth with fork and nothing will be returned back but the fork alone.
Section 4 Symbolizing
Symbolization is how people imagine or regard something. It actually reflects the way people think. Here I’ll only discuss some symbolization that frequently appears in daily life.
First is about the colors. We often give each color some meanings, because we feel differently when facing different colors. So people always have preference when choosing colors of clothes, decorations, etc. In the APEC summit held in Shanghai several years ago, in the last day, the presidents from all over the world wore the traditional Chinese Dang suits and took a photo together. The colors of the suits were chosen by themselves freely. However, it ’s quite interesting to find that most Easterners chose red while most of the westerners preferred blue. To explain this, it’s easy to realize that what red means is almost opposite in the East and the West. Red means luck, fortune here. We Chinese often use this color to decorate in festivals, such as red lanterns, red Chinese nodes, red bangers. But red stands for blood, revolutions in the West. So the presidents avoided wearing this unlucky color.
Another interesting discovery is about the dragons. In the East, dragons are imagined as something like snake and are flowing in the sky for most of the time. The dragon is said to have the face of the horse, the horns of the deer, the ears of the ox, the body of the snake, the claws of the eagle and squama of the fish. We regard dragon as God and say that we Chinese are the off spring of the dragon. The God of Dragons of the four seas can charge the rainfalls, so we sometimes also call them the God of the water or rain. But in the West, people think dragons as dinosaurs, which can
stand on the ground with feet and fly with huge wings. They lay eggs just like dinosaurs. The dragons of the West have the ability to erupt fire, instead of water. The fire can destroy everything so the dragons are not welcomed at all. They even become the symbol of the Devil.
Dragons Imagined by Chinese
Dragon Imagined by the Westerners
Part III What can we do to treat the culture gap?
Now we have seen that there exists such a huge gap between eastern culture and western one. Then what should we do to face this gap in the gradually globalizing world?
Firstly, we cannot deny any of the cultures. Every nation has its own characteristics and it’s mainly through its culture that we first begin to know the nation and its characteristics. So we cannot say that this culture or custom is right and that is wrong. Equal respect should be attached to every culture in the world, even to those that are not in existence any more.
Next, we should get to learn how to coordinate the different cultures. We say the world is becoming smaller and smaller. More foreigners come and go everyday. When it is in the same country, the same city, the same
neighborhood, the cultural collision is expected to be more serious. So we should try to avoid this happening. One important thing is to get some basic knowledge about the other cultures so as not to misunderstand some actions or habits of the foreigners.
When the above two is done, we can start to communicate. I mean we can take in some strong points from the foreign cultures. Though there doesn’t exist correctness in terms of culture, it does have the terms of more advanced or more suitable for the world nowadays. Of course, we cannot throw away our own culture and accept another one totally. Every culture is a treasure to the history of the Earth, so we should only pick out those we lack to perfect our own.
Different cultures add the most colorful element to the world of 21st century. The cultural gap should not be the obstacle to the civilization of human being. It ought to be the motivation of our going farther.
东西方文化的根本差异在于东方重视整体，而西方重视个体。
我们可以从语言上来考察，因为语言是文化的产品，也是文化的载体，它最能反映文化差异。
从英文和中文文字的比较可以看出，英文文字简单易写，而中文则讲究字的整体结构映衬，富有美感，但也复杂难写。
在汉语中，姓放在名的前面，这个人先属于某个姓氏，即整体，然后再是他自己；而在英语中，名在姓的前面，先是他自己，然后再补充说明属于哪个整体。
在英文中，兄和弟是一个词，而在中文则是两个词。类似的情况很普遍。英文的词汇相对于中文很缺乏。它只能表达出一个模糊的大概，而不能像中文一样表达出细微的差别，也就无法像中文那样表达出很多细腻完美的情景。这体现了西方文化讲究简单实用，然而缺乏美感。它们的文学是惨不忍睹的简陋。
西方很早就出现民主和人权的概念，这和西方重视个体的文化有关；东方的传统的专制制度则是和重视整体的文化相适应。
东方文化里对事物的考量包括过去，现在和未来。而西方则是定格在现在。
对于西方人来说，自己就是自己，想怎么着就怎么着；可是对于东方人来说，自己是整条链中的一环，承上启下。
西方人努力奋斗是为了个人价值的体现，和及时享受。而对于中国人来说，还另有一层重要的意义，那就是光宗耀祖，泽披后人。
这种东方式的时间思维方式使我们考虑问题全面和连贯，但也有不好的一面，各有利弊。
东方的文化崇尚含蓄，而西方则推崇直接开放。
西方世界文化丰富多样. 在全球化过程中, 各个国家和民族的文化, 相互融合, 互相促进, 呈现出多元和谐的发展局面. 面对东西方文化的差异, 我们应该平等对待. 我们要抱沟通的态度. 既尊重自己民族文化的价值, 又尊重其他民族文化的价值, 主张平等交流, 相互学习. 同时, 又要抱扬弃的态度, 取其精华, 弃其糟粕, 使我们自己的文化体现民族性, 突出时代性. 文化像火车，简洁高速的往前；而东方文化像房子，讲究结构，较固定，和保守。
对待中国传统文化，我的观点是应当以继承为主. 中国社会之所以能够延续了五千多年的发展历史, 一个重要原因就是我们的传统文化在起重要的作用, 否则中国早不叫中国了. 但是, 我们在近代的发展过程中, 对传统的东西一度采取了完全抛弃的方式, 对传统的精华造成了极大的伤害. 直到中国现在的改革开放, 由于人们的目光都集中在金钱和利益方面, 传统的东西更是被冲击的支离破碎. 等以儒家思想为主导思想一些国家包括日本, 韩国, 新佳坡以及我们国家的台湾地区在儒家思想的推动下快速发展时, 我们才发现, 产生于自己国家的精华思想并没有被我们所好好利用, 反而是其他一些国家保存的更加完好. 恢复传统文化并不是简单地返回到封建时期的状态和思想, 而是将有利于我们的精华保留下来, 不要让他在我们手中以创新等理由被抛弃. 创新是应该的, 没有创新, 社会发展就不会有动力, 但是缺少传统基础的社会, 还
叫中国吗? 长期以来，部分人士把传统文化与儒家文化等同起来表述，这种观点是片面的。传统文化的外延显然要比儒家文化宽泛得多，传统文化是一个民族各种思想文化、观念形态的总体表征，而儒家文化则仅仅是民族思想文化形态中的一种而已。传统文化除儒家文化外，还有各种各样的文化形态，如道家文化、法家文化、墨家文化、名家文化、佛教文化……等等。就儒家文化而言，在其历史演进过程中，大量融汇、吸收了其他各种不同的思想文化内容，从而丰富了自己的思想体系，如荀子集百家，自成一体；董仲舒重儒家、阴阳家，自立一说；宋明理学家更是融释、道于一身，终使儒家达到较完备的形而上理论形态。同时，儒家思想也不断被其他文化所融透和吸收，如魏晋以后的佛教思想，自觉不自觉地汲取儒家文化的内在精神，这是儒家文化与其他思想文化相叠合的一面。但是，在中国思想文化发展史上，还存在大量独立于儒家文化之外的文化内容，这些文化内容都程度不同地渗透、影响着传统文化的形成、民族心理素质、风俗习惯乃至人们的思维、行为、生活方式，譬如墨家主张的“兼爱”、“尚同”思想，道家提倡的自然无为、逍遥羁放的思想情趣和人生态度等，这些思想意识对中国国民心理影响至深至远，在意识形态上往往与儒家文化形成互补结构。这些内容不同、类型相异的思想文化与儒家思想文化相互激荡、吸收、融合，共同熔铸了中国的传统文化。因此，所谓“传统文化”是指中华民族共有的、以儒家思想文化为基线的、涵括其他各种不同思想文化内容的有机的构成体系。
3. 关于中国传统文化与西方传统文化
每个民族都有构成本民族精神凝聚力的文化传统。一般而言，中国传统文化与西方传统文化有着迥然不同的价值取向，如西方传统文化的价值取向中，强调人与自然的对立、强调人的独立自主和进取精神、强调只有真实的才是美好的，这种价值取向使得西方文化不断处于永恒的冲动和超越之中；与此相反，在中国文化的价值取向构成中，始终把谋求人与自然、社会的和谐统一作为人生理想的主旋律(这就是“天人合一”、“天人合德”观念的体现) ，反对人的独立意志和锐意进取，培养人的群体意识、顺从诚敬意识等，此种价值取向使得中国传统文化一开始就具有很大的惰性，它所寻觅的是一种中庸的、调和的途径。在中国传统文化中，价值判断总是与事实判断相脱节，而与伦理道德观念紧密相联，契合为一，就是说，美的东西总是与善的东西相联为一体，只有善良的，才是美好的。两种不同的价值判断组合形式，导致中西方思想文化中非常不同的内容形式和思维方式：一方是对自然本体的追求，一方是对社会人生的探讨；一方是纯知识体系的建构，一方是道德规范原则的叠加；一方是理论性思想的突破，一方是直观性思维的构想。两种不同类型的民族文化特征十分明显。通过这种简单的中西文化和思维方式的对比，我们可以看出，中国传统文化价值取向的一个重要特性就是具有浓厚的伦理道德倾向。
4. 传统文化进行现代转型的内在机理
不管是东方传统文化，还是西方传统文化，都是动态文化。传统文化不是静态的存在，而是动态的观念之流；不是静态的积淀物，而是动
态的价值取向，是肇始于过去融透于现在直达未来的一种意识趋势和存在。传统文化，必定在社会机体组织及人的心理－生理结构中有着强大的生命力和潜在的影响力，这些业已积淀为人的普遍心理-生理素质的因素时刻在规范、支配着人们未来的思想和行为，不具备这一特征，就不能划归到传统文化的范围。
文化形态的东西之所以能够传承下来，必须通过两种途径（或形式）：一是“民族凝聚的形式”，二是“个体转换的形式”。这两种形式彼此呼应，构筑成一个稳固的文化观念传承体系。任何形态的文化，首先是民族性的文化，它是适应民族生存的特点而形成发展的，它往往凝聚为民族特有的国民性格和社会心理意识。不同时期、不同民族有着不同甚至非常不同的文化传统和文化类型。但是，民族精神和社会心理必须通过具体的活生生的个体生命的存在得以凸显，一切自然的、社会的、历史的、文化的、意识形态的历史，都要经由“个体”思维的反馈、转换、过滤、筛选等活动，才能获取其崭新的思想内容和理论价值。缺少“个体”这一现实媒质，一切将变得毫无意义。在自然－社会－历史所建构的三维文化背景中，与历史发展相伴随的文化成为对人们影响最大的文化背景，历史形成的文化氛围每时每刻都在塑模着符合文化类型的人格，每个个体也以自身的心智去建构、维系、支撑传统文化的平衡与存在。传统文化时时刻刻在影响人，改造人；人又在既定文化环境中保存、再造传统文化，保存、再造的过程也就是传统文化不断得以延续流传的过程。这样，传统文化就形成了一个自我更新的内在动因、内在机理、内在规律，世世相传，代代相继。
当然，现代社会传统文化与现代文化冲突不断，表现为思想意识、观念形态的冲突，是传统心理与现代心理承受力之间的冲突，而不是物质层面上的冲突。因此，发展繁荣社会主义先进文化，仅靠传统文化自身弱势繁衍生息是远远不够的，要继承和发扬传统文化的精髓，消化和吸收外来文化的精华，创新和升华民族文化的内涵，不断为先进文化提炼新的精神因子、注入新的精神元素。
5. 基于社会主义先进文化的前进方向，探索继承创新传统文化和发展繁荣先进文化的有效途径
始终代表社会主义先进文化的前进方向，是“三个代表”重要思想的重要内容之一。党的十六四中全会又把不断提高建设社会主义先进文化的能力，作为加强党的执政能力建设的重要内容之一。国家“十一五”规划纲要把《加强社会主义文化建设》单列一篇加以部署，指出：“牢牢把握先进文化的前进方向，坚持为人民服务、为社会主义服务的方向和百花齐放、百家争鸣的方针，繁荣社会主义文化，不断满足人民群众日益增长的精神文化需求。”可见，发展繁荣社会主义先进文化，已经成为国家21世纪经济、政治、文化、社会“四位一体”发展的重点战略之一。
事实上，自从“洋务派”提出“中学为体，西学为用”方针以来，我国就一直存在对西学的不同看法。在世界经济、政治、文化日益全球化的大背景下，在我国实行社会主义现代化和社会主义市场经济的今天，人们的主体意识、主体价值进一步觉醒，传统文化的现代转型日益成
为人们关注的焦点问题。因此，发展繁荣社会主义先进文化，要注意做到：
第一，要以人为本，处理好批判和继承的关系。对待传统文化，我们不能采取“文化保守主义”或“文化虚无主义”的态度，不能采取“非此即彼”的形而上学的思维方法，也不能采取“中体西用”、“西体中用”或“中西互为体用”的思维方法，而应看到中国传统文化中的多元性和复杂性，取其精华，弃其糟粕。对于中华文化中的合理和优秀的成分应该加以继承和发扬光大，对于以家族为本位的宗法等级观念、封闭保守的生活习性、反民主、反自由、反人权的的专制等级思想必须家决加以清除。文化的核心是价值体系，而价值体系又是围绕人来进行的，对人尊重，以自由、平等为核心的价值倾向应该是人类追求的共同目标，也是构建和发展先进文化的重要内容。
第二，积极进行文化整合，洋为中用。对多元文化选择、批判，对不同文化价值观进行抉择、融合，反对文化相对论和绝对论，立足于本国世纪、本民族传统吸收外国优秀，坚持本民族道德伦理、传统思维的基础上，满足人们日益提高的审美水平的需要。在文化整合中，树立文化的主题意识，保持自己文化应有的地位，坚持民族化大方向，向世界展示中华文化的博大精深，树立中华文化应有的国际形象。同时也要排除华夏中心论，以兼容的态度、开阔的胸襟，站在世界文化和民族文化的角度上看中华文化。
第三，高举科学与民主旗帜，积极进行文化创新。科学与民主是今天这个时代所要求的，传统文化与现代的民主和科学并不矛盾。中华民
族传统文化特别是儒家文化中有许多思维方法对克服西方实证科学思维方法中的某些偏面性有着重要的启发意义；同样，儒家文化中的一些政治理想、治国原则、官僚人格等理论对改善当前的政治制度和政治环境等也不乏可借鉴之处。因此，当前中国社会迫切需要要强调继承和发扬中华民族的传统美德，高举科学与民主旗帜，积极进行文化创新，建立起符合时代精神所需要的伦理观念、道德规范和社会秩序。
社会主义先进文化是中国特色社会主义的精神旗帜。积极吸收一切人类文明成果，这是发展繁荣社会主义先进文化的基本原则。坚持科学与民主，是发展繁荣社会主义先进文化的基本要求。坚持面向现代、面向世界、面向未来的文化，是发展繁荣社会主义先进文化的基本方向。坚持发展民族的、科学的、大众的文化，是发展繁荣社会主义先进文化的本质特征。因此，发展繁荣社会主义先进文化，要采取批判地继承、综合创新的办法，努力寻求传统文化向现代社会、现代价值观念转换、创新的有效途径，使现代中国在面临挑战的21世纪，能够充分吸收中国传统文化的优秀思想成果，借鉴外来文化的有益营养成份，使中华民族以崭新的姿态迎接世界不同文化的冲击和挑战，实现中华民族的伟大复兴。
这是我选中的一个：
What leads to the cultural difference?
The cultures of the East and the West really distinguish each other a lot. This is because the culture systems are two separate systems on the whole.
The origin of the eastern cultures is mainly from two countries: China and India. Both of the two cultures are gestated by rivers. In China, the mother river is the Yellow River while the Indian one is the Hindu River. These two cultures were developed for several thousand years and formed their own styles. Then in Dang Dynasty of China, the Chinese culture gradually went overseas to Japan, mixed into the Japanese society and shaped the Japanese culture nowadays. Though a bit different from the Chinese one, it belongs to the same system.
When the two mother rivers gave birth to the eastern culture, another famous culture was brought up on the Mesopotamian Plain ---- the Mesopotamian Civilization. This civilization later on developed into the cultures of the Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome. And these two are well-known as the base of the European culture. Like the Chinese culture, the European one also crossed waters. When the colonists of England
settled down in America, their culture went with them over the Atlantic Ocean. So the American culture doesn't distinguish from the European one a lot.
At the same time, the difference of the language systems adds to the cultural differences. In the East, most languages belong to the pictographic language (see the picture below) while the Western languages are mostly based on the Latin system, for example, the one I’m using to write this paper.
Other factors like human race difference counts as well. But what’s more, due to the far distance and the steep areas between the East and West, the two cultures seldom communicate until recent centuries. So they grew up totally in their own ways with almost no interference from the other.
Pictographic charactors
Part II How differently do people behave in daily life?
The differences are everywhere. They affect people’s ways of thinking
and their views of the world. Even in everyday life, the cultural differences show up from the moment the eyes are opened to the minute the dreams are invited.
In the following, I’ll give some typical example of the differences.
Section 1: Greeting
Greeting is the first step to form a culture, because people begin to communicate with others. The individuals become a community.
How do we Chinese greet each other? Informally, if we meet an friend in the street, we are used to say: “Hi, have you had your meal? ” or “Where are you going?”. When it is the case of two gentlemen, they tend to shake hands.
However, in the western countries, the above questions are just questions, not greeting at all. They may think you’re inviting them to dinner if you ask about their meals. Usually, they ’ll just give each other a smile or greet with a “Hi. ”. They’ll shake hands only in some formal situations.
By the way, Westerners can leave a party or meeting halls without a formal conge, nor should they shake hands with every attendee like most of us will do here.
Section 2: Expressing gratitude
Think of the situations below. Y our mother is busy in the kitchen. She suddenly asks you to fetch a bowl for her. Y ou do so. What ’ll your mother ’s response be? Probably she’ll just continue doing the cooking. After a while, the dinner is ready. Your mother hands you your bowl of rice. What’s your response? Probably just begin to eat.
That ’s what I want to say. In Chinese families, we rarely say “Thank you ” to other family members for receiving help or service. Neither will we say so between good friends. It’s such an unpopular response that if you say it, the counterpart will think you are treating him as a stranger, otherwise you are lacking of intimacy.
But in the West, "thank you" is one of the most frequently used sentences. Teachers will thank a student for answering a question; husbands will thank his wife for making a coffee.
However, as an interesting phenomenon, it’s a custom to say "thank you" in Japan. No matter in family or among friends, Japanese chronically use it all the day. This is probably the aberrance of the culture.
Section 3 Dining
The ways people eat, that is, the table manner, really distinguish a lot. The reason for this is probably because of the different dining tools and menus.
Easterners use chopsticks, or sometimes even grasp rice straightly with hands as Indians do. The thin and long chopsticks cannot be used to cut food, so we usually use our teeth to act as knives. We hold our food, meat or vegetable, with the chopsticks, send them to the mouths, bite off a part
of it and remain the other part on the chopsticks. That’s the usual way we eat. We are also used to hold up our bowls when having rice or soup. Japanese hold bowls to have miso soup without spoons. But all these habits are considered rude in the Western countries.
The etiquette in the West requests that when eating, bowls and plates cannot leave the tables. Food should be cut by knives to fit into the mouths. Of course your mouth cannot touch the plates or bowls. So the regular process is like this. You cut your steak on the plate with fork and knife, send the meat cube into the mouth with fork and nothing will be returned back but the fork alone.
Section 4 Symbolizing
Symbolization is how people imagine or regard something. It actually reflects the way people think. Here I’ll only discuss some symbolization that frequently appears in daily life.
First is about the colors. We often give each color some meanings, because we feel differently when facing different colors. So people always have preference when choosing colors of clothes, decorations, etc. In the APEC summit held in Shanghai several years ago, in the last day, the presidents from all over the world wore the traditional Chinese Dang suits and took a photo together. The colors of the suits were chosen by themselves freely. However, it ’s quite interesting to find that most Easterners chose red while most of the westerners preferred blue. To explain this, it’s easy to realize that what red means is almost opposite in the East and the West. Red means luck, fortune here. We Chinese often use this color to decorate in festivals, such as red lanterns, red Chinese nodes, red bangers. But red stands for blood, revolutions in the West. So the presidents avoided wearing this unlucky color.
Another interesting discovery is about the dragons. In the East, dragons are imagined as something like snake and are flowing in the sky for most of the time. The dragon is said to have the face of the horse, the horns of the deer, the ears of the ox, the body of the snake, the claws of the eagle and squama of the fish. We regard dragon as God and say that we Chinese are the off spring of the dragon. The God of Dragons of the four seas can charge the rainfalls, so we sometimes also call them the God of the water or rain. But in the West, people think dragons as dinosaurs, which can
stand on the ground with feet and fly with huge wings. They lay eggs just like dinosaurs. The dragons of the West have the ability to erupt fire, instead of water. The fire can destroy everything so the dragons are not welcomed at all. They even become the symbol of the Devil.
Dragons Imagined by Chinese
Dragon Imagined by the Westerners
Part III What can we do to treat the culture gap?
Now we have seen that there exists such a huge gap between eastern culture and western one. Then what should we do to face this gap in the gradually globalizing world?
Firstly, we cannot deny any of the cultures. Every nation has its own characteristics and it’s mainly through its culture that we first begin to know the nation and its characteristics. So we cannot say that this culture or custom is right and that is wrong. Equal respect should be attached to every culture in the world, even to those that are not in existence any more.
Next, we should get to learn how to coordinate the different cultures. We say the world is becoming smaller and smaller. More foreigners come and go everyday. When it is in the same country, the same city, the same
neighborhood, the cultural collision is expected to be more serious. So we should try to avoid this happening. One important thing is to get some basic knowledge about the other cultures so as not to misunderstand some actions or habits of the foreigners.
When the above two is done, we can start to communicate. I mean we can take in some strong points from the foreign cultures. Though there doesn’t exist correctness in terms of culture, it does have the terms of more advanced or more suitable for the world nowadays. Of course, we cannot throw away our own culture and accept another one totally. Every culture is a treasure to the history of the Earth, so we should only pick out those we lack to perfect our own.
Different cultures add the most colorful element to the world of 21st century. The cultural gap should not be the obstacle to the civilization of human being. It ought to be the motivation of our going farther.