ON THE CULTURAL DIFFERENCE OF ENGLISH AND CHINESE PROVERBS IN TERMS OF HUMAN RELATIONS ORIENTATION

陸芃芃 王健

In order to better understand the cultural differences between the East and the West，this paper compares English and Chinese proverbs based on the human relations orientation developed by American anthropologist Dr.Florence R.Kluckhohn.Through the comparative analysis of English and Chinese proverbs，the individual orientation of English-speaking people and the hierarchy or group-oriented value of Chinese people are revealed.Based on the theory of human relations orientation in Kluckhohn’s value orientation model，this paper is aimed at understanding the differences between Chinese and western values and deepening the comprehension of Chinese and western cultures by elaborating the embodiment of Chinese and English values in proverbs.

In western English-speaking countries，individualism and self-consciousness are essential components of western cultural values.There are many representative proverbs that can reflect their individualistic cultural characteristics，such as “God helps those who help themselves.” Originally said by Franklin，this proverb reveals that westerners put more emphasis on individualism，freedom and personal value.People are apt to pursue equality，personal enjoyment and satisfaction of material interests.This phenomenon is also explainable with Hofstede’s five value dimensions model.Individualistic cultures The relationship between individuals and society seems very loose，because the social consensus focuses more on“I” consciousness and external competitiveness.As a result，normally，people are inclined to achieve success through their own efforts.The thought highlights individual in the social independence，and it emphasizes the ego and self- fulfillments.

On the contrary，“君要臣死，臣不得不死”（If the monarch wants his subject to die，the subject cannot but die），the popular Chinese proverb，illustrates that every citizen is expected to be aware of his position and role in society and not do acts beyond his own identity.The so-called “monarch and his subject” has a clear hierarchical relationship between superiority and inferiority.In Chinese culture，the social hierarchy is strict，and everyone obeys authority.Social norms and duties are defined by the in-group rather than behavior to get pleasure.（席敬，姜好 2）Accordingly，beliefs are shared with the in-group rather than beliefs that distinguish self from in-group.Similarly，great readiness is to cooperate with in-group members.

Simultaneously，the main line of Anglo-American values is advocating the independence of individuals relative to society，which emphasizes self and personal achievements.The proverb “Don’t put your finger in the pie” embodies the individualistic philosophy of life，implying that everyone prefers to try his best to benefit himself rather than consider others.This individualistic orientation can embody the strength of the individual in western culture and the will to fight against one’s own destiny.Meanwhile，the proverb also reveals the high uncertainty avoidance of Hofstede’s value dimensions model.Compared with collectivism in China，the western thought “heaven-phase separation” is bound to shape the thought “individualism”.Western people especially the Americans are extremely eager for their individual efforts，characteristic performance，and self-development（李彩歌，張華明，60）.They believe，only through their own striving for the goals，amplify their potential abilities，safeguard their rights and interests，and then can be a foothold in their countries.

As a contrast to westerners’ values，Chinese people attach added importance to group consciousness，peaceful coexistence，and conventional interdependence.The famous Chinese proverb “先天下之憂而憂，后天之樂而樂”（One should be the first to worry for the future of the state and the last to claim his share of happiness）shows that Chinese people advocate helping those who are in trouble.They pay attention to benevolence and justice.In traditional Chinese culture，everything is focused on social and national interests，and personal interests can be ignored or sacrificed when necessary.（Chen Xin 2）In China，people tend to have a strong sense of belonging to groups.Moreover，Chinese culture is a collectivist culture，which has generally guided Chinese people to be introverted in character，implicit in speech，and modest in doing things.Since collective interests and cooperation are highlighted in collectivism.the internal order of a family，a society and a nation has been advocated since ancient times.It is the close relationship between individuals and collectives that requires people to always focus on the overall situation.

To summarize，English proverbs usually reflect a favor for individual value，while Chinese proverbs are more likely to enhance a hierarchical or group-oriented value.The cultural differences revealed in proverbs between Chinese and western human relations orientations indicate the opposition and conflict which have existed for a long time.However，since intercultural communication is going to be increasingly frequent，mutual communication is of remarkable use for learning from multinational penetration and multipartite integration.

Works Cited

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