上海外国语大学2020–2021学年第一学期期末考试试卷

上海外国语大学2020–2021学年第一学期期末考试试卷课程名称中国文化概要课程编号TRL3140.1402任课教师江帆姓名李金禧学号94Pleasewriteanessayabout500-800wordsinEnglish,explainingaculturalphenomenoninChina.Acomparativeperspectiveisencouraged.Recently,therehasbeenagrowingpreferencetonotgetmarriedorhavechildren.Asiancountries,includingwesterncountries,alsoshowedatendencyforwomentonolongermarryorgivebirth.Theremayhavecareerdisconnection,butIthinkpeoplemighthaveanunderlyingideaofavoidingthepainthataccompanieschildbirthbecauseitisphysicallydifficulttoreturntotheirpre-childbirthbodies.Childbirthisnobleanddifficultinanycountry,andIwonderedwhattheprocessisafterchildbirthinAsiancountriesandwhatisitlikeinWesterncountries.InAsiancountriessuchasChina,youhavetotakegoodcareofyourbodyaftergivingbirth,andifyoudonottakegoodcareofit,theaftereffectsaregreat.However,accordingtorumors,someforeignmotherstookcoldshowersandexercisedevenaftergivingbirth,andtheywerecuriousfindoutthatthebodycareafterchildbirthisdifferentfromculturetoculture.First,howdomothersinChinatakecareoftheirbodiesaftergivingbirth?InAsiancountries,especiallyChina,watchingyourbodyaftergivingbirthisconsideredimportant.Aftergivingbirthtoachild,thebonesarecrushed,andthebonesandjointsofthewholebodyaresore,soifyoucarryaheavythingordoalittletoomuchwork,youwillsufferfromaftereffectsforever.Soitisalsocelebratedwhenachildis100daysold,andactuallythisholidaytocelebratethebirthofachildisthecelebrationofthe100thdaybecausenotonlythechildisaliveandwell,butthemotherisaliveandwellfor100days.Forthisreason,anewinstitutioncalledpostnatalCarecenterhasrecentlyemergedtotakecareofthebodiesofnewmothers.Theycanlearnhowtoholdtheirchild,howtofeedtheirchild,howtodraintheirbreastmilkinadvance,massageanddosit-downbathfrequently,havethreemealsandthreesnackstowatchtheirbodies.Mothersareadvisedtodrinkwaterfrequentlytomakebreastmilkcomeoutwellanddrainedemafluid,andbreastmassageisrequiredbeforebreastcontraction,andtheymustwearleggingsandsockstokeepthemselveswarmandcompressionstockingstoremoveswelling.Theycanalsokickthewristguardsotheydon'tstraintheirwrists.What'simportantisthatpostnatalcarecentersexistseparatelyinChinaandAsiancountries.Second,howdomothersintheAmericasandwesternEuropeancountriestakecareoftheirbodiesaftergivingbirth?SimilarlyintheAmericasandWesternEurope,mothersneedtohaveagoodmaternityperiodafterchildbirthtobehealthy.Butfourtosixweeksistherecoveryperiod,asopposedtowhatChinaandOtherAsiancountriesconsidertobeatleasttwotofourweeks.ThereasonisthatitisdifferentfromthepostnatalcaremethodsofChinaandAsiancountries.InMostcases,Chinesewomengivebirthinmaternityhospitalsandareadmittedtofacilitiestotakecareoftheirbodiesduringchildbirth,duringwhichtheyfocussolelyontakingcareoftheirbodies.Ifyoutakegoodcareofitaftergivingbirth,youcanrecoverfaster.However,intheUnitedStatesandEuropeancountries,theburdenofmedicalexpensesishigh.AndespeciallyintheUnitedStates,thereisaperceptionthatchildbirthisanaturalphenomenon,soinmostcases,doctorsandmidwivesarerequestedseparatelytohelpdeliverbabiesinthemothers’ownhomesandprovidepostpartumcare.InChina,thereareunimaginableremedies.Forexample,therearefolkremediessuchasdrinking2litresofcoldorangejuiceadaytopreventdehydrationwhengivingbirth,anddrinkingbeerwhenmilkisnotflowingwell.InAmerica,babiessleepaslongastheydo.Andmotherswouldasksomeoneelsetocarryfoodorgoodsorcallfamilyandfriendstodooddjobs.Mothersarealsoadvisedtogooutofthehouseandtakeshorttripstorefreshthemselveswithnewchanges,andtodrinkfluidsfrequentlyforsmoothbreastfeeding.Throughmyresearchonthistopic,Irealizedthattheprocessofcookingafterchildbirthvariesfromcountrytocountry.Besides,themedicalinsurancesystemsupportedbyeachcountryisdifferent,andthecultureisdifferent,sotherearedifferencesfromtheprocessofpreparingforchildbirthtotheperiodofrecoveryafterchildbirth.However,thereisonethingincommonacrosscountriesandcultures.Itisuniversaltorespectandprotectthemotherwhoisgivingbirth,andthereisalwaysthesameviewthatnotonlythenew-born,butalsothemother,hascompletedagreattask.Throughthisassignment,Iamabletorealizethedifferencesandcommonalitiesofcultures,andthroughthisclass,IamabletolearnhowtoaccuratelyportrayChinesecultureabroad.