What are the cultural perspectives in the modern East-meets-West cultural fusion?

Nature is the material basis of human existence and is closely related to human life. Due to the influence of people's way of life, thinking mode, history and culture, the personality symbols given to natural objects in China and the West are different from each other, reflecting the differences and similarities between the aesthetics of Chinese and Western people. In this paper, we will compare the personality symbols of natural objects and natural scenes in Chinese and English languages, and discuss the characteristics of natural scene culture and the aesthetic differences between Chinese and English languages.

I. Aesthetics of Natural Objects

Natural objects are the material layer of natural existence, and human beings use natural objects in their lives and have certain relationships with them, and produce the intentional role layer, i.e., the aesthetic experience and reflection here. The result of the action of the intentional layer on the material layer is the aesthetic view of natural objects [1]. The analogy between natural objects with certain characteristics and the representations of human activities gives them a personality. People in China and the West have given rich symbolic meanings and cultural connotations to many natural objects and natural scenes in the natural world.

Second, the personality of the natural scenery given to symbolize

Sun, moon and stars, wind, rain, thunder and lightning, mountains, rivers and other natural phenomena experienced by mankind *** with. The personification of natural objects brings humans closer to nature, forming an aesthetic relationship between humans and nature. Certain natural objects and natural scenes have been given similar personality symbols by Chinese and Westerners. But on the other hand, due to the different geographical environment, life style and social system, people in China and the West give different personality symbols to other natural objects and natural scenery, reflecting their own aesthetic view.

1. Giving similar personality symbols to the same natural scenery

In the primitive society with low social productivity, all human beings often understood the external world by analogy from themselves, which gave rise to the process of personification of the natural world. Nature worship mainly refers to human beings' worship of natural phenomena such as the sun, moon, stars, mountains, rivers and lakes. They worship natural objects and forces as objects of life, will and great power[2]. In both Chinese and Western mythologies, the sun god is represented as a brilliant and strong male who can rule over all things. Therefore, the Chinese word "他" and the English word "he" are used to represent the sun. The image of the moon in the minds of early mankind was an icon of serenity and movement, and was given feminine and gentle characteristics by both Chinese and Westerners. The ancient people also believed that the earth was the mother of mankind, and that she could bring everything to mankind, so the Chinese word "she" and the English word "she" were used to represent the moon and the earth. For example:①The sun never repents of the good he does, nor does he ever demand a recompence. ②The Sun God smiles as he rows his boat across the sky. ③Selene, the Selene, the goddess of the moon: does she shine on men only? ④Gaia, more frequently spelled Ge, was the Earth. She is rarely even referred to as a deity, she is more a power There are some similar expressions in Chinese, such as "天无二日", in which "日" refers to the sun, which is a metaphor for a male king. The meaning is that there are no two suns in the sky, which is a metaphor for the fact that a country cannot have two kings at the same time. The words "Moon Girl", "Flowery Face" and "Mother Earth" reflect the symbols of the moon and the earth, which represent the female personality.

Since 70% of the earth is covered by the sea, the sea has become a symbol of the ability to embrace many objects in the eyes of both Chinese and Westerners, representing the personality of open-mindedness and broad-mindedness. The Chinese phrase "海纳百川" describes a person's magnanimity, temperament and broad-mindedness. The phrase "海纳百川，有容乃大" means that a person's heart should be tolerant and selfless, and should be able to face up to all kinds of rumors and gossip. Westerners like to use the sea as a symbol of life experience and cultural meaning. The English poet John Fowles once wrote that Sea can be subtle and noble, brave and energetic.[3] The Chinese see the mountain as a symbol of the realm of life and personality ideals. Not only is the mountain itself a symbol of cultural ideals, but all things related to the mountain can be used as a metaphor for the moral direction of life. For example, "There is wood on the mountain, and the gentleman lives in virtue and good customs"; "There is wind under the mountain, and the gentleman revitalizes the people and cultivates virtue". The modern American poet Hamlin Garland's nature poem "The Mountains are Silent Warriors" is a salute to the great and silent spirit of the mountains: The mountains they are silent folk/ They stand a far--alone/ And the clouds that kiss their brows at night/ Hear neither sigh nor groan/Each bears him in his ordered place/As soldiers do, and bold and high/They fold their forests round their feet/And bolster up the sky. The "landscape symbolizing personality" in Western poetry is somewhat similar to the Chinese concept of "landscape comparing virtues", in which the Chinese believe that the mountain can make people learn tolerance, and the water can give people wisdom, thus the saying that "the benevolent people are happy with the mountain, and the wise people are happy with the water". The Chinese believe that mountains can teach tolerance and water can give people wisdom, so there is a "benevolent man enjoys the mountains, the wise man enjoys the water". [

2. Giving different personality symbols to the same natural scenery

Different geographic locations, lifestyles and social systems lead to differences in aesthetic interests between China and the West, and thus they give different personality symbols to some of the same natural scenery. For example, due to different geographic locations, the west wind gives people in China and the West different or even opposite aesthetic feelings. In England, the west wind comes from the Atlantic Ocean and brings people the feeling of warm spring, so English poets like to praise the west wind. For example, John Mansfield's poem The West Wind wrote: It's warm wind, the west wind, full of birds' cries; And April's in the west wind, and daffodils are in the west wind. It's warm wind, the west wind, full of birds' cries; And April's in the west wind, and daffodils.[5] This poem expresses the love for the west wind. The English poet Shelley in "Ode to the West Wind" writes about the power of the west wind, in fact, it is calling for a humanistic spirit: The trumpet of a prophecy! O wind, If winter comes; can spring be far behind? [5] The English people see the west wind, associate it with winter, and then associate it with spring. This was a call for and a prophecy of some kind of social change, and the west wind symbolized the spirit of revolution, reform, and the power of renewal. But in China, it is the east wind that calls for spring. The east wind, originating from the Pacific Ocean, makes landfall in early spring and increases in strength month by month. In early spring, the east wind is known as the spring wind, which is characterized by warmth. The "spring breeze is green again" reflects the vitality of the spring breeze; "the wildfire is inexhaustible, the spring breeze blows again" reflects the vitality of the spring breeze. China's west wind comes from the cold western continent, mostly in the fall and winter, resulting in the withering of flowers and trees, so the Chinese people give the west wind is a cold and merciless personality symbol. Such as "last night the west wind through the garden, the chrysanthemums scattered all over the gold" can be seen in the cruelty of the west wind.

Second, the personality symbols of natural creatures

The colorful natural creatures in the natural world are the objects of the writers and writers. The use of natural creatures as metaphors for human beings and the use of objects to express one's feelings are very common in Chinese culture. English-speaking countries, influenced by Western classical myths and history, have given natural creatures some allegorical meanings.

1. Personality symbols similar to natural creatures

Because the physiological mechanism of the human brain and the ability to think are the same, by the influence of **** the same laws of cognition, the Chinese and Western peoples give some natural creatures similar personality symbols. For example, rats symbolize thieves, thieves and other ill-intentioned people, the Chinese have "rat head, rat brain", "thieves and rats" words to refer to the bad guys, the English "rat" in the "Oxford Advanced English "rat" in the "Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary" explained as "a disloyal and deceiving person (dishonest person)", that the rat is the embodiment of Satan. In both Chinese and English cultures, laurel symbolizes victory and glory, and it is woven into a "laurel crown" and dedicated to the person with the highest honor. In English laureate means laurel crown, and win laurels means to get honor. Some words in Chinese and English have the same metaphorical meaning, e.g. rose symbolizes happiness and beauty, olive branch symbolizes peace and equality. A bed of roses is a metaphor for a pleasant and comfortable life, and rose-colored symbolizes optimism and happiness. In Chinese, there are also expressions such as "rose-colored dream" (美梦), "rose-colored prospect" (美好的前程), and so on.

2. Different personality symbols of natural creatures

Due to the differences in history, culture, religion and mythology, the characteristics and emotions associated with some of the same natural creatures in China and the West are not the same. For example, in China, the lotus flower, which "comes out of the mud but does not get stained, and makes the sea clean but does not become demonic", symbolizes honesty and integrity, and is beyond the world. The peony, the leader of flowers, is a symbol of wealth and honor. Chinese people praise these flowers and trees in a way that is difficult for Westerners to appreciate. In addition, in English, lily also symbolizes "beauty", such as lilies and roses, as fair as a lily, which in Chinese does not evoke such associations. In Chinese culture, weeping willow signifies attachment, whereas in English weeping willow signifies sadness. Due to different aesthetics, Chinese and English people focus on different things. In Chinese, the orchid is used to refer to a noble and elegant gentleman, and the bamboo is used to refer to a man of high moral character, both of them focusing on the match between the divine qualities of flowers and trees and the moral souls of human beings. Orchids "orchids are born in the valley, not to no one and not fragrant" spirit of temperament to symbolize not shaken by poverty, but still determined to upward personality. Westerners emphasize the connection between the external characteristics of objects and the appearance of people, such as: cabbage head and pumpkin head both refer to the fool; tomato is a metaphor for a beautiful woman. These figurative metaphors focus on the similarity of the external features of the object and the metaphor.

All in all, under the influence of their own history and culture, religious culture and historical development, there are certain differences in the thinking characteristics and aesthetics of Chinese and Western countries. The fact that Chinese and Western countries give the same or different personality symbolism to natural objects shows that the East and West have a unique understanding of all kinds of natural objects, which enriches human linguistic knowledge, thus respecting the cultures of different peoples and promoting cross-cultural communication between the East and the West.