Analysis on Cultural Connotation of Tea

XIONG Zirui

【Abstract】Recently， a large number of Chinese borrowed words emerge in English.However， cultural connotation of these Chinese borrowed words may fail to penetrate into the minds of foreign people.This study aims to demonstrate the cultural connotation of tea and hopes to raise readers cultural awareness， which is beneficial to cross-cultural communication.

【Key words】cultural connotation； tea； cross-culture communication

It is universally acknowledged that China is the original country to grow， produce and drink tea（Wang， 2011）.Drinking tea has become indispensable to peoples daily lives and the tea itself is culture-loaded， which involves material culture and spiritual civilization（Du， 2013）.

Legend has it that primitive men picked tea leaves for food.The discovery of the medicinal value of tea in China can be traced back to the ancient time of Holy Farmer when tea was regarded as a precious medicine.From Pre-Qin Period to Eastern and Western Han Dynasties， tea became a beverage made with millet and other condiments.However， it is not until the Tang Dynasty and Song Dynasty that the practice of drinking tea came into fashion and the spirit of tea had penetrated into palace and countryside in almost all fields including poetry， painting， calligraphy， religion（Du， 2013）.In the Ming and Qing Dynasties， the ways of drinking tea were innovated and the custom of drinking tea was similar to that of our contemporary lives.

Tea was recognized by the Chinese literati as friends to share ideas because they firmly believed that tea was the representation of elegance， harmony， friendliness and grace.Commonly， drinking tea was considered to cultivate the mind and improve moral integrity.As tea conforms to the Buddhist doctrine of purifying the mind of temporal desires， drinking tea has become practices who believe in Buddhism.

Chinese tea did not reach Europe until trade began between the east and the west in the 16th century.It was in the 17th century that the British discovered the value of tea and tea was a valuable gift presented to relatives and friends.By the middle of the 18th century， however， tea had replaced ale and gin as the drink of the masses and had become British most popular beverage.In the modern society， scientific analysis inform British of the benefits of drinking tea and tea then is received by British people as a less-costly beverage that is conducive to health with the least adverse effect.

Generally speaking， both Chinese and British consider tea， often served at parties and feasts， a traditional and natural beverage that could bring them relaxation and enjoyment.However， the drastic difference in cultural connotation of tea between Chinese and British can be easily seen.The spirit of tea art and tea ceremony is the core of Chinese tea culture（Wang， 2011） and Chinese people are more sentimental.Here， “art” refers to techniques and artistic process of making， cooking and tasting tea， while “ceremony” relates to the spirit with which the process is carried out.It is also said that the teas quality， the drinkers moral integrity and the environment should harmonize.By comparison， tea is served in the afternoon tea time， high tea time and tea breaks when British socialize with one another and immerse themselves in an intimate and relaxed atmosphere.As an indispensable beverage， British people pay more attention to its taste and varieties.British are unaware of the traditional Chinese culture including poetry， painting， calligraphy and religions such as Taoism， Confucianism and Buddhism（Wang， 2011） embodied in tea when borrow words such as oolong.

Borrowing is a solution to nonequivalence when encountered with words from other cultures.However， cultural connotation may be missing in the borrowing process.People encountered with Chinese borrowed words are encouraged to raise their cultural awareness and take the initiative to bridge the culture barrier.

References：

[1]Du Hongliang.（2013）.An Exploration into the Elegant Taste of Chinese Tea Culture.Asian Culture and History，5（2），44-47.

[2]Li Xiusong.（1993）.Chinese Tea Culture.Journal of Popular Culture，27（2），75-89.

[3]Wang Ni.（2011）.A Comparison of Chinese and British Tea Culture.Asian Culture and History，3（2），13-17.