This article deals with the presenting of diplomatic gifts around the 7th Century from the Roman Empire in the East （i.e. the Byzantine Empire）, and among these a kind of medication supposedly capable of curing all ...This article deals with the presenting of diplomatic gifts around the 7th Century from the Roman Empire in the East （i.e. the Byzantine Empire）, and among these a kind of medication supposedly capable of curing all sorts of illnesses, theriac. The links between these uses and Taoist expectations regarding ever-lasting life are discussed herein in the context of that diplomatic mission. It explores the different understandings of what theriac meant in the Byzantine and in the Tang courts. This sheds light on the kind of different misunderstandings, sometimes of an ironical nature, which may happen in intercultural contacts of political-diplomatic nature.展开更多
The English language is seen by the Chinese as a tool of significant pragmatic value, both by the individual and the state. Discourse on English language education within China has, both historically and at present, p...The English language is seen by the Chinese as a tool of significant pragmatic value, both by the individual and the state. Discourse on English language education within China has, both historically and at present, pitted the pragmatic value of English against concerns of cultural and linguistic erosion and imposition. Concerns over the corrupting impact the English language may have on the Chinese language, and further on Chinese culture, uneasily coexist with an acceptance of the English language＇s role as the key to modernization and economic development. Voices of past and present, have at their core a desire for the protection of a reified cultural identity or essence. However, cultural and linguistic influence has not merely been imposed upon China from external forces, but has been actively drawn in by domestic forces. Such domestic forces range from foreign language education policies that meet the demands of a globalized market-driven economy, to a market demand for English language media such as TV programs, movies and literature. Ultimately, the presence and significance of these domestic forces undermines a view of the English language as a vehicle of cultural imperialism in China.展开更多
文摘This article deals with the presenting of diplomatic gifts around the 7th Century from the Roman Empire in the East （i.e. the Byzantine Empire）, and among these a kind of medication supposedly capable of curing all sorts of illnesses, theriac. The links between these uses and Taoist expectations regarding ever-lasting life are discussed herein in the context of that diplomatic mission. It explores the different understandings of what theriac meant in the Byzantine and in the Tang courts. This sheds light on the kind of different misunderstandings, sometimes of an ironical nature, which may happen in intercultural contacts of political-diplomatic nature.
文摘The English language is seen by the Chinese as a tool of significant pragmatic value, both by the individual and the state. Discourse on English language education within China has, both historically and at present, pitted the pragmatic value of English against concerns of cultural and linguistic erosion and imposition. Concerns over the corrupting impact the English language may have on the Chinese language, and further on Chinese culture, uneasily coexist with an acceptance of the English language＇s role as the key to modernization and economic development. Voices of past and present, have at their core a desire for the protection of a reified cultural identity or essence. However, cultural and linguistic influence has not merely been imposed upon China from external forces, but has been actively drawn in by domestic forces. Such domestic forces range from foreign language education policies that meet the demands of a globalized market-driven economy, to a market demand for English language media such as TV programs, movies and literature. Ultimately, the presence and significance of these domestic forces undermines a view of the English language as a vehicle of cultural imperialism in China.
