[交流] Dragon and Peacock

              Dragon and Peacock
The different features of nations result from the difference between their culture and history. Even the same animal stands for different meanings in different nations, some of which are completely opposite. So it is not difficult to understand the disputes over the meaning of dragon between China and western countries.
The dragon is an animal in mythological legends of China and Western countries. The lucky and exalted “dragon” in Chinese is in sharp contrast with the evil, fierce and cruel “dragon” in English. In Chinese culture, the dragon is a symbol of good luck, authority, dignity and prosperity. The Chinese are the “Descendants of the Dragon”. The dragon is supreme in the heart of Chinese. They call their country the “Oriental Dragon”, and the dragon can be seen as a symbol of China. However, in Western culture, especially the Unites Kingdom and the United States, people think that the dragon is the symbol of evil things, a cruel beast, and a devil in disguise. In the Bible, Satan, who was against God, was called “the great dragon”. Therefore, if you want to express the concept of “dragon” in Chinese, you’d better say “the Chinese dragon” to avoid misunderstandings.
The peacock has been regard as a beautiful, lucky bird in China since ancient times. In Chinese culture, the peacock is the embodiment of “luck” and “beauty”. People also often use peacock to describe a beautiful person or something in everyday life. But people of Anglo-American countries think that the peacock strides for ward with its chin up, and spreads its wings to show off, which is the performance of “arrogance” and “vanity”. Therefore, the peacock often carries the derogatory meanings in English. For instance, we say someone is as proud as a cock in China while we say someone is as proud as a peacock in the Anglo-American countries.
The differences between the Chinese and Western culture lead to the different symbols of the same animals, so the “animal culture” has an obvious national and regional character. So we should show much respect for them.