中国文化英文PPT之龙文化dragon_culture_in_China.ppt

;Origin of Chinese Dragon;Chinese dragon traditionally symbolizes strength and auspicious（吉祥） , in the past people think it control over water, rainfall and floods. It is also a symbol of luck. The Chinese even have a year of the dragon, and it is said that anyone born in this year will be healthy, wealthy, and wise.;In order to distinguish the Chinese dragon “龙” and the English dragon, some dictionaries call the Chinese one as “Chinese dragon” to distinct from the English one. English one is spelled as “dragon” while the Chinese one as “loong”. However, the ideas have not been in broad agreement so far. ;Suggestions of Loong:;Why did ancient Chinese people create such an imaginary animal?;Image of Chinese dragon;The horns of a deer; 角似鹿 the head of a camel; 头似驼 the eyes of a rabbit;眼如兔 the neck of a snake;项似蛇 the abdomen of a large cockle; 腹如蜃 the scales of a carp; 鳞如鱼 the claws of an eagle; 爪似鹰 the paws of a tiger; 掌似虎 and the ears of an ox.身如牛 ;Symbolic Value in China;1. Ruler of weather and water Chinese dragons are strongly associated 使联系 with water in popular belief. They are believed to be the rulers of moving bodies of water, such as waterfalls, rivers, seas or flood.;In times of drought干旱 or flooding, it was customary for the local people and government officials to lead the community in offering sacrifices and conducing other religious rites仪式 to appease满足 the dragon, either to ask for rain. ;There are four major Dragon Kings, representing each of the four seas: The East Sea, the South Sea, the West Sea, and the North Sea. Because of this association联想, they are seen as “in charge” of water-related weather phenomenon. ;2. Symbol of imperial authority皇权 The dragon, especially yellow or golden dragons with five claws抓 on each foot, was a symbol for emperor in many Chinese dynasties. The imperial throne王座 was called the Dragon Throne. During the late Qing Dynasty, the dragon was even adopted as the national flag. The dragon is featured in体现 th