A Comparison of Chinese and British Tea Cultures from the Perspective of Cross-Cultural Communication and the “Tea Language” Translation

Abstract

As the Chinese saying goes, “The seven necessities of life: firewood, rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar and tea”, which shows the important place the tea occupies in the hearts of the Chinese. With the advent of globalization, countries all over the world have gradually become an organically integrated economic and cultural whole, and China’s tea has travelled across the ocean to the west, developing a unique and exotic western tea culture. Despite the fact that British tea comes from China, there are significant differences in tea culture between the two countries. This paper explores the deeper reasons behind the differences between Chinese and British tea culture through a comparative analysis and put forward some strategies and methods for the translation of “tea language” based on these cultural differences. The differences between Chinese and British tea culture are discussed in terms of the development of tea culture, tea drinking etiquette and the spirit of the tea ceremony, which are created by the differences in cultural background and ideology. Analyzing Chinese and British tea culture from different aspects enables us to make better use of tea culture and observe tea drinking etiquette in cross-cultural communication, reduce the language barrier formed in translation and understanding, and reduce the cultural conflict, thus promoting the exchange and development between Chinese and British tea culture and making tea culture shine on the world stage.