教学单位外国语学院
学生学号
本科毕业论文（设计）
题目The Comparison of Chinese
Dream and American Dream
学生姓名
专业名称英语
指导教师
2014 年 3 月7 日
中国梦与美国梦的比较
摘要：
中国梦和美国梦都是国家的梦想，表面上它们有一定的相似之处，但是由于中国和美国有着不同的历史渊源、不同的时代背景和不同的政治体制，中国梦和美国梦所奉行的价值观及最终的目标上有着本质的差别。本文通过研究探讨中国梦和美国梦的对比，并从两种国家梦的涵义、背景及其发展等方面深层次挖掘这写不同点的根源，从而更加深切地解读中国梦和美国梦,弘扬中国传统文化;另一方面通过对美国梦的研究借鉴并汲取其优秀文化成果,更好地践行我们的中国梦。
关键词：中国梦美国梦比较
The Comparison of Chinese Dream and American Dream Abstract: Chinese Dream and American Dream both are national dreams. Apparently, there are some similarities between the two dreams. Of course, the two dreams inevitably have differences because of different history, different backgrounds and different political systems. The values and the ultimate purpose they pursue really have natural differences .This paper aims to study the comparison of Chinese Dream and American Dream in the field of culture connotation, what’s more, digging the origins of these differences and similarities into a deeper level is very necessary to interpret Chinese Dream and American Dream. In this way, we can draw cultural achievements from the study of American Dream and then fulfill our Chinese Dream better.
Key words: Chinese Dream American Dream Comparison
Contents
1. Introduction (1)
1.1The Chinese Dream (1)
1.1.1 The definition of Chinese Dream (1)
1.1.2The origin of Chinese Dream (2)
1.1.3 The Two phases of Chinese Dream (3)
1.2 The American Dream (5)
1.2.1The conception of American Dream (5)
1.2.2 The backgrounds of American Dream (6)
1.2.3The development of American Dream (7)
2. The similarities of the Chinese Dream and the American Dream (9)
3.The differences of the Chinese Dream and the American Dream (11)
3.1Collectivism VS Individualism (12)
3.2 Spiritualism VS Materialism (12)
3.3 Pacifism VS Hegemonism (13)
4.Conclusion (13)
Reference (15)
1. Introduction
Ever since ancient times, Chinese people have been chasing their own dreams, and after the Opium Wars the concept of the Chinese Dream has become much more prevalent in society. Xi Jinping, the General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, visited the Chinese National Museum’s grand exhibition "Road to Revival" in the end of 2012, he emphasized that we must try our best to realize the Chinese Dream as being to realize a great revitalization of the Chinese nation. [1]At the same time, Barack Obama, the president of USA, also made a commitment in his victory speech which fulfilled to preserve the American Dream for all of America's working families. The two dreams, obviously, resonate with both countries. So, it immediately triggers the comparison of Chinese Dream and American Dream at home and abroad when the Chinese Dream disputed.
1.1The Chinese Dream
1.1.1The definition of Chinese Dream
After the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the new generation of the collective lead ership with General Secretary Xi Jinping as its core, put forward the "Chinese Dream", aimed at achieving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, which cohere the efforts, wisd om and strength of the 1.3 billion Chinese people.[2]
As China is in the midst of mass development and potential prosperity lies on the horizon, it is inevitable that people will begin to speculate as to what the “Chinese Dream” is.
The Chinese Dream, in a broad sense, means implementing the dream of enriching people and forming a powerful nation, further more, making great contribution to the world’s harmonious process; Narrowly speaking, it means the aspirations of achieving a better life that the enterprising Chinese peopl e pursue by virtue of their great courage, wisdom and spirit of innovation.[3]
1.1.2The origin of Chinese Dream
We all know that it doesn’t lack dreams in Chinese history from ancient times. A lot of fairy tales like Changer’s flying to the moon does embody beautiful aspiration and desires of Chinese people. Here from it can be seen that our ancestors already had a desire for a better and brighter future in their minds. Chinese people have been chasing their own dreams, with diligence and wisdom ，created a splendid civilization and put this historical country ahead of the world for a long time. [4]Centuries-ol d history and brilliant culture provide a rich resource for Chinese people to help create the conditions to realize their own dreams.
1.1.3Two phases of Chinese Dream
While the way to the dream is a long journey and it is full of
hardship. Chinese Dream can be divided into two phases from the Opium War in 1940 to 2050. [5,6]
The dream of the first one-hundred-year was realizing national ind ependence and liberation. It can be dating back to the government of Qing Dynasty, self-conceited, ignorant and conservative and complacent, lost chances again and again for China to step into modernization. In1840, Sino-British the Opium War erupted, western powers invaded China through their forces and opium. No match for mod ern European firepower, the Chinese had to sign the 1842Treaty of Nanjing, thus made a series of unequal treaties were signed successively and torn the state apart. After that, China was reduced to a semi-colony and semi-feudal society, subjected to aggression and enslavement by foreign powers, facing the subject of the revival of nationhood. Having been received a devastating blow, China began its dream of fighting against invasion of China and the situation of being beaten by foreign powers .Many patriots with high inspiration constantly found new paths by trying various means to realize the dream of National Rejuvenation and there was an urgent need for saving the nation.
Sun yet-sen, the revolution’s moral lead er and the first president of the Chinese republic, led the anti-imperialist and anti-feudal
movement called the Revolution of 1911. The great revolutionist once stated in the Unity of Declaration that “China is a unified country, and Chinese sovereignty and territorial integrity brook no division. Only unity is the hope of all citizens.”He was clear suggested realizing the lofty ideal of national rejuvenation and many patriots had reached consensus on it. The Three Principles of People put forward by Sun Yat-sen was composed of Nationalism, Democracy and People’s Livelihood. They worked hard and tried to topple the three big mountains of imperialism, feudalism and bureaucrat-capitalism.
But because the weakness of the innate national bourgeoisie and the fraudulence of bureaucrat-capitalism,the dream of The Three Principles of Peopl e ultimately failed in China. At the same time, the Chinese proletariat began to board on the political stage of history with the Land Reform Movement gaining firm support and a united front being established by the nation.
Not until Mao Zedong who represented the Chinese Communist Party (CPC) successfully led the new democratic revolution did people win the dream of achieving national ind ependence and liberation. In other words, it was the CPCthat really helped to set the people on the right path and started a thorough anti-imperialist and anti-feudal d emocratic revolution on the land of China. In order to achieve great success of
revolution, they went through trial and error over and over again for almost one century.
After the founding of the People’s Republic of China in1949, the Communist Party has supposedly led China to properly “stand up” and give the people the chance to “be their own masters” wh ile having the apparent chance to chase their own personal dreams.
The second one-hundred-year dream has been achieving modernization and reaching the level of medium developed countries by the mid dle of this century. Und er the so-call ed “socialism with C hinese characteristics”, the majority of Chinese peopl e turned over to be the masters of the country and the productive forces were releasing and d eveloping greatly especially after the policy of reform and opening-up . China has developed rapidly to become a major world player. Now we are on the way of realizing the dream of national and common prosperity as well as eventually achieving great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
1.2 American Dream
1.2.1The conception of American Dream
Since 1776, each generation of Americans have firmly believed that only through strenuous efforts can they live a better life, achieve success and wealth. It is the “American Dream” that motivates every generation of young people creates their own values in this land.
The so-called American Dream, is a believe that in the United States will be able to struggle through the hard work of being a better ideal of life, that people must work through their own hard work, courage, creativity, and determination to prosperity , rather than relying on a particular social class and other assistance[8]. Usually this means the peopl e in the economic success or entrepreneurial spirit. Many European immigrants hold the id eal of the American Dream to the United States.
The term American Dream was first used by James Adams in his book The Epic of America which was written in 1931. He states: “The American Dream is that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement.”In James Truslow Adams’s definition, “equality”is the most important concept of the American Dream. [7]
1.2.2The background of American Dream
For over three hundred years a string of Europeans，Africans, Asians and Australians arrived in America with dreams. Among those people, some arrivers changed the history of North America.
In 1620, 35 puritans and 67 pilgrims arrived in North America on the Mayflower. After Columbus’s apparent discovery of the “New World,”many expl orers started to arrive from Western Europe to
settle in North America. At the beginning of the 17th century, British settlers began buil ding colonies on the American mainland. These people who voluntarily left their homeland to live in an unexplored, wil d country all had a similar purpose, which was, as referenced in the Declaration of Ind ependence, the dream of pursuing a homeland .They would pursue freed om and happiness in their new homes. It was perhaps at this time that the concept of striving for the American Dream was established. [10]
1.2.3The development of American Dream
The 18th century of Europe faced that nobility had not yet disappeared from the stage of the history; Society was rigidly stratified unequal distribution of wealth and serious religious discrimination. Many Enlightenment pioneers like Montesquieu and Descartes eulogized the amazing place of America which made the disadvantaged populations inspire their American Dream to emigrate to the new land for a homeland.
During the American war of ind ependence, colonial people were eager to cast off British colonial rul e and hope their dream of national ind ependence come true. The id ea of American Dream for the United States Declaration of Ind ependence, which proclaims that “all men are created equal” and all man are “endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights” including Life, Liberty and the pursuit
of Happiness”. The d eclaration of ind epend ence represents the colony’s voice. [8]
Since America was found ed in 1783, American people began to work, create, and weave their American Dream in their own way on this supernatural and vigorous land. The founding of America also set the base and tone for the future d evel opment of this nation. Most importantly, it made the continuous presence and evolution of the American Dream possible. After then，going west and pursuing for own dream which was encouraged by the government became many Americans’urgent d esires and actual actions. The first settl ers began to move westward across the United States and this trend increased dramatically after the discovery of gol d in California in 1849, many people who were lucky enough got rich overnight for digging gold. But behind the beautiful golden dream, it was a bloody history. The fcat was that they got the land at the cost of millions of Indians’ lives and plund ered slaves from Africa and China.
During the Civil War, these values and the ideals of freedom, democracy, and independence inspired millions of Americans to fight for the abolition of slavery. We know an American named Martin Luther King, the leader of the civil rights movement, whose phrase “I have a dream” spread around the world and let the world know the power of the American Dream. From the end of the 19th century to
the beginning of the 20th, America gradually emerged as a power equal to those of the major European countries, and after two world wars, established itself as the world’s superpower. It was then that the concept of the American Dream became a more exerted practice that wasn’t limited to within America’s borders.Peoples’apathy opportunism and money worship instead of traditional values and morals made the American Dream go too far away with its original intention. Then it comes to the Industrialization Era, there appeared many business magnets that were hard-working. They had one thing in common---They were very poor but realized their dreams with their talent and diligence and became legends. Take John Davison Rockefeller and Thomas Alva Edison as example, their stories told people at that time---if you are talented and diligent enough, you can get your own goal.
2. The similarities of the Chinese Dream and the American Dream
Dream means a kind of nice wish and it represents people’s beautiful desires of the future life. In particular, Chinese Dream and American Dream are country’s dream, surely there exists several similarities.[11]
Firstly, Chinese Dream and American Dream are national dreams in some extent. Some people say that America is a country without
The similarities of the Chinese Dream and the American Dream root on account of the short history of America. In fact that was not the case, the Chinese and Americans are great and irreplaceable ethnic groups in the world and they both have a strong and proud sense of national complex, the endless emotion of “Family-country”make them have strong resonances for national sensibilities and do wonders to cast two great countries. They had once pursued the same dream of national independence in the history.
Secondly, Chinese Dream and American Dream take equality, democracy and civil right as their belief. The Three Principles of People put forward by Sun Yat-sen was composed of Nationalism, Democracy and People’s Livelihood. Similarly, The American Dream is often seen as the country’s beliefs and ideals that promote the values of democracy, equality, and freed om.
Last, The Chinese want to realize the dream of national，prosperity and rejuvenation and the dream of happiness and harmony. For Americans, they have been pursuing success and wealth. Ultimately, Chinese Dream and American Dream exactly express the beautiful desires for a richer and happier life. Generation after generation, only through unremitting efforts and struggl e can the two nations have a better life.
3. The differences of the Chinese Dream and the American
Dream
History is a guide, the Chinese experienced invasion and a lot of suffering after the Opium War. The dream of national renaissance represents long-cherished wishes of generations.[8, 10].Meanwhile, American Dream is the product of American immigrant culture and historical deposition. Obviously, the different backgrounds of two
countries create Chinese Dream and American Dream differ in values.
[12]
3.1. Collectivism vs. Individualism
Essentially Speaking, Chinese Dream is about national rejuvenation. It is particularly in modern Chinese history that China’s infracted by imperialist powers and being united in our resolve to protect our nation deeply rooted in heart of the Chinese. Also China has been a unified country since the ancient time and it is a socialist nation.The nature of socialism is to eliminate poverty and achieve common prosperity. As Xi Jinping stated that “the Chinese Dream is the peopl e’s dream,” and that its attainment “relies heavily on the people who must always strive for the prosperity of all.” These are enough to determine the peopl e put the value of collectivism first. [12, 13,14]
The Chinese Dream pays more attention to the national rejuvenation while the American Dream focuses on individual success and achievement.
With so many immigrants from the world, America is full of different ideas and culture. Freed om and democracy, the core content of American Dream, motivate numerous young people are eager for personal success and wealth. Various realizations of personal values and gains are particularly reflected in American individualism.[15]
3.2 Spiritualism VS Materialism
Chinese Dream is a dream of spiritual quest. It is a kind of zeitgeist with patriotism and national spirit as the focus. In the past, when the Chinese nation was in a dangerous situation, the national spirit of saving the country and national rejuvenation were formed afterwards. Chinese Dream has always been the spiritual support of the nation and recorded the spiritual pursuit. It is the great power of spirit that leads the Chinese strive to realize their dreams. So the Chinese focus on spiritualism when they chase their dreams.
The early European immigrants to America believed in political rights and equality, but it was the immigrant culture which respects freed om that changed the values of American Dream. Many people pay much attention to the money and power, their original dream of gold turned to the money worship and material benefits. Unilateral pursuing material wealth made the value of American Dream evolved into materialism gradually.
3.3 Pacifism VS Hegemonism
Chinese Dream is about peaceful development and maintaining world peace. As China was long suffering from war and unrest, it coul d not want peace more than the other countries did. In order to promote the d evelopment of national rejuvenation and create enabling international environment, insisting on pacifism is the inevitable choice.
Data shows that America has participated in war and military interventions for more than 200 times after the founding of America and this country has already setting up nearly 500 military bases all over the world. So we can know that Americans realize their dream through the so called globalization. They emphasize the pursuit of their own country at the expensive of other country’s interest even the worlds’.[16] A serious of expansion and aggression of America is what the value of hegemonism reflects.
4. Conclusion
To sum up, this article analyzes the comparison of Chinese Dream and American Dream from the aspects of definition, background and development. Then make a comparison by d escribing the similarities and differences of two dreams in terms of values. Chinese people take collectivism,spiritualism and pacifism as faith in the course of chasing Chinese Dream, while Americans pay attention
to individualism materialism and hegemonism on their way to realizing American Dream. Ultimately, the Chinese Dream is the dream of national rejuvenation American Dream is a national ethos of the United States in which freed om includes the opportunity for prosperity and success, and an upward social mobility achieved through hard work. Dream is of important meaning to a country’s devel opment. Although there exists fundamental difference between Chinese Dream and American Dream, we can learn from the positive factors of American Dream to promote reach the Chinese Dream.
Reference
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