Table of ContentsIntroductionCultural Nuances in Helping Elderly in NeedWestern and Eastern Approaches to Helping OthersRole of Respect in Chinese CultureRole of Morality in ChinaConclusionWorks CitedIntroductionIt is always interesting to study other cultures, and it is extremely important for an international translation student like me to do so when I interact with them every day and need to translate them correctly . However, even though I once thought I was completely prepared to avoid insulting someone or embarrassing myself and my own culture, I still made a lot of mistakes in the event of a sudden accident . This article is not intended to be a professional attempt to investigate how Western and Eastern cultures treat elders differently. In fact, I find that when it comes to helping elders rather than young people or pregnant women, the situation is much more complicated and a lot of cultural concerns come into play. So this article focuses solely on my own experience and hope that the discussions can help other Chinese people who once were also confused when it came to helping other needy people and elderly people on the street overseas. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Cultural Nuances in Helping Elders in Need China is one of those unique Eastern cultures, mainly because of its communist origin, food, history, and its famous Confucianism and Taoism . And Westerners barely get there through movies and local Chinese restaurants. What I have learned over the years is that their knowledge of China is useless, just like me, an ethnic Chinese student, who lived in Melbourne for two years, never really appreciated and understood Western culture. When Delia mentioned her experience in class of how an elderly relative of hers asked her not to help her get up, I was shocked and touched, as my grandmother had mobility difficulties and she was always happy to receive help from other family members, even if she could do it alone. At least, I mean, my grandmother is open to help and she'll never be mad about it. And it was clear why I was shocked: I had helped a senior citizen on the street three days before this class and perhaps I had acted in a way that was not appreciated. It was a rainy afternoon and I was just a short walk from home after school. I was crossing the road when the light turned green. The road was wet and slippery and suddenly a man, probably in his 60s or 70s, who was walking in front of me, fell. There were several men and women around and the crowd stopped walking when the man, unexpectedly, dropped his cane and fell to the ground. Others were visibly shocked and didn't move. For the moment, I didn't think about why they had seen him go down. As the man's upper body almost fell to the ground, I rushed towards him without hesitation and grabbed his arm. I helped him up by holding him for a second longer and got my hand back. That's when the crowd finally got some reaction and asked if the man was okay. I asked the same question and walked away. I began to feel that perhaps I had acted too rudely at the time, so I went home without stopping again. ApproachesWestern and Eastern to help others I'm not the type of person who can really react and react quickly enough in the event of an accident. In fact, I am not even flexible and weak in physical activities. All I have are friendly, warm vibes, and through those vibes I have helped several people on the bus or on the street when they unexpectedly fell down. Delia's story rather inspired me and I began to rethink my reaction that day. My conclusion is that the crowd had the chance to prevent the man from falling, but they chose to stay and watch. I remember the last time I hit a muddy road in Melbourne. A woman who was a few steps away asked me twice if I was okay but stayed at a distance while asking. After Delia's class, I was sure that in Western cultures, you have to ask before helping others. Indeed, in China, it's the same thing as in Australia where we ask before helping others. But there is an urgent occasion and Delia mentioned that the eldest of the house was having great difficulty getting up. Under such circumstances, I think we Chinese help others in a less cordial but more effective way. So what kinds of cultural and linguistic concerns have led to such a difference in behavior? Being sensitive to another person's needs is very important in Chinese culture. You are expected to respect the other person and treat them well. This simply explains why, in urgent or serious circumstances, the Chinese ignore these polite routines and act more directly, regardless of the feelings of those being helped. In some cases this may be considered rude and rude, and some aids are unnecessary or overly provided. Sometimes this puts both caregivers and those receiving help in difficulty. But in most cases across China, needs are met at every encounter when there is a helping hand. The Role of Respect in Chinese Culture Confucius once had a saying: “Without feelings of respect, what is there to distinguish men from beasts?” This notion of respect is a characteristic that has never disappeared in Chinese history thanks to Confucianism. For linguistic matters, respect is linked to reputation, as individuals who do not respect others when speaking will be rejected in Chinese society. But sometimes, asking for advice or offering help just isn't necessary. As long as respect is present in the heart, whether it is expressed deliberately or directly does not matter. According to Carron (2017), in Western countries like America, where individualism is praised, people are more concerned about their own image and tend not to think about respecting others as much as the Chinese. As a result, they act more polite. For example, in the case of a person who falls on the road, they ask "Are you okay?" ", "Are you okay? or “Do you need help?” After receiving the answer, the assistants finally act. Western aid appears to be more calm and indifferent than Chinese aid. In a typical similar case, Chinese assistants ask in a more direct manner: "Are you injured?" or “How can I help you?” They never consider offering help as an offense to those receiving help and, interestingly, this was heavily influenced by another important perspective of Chinese culture. The role of morality in China Chinese society places great value on everyone's morality. In China, in primary school, everyone was taught to always be useful. Although there are more and more cases of, 10(26), 125-143