Abstract
 
The discrepancies in thinking models will lead to differences in language, behaviors and values directly. As Chinese and western people are cultivated in different cultural environments, their thinking models become extremely distinct, which would do harm to effective and harmonious mutual-communication. In the process of globalization, movies on the topic of laws or specific legal cases increase gradually. Analysis on the discrepancies between Chinese and western people via legal movie is quite vivid and could easily be understood. The study shows that the differences between the thinking models of Chinese and western people lie in: Chinese people are more collectivistic, while westerners are more individualistic; Chinese are more emotional, while westerners are more rational; Chinese parents treat their children as private property, while western parents treat their children as independent individuals. The discrepancy in nations has something to do with its specific cultural background, and thorough apprehension of such cultural background could help greatly to make people understand such differences better. In such circumstance, better mutual communication could be guaranteed and impelled.

Key Words:  thinking model; legal culture; legal movie

摘  要

思维模式的差异会直接导致言语、行为以及价值观等方面的差异，中西方人由于长期熏陶于不同的文化之中，其思维模式存在着很大的差异性。该现象将不利于双方之间有效和谐的交流与沟通。在全球化的推动下，以法律知识或典型的法律案件为重要内容的电影日益增多。通过法律电影来分析中西方人存在的差异，不仅直观，而且更容易被理解。本文以法律电影《刮痧》为媒介分析其所反映的中西方人在思维模式上存在的差异。研究发现，这些差异主要体现在三方面，即：中国人倾向于集体主义，而西方人更倾向于个人主义；中国人更感性，而西方人更理性；在对待孩子的态度方面，中国家长更倾向于把孩子看成是自己的私有财产，而西方家长则把孩子看成是独立的个体。民族的差异与其特有的文化背景有着千丝万缕的联系，只有透彻了解隐藏于其内部的文化根源，才能更好地理解各种差异的存在，从而更好地促进不同文化间的交流与沟通。

关键词：思维模式；法律文化；法律电影

1.    Introduction
1.1 The situation for mutual communication
The world nowadays is getting smaller and smaller due to the development in technology and transportation. People, who live in two different countries, or two hemispheres, could send or receive e-mails in a few seconds, or even meet each other face-to-face within the same day. As a result, the globe presently becomes a real “huge village”, and peoples from different corners of the world could have chances for communication with each other closely. Such phenomenon is called intercultural communication, which refers to “communication that takes place between people of different cultural backgrounds, whose cultural perceptions and symbol systems are distinct enough to alter the communication events.”