Differences Between Chinese and Western Language论中西方语言上的差异Word格式文档下载.docx
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摘要
由于不同国家和民族有不同的习俗,社会传统,民俗风情,从而造成语言的差异。
对不同文化的了解,使我们能够更好地了解世界文化遗产。
任何一个国家的文化都是劳动创造,生活方式的积淀,进而影响着语言的不同。
特定的历史发展中形成的文化,其主要内容包括一些典故习语,谚语和方言。
中西文化差异在语言中的反映就是词的意义不对应。
在不同的文化背景中的人,有时对同一事物的不同表达方式不同的内容,理解是不一样的。
本文通过自然环境,风俗习惯等方面的对比研究,表达中西方语言的差异。
关键词:
自然环境习俗语言差异
1.Introduction
Languageisapartofcultureandplaysaveryimportantroleinit.Somesocialscientistsconsideritthekey-stoneofculture.Withoutlanguage,theymaintain,culturewouldnotbepossible.Ontheotherhand,languageisinfuluencedandshapedbyculture;
itrefectsculture.Inthebroadestsense,languageisthesymbolicrepresentationofapeople,anditcomprisestheirhistoricalandculturalbackgroundsaswellastheirapproachtolifeandtheirwaysoflivingandthinking.
Culturesdifferfromoneanother,eachcultureisunique.Asculturesarediverse,solanguagesarediverse.Itisonlynaturalthenthatwithdifferenceinculturesanddifferencesinlanguages,difficultiesoftenariseincommunicatingbetweencultruesandacrosscultures.Understandingisnotalwayseasy.
Learningaforeignlanguagewellmeansmorethanmerelymasteringthepronunciation,grammar,wordsandidioms.Itmeanslearningalsotoseetheworldasnativespeakersofthatlanguageseeit,learningthewaysinwhichtheirlanguagereflectstheideas,customs,andbehavioroftheirsociety,learningtounderstandtheir“languageofthemind”.Learningalanguage,infact,isinseparablefromlerningitsculture.InwhatwaysaretherethedifferencesbetweenChineseandWesternlanguage?
2.ThedifferencesbetweenChineseandWesternlanguage
2.1.Naturalenvironment
IntheeyesoftheChinesepeople,“summer”isalwaysrelatedto“hot”.ButShakespeareSonnethavesuchlines—“ShallIcomparetheetoasummerday?
”Thepoetcompareshislovertoasummer,sweetandwarm.Themeaningof“Summer”inChinaandBritainwassodifferent.Thereasonliesinthedifferentgeographicalposition,ChinaislocatedintheAsiancontinent,belongtocontinentalclimate,fourseasonsareclearlydemarcated.Insummerthesunisshiningfiercely,theweatherisscorchinghot.BritainislocatedintheNorthTemperateZone,anoceanicclimate,summerissunnymild,agreeable.Ofcourse,thereareotherexamples,forexample,inChinese,“eastwind”makepeoplethinkofthewarmwind,whichmakespeoplehaveapleasurefeeling,however,inthewesternistheopposite.Thereasonisthesame,thetwodifferentlocations,differentfeeling.
2.2.Productivelabor
InWestern,manywordsrelatedtofisheriesandshipbuildingindustryverymuch,suchasfishintheair(缘木求鱼)、anoddfish(怪人)、misstheboat(错过机会).ThiskindofwordsinChineseismuchless.BecausetheBritishissurroundedbywater,aquaticfishingandseafaringintheeconomiclifeplaysanimportantrole,therefore,theyhavemanyofthesewords.InChina,withonlyafewcoastalareasthatfishermennetfishing,sothiskindofwordsisrelativelylittle.Toexpressthe"
physical"
negativecarryverbsinChinese,therearemany,suchas“carry,load,pick,pack,”andsoon,everywordhasacertainnegativecarrythingswiththecorresponding,whichisreallyveryclose.InEnglish,onlya"
carry"
torefertothisaction.However,inChinese,therehavemanydifferentwordstoexpressthesamemeaning.ThereprobablybecauseinthelongrunChinaagriculturalsociety,especiallybecauseofthemanyphysicallabor.
InChinese,wewillencounter“老黄牛”,“气壮如牛”,toexpressthesamemeaninginEnglish,wecansay“worklikeahorse”,“asstrongasahorse”,“flogawillinghorse”.WhyChineseuse“cattle(牛)”,ButEnglishuse“horse”.TheanswerisChinesealwaysusecattletoplowfarming,earlyBritishandMalayfarming.Cattleandhorsesintheproductionprocessaredividedintotwopeople,andtheyrepresenttwodifferentcharacters.
2.3.Customsandhabits
2.3.1.WaysofAddress
Forexample,"
cousin"
correspondingtotheChina,asweknow,Chinesecousinrelationshipsaredistinguishedverystrictlyinsexandage,butinBritish,thereonlyhasonegeneralword.ThislanguagephenomenoncontributestoChinesethousandsofyearsfeudalsocietyrule.Thisfeudalsocietyattachesgreatimportancetotiesofblood,withspecialemphasisonthedifferencesbetweentheoldandyounggrade,highandlowstatus.Relativerelation,ageandgendersuchaspectsaredifferent,rightandobligationalsoalongwiththesocialstatus.IntheEnglish-speakingcountries,peoplehasbeentoaddressothersbyusingthefirstname—Tom,Michael,linda,Jane,etc.—ratherthancallingthepersonMr.Summers,Mrs.HowaredorMissJones.Thisisespeciallycommonamongamericans,evenwhenpeoplemeetforthefirsttime.Thisappliesnotonlytopeopleofroughlythesameage,butalsoofdifferentages.Itisnotasignofdisrespect.Itisnotatalluncommontohearachildcallingamucholderperson—Joe,Ben,May,Helen,etc.Thismayevenincludethechild’sparentsorgrandparents.Peopleofdifferentsocialstatusdothesame.Forexample,manystuedntscalltheirprofessorsbytheirfirstnames.Theprofessorsdonotregardthisasasignofdisrespectorfamiliarity,butrather,asanindicationthattheprofessorisconsideredaffableandhasasenseofequality.This,ofcours,isquitecountertoChinesecustom.Onecanimaginethereactionsofadultsifachildweretocallagrandparentbyhisorherfirstname,orastudenttodothesameincallingateacher.Aquickreprimand,andpossiblyevenaspankingforthechild,wouldbesuretofollow.
AnothercommonChineseformofaddressistheuseofaperson’stitle,office,oroccupation,suchas黄局长,林经理,马校长.ButoneseldomhearsEnglishspeakersaddressingothersasBureauDirectorSmith,ManagerJackson.InEnglish,onlyafewoccupationsortitleswouldbeused:
Doctor_____iscommonforthosewhohavequalifiedinthemedicalprofession,andJudge____forthoseauthorizedtotrycasesinlawcourts;
Governor____andMayor___maybeusedforthosewhoholdsuchoffices,althoughoftenwithoutthename.However,thereareveryfewothers.
2.3.2.Honorificmodestwords
Likethetitle,EnglishhonorificsinmodestwordshavefarfewerChinese.InEnglish,regardlessoftheirage,theirstatus,"
You"
is"
You"
"
I"
I"
.ButinChinaitrequirespeopletospeakwiththeelders,andevenpeersorsuperiors,tousehonorifics,oryouwillbethoughtasamisnomerandruder.Usingthemodestwords,ifnot,youwillbeconsideredimpolite.Anotherreasonisthat,Chinesepeopleforthousandsofyearsoftradition,toexpresstheirown,theyalwaysuse
“modest”words.
WhileinEnglishthewordlessthantworeasons,oneisthatWesternerslikeapursuitofequality,twoistheirlong-termrespectforindividualvalues,happytoexpressthemselves,emphasizingthecultivationofselfconfidence.Bytheaboveideacontrol,theWestreceivepraise,congratulationswhenresponsewasrighttheanswer.Chinesehearsuchwordswouldsaymodestwords,whilethewesternerswouldnothesitatetosay"
Thankyou"
.Ihavereadthisjoke,atadance,atributetoaChinesewomansaid"
Youlookverybeautifultoday(你今天很漂亮)"
.TheChinesewomanquicklysaidmodestly"
Where(哪里),where(哪里)."
TheAmericansareverystrange,andthenhadtosay"
everywhere(到处)"
.AccordingtotheWesternhabit,whentheypraiseothers,alwayswantotherpeopletogivethanksorreadilyacceptableanswer;
otherwisetheywillmisunderstandeachotherontheirownsenseofdoubt.ButtheEastisrelativelymodest,cautious,eveniftheyareveryhappy,alsodonothaveidentityoracceptacompliment.WhatreplyshouldbegivenbyguidesandservicepeoplewhenaforeignpersonsaysThankyouforajobwelldone?
Thisisasituationoftenmetbyhotelattendants,museumorexhibitionguidesandtourguides.TotranslatetheChineseexpression这是我应该做的asIt’smydutyconveystheideathattheChineseattendantorguidedidn’treallywanttodoit,thathe/shediditonlybecauseitwashis/herduty.Quiteadifferentmessageisconveyed!
AproperreplymightbeI’mgladtobeofhelporIt’sapleasure.
2.3.3.Privacy
Whenwesternersmeetforthefirsttime,themostfrequenttopicisabouttheweather.Forexample"
itsfine,isn’tit?
"
、"
It’sraininghard,isn’tit?
Theyareinfrontofthepersontheymeetforthefirsttimeornottoofamiliar,neveraskabouttheirprivacyissuestoshowrespectforeachother.Chinesegreetingsometimesalsosaidtoyou.Suchas"
youdon'
tlookwelltoday,ill?
"
Wehavenotseeneachotherforalongtime"
formostWesterners,tostrangersornotfamiliarwiththepeoplepresent"
Howoldareyou?
Howmuchdoyoumake?
Areyoumarried?
Talkingaboutage,income,maritalstatus,religion,familyaswellasthetopicbelongstopersonalprivacy