Differences Between Chinese and Western Language论中西方语言上的差异Word格式文档下载.docx

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