英汉礼貌用语对比研究学位论文.docx
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英汉礼貌用语对比研究学位论文
Abstract
ThispaperisacomparativestudyonthedifferentuseofpolitelanguagebetweenEnglishandChinese.Asanuniversalphenomenon,politenessexistsinallkindsofcultures,whichplaysavitalrolenotonlyinmaintainingfriendlyrelationshipbetweenhumanbeingsbutalsoincreatingtheharmoniousatmosphereconversation.AsEnglish-speakingcountriesandChinahavedifferentcultures,theyusedifferentwaystoexpresstheirownpolitewordsanddeeds,andthedifferentnationalities’understandingofpolitelanguagealwaysaffectstheeffectivecross-culturecommunicationbetweenthem.Whatismore,itwouldcausesunsuccessfulcross-culturalcommunication.AcomparativestudyofpolitelanguagebetweenEnglishandChinese,willurgeEnglishlearnerstoreducethefaultsinusingcross-culturallanguage,andwillsimultaneouslyachieveeffectivehumancommunicationthroughusingappropriatelypoliteexpressions.
KeyWords:
politelanguage;communication;comparativestudy;culturaldifferences
中文摘要
礼貌是人们在频繁的交往中彼此表示尊重与友好的行为规范。
礼貌现象存在于各种不同的文化之中,对于保持人们之间的友好关系,建立和谐的谈话气氛起着重要的作用。
英汉国家由于受到不同文化的影响,会用不同的方式来表达自己的礼貌言行,而不同的民族对礼貌的理解各不同,这就往往影响英汉双方进行有效的跨文化交际,甚至会导致跨文化交际的失败。
通过对比研究英汉礼貌用语的差异,会促使英语学习者在跨文化交际中减少语用失误,同时达到使用恰当的礼貌用语进行有效交际的目的。
关键词:
礼貌用语;交际;比较研究;文化差异
Contents
Abstracti
中文摘要ii
1.Introduction1
1.1Background1
1.2Aimandobjectives1
1.3Organizationofthepaper1
2.LiteratureReview2
3.AcomparativeStudyofPoliteLanguageBetweenEnglishandChinese4
3.1Addressingform4
3.2Greetings5
3.3Politelanguageforinviting6
3.4Politelanguageforapologizingandthanking7
3.5ThedifferencesofprivatewordinEnglishandChinese8
4.TheInvestigationofDominantCulturalInfluenceonPolitenessandStrategiesforImprovingCross-culturalCommunication9
4.1Thedominantculturalpatternswhichinfluencepolitelanguage9
4.2Strategiesforimprovingcross-culturalcommunication10
5.Conclusion11
References12
Acknowledgements13
1.Introduction
1.1Background
StudiesoncomparativestudyofpolitelanguagebetweenEnglishandChinesehavegaingreatattentionathomeandabroad,andthuslargequantitiesofliteratureonthestudyoflearningcomparativestudyofpolitelanguagebetweenEnglishandChinesewerepublished.Themainfunctionofpolitenessexpressionsistoestablishandmaintaingoodinterpersonalrelationships.DuetothedifferentculturebetweenEnglishandChinese,thepolitelanguageisquitedifferent.Contemporary,Englishhasbeenasanimportantinternationallanguage.AstheeconomicdevelopingveryfastinChina,it’sinternationalpositionismoreandmoreimportantaswell.SowhetheritisforEnglishlearnersorforeigners,interculturalcommunicationbecomesmoreandmoreimportant.Inordertoavoidtheverbalmisunderstandingandfailureincommunication,ensuresmoothcommunication,peopleshouldlearnthedifferencespolitelanguagebetweenEnglishandChinese.
1.2Aimandobjectives
ThisstudyaimstofindoutthedifferencesofpolitelanguagebetweenEnglishandChineseinordertoavoidverbalmisunderstandingandfailureincommunication.ThispapertriestoanalyzetheculturaldifferencesaffectthepolitelanguageinEnglishandChinese,andpointsoutthatthecomparativestudywillhelpustoreducethepragmaticfailureandachievethecross-culturalcommunication.
Tobespecific,thisstudyattemptstoanswerthefollowingthreequestions:
(1)Whatisthepurposetoanalyzethisstudy?
(2)WhatcausesthedifferencesofpolitelanguagebetweenEnglishandChinese?
(3)Whatshouldwelearnduringthisstudy?
1.3Organizationofthepaper
Thispaperisdividedintofivechapters.Chapteroneservesasanoverallintroductiontotherationaleandaimofthestudy.Chaptertworeviewsthedefinitionsofpolitenessthathavebeenproposedbyscholarsathomeandabroad.Chapterthreeanalyzesthedifferencesinaddressing,greeting,inviting,andapologizingandthankingbycomparison.Chapterfouranalyzesthespecificculturalassumptions,andputforwardsuggestionsonhowtoimprovethecross-culturalcommunication.ChapterfiveisdevotedtotheconclusioninwhichwefindoutthedifferencesofpolitelanguagebetweenEnglishandChineseinordertoimprovethecross-culturalcommunication.
2.LiteratureReview
Politeness,inaninteraction,canthenbedefinedasthemeansemployedtoshowawarenessofanotherpeople’sface.(GeorgeYule,2004,10:
60)
Intheearly50s,theAmericanscholarE.Goftmanhadputforwardthe“facebehaviortheory”intermsofsociology.BrownandLevinson(1978)viewpolitenessas“acomplexsystemforsofteningface-threateningacts.”OnthebasisofthetheoryofEGoftman’s,in1978,BrownandLevinsonhaveputforwardthemature“facebehaviortheory”intheirbook‘UniversalsinLanguageusagepolitenessphenomena’.Andtheytriedtoregard“facebehaviortheory”asacommonlinguisticphenomenontostudy.
Asfaras1702,Theophrastusdefinedpolitenessas“asocialbehavior;askilltobeusedtoachieveaspecificaim,theprincipalaimisenhancementofego’sself-esteemandhis/herpublicstatusinhereyesofotherswithsupplementaryaimofenhancingothers’self-esteem.(Watts,1992)
AccordingtoOxfordAdvancedLearner’sDictionaryofCurrentEnglish(1980),politenessmeanstheattempttoestablish,maintainandsavefaceduringconversation.
Lakoff(1973)holdstheviewthatpolitenessisadeviceusedinordertoreducefrictioninpersonalinteraction.
Leech(1983)interpretspolitenessasformofbehavioraimedattheestablishmentandmaintenanceofcomity,i.e.,theabilityofParticipantsinasocio-communicativeinteractiontoengageininteractioninanatmosphereofrelativeharmony.Furthermore,Leechputforwardsixpolitenessprinciplestorestrictinterpersonalcommunication.ThefirstoneisTactMaxim(得体准则):
(a)Minimizecosttoother(尽量少让别人吃亏),(b)Maximizebenefittoother(尽量多使别人受益).ThesecondoneisGenerosityMaxim(慷慨准则):
(a)Minimizebenefittoself(尽量少让自己受益),(b)Maximizecosttoself(尽量多使自己吃亏).ThethirdoneisApprobationMaxim(赞誉准则):
(a)Minimizedispraiseofother(尽量少贬低别人);(b)Maximizepraiseofother(尽量多赞誉别人).ThefourthoneisModestyMaxim(谦虚准则):
(a)Minimizepraiseofself(尽量少赞誉自己);(b)Maximizedispraiseofself(尽量多贬低自己).ThefifthoneisAgreementMaxim(一致准则):
(a)Minimizedisagreementbetweenselfandother(尽量减少双方的分歧);(b)Maximizeagreementbetweenselfandother(尽量增加双方的一致).ThelastoneisSympathyMaxim(同情准则):
(a)Minimizeantipathybetweenselfandother(尽量减少双方的反感);(b)Maximizesympathybetweenselfandother(尽量增加双方的同情).(Leech,1983)
Grundy(1995)considerpolitenessas“thetermweusetoextenttowhichactions,thewaythingsaresaid,matchaddresseesperceptionsofhowtheyshouldbeperformed.”
Kasper(1990)viewthat“Politenessisthereforeatermtorefertothestrategiesavailabletointeractionstodefusethedangerandtominimizetheantagonism.”
House(2001)sayspolitenessisasocio-culturalphenomenon,roughlytobedefinedasshowing,orappearingtoshow,considerationtoother.
InChina,theconceptofpolitenesscanbetracedbackofthenotionto礼(rite).ItreferstothesocialhierarchyandorderoftheslavesocietyoftheZhouDynasty(He,1995).Twoorthreehundredslater,thenotionof礼gainedthemeaningofpoliteness.In《礼记》(theBookofRites),whichisoneofthesixConfucianclassiccompliedbyDaiSheng(辞海,1979),theclassicalnotionof礼wasdescriedas“tohumbleyourselfbutshowrespecttoother.”ProfessorGu(1990)fromBeijingInternationalStudiesUniversityputsitthattherearebasicallyfournotionsunderlyingtheconceptionof礼貌.Therearerespectfulness,whichreferstoself’spositiveappreciationoradmirationofotherconcerningface,socialstatusandsoon;modesty,whichisawaytoshowself-denigration;attitudinalwarmth,whichinvolvesself’sdemonstrationofkindness,considerationandhospitalitytoother;andrefinement,whichreferstoself’sbehaviortootherwhichmeetscertainstandards.ThesearethekeycomponentsofChineseconceptofpoliteness.
3.AComparativeStudyofPoliteLanguagebetweenEnglishandChinese
3.1Addressingform
3.1.1Differentaddressingformsinrelations
Accordingtomoderndictionary,termsofaddressexplainlikethis:
Termofaddressisthetitletellingtheinterrelationbetweenoneandtheother,aswellasrepresenttheother’sstatusorcareer.
Fromancienttimestopresent,ChinesehavepaidmuchattentiontoaddressingotherduetoChinaisacountrywithlonghistory,andtheyrespecttheeldersverymuch.InChinese,thejuniorshouldn’taddresstheeldersbytheirnamedirectlybutusetherelativeaddresses,suchas“爷爷”(grandpa),“奶奶”(grandma),“爸爸”(dad),“妈妈”(mum),andsoon.Amongthepeers,theyoungershouldnotcalltheeldersbytheirfullnamedirectlybutaddressthembyusingtherelativeaddresses,suchas“大哥”(elderbrother),“大姐”(eldersister),whiletheeldercancalltheyoungerbytheirnamedirectly.
ComparedwithChinese,termsofaddressinginEnglisharemuchsimpler.Theyaddressalltheirfather’sandmother’sbrother“uncle”,alltheirfather’sandmother’ssister“aunt”andcallalltheirpeers“cousin”.However,inChinese,itisverycomplex.Suchas“舅舅”(mother’sbrother);“伯父”(father’selderbrother);“叔父”(father’syoungerbrother);“姨父”(husbandofmother’ssister);“姑父”(husbandoffather’ssister);“姨妈”(mother’smarriedsister);“姑妈”(father’smarriedsister);“堂兄弟”(sonsoffather’sbrother)“堂姐妹”(daughtersoffather’sbrother)“表兄弟”(sonsoffather’ssisterorofmother’ssisterorbrother)“表姐妹”(daughtersoffather’ssisterorofmother’ssisterorbrother).InEnglish,theycancalltheirnamesamongpeers,evenbetweentheirparents.Itisquitediffer