The Contrastive Studies on Language Taboo in English and Chinese.docx
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TheContrastiveStudiesonLanguageTabooinEnglishandChinese
中西语言禁忌语对比研究
TheContrastiveStudiesonLanguageTabooinEnglishandChinese
Contents
Abstract…………………………………………………………………...1
Keywords…………………………………………………………………...1
Ⅰ.Introduction…………………………………………………………1
1.1LiteratureReview…………………………………………………..1
1.11TwoDifferentMeaningsoftheTaboo………………………………....1
1.12TheDangerofTouchingtheTaboo………………………………...…2
1.13ThePositiveSidesandtheNegativeSidesofTaboo………….………....3
Ⅱ.TheOriginoftheTaboo…………………………………………….4
Ⅲ.TheSimilaritiesandDifferencesinTaboobetweenEnglish
andChinese………………………………………………………..5
3.1TheSimilaritiesinTaboobetweenEnglishandChinese…………………...5
3.1.1TheReligion,SuperstitionandWorship-relatedTaboo………………..5
3.1.2TheIllnessandDeath-relatedTaboo………………………………....6
3.1.3ThePostureandFeatures-relatedTaboo…………………………..…7
3.1.4TheNumbers-relatedTaboo…………………………………………7
3.2TheDifferencesinTaboobetweenEnglishandChinese………….………..8
3.2.1TheNames-relatedTaboo………………………………………...…8
3.2.2TheHomophonic-relatedTaboo……………………………………..9
3.2.3TheTaboo-relatedTopics………………………….……………….9
3.2.4TheAnimals-relatedTaboo……………………………….………..10
3.2.5TheAge,Salary,MarriageandMeals-relatedTaboo………………...10
Ⅳ.TheDisadvantagesandDevelopmentofLanguageTaboo……….....11
4.1TheDisadvantagesofLanguageTaboo…………………………….11
4.2TheDevelopmentofLanguageTaboo………………………..…….12
Ⅴ.Conclusions………………………………………………………….12
References………………………………………………………………..13
摘 要:
在英汉两种语言中,都存在着大量的语言禁忌现象。
禁忌语的出现与社会习俗,宗教信仰,历史传统等密切关。
为加深对中西文化与语言之间的认识,本文从文化角度对中西禁忌语的起源,范畴及异同作了初步的探讨与比较。
关键词:
文化;语言禁忌;异同
Abstract:
Languagetabooisacommonsocial-linguisticphenomenon,whichexistsineverynation.Itisareawhichacertainreligionorcustomregardsitassomethingforbidden,nottobetouched,spokenof,etc.ThispaperinacomparativewaystudiesthetaboophenomenonbothinChineselanguageandEnglishlanguage.Alsothispaperstudiesakindofrhetoricdevice,whichisusedtoavoidtaboo.
Keywords:
culture;Languagetaboo;similaritiesanddifferences
ⅠIntroduction
Withthedevelopmentoftheeconomyandsociety,communicationbetweencountriesisbecomingmoreandmorefrequent.English,asaworldlanguage,playsamoreandmoreimportantroleinit.SoweneedtolearnEnglishwellandstudytheculturebehindit.Forexample,languagetabooisaverykindofculturalphenomenon.Itexistsineverylanguage.WecanfinditinEnglishandChinese.Ifwedon’tknowaboutit,wewillnotbepopularwiththeforeignersandtoagreatdegree,ourcommunicationeffectwillbeaffected.Thetabooischangeableandrelatedtotheculture,soindifferenttimesanddifferentculture,thereexistdifferenttaboos.WeChinesealsohaveourownlanguagetaboo.Thisthesisresearchestheoriginoftaboo,thesimilaritiesanddifferencesoftaboobetweenEnglishandChinese,andthereasonfortheexistenceoflanguagetaboo.
1.1LiteratureReview
1.1.1Twodifferentmeaningsofthetaboo
SigmundFreudthinks,“Taboohastwodifferentmeanings.Onemeaningissublimeandsacred;theothermeaningismysterious,dangerous,banned,andunclean.(Freud1986)Hisopinionhasbeenalreadyacceptedbyalltheresearchers,itisalsothebaseoftranslationworksontaboo.Maybehedividestaboointotowparts:
Somethingwhichreligionorcustomregardsasforbidden,nottobetouched,spokenof;generalagreementnottodiscusssomething,dosomething.Weknowthattabooexistsineveryperiodandeverywhere,itisacomplexphenomenonofpeople’ssocietyanditalsohasalonghistory.Tabooexistsindifferentperiods,andpeoplemustobeyit,onceyouoffendit,thenatureorpeoplewillpunishyou.Noonecanexplainanddemonstrateit.Allpeoplerespectitandbelieveinit,theyconsideritasgods,soitis“sublime”,“sacred”.Therearemanykindsoftaboosintheworld,indifferenttime,indifferentcountries,indifferentareas,amongdifferentraceshavedifferenttaboo.Itisimpossibleforpeopletoknowthemclearlyandtotally,theyjustknowthetaboointhecertaintimeandinacertainarea,ifsomeoneoffendedtaboo;hewouldbepunishedandevenbesentencedtodeath.Ifsomeoneoffendedsometabooinacertaintimeandinacertainarea,hewillbelookeddownuponorbepunishedbypeople.
1.1.2Thedangeroftouchingthetaboo
ErnstCassirerthinks,“Thedangerofchangingsomethingintotabooisaphysicaldanger,nomatterouractionisintentionalornotintentional,theeffectissameanditisnotrelatedtopeople.Generallyspeaking,taboomeanssomethingcannotbetouched,andcannotbetouchedhasty.Butthepurposeandthewayyouaccessitcannotbeconsidered.”(Gan1985)Idon’tthinknomatterouractionisintentionalornot,theeffectoftabooisthesameanditisnotrelatedtopeople.Inancienttime,thenatureortheirleadersmightpunishpeoplewhooffendedthetaboo.Inprimitivetime,ourancestorshadlowintelligenceandknewlittleaboutthenature,theytriedtheirbesttoadaptthemselvestolivingenvironment.Inmyopinion,tabooatthattimemeanspeoplecan’ttouchsomethingoreatsomethingandanythingelse,ortheywillbeinjured,sowecansaythetabooatthattimeistheexperiencewhichpeoplesummarizedinacertainmeaning.Ithelpsthemtoimprovetheirlivingability,thetabooonlyaffectstheirlivingcondition,theyobeyitinordertoleadasafelife,itisclosedtopeople.Inclasssociety,therulersdecidedwhatthetaboowas.InChinesehistory,differentdynastieshaddifferenttaboo,peoplehadnorighttodecidewhatthetaboowas,theyjustfollowtheirruler’s,therulersmadetabooinordertobegoodtothemselvesinsuperstitionfield,forexample,theydidn’tallowpeopletosayorwritetheirnameandeventhewordhassamepronunciationwithacharacterintheirnames,whodiditwouldbesentencedtodeath.InQinDynasty,manywritersweresentencedtodeathbecauseofusingwordswhichrulerbanned,thoughwethinkitisridiculous,itisafact.Butinsomedynasties,rulersdidn’tmindpeoplesayingorusingtheirnames,sopeopleatthattimecandoitfreelyandsafely.Sothetabooisdecidedbytherulers,thereisnoregulartabooinclasssocieties,sotaboo’seffectisdifferent,notthesame,itisalsorelatedtopeople.Inmodernsociety,tabooispassedbyourancestors,becausetheworldhasvarietiesofhumancultures,tabooisdifferent,andthedifferencemainlyreflectedinlanguage,ifyouvisitedaforeigncountryorarace,youmustknowwhatisnottobesaid,oryouwouldnotbepopularwithlocalpeopleandevencan’tstaythereanymore.Generallyspeaking,apersonwhooffendstabooinmodernsocietycan’tbesentencedtodeath.Aboveall,wecanseethattabooisrelatedcloselytopeopleanditseffectischangeableindifferenttimeandindifferent
Areas.
1.1.3Thepositivesidesandthenegativesidesoftaboo
JamesGeorgeFrazer,inhisfamousmasterpieceTheGoldenBough,says:
“Ifsomecertainactions’resultsareunpleasantanddangeroustohim,hewillnaturallybecarefulanddon’tdothingslikethatinordernottoacceptsuchresults.Inanotherword,hedoesn’tdothingsthatwillbringthemdisastersaccordingtotheirmisunderstandingsontherelationshipbetweenreasonandresult.Inshort,hemakeshimselfobeythetaboo,positivewitchcraftsays“whatyoudowillbringtoyouwhatresult”,whilenegativewitchcraftsays”don’tdoit,avoidtosomethinghappening”.(James1987).Hisopinionbothhasadvantagesanddisadvantages.Firstly,hepointsoutthatpositivewitchcraftsays“whatyoudowillbringtoyouwhatresult”.Iagreewithhim,tabooisverymysterioustous,everyonewantstoknowifheoffendedtaboo,whatwouldbegiven,itisthecuriosityeffect,ifthewitchcrafttellsusexactlyandcorrectly,itisusefulandvaluabletous.Hisopinionbothhasadvantagesanddisadvantages.Firstly,hepointsoutthatpositivewitchcraftsays“whatyoudowillbringtoyouwhatresult”.Iagreewithhim,tabooisverymysterioustous,everyonewantstoknowifheoffendedtaboo,whatwouldbegiven,itisthecuriosityeffect,ifthewitchcrafttellsusexactlyandcorrectly,itisusefulandvaluabletous.Theneveryonecanavoiddisastersthatbroughtfromoffendingthetaboo,butitisimpossibletobecometrue,witchcraftexistslongtime.Inclasssociety,thewitchcrafthasalreadycomeout,butstillmanypeoplegotdisastersevenlosttheirlives.Ibelievethatthewitchcrafttellspeoplewhatyoudowillbringtoyouwhatresult,whystillmanypeoplebeinjured?
Ialsobelievethatpeoplemustbeindeeplybeliefonwitchcraft.Then,whatisthereasoncausessuchresult?
Furthermore,hesaysthat“whilenegativewitchcraftsaysdoesn’tdoit,avoidtosomethinghappening”.Idon’tthinkthissentenceisnegative.Asweknow,theworldischangeableandcomplex,theworldchanges,thetaboochanges.Therearemanydifferentculturesintheworld,soitsurelyhasmanydifferentkindsoftaboos,itimpossibletoknowallofthetaboo,weresearcherscanonlyknowtheespecialexamples,whataboutwitchcraftinpastperiod?
Ithinkscientificresultismuchmorecorrectandexactthanwitchcraft’s.
ⅡTheoriginofthetaboo
Tabooisaculturalphenomenon,whichexistsineverycountry’scommunication.Tabooplaysaveryimportantroleintheworldculture;itisalsoacomplexphenomenonoffolkcultureandhaslonghistory.Intheinternationalacademiccircles,theterm“taboo”(tabooortabu)isusedtorefertothiscommonandcomplexphenomenonofworldculture;itwasthelocaldialectofTangoislandersofPolynesiainsouthPacific.Itmeans“sacred”and“untouched”.ItwasbroughtinEnglishbyEng