从广告角度比较中西方文化差异.docx
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从广告角度比较中西方文化差异
从广告角度比较中西方文化差异
IIntroduction
Languageandcultureareinseparable.Eachnational’sspecialculturemodecomesoutofthespeechandbehaviorofthatracebyallmeans.Theyusetheirownlanguagetorecordthethingshappenedbythem.Theadvertisementisakindofmanifestationofculture,it’sundertheinfluenceandrestrictoflocalculture.Nationalcultureinfluencesandrestrictsthedevelopmentandexpressionofadvertisinglanguagewhichisthecorecontentofadvertisement.advertisinglanguagecontainsandreflectsthesocialculture.Languageexistsinthecommunityandwiththedevelopmentofsocietyanddevelopment,andcultureamongthedefiniteroletoplay.Aphilosophyidea,thinkingmodeofrace,theculturalmentalstate,moralconcept,lifestyle,customsandhabits,socialsystem,religionandfaith…etc,willproduceafunctiontotheadvertisementlanguagebyallmeans.Nomatterhowtheadvertisingartdevelop,aslongasitisapopularmethodofcommunicationinvolved,itwillnevertakepartfromlanguage,languagewillbethemostimportantandeffectivecommunicationtool.Advertisementthroughtheperformancefunctionoflanguagetodescribetheimageofproduct,expressthetastesensibilityandmakeanintroductionofrelatedproductsknowledgelivelyandspecifically.However,thecurrentlanguageisnotmerelythecarrierofproducts;itadjuststraditionandmodernculturefactorstomakethemcarrymorecontentsricherthanit.Infact,theadvertisementlanguageofthesocialculturereflectioniseasilycomprehendedandacceptedbypeople,thiscanpromotetheeffectofadvertisement.Takecognizanceofthis,makegreatefforttodiscusstheinsiderelationofnationalcultureandadvertisementlanguage,ithasimportantfunctiontocreateanddesigntheadvertisementlanguagewhichmatchesthebasicprincipleofadvertisementexpressionandsuitesparticularnationalculturalcharacteristic.Eachadvertisementlanguagehasitstraceofsocialnationalculture,accordingtoeverynation’sthinkingmode,mentalcharacteristic,livingcustom,valuejudgment,eventhepoliticalbelief,socialsystemtoconsideranadvertisementcreation,inordertokeepwith“nativeson”taste,match“nativeson”mindsethasalreadybeenearnestlypracticedbynumerousadvertisementplanpersonnel.TheinfluenceofChineseandWesterncultureonadvertisinglanguageisvarious,TheChineseandWesternadvertisinglanguagealsoreflecttheChineseandWesterncultureinmanyways.ThecompanyofAmericanP&Gnameditsshampoo“pert-plus”intheUnitedStates,beingnamed“perjoice”intheAsia,anditsChinesenameis“floatsoft”tocaterforChinesemarket,anditcanexplainaproblemverymuch.OwingtothedifferencesofChineseandWesternculture,therepresentationformofChineseandWesternadvertisementisdiverse,advertisinglanguagealsomanifestsdifferentculturevalueandthinkingmode.Astheculturebackground,customs,behaviorprinciple,lifestyleofChineseandWesternhavegreatdistinction.Therefore,everycountry’sadvertisementbusinessmanwillthinkovertheculturebackgroundofconsumers.TheaimofthepaperistolayouttheinfluencestobycomparingChineseandWesternadvertisinglanguages.
Ⅱ.Therelationshipbetweencultureandlanguage
Theconceptofthelanguageandculture
Cultureistheallandtheonewhichconsistbysocialbehavior,art,beliefs,customstransmissionthroughsocietyconductandallotherproductsofhumanworkandthinking.Languageisaccompaniedbythecreationofthehumansociety,itisthedirectmanifestationofthinking.Languagereflectsthecharacteristicsofanation,whichnotonlyincludesthenation’shistoricalandculturalbackgrounds,butholdsonthenation’sviewoflife,thewayoflifeandthinking.Cultureisdiverse,languageisalsovaried(Chen,2000:
20).Whenthenationasalanguage,livingareas,economiclifeandpsychologicalstabilitycommunityappearsinthehistoryofmankind,languageisdeeplystampedwiththebrandofanation;itisthemosttypicalcharacterizationofthenationandnationalculture.
Therelationsoflanguageandculture
Languageisameansofexpressingculturalcustoms,asapartofculture,andplaysanimportantroleinculture.Languagecannotseparatefromrelatedculturetobeindependent.Somesociologistsbelievethatthelanguageisthecornerstoneofculture—nolanguage,noculture(Pan,2001:
30).Fromanotheraspect,languageisaffectedbylanguageandreflectedtheculture.Languageisbasedonthehistoricalandculturalaspects.Thenation‘swayofthinking,values,concepts,habitsandbehaviorwillaffectaestheticlanguagedevelopment.Theformationofanationalculture,developmentandabsorptionoughttopassthelanguagetoachieve.Languageandcultureinfluenceeachother;weshouldtrytounderstandlanguageandcultureandtolearnthem.Languageislikeamirrorwhichreflectstheentireculture,andeverynationhasitsownculture.Languageasthecarrierandideaofculture,itsrepresentationformisinfluencedandrestrictedbyculture.Understandtheiruniqueculturalbackgroundtounderstandthelanguagefeatures.Onlymoreexposuretoforeigncultures,familiarwithdifferentlanguagenationalhistoryamorousfeelings,wayoflife,valueandnationalpsychology,openuptheirvision,learnmoreabouttheculturalandlanguagedifferences.Culturepromotesthedevelopmentofadvertisinglanguage,thelanguageofadvertisingpropagandizeitsculture.ChineseandWesternadvertisinglanguagehasitsownuniqueformoflanguagewhichcontainthebeautifulsceneryoflanguageandculture.Thecharmofthelanguageofinstructionisfullydisplayedintheadvertisement.Meanwhile,theChineseandWesternsocialandculturalknowledgewhichcontainedinlanguagemakeusexperiencetheinfinitudedelight.ChineseandWesternadvertisinglanguagesletusdeepenourunderstandingofforeigncountries,andbringtotheworldofcross-culturalexchanges.
Ⅲ.ThefeaturesofChineseandWesternadvertisement
Advertisementisthespecialperformanceofmodernculturespirit.Asameansofreflectingthereality,advertisinglanguagealsoisthecomponentofculture.Advertisementsadjustpeople’sactivityorbringthesocietyeffectintoplay.Advertisementisamulti-languageartsconveyinginformationtopeopleandusinglanguageforthecarrier(Chen,2000:
12).Therefore,theadvertisinglanguageshouldbesimpleandeasilyunderstood,fluencyandclear,weshouldalsopayattentiontotherhetoricmanneratthesametime.ChineseandWesternadvertisementcitedavarietyofrhetorictoachievetheeffectofmerchandisepromotion,andconsumersarenotconsciouslydeepenedtheimpressionoftheproductaftergainingthespiritedifyingandenjoyingaestheticfeeling,arousingpeople’sdesiretobuyit,suchasantithesis,Hyperbole,Parody,metaphor,rhymeandrepeatedly.Etc
OwingtothedifferencesofChineseandWesternculture,therepresentationformisdiverse.Advertisinglanguagealsomanifestsdifferentculturevaluesandthinkingmode.ChineseandWesternculturehaslargedifferentculturebackground,customs,behaviorconductandwayoflife.Thus,advertiserswillnodoubtconsiderthedemandsofconsumerthroughtheirculturalbackground.ThereIlistsomeexamplesofadvertisementtocompareandanalyzehowtheChineseandWesternnationalcultureinfluencetheiradvertisinglanguage:
DifferentPhilosophyconcept
TheChinesenationhasinsiststhattheheavenandhumanunitsastheharmoniousone.Forexample:
somethingunexpectedmayhappenanytime,Ihavelifeinsurance(ThePeople’sInsuranceCompanyofChina).Thisadindicatesthatpeoplearenotafraidofaccidentbecausethepeoplehaveinsurance.Theaccidentandinsuranceisaunitandaredispensable.Thatthebusinesslovescustomsisshowedinthisadanditwillcometoanagreementbetweenthem.Atlastthegoaloftheadcomesintotruth.(Mueller,1966:
66).
Butinwesternculturetheyinsistthestandpointofpluralistic.Theypayattentiontodiversityandchangesofmaterial,emphasisspeciallyonthechangeanddifferenceofthenature,stressedthatpersonalfreedom、self—developmentandpersonalenterprise.Thebiggestdifferentbetweenharmoniousandpluralistsifthatthepluralistsisnotlimited.LookatthisEnglishad:
Olympus,Nolimits.Thereislittleyoucan’tbewiththeOlympusZoomLensReflexseries.Theall-in-Xcamerasthatwon’tlimityourcreativeability.(Olympuscamera).Thecamerahaveonemorefeaturesmakephotographsproducedifferentthentoreflectindividualcreativityisinthecontinuingdevelopmentandisnotlimitedinthisad.Theadvertisementsshowtheultimatechallengeandseekfreedomcangreatlystimulateconsumerdesiresoenthusiasticconsumption.(Chen,2000:
33)
Differentculturalvalues—oriented
Chineseculturalhasalonghistoryandthealcoholculturalissignificant.Toillustratethequalityofgoods,theyattempttoexplainhowlongthewaterlifebyquotatingthehistory.Forexample:
(1)Legendquality,CenturyZHANGYU.(ZHANGYUTokay)
(2)Tangpalacedrink,JIANNANCHUN(JIANNANCHUNDrink)Thosetwoalcohol’slonghistoryweregivenexpressiontoonlysentences,showingthedeepfeelingtowardconsumers,narrowingthegapbetweentheproductsandconsumers(Chen,2000:
62).
TheWesterncountriesinsistedtheshorttermorientedculture;themainreasonisthehistoryisshorterthanChina.Theydon’tdothebusinesslikeChinesewhooftenusethefactorsofhistoryandtradition,butusethestronganddirectmarketingstrategy(hardsale),aproductofthe“immediateresults”asasellingpoint.Forexample:
“goandgetitatonce”,“buyit”,“fititwell”,“takeacti