高低语境视角下中美公益广告的差异研究-以《燃烧的肺》和《禁烟》为例_英语论文

An Analysis of Differences in Chinese and American Public Service Advertisements from the Perspective of High and Low Context Theory -- A Case Study on Burning Lung and No Smoking

摘要

公共服务广告，也被称为公益广告，是为了公共利益由媒体无偿传播的消息，它以提高认识、改变公众对社会问题的态度和行为为目的。如今，随着全球化的深入，社会经济的发展，国与国之间的文化交流变得越来越重要。公益广告所涉及的许多问题具有世界共通性，但是由于文化不同，每个国家对公益广告的理解存在着差别。本论文主要从用词、呈现方式和价值取向三个方面分析了两则有关禁烟的中美公益广告的差异。接着论文着重从高低语境的角度分析产生差异的原因，旨在反映不同语境文化的特点，使人们更好地理解文化差异对公益广告的影响，避免文化冲突，促进跨文化交流。

关键词：公益广告；文化差异；高低语境理论；跨文化交流

Abstract

Pubic Service Advertisements, also known as PSAs, are messages in the public interest disseminated by the media without charge, with the objective of raising awareness and changing public attitudes and behavior towards  social issues. Today, with the development of globalization and social economy, intercultural communications are becoming increasingly important. Many of the issues concerned in PSAs are universal, but due to cultural differences, there are differences in understanding PSAs in specific countries. This thesis analyzes the differences of two Chinese and American public service advertisements about non-smoking mainly from three aspects -- language, presentation and value orientation. Then, this thesis focuses on the reasons accounting for those differences from the perspective of high and low context theory, aiming to reveal characteristics of different contextual cultures, enhance better understandings of the impact of cultural differences on PSAs, avoid cultural conflicts and promote cross-cultural communications.

Keywords: Public Service Advertisements; cultural differences; high and low context theory; cross-cultural communication

Contents

1. Introduction 1

2. Literature Review 2

2.1 Previous studies on PSAs 2

2.2 High and low context theory 3

3. Differences in Chinese and American PSAs Burning Lung and No Smoking 5

3.1 Introductions to Burning Lung and No Smoking 5

3.2 Differences in PSA language 6

3.3 Differences in PSA presentation 7

3.4 Differences in PSA value orientations 8

4. Reasons for Differences in Chinese and American PSAs 8

4.1 Indirect versus direct communication 8

4.2 Listener-oriented versus speaker-oriented 9

4.3 Collectivism versus individualism 10

5. Conclusion 10

Works Cited 12