中英称赞语的对比研究及其对跨文化交际的启示_英语论文

A Contrastive Study of Compliment between Chinese and English and Its Enlightenment for Cross-cultural Communication 

摘要

语言作为人们思想交流的媒介，不仅承载着一个民族的文化内涵，更体现着该民族的价值取向、生活方式和思维模式。 称赞语作为一种语言，也是一种日常的积极的交际行为，它不仅可以拉近沟通者之间的距离，使得双方建立一种友好的人际关系，更能反映代表社会的一种文化价值规范。 称赞行为是一种社会现象，每个社会群体，以及各种不同的语言文化中均能找到它的痕迹，因此从不同层面、不同程度的方向反映了沟通者的交际活动，它有利于沟通者彼此建立一种亲密的感情，以巩固和加强团结，从这个方面看，称赞语被视为一种社会润滑剂。因此，在跨文化交际中，称赞语就显得十分重要，对跨文化交际起着积极的促进作用。然而，英语和汉语这两种不同的语言，其称赞语也有着明显的差异，本文对比了中英称赞语的内容和形式等，具体包括称赞的话题、运用场合和选择的词句，通过这些对比得出启示：为了实现跨文化交际的效果应重视和了解语言背后的文化差异。研究发现，受语言、社会、文化的影响，不同的国家对于称赞语的使用存在着很多方面的差异。只有通过了解彼此的文化差异，互相理解并使用恰当的称赞语，才能实现我们期望的跨文化交际效果。

关键词：中英称赞语；文化差异；跨文化交际

Abstract

As a media for people to communicate, language not only reflects a nation’s culture connotation, but also embodies the nation’s value orientation, life style and thinking mode. Compliment, which is an active language communication behavior, can shorten the distance between the communicators to establish a close and friendly interpersonal relationship. What’s more, it reflects the culture, value and criterion of a community. Praise act which is a common phenomenon in society exists in every social group and different language cultures. It reflects people’s communication activities at different levels and degrees. Also, it enables people to have a close contact with each other, and consolidates as well as strengthens the solidarity between communicators, from this angle of view, it plays the role of social lubricants. Thus, in cross-cultural communication, compliment is so important that it can promote cross-cultural communication. However, English and Chinese are two different languages, so their compliments have obvious differences. This thesis compares the contents and forms of compliment in Chinese and English, including compliment topic, application and choice of words. Through the contrast, we can get the enlightenment: in order to achieve the effect of cross-cultural communication, we should pay attention to and understand the cultural differences behind the language. The study found that, because of the impact of culture, society and language, there were many differences among using compliments in different countries. Thus, we can achieve the desired communicative effect by understanding the cultural differences between each other and using praise words in communication and realize the positive effect of cross-cultural communication from the side of economic connections, cultural exchanges, and harmonious diplomacy between different counties.

Keywords: compliment in Chinese and English; cultural difference; cross-cultural communication

Contents

1.Introduction 1

2.Literature Review 1

3. Contrastive Study of Compliment in Chinese and English 2

3.1 The content of compliment 2

3.1.1 Different topics 3

3.1.2 Different contexts 4

3.2 The form of compliment 5

3.2.1 Different parts of speech 5

3.2.2 Different sentence pattern 6

3.3 The function of compliment 7

4. The Implications for Cross-cultural Communication 8

5. Conclusion 9

Works Cited 11