跨文化视角下对中美领导人新年贺词的对比分析

摘要

如今国家领导人在新年之际发表新年贺词已成为一种惯例，新年贺词传递了当前国情的信息，表达了领导人的态度和观点，并巩固他们与公众的关系。国家领导人发表新年贺词变得越来越重要，得到越来越多的关注。本文试图从2016年中国国家主席习近平和美国总统奥巴马的新年贺词里，分析他们在语言方面和非语言方面的相似性和差异性，从而探究文化差异。

在文化维度理论的帮助下，采用理论与实践相结合的方法，定性与定量分析比较中美领导人的新年贺词的风格。一方面，论文的作者注重语言和非语言风格的对比，另一方面也考虑了两个国家的文化差异。

研究发现，文化维度理论并不完全适用于这两篇演讲中。其中个体和群体的差异已不明显，但是权力距离，非语言特征的差异依旧明显，这可能与社会、时代的变化有关。显性的特征已发生改变，隐形的特征依旧如故。

关键词：新年贺词，跨文化视角，文化，中美

A Comparative Study of Sino-American Leaders’ New Year Messages from the Perspective of Culture

Abstract

It has become a kind of convention that leaders deliver a New Year message on the occasion of the New Year. The New Year messages convey information of the current situation, express the leader’s attitudes and views and consolidate the relationship with the public. The national leaders’ delivery of New Year message becomes more and more important and gets more and more attention. The aim of this thesis is to analyze two New Year messages delivered respectively by Chinese president and American president in 2016 to find out their similarities and differences in the aspects of verbal communication and nonverbal communication from the perspective of culture, hence discover cultural differences.

With the help of culture dimension theory, this thesis combines theory and practice, qualitative and quantitative approaches to analyze the style of Sino-American leaders’ New Year Speeches. On the one hand, the author focus on the comparison of verbal communication and nonverbal communication, on the other

hand considers the cultural differences between the two countries.

The study found that the culture dimension theory is not fully applicable to the two speeches. The difference between individual and group was not obvious, but the power distance, differences in non-verbal features are still obvious, which may be related with society and the changes of the times. The dominant feature has changed, stealth features remain the same.

Key words: New Year Speeches, across-cultural perspective, culture, Sino-American

1. Introduction As a public speech, New Year speech is used as a way to communicate with the public. Leaders and government show their attitude and stance, influence the public’s attitude, console their emotion and win their support through it. Chinese and American presidents make New Year speeches to the public via radio or television every year. New Year speeches pass on a lot of information about a country to the world, such as a country’s basic condition of development in the passing year and their goals and directions in the coming year. Taking the New Year speech of Chinese and American in 2016 as an example, this thesis tries to discover the difference of the New Year speeches between Chinese and American presidents and how they convey their attitudes and emotions.

With the method of integrating theory with practice, this thesis tries to seek cultural reasons behind the differences of Sino-American leaders’ New Year speeches from verbal communication and nonverbal aspects based on theories of cultural dimensions. On the one hand, the writer pays attention to the contrast of verbal styles, on the other hand, the culture difference of the two countries are taken into account. Cultural dimensions theory is developed by Geert Hofstede. It identified five dimensions: individualism versus collectivism, uncertainty avoidance, power distance, masculinity versus femininity, and long-term versus short-term orientation to time. Through comparing the two leaders' New Year speeches from the perspective of culture, the main differences are reflected in three aspects including individualism and collectivism, power distance and long-term versus short-term orientation to time.

This thesis consists of the following five chapters.

Chapter one serves as an introduction to the thesis, covering the research significance, theory and practice and the organization of the thesis.

Chapter two is literature review concerning language differences about Chinese and English, body language as an example of nonverbal communication and culture differences between Chinese and American.

Chapter three introduces the methodology of the research.

Chapter four makes an analysis on Chinese and American presidents’ New Year speeches from verbal communication and nonverbal perspectives.

The last chapter is the concluding part focusing on the findings, the implications and the limitations of the study.

Two questions are raised in the thesis:

1. What are the differences in the Sino-American Leader’s New Year Speeches?

2. What caused these differences?

2. Literature Review

This chapter is divided into three parts: the language differences between English and Chinese, body language as an example of the nonverbal communication, as well as the cultural differences between Chinese and American people.

2.1 Language Differences: Chinese & English

The language differences are mainly reflect ed in diction, syntax, discourse and style aspects.

2.1.1 Diction

Professor Deng Yancheang and Liu Runqing argued in their book Language and Culture that narration and description in Chinese seem to be a bit more ornate than in English. They find that Chinese like to use many adjectives, but in English verbs especially ignite one’s imagination.

Deng and Liu find that Chinese and English-speaking people seem to have different views on using phrases and expressions. Good English writer couldn’t use “cliches” or “trite expressions”. On the other hand, the Chinese writer prefer to use “four character expressions”.[2]

2.1.2 Syntax

English speaking prefer to use simple sentences rather than use compound sentences. So English pays attention to the sentence structure and like the use of omission. There are many types of English omission, such as the omission of nouns, the omission of the verb, the omission of syntactic aspects and the omission of scenarios aspects. In the coordinate structure, English often omit the words that have appeared in the front, while Chinese often repeat these words. And Chinese like using compound sentences, especially in public speech.[3]

2.1.3 Discourse and Style Cultures have distinct preference for organizing ideas and presenting them in writing and in public speeches. In American cultures, the organizational pattern preferred in the formal use of U.S. English can best be described as linear. This pattern can be visualized as a series of steps or progressions that move in a straight line toward a particular goal or idea.[4] The preferred structure of paragraph in China can be described as “gyre”, an approach to an idea by “indirection”. The rule for language use in China demands that speakers not tell the listener the specific point being conveyed. Chinese language use indicates that in these languages the thesis statement is often buried in the passage.[5] In American cultures, people often give priority to the use of emphasis on direct dialogue. In China cultures, people often emphasize the indirect priority to speech communication. Direct and indirect ways in different degrees, communicators show their intentions through their voices and their content information. In the direct verbal style, statements clearly reveal the speaker’s intentions and are carried out with more nuanced tone of voice.[6]

2.2 Body Language as an Example of Nonverbal Communication

Nonverbal communication between people is through sending and receiving wordless cues. The following focuses on body language.

2.2.1 Eye Contact

The eyes play an important part in communication. In the United States, there is a proper looking time, a definite period during which you are allowed to meet and hold someone’s eyes for every situation. Although a majority of people expect others could look their eyes when they are communicating, it is not a custom in the world.

Chinese lower their eyes as a sign of deference and they believe it is a sign of bad manners to use much eye contact. Chinese people do not like to stare at each other in the conversation, which is not polite performance, while Westerners attach great importance to the attention of the ceremony, and they often use their eyes to help mutual communication.[7]

2.2.2 Smile and Laugh

It has different meaning of smile and laugh in different cultures. Smile and laughter usually convey friendly, close, satisfied and happy meanings. Chinese and American’s habits are different in non-verbal communication about smiles, as Ame ricans regard smile as a natural expression and they can’t stop smiling. But for Chinese, the smile is not necessary.[8]

2.3 Cultural Differences: Chinese & American

2.3.1 The Frame of Cultural Dimensions

Cultural dimensions theory is a framework for cross-cultural communication, developed by Geert Hofstede. It identified five dimensions: individualism versus collectivism, uncertainty avoidance, power distance, masculinity versus femininity, and long-term versus short-term orientation to time.[9][10] Through comparing the two leaders' New Year Messages from the perspective of culture, the main differences are reflected in three aspects including individualism and collectivism, power distance and long-term versus short-term orientation to time.

Individualism represents a society in which the link between individuals are loose: everyone should only take care of themselves and his/her immediate family. Collectivism is a strong cohesive society, starting from the people of their lives, which through the life of the people constantly protect them in the exchange of loyalty.[11] Hofstede believes that in higher index of individualism countries, family education focuses on the cultivation of children’s self-awareness, people tend to take care of themselves when they are in adulthood and public and private boundaries are clear. Countries with lower index of individualism emphasize the commitment to the group. And people learn to consider the problem from the angle of "our".[12] Power distance refers to the lower level of the individual accept and expect the distribution of

inequality of power.[13] Hofstede believes that in countries with higher index of power distance, the social members are easy to accept inequality, vulnerable groups tend to rely on strong groups. In countries with lower index of power distance, the social members have a low tolerance for inequality. People respect the values of independence and advocate that vulnerable groups should try their best to change the status quo.[14]

Cultures promote long-term positioning of the long-term goals of life values, social order, admiration, thrift, humility, shame, differences in interpersonal relationships and status. On the contrary, cultures with a short-term orientation is a profound understanding of tradition and personal stability and stability, to maintain their own and others "face", balance or reciprocity when greeting others, and the results of quick action, immediately meet the expectations of people's needs.[15]

2.3.2 The Embodiment of Cultural Dimensions

Chinese people like the cultural value of collectivism. It needs absolute loyalty to the group. In the collective cultures, decisions that always based on what is best for the group and the group belongs to the most important social units.[16] Collectivism culture believes that the obligations of individuals, organizations and institutions of the duty group, the “we” consciousness, and an emphasis on belonging. Americans are highly individualistic and think that people should only take care of themselves, perhaps their immediate family members. In individualistic cultures, individual autonomy is the most important. The decision is not always based on being beneficial to the group, but for individual.[17]

Culture in China has high power distance index and prefer large power distance. They argue that each person in the social order has a legitimate and protected place, the authorities’ actions should not be questioned that the hierarchy and inequalities are appropriate and useful , and those who have a proper use of their social status power, for any purpose any way that is desirable. Americans prefer lower power distances as a cultural value, believing in social or class inequality to minimize the importance of questioning or challenging authority figures, and using power only for legitimate purposes.[18][19] In China, culture promotes long-term orientation towards life,

attaches importance to social order and long-term goals. The distinction between language and society of the elderly and the young brothers and sisters is very common, the need to delay the satisfaction is widely accepted, and the family life of the common mission to guide.[20][21] In the United States, cultures with a short-term orientation is a profound understanding of tradition and personal stability and stability, to maintain their own and others "face", balance or reciprocity when greeting others, and the results of quick action immediately meet the expectations of people's needs.[22]

Chart 2.3.2 America and China Rating on the Three Culture Dimensions

America China

Individualism 200 -97

Power Distance -90 94

Time Orientations -60 253

3. Methodology

3.1 Overview

From the perspective of culture, the different style between Sino-American Leaders’ New Year Messages is analyzed from verbal and nonverbal angles. Comparing and analyzing on lexical, syntax, discourse and style levels, as well as non-verbal aspects, this paper attempts to find out whether China’s culture mainly emphasizes collectivism, high power distance and a long-term orientation while American culture mainly emphasizes individualism, low power distance and a short-term orientation.

Research subject of this thesis is two New Year messages delivered respectively by Chinese president Xi Jinping and American president Obama in 2016. The text and video of president Xi’s speech is from CCTV NEWS, and Obama’s is from https://www.360docs.net/doc/524327154.html,.

This thesis combines theory and practice, qualitative and quantitative analyzes the style of Sino-American leaders’ New Year Speeches. The the ory is culture dimension theory and it is used in analyzing two New Year messages. And this thesis also uses the methods of tables, data statistics and data analysis.