英汉礼貌原则文化差异对比分析

合集下载

浅议英汉礼貌原则折射的文化差异

（）谦虚与客套的差异三 “ 己尊人 ” 是最富有中国文化特色的礼貌现象。中贬国人受到别人赞扬时，往往会说一些自我贬低的谦虚话，对他人的赞扬客套一番。而英美人只有尊敬对方的赞美之辞，而无贬抑自己之意。因此当他们受到赞扬时往往会高兴的说句 “ ｈｎｙｕ ”表示欣然接受。 “ 己尊人 ”准则不仅Ｔａｋｏ！贬存在于直接对话也存在于书面语中。除东南亚文化圈外，欧洲文化里没有贬自己抬别人的现象。中国人在听到赞美之词时，往往是否定对方的赞美之词，贬低自己一番，以示自谦。欧洲人在这种情况下往往因为他们的话被直言否决而感到中国人不讲礼貌。（）委婉语的差异四属于文雅词语的委婉语在英汉两种语言中使用的场合是不Ｉ。例如女性怀孕，中国人喜欢用 “ 喜了 ”等委婉的司的有方式来表达。而西方人却视此为新闻，可公开直言而百无禁忌，这显然是不同文化下的语用差异现象。（） “ 子 ” 问题的差异五面西方人认为在言语交往中，双方的两种 “ 子 ” 都受面到威胁时，在会话中要讲究策略原则，为了保护和降低 “ 面子 ” 不受侵害。而汉语中要求在言语交往中讲究 “ 脸 ”，赏避免 “ 丢脸”，当不得不使用有伤 “ 面子 ”的言词时，采用的策略往往是先肯定后指出不足。而英语文化则不同，人们极为珍视隐私和个人主义。即使是主动向别人提供便利或物品，向他人发出邀请等在某种意义上是妨碍了说话者的自由和清静。一Biblioteka 、东西方的礼貌原则

从英汉礼貌用语的对比中看中西文化的差异

Ｚ
【工］
汉礼貌用语的对比中看中西文化的差异
Ｚ
矛逢
摘要：礼貌现象是不同的民族所共有的．是人类社则来研究礼貌用语．提出了礼貌原则ｆＰｏｌｉｔｅｎｅｓｓＰｒｉｎ—
会文明的主要标志，它存在于民族的语言和文化里。ｃｉｐｌｅ），其包括得体准则（ＴａｃｔＭａｘｉｍ）、慷慨准则
人们跨文化交际的顺利完成、社会的正常发展都离不（ＧｅｎｅｒｏｓｉｔｙＭａｘｉｍ）、赞扬准则（ＡｐｐｒｏｂａｔｉｏｎＭａｘｉｍ）、谦
开礼貌用语的运用。但礼貌用语在不同的文化中具有逊准则（ＭｏｄｅｓｔｙＭａｘｉｍ）、一致准则ｆＡｇｒｅｅｍｅｎｔＭａｘｉｍ）
根源，即中西截然不同的文化价值观、社会伦理道德种礼貌，而中国人在受到别人的恭维时，常常用 “没
观以及思维方式的差异。此论文通过对跨文化交流领有、没有 ”、“惭愧、惭愧 ”来应答，以此表示谦虚，或者
差异在中西文化中的体现，并分析其产生的原因是由雅。之后，他１２１又提出了五条更详细的礼貌原则：贬己
于深层次的文化原因。如是由价值观、思维方式、社会尊人准则；称呼准则；文雅准则；求同准则；德、言、行
在西方文化中，当被别人恭维时．被恭维人礼貌

汉英文化中礼貌原则差异探析

汉英文化中礼貌原则差异探析Cultural courtesy is an important part in maintaining interpersonal relationships. While courtesy varies from culture to culture, Chinese courtesy is particularly unique. Comparing Chinese courteousness to that of the English is a worthwhile task which serves to illustrate how different customs may lead to different manners.The main difference between the ways of courtesy in Chinese and English cultures is in the expressions of politeness. In the Chinese culture, politeness is often expressed in a more humble way. People are more likely to bow, curtsy, and use flattering words when speaking to someone of higher social rank. They also often take on an apologetic posture when speaking, which manifests in grammatical structure and word choice. For example, if someone asked for help, they would say :“It is my honour to do a favour for you.”By contrast, politeness in English culture is usually expressed by recognizing social distance. People often use phrases like “pardon me,” “excuse me,” and “if you please,” when speaking to someone of higher social rank or who is perceived to have more knowledge or power. They also rarely bow, as English custom has it that to do so would imply inferiority.Furthermore, when engaging in polite discourse, Chinese people often sound like they are praising their interlocutors and behave in a deferential manner, whereas their English counterparts speak more bluntly. In terms of forms of addressing people, Chinese people would often use supplicatory terms such as “Grandfather,” “Uncle,” and “Aunt” to address their elders, which is uncommon in English culture.In conclusion, although politeness is the same concept in both Chinese and English cultures, the expressions and forms of politeness differ greatly. There are distinct rules in each culture on how one should behave towards people of higher social rank or order. While it is important to be polite to one another, it is equally important to be aware that these differences exist, in order to respect each other's cultural backgrounds.。

中西方文化中礼貌原则之差异及原因分析

An Analysis of Differences of Politeness Principle betweenChinese Culture and English CultureAbstract:Politeness is a symbol of the human civilization and a means for maintaining a harmonious interpersonal relation. Politeness is a social statute that constrains people‟s behaviors in any society. However, it shows different characteristics in Chinese culture and western culture. In recent years, scholars have shown great interest in politeness. In the west, Goffman‟s notion of face, Brown and Levinson‟s Face Theory and Geoffrey N. Leech‟s Politeness Principles are the representatives; in China, Professor Gu Yueguo‟s Five Notions of the Politeness is the pioneer in this field. This paper attempts to throw light on the differences of politeness principles between Chinese and western culture and its reasons based on the basic introduction of polite principles in Chinese and western culture. The better understanding of these differences and reasons can improve the English learners‟ cultural sensitivity, reducing pragmatic failure. Also, it can help them get the effective communication through the proper modes of politeness.Key words: Polite Principles，Cultural Differences, ReasonsTable of ContentsI. Introduction (1)II. Polite Principles in Chinese and English Culture (2)2.1 Politeness Principles in Chinese Culture (2)2.2 Politeness Principles in English Culture (3)III. Differences of Politeness Principles between Chinese Culture and English Culture (5)3.1 Terms of Address (6)3.2 Thanks and Apology W ords (7)3.3 Contents of the Conversation (7)3.3.1 Compliment and Modest Words (8)3.3.2 Euphemisms and Taboos (8)3.3 .3 Greeting and Farewell Words (9)IV. Reasons of Differences of Politeness Principles between Chinese Culture and English Culture (10)4.1 Different Values Influenced by Cultural Background (10)4.1.1 V alues of Chinese Culture (10)4.1.2 V alues of English Culture (11)4.2 Different Ways of Thinking Influenced by Cultural Backgrounds (12)4.2.1 Chinese Ways of Thinking (12)4.2.2 Western Ways of Thinking (12)V. Conclusion (12)Bibliography (14)Chinese title, abstract, key words (15)An Analysis of Differences of Politeness Principle betweenChinese Culture and English Culture I．IntroductionPoliteness is a universal phenomenon and it can be observed in all languages and cultures. In addition, it plays an important role in human communication: it helps to establish, maintain or consolidate harmonious interpersonal relationships and facilitate social interactions. Politeness as an observable phenomenon is something superficial and a reflection of specific cultural values in the language. Thus, while admitting the universality of politeness, we should realize the cultural characteristics of politeness that is, due to the influences of cultural value orientations, the actual manifestations of politeness and the standards for its judgment differ substantially from culture to culture. To explore politeness, we should consider its cultural specificity and accordingly go into the depth where cultural values are firmly rooted. Only in doing so can we uncover the essence of politeness and successfully account for its cross-cultural differences. We view politeness as one of the major social constraints on human interaction which regulates participants‟ communication behavior by constantly reminding them to take into consideration the feelings of the others (He ziran，2003:57). Politeness is a universal phenomenon, which can be observed in every society. People connect, communicate, and cooperate with each other. To some extent, the globe is a huge society; however, it can operate safe and sound. Except some laws and regulations, the social ethics plays a significant role in maintaining the social order, keeping the harmonious interpersonal relationships, reducing social conflict and misunderstandings. Among the social ethics, politeness is a key factor that can not be neglected. It is of great necessity to consider the feelings of others in order to establish mutual comfort and enhance rapport.With the trend of globalization, people in the diplomatic, intellectual, and business circles have more chances to connect with the foreigners. Through the political, economicaland cultural exchange, people around the world are getting closer and closer. However, more and more problems occur. Realizing the difficulties on our way to globalization, we need to know some basic polite Principle in communication so that a healthier discourse pattern can be adopted (Hu zhuanglin, 2007:98-99). There is a famous saying which goes like this: Courtesy costs nothing. But what is polite in one culture may be impolite in another. Thus, we should do in Rome as Romans do. Polite Principle is further highlighted. Many scholars in growing number attach great importance to the politeness Principles. This paper intends to research into the differences of polite principles between western and Chinese culture and its reasons in the hope to achieve a better understanding of them, to raise our cultural awareness and to promote English-Chinese cross-cultural communication. It also is hoped that it can give some inspirations to the college students and readers.II. Polite Principles in Chinese Culture and English CulturePolite theory is used to accounts for the redressing of the affronts to face posed by face-threatening acts to addressees (Gu Yueguo ,1992:30) . First formulated in 1978 by Penelope Brown and Stephen Levinson, polite theory has since been expanded academia‟s perception of politeness (Wikipedia, part 1). In the English culture, on the basis of Brown and Levinson‟s Face Theory and Grice‟s Cooperative P rinciples, Geoffrey N. Leech (1983:132) developed the face theories and formulated the polite Principles.2.1 Politeness Principles in Chinese CultureDue to different values, different cultural orientations and different ways of thinking, languages are different greatly from one another in expressing and understanding politeness. And in different cultures, the importance of each politeness maxim is different. Some cultural associations in the east (such as China and Japan) prefer modesty maxim; English-speaking countries (especially England) focus on tact maxim; the countries around the Mediterranean prefer generosity maxim to modesty maxim. Based on Leech‟s theory and Chinese politeness features, Prof. Gu Yueguo studies the politeness phenomenon in the C hinese culture. He summarizes the polite Principles with Chinese characteristics.According to Gu Yueguo there are basically four notions underlying the Chineseconception of “politeness”，which reads respectfulness, modesty, attitudinal warmth, and refinement. Respectfulness is self‟s positive appreciation or admiration of other concerning the latter‟s face, social status, and so on. …Modesty‟ can be seen as another way of saying …self-denigration‟. …Attitudinal warmth‟ is self‟s demonstration of kindness, consideration, and hospitality to other. Finally, …refinement‟ refers to self‟s behavior to other wh ich meets certain standards. The four essentials are elaborated into politeness maxims. Gu Yueguo (1992:37) demonstrates four maxims:(1) the self-denigration maxim;(2) the address term maxim;(3) the tact maxim and the generosity maxim;(4) the Principles of Balance, and the Principles of Sincerity;According to the characteristic of Chinese culture, Gu Yueguo(1992:43) has proposed five politeness maxims:(1) Self-denigration Maxim: a). Denigrate self;b). Elevate other;(2) Address Term Maxim, which requires addressing your interlocutor with an appropriate address form;(3) Refinement Maxim, which requires using refined language, including the use of euphemisms and indirectness, and avoid foul language;(4) Agreement Maxim, which maximizes agreement and harmony between interlocutors, and minimizes disagreement between them;(5) Virtues-words-deeds Maxim, which minimizes cost and maximizes benefit to other at the motivational level, and maximizes benefit received and minimizes cost to self at the conversational level.2.2 Politeness Principles in English CultureTalking about the polite principles in English culture, we should know that it mainly includes Brown and Levinson‟s Face Theory and Geoffrey Leech‟s Politeness Principles. These two theories have important roles in politeness principles in English culture.Brown and Levinson‟s influential theory is based on Grice‟s maxim theory and Goffman‟s“face” as the positive social value a person effective ly claims for himself by the line others assume he has taken during a particular contact‟ (Goffman, 1967:51) face can be likened to a person‟s public self-esteem or self-image, which can be damaged, maintained or enhanced in interaction with others (Leo, 2001:57). Brown and Levinson divided the notion of face into positive face and negative face, according to interactants‟ wants. Brown and Levinson define …positive face‟ as the positive and consistent image people have of themselves, and their desire for ap proval. On the other hand, …negative face‟ is “the basic claim to territories, personal preserves, and rights to non-distraction” (Brown and Levinson, 1987:61). Deviations from Gricean maxims are motivated by employing strategies to counteract so-called “f ace-threatening acts” (FTAs) by using these politeness strategies speakers communicate both their primary message and also the message that they intend to be polite, which has the status of a Gricean conversational implicature (Leo, 2001:57).Leech divides the Politeness Principles into six different maxims:(1) Act maxim: a) Minimize cost to otherb) Maximize benefit to other(2) Generosity maxim: a) Minimize benefit to self.b) Maximize cost to self.(3) Approbation maxim: a) Minimize dispraise of other.b) Maximize praise of other.(4) Modesty maxim: a) Minimize praise of self.b) Maximize dispraise of self(5) Agreement maxim: a) Minimize disagreement between self and other.b) Maximize agreement between self and other.(6) Sympathy maxim: a) Minimize antipathy between self and other.b) Maximize sympathy between self and other.(Leech 1983:132).Leech‟s Polite Principle is built on the basis of the concept of “cost” and “benefit”. Costrefers to the inconvenience or loss that the content of the interaction brings to the speaker and the hearer; benefit means the convenience or the advantage to the speaker and the hearer. The degree of politeness is consistent with the scale of indirectness, which can be observed superficially. As a matter of fact, the level of politeness is in contrast to other‟s cost or self‟s benefit. Generally speaking, the more the content of interaction benefits the hearer, the less the speaker‟s goods, thus the communication is politer. Otherwise, it is impolite. This is the essence of the phenomenon. This is why people choose to use euphemism or the indirect language to minimize the impolite speech. For example, when a woman is pregnant, it is impolite to say you are pregnant directly. However, it is better to say “She has canceled all her social engagements.” or “She is in an interesting condition.” The six maxims of Leech‟s Politeness Principles are interrelated with one another, restrained with one another and can not be understood in isolation.According to Leech, not all the maxims and sub-maxims are equally important. Of all the maxims, Tact Maxim is more powerful on conversational behavior than Generosity Maxim and Approbation Maxim is more powerful than Modesty Maxim. In all maxims, part a) is more important than part b) as it emphasizes not to impose or disagree in conversation (Sara, 2003:129). In all, the Principles are not motivated by the need of the cross-cultural communication; they seem to be derived from strategies used by English speakers. In addition, these Principles do not always apply to other culture. Though some of the maxims can be applied to other cultures, the differences still exist. In the English culture, individualism is the center of their value system. The privacy, freedom and personal realization are sacred and inviolable. Tact Maxim is frequently used. Even when the parents “order” their children to do something, they will follow the tact maxim in order not to threaten their children‟s nega tive face. People often use indirect and tactful language.For example:Would you please pass me the salt?Would you mind passing me the salt?Could you possibly pass me the salt?I was wondering if you could pass me the salt?…Some of the people can give order, request, suggestion or even threatening, while others have no choice but to accept the instructions unconditionally. In a word, Leech‟s Politeness Principle is measured by the speaker‟s and the hearer‟s benefit and cost.III. Differences of Politeness Principles between Chinese Culture and English CultureStemming from different cultural backgrounds, the Chinese politeness Principle and the English politeness Principle may have different response and explanation to the same politeness phenomenon. Different cultures may focus on different maxims. In the English-speaking countries, the tact maxim is the most important, which forms the core of the English language and culture. People usually follow this maxim when they perform the speech act, such as requesting, ordering or warning. While in the Chinese society, the self-denigration maxim is the core. This well explains why whenever Chinese people hear the compliment, they would negate the compliment and depreciate themselves to show modesty. In addition, we may observed that the Chinese place more emphasis in their talk on the needs of the group rather than those of the individual, but we can not conclude on the basis of these observations alone that they are genuine more altruistic than members of o ther communities. The major differences between Chinese and English politeness Principles are discussed as follows.3.1 Terms of AddressThe differences between the Chinese and English politeness Principles are also reflected in the terms of address. Every language has its own specific address system and its usage is closely related with the cultural background. When people greet, people in the English-speaking country use the terms of address as well. The terms of address show the social relationships between people. From top to bottom, there are social ranks, high or low, young and old. The change of the terms of address means the change of the relationship. Affected by the social structure, traditional ethics, blood relation and religious factors, Chinese address system is rather complicated than those of the English-speaking countries.Chinese people like to use the blood relations to call their family members and relatives; what‟s more, they call non-family friends and relatives, which is rare in the English-speaking countries. Owning to its social structure and cultural orientation, the interpersonal relationship of the English-speaking countries is totally different from that of Chinese. So the use of the address is varied as well. Generally speaking, English people like to call each other‟s name. This fully shows the cultural orientation of equality. Friends usually address each other‟s name (not including the family name). On the formal occasion, “Mr”, “Miss”, “Mrs” and some other appellations are often used. There are a few titles can be used to address others, except Doctor, Professor, President, etc. the terms of address in the Chinese culture is rather complicated. Chinese people like to add the title before someone‟s family name, such as Director Huang, Manager Ma, or Deputy Li. Thus, the addresses that Chinese people think is polite may be rude according to the English culture. For instant we add “small” or “old” before one‟s family name. This is considered rude in the English-speaking countries. People do not like to be named with words like small or old. When referring to old people, they use the senior citizen instead. For instance, in China, if we call someone “老李”, it actually shows ours respect for him. But if you call a foreigner “Old Brown”, he may think you are impolite or rude.3.2 Thanks and Apology W ordsThe words of thanks belong to the polite language. When one spends time and energy in helping another, it is the basic politeness for one to express his gratitude to the other part. In the aspect of “Thanks”, the English use “thank you” more often than the Chinese. For the English, everyone says “Thank you” even the family members have no exception. While in China, the more intimate the relationship is, the less they say “thank you” to each other. Saying “thank you” is considered to enlarge the interpersonal distance. When people are praised by others, they do not usually say “thank you”, so as not to leave an impression of immodesty. The differences also exist in different culture for using the words of apology. But Chinese people do not apologize very frequently. In China, when doing the wrong things or making mistakes, the authority and the elder do not need to apologize. It is the embodiment ofthe power. There are also some young people, even though their parents have done a lot for them, they seldom say “thank you” to their parents. Westerners consider attitudes like this as rude and unreasonable.3.3 Contents of the ConversationPeople who use different language may hold different views about the world. About one thing, people of different cultural backgrounds may have different ideas. For the English value, “individualism” is the core. They advocate individualism. Individual rights and the private property are inviolable, while the Chinese people appreciate collectivism, promoting mutual friendship. The English people focus on the concept of privacy, but the Chinese people prefer the intimacy. Respecting for individual privacy is one of the major values of the English ideology. In daily life, the English do not want to interfere in other‟s private business, particularly with regard to age, family, income, marital status. In China, on the contrary, nothing is private. People do not think these acts are intrusive other‟s private space. In their mind, it is natural and ordinary. In fact, these acts are beyond the English people‟s psychological limit and privacy. This may fail to achieve the communicative purpose and it may lead to other‟s indifference and alienation.3.3.1 Compliment and Modest W ordsLeech's Modesty maxim is equivalent to part of Gu‟s self-denigration maxim. When referring to self, one should depreciate oneself and be modest. When referring to other, one should show one‟s appreciation and respect to other. For the usag e of compliment and modest words, the Chinese and the English have significant differences. In the English-speaking countries, people usually adopt agreement maxim when they are praised. They seldom negate the praise in order not embarrass others. For example, an actor just finished his performance, one of his friend said to him: “Hey, you really did a good job tonight!” The actor may answer: “Well, thank you very much.” However, in China, it is the other way round, in the face of such recognition; one can not be so straightforward. It is customary to use "self-negation" or "deny" approach. China's historical and cultural traditions emphasize collectivism, resulting in a unique habit of modesty. In this case the Europeans may think Chinese are impolite becausethey have been rejected bluntly.3.3.2 Euphemisms and TaboosThe refined language maxim requires not using offensive language, being more tactful and less straightforward. In order to avoid rude words in the English language there are a number of taboo words and euphemisms. People use those words to avoid direct reference to something unpleasant or something embarrassing. These taboo words and euphemism can be widely used. They are the products of the conventional social orders and politeness Principles. To some degree, Chinese and English are the same in the use of taboo words. For example, talking about the body organs and sex on the public occasions is rude. The differences lie in the following aspects. The English do not like to ask people‟s privacy, such as age, income, marital status, political orientation, religious belief and so on. These inquiries may be considered inappropriate, offensive and unrespectable for other‟s privacy. However, it is common in China. If your friend introduces another friend to you, you may ask your new friend “where is your hometown? What do you do?” or “where do you live?” The common interpersonal communication may look weird in the foreigners‟ eyes. It is, to some degree, an act of invading their privacy rights.3.3 .3 Greeting and Farewell W ordsIt is natural to greet when people meet. The expressions may vary from one culture to another. In the English-speaking countries, there are some fixed greetings, such as: How are you? (In fact, people are not really care about other‟s health status), replies often go like this: Fine, thank you (Regardless of whether the listener really feel good). For greeting, Chinese people often say: "do lunch", "Where to", "Where to go" and so on, we think those expressions are very natural, it is just greeting. Hearing the Chinese style of greeting, foreigners may have a misunderstanding: Chinese people like to mind other‟s business. Respectively the English people often say: "Goodbye. Bye-bye. So long or See you later, tomorrow on the next morning". It is equivalent to Chinese like "Good-bye, Bye, now see, See you tomorrow, or see you next Monday." Chinese people sometimes say so. Although in the English-speaking countries, biding farewell is roughly the same, yet there are differentways to bid farewell. Compared with the English, Chinese are more subtle. Although the Chinese and the English are more or less the same in the farewell words, Chinese are more reserved.IV. Reasons of Differences of Politeness Principles between Chinese Culture and English CultureDifferent cultural factors may result in cultural differences, and consequently, the acknowledgment of the factors affecting the cultural differences will facilitate the understanding of such differences. However, it is impossible to cover all of the factors in this thesis, so the factors discussed here are some important ones. So, we can see there are many differences of politeness principles between the western and Chinese culture as we discussed in chapter three. In this chapter, we will talk about the main reasons from their different families‟ features and concepts as well as different values between them.4.1 Different Values Influenced by Cultural BackgroundsAnother cultural reason for differences between China and western countries is different value under the different cultural backgrounds. In the following, we will talk about the values in Chinese culture and western culture.4.1.1 Values of Chinese CultureIn spring and autumn and Warring‟s periods of China, Confucianis m, Taoism and other ideologies emerged. As different ideologies developed and combated each other, the basic framework of Chinese civilization was established. And then Confucianism became the foundation stone of Chinese philosophy system. Confucianism‟s c entral doctrine is that of the virtue of Ren. What is Ren? Ren is translated variously as goodness, benevolence, humanity and human-heartedness. In short, Ren means affection and love. For more than two thousand years it has molded and shaped the civilization of China and exerted a profound influence upon almost one fourth of the human race. The core of the Chinese value has some relationship with the Confucianism. That is the well-known Five Relationships: ruler-minister, father-son, husband-wife, elder-younger brother and friend-friend. This was explained as“There should be affection between father and son, righteous sense of duty between ruler and minister, division of function between husband and wife, stratification between old and young, and good fait h between friends.” During the more than two thousand years of the feudal period, the ruling class arranges every thing by this relationship, and then formed a class society. In this kind of society, a minister owes loyalty to his ruler, and a child filial respect to his parent. As a result, humanity is neglected and people have no equality. In recent years, this kind of relations has changed greatly. People in China also hope to have an equal status, but the Confucianism is still rooted in people‟s mind, a nd it needs a long time to realize to be truly equal.4.1.2 Values of English CultureThe concept of Chinese values is usually placed in opposition with English values. Therefore, it is necessary to determine how people define English values. Some have stated that the modern English value system originated in Victorian England, and describe it as social norms and behaviors well-known in European people during that time. The core of English values is individualism. English values have three levels: 1) physical level –science, technology, business, public administration, and modern capitalist economics; 2) conceptual level – equal opportunity, the role of law; and time management; and 3) core values – open debate, equality, balance of power, Free speech and democracy( Zhangzhanyi, 1990:103). Different from China, religion plays an important role in English culture. The English speaking countries are generally considered as religious countries, and among all the religious groups by which people seek to worship, Christianity is by far the most influential in the west. Almost every phase of man‟s life is touched by religion, so much so that it has become part and parcel of English culture. Christianity is the religion based on the life and teaching of Jesus Christ, who is the founder of Christianity. According to the doctrine of Christianity, the Trinity is the union of the three forms of God, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Although in the English countries religion provides the customs and ceremonies that mark lif e‟s most important events－birth, coming of age, marriage, and death, religion has declined in importance in terms ofinfluencing behavior and philosophical outlook. Now when people need personal advice, they usually turn to psychiatrists or to professional counselors rather than to Fathers for help. Although, the power of the church cannot compare with the past, it still influences many aspects of people's daily life. For example, there are a few important festivals in the English countries is concern with Jesus Christ. Christmas day is a festival in celebration of the birth of the Jesus Christ on Dec.25 (Chenlinhua, 1998:67).4.2 Different W ays of Thinking Influenced by Cultural Backgrounds4.2.1 Chinese W ays of ThinkingChinese people lived in a vast and rich land in East Asian Continent in the North Temperate Zone. In ancient times, they enjoyed the favor from nature without too much fear. The stable agricultural society made Chinese people in harmony with nature. On one hand, Chinese people were clear that everything came from nature, and the relationship between man and nature was very close; on the other hand, nature was so mysterious to them that they were satisfied with what they had got, and they thought their existence relied on the bounty of nature. This kind of viewpoint resulted in the fact that Chinese people lacked the feelings of hostility to nature, and tried to seek for the harmony between man and nature. They made efforts in the stability of society and happiness of people. As for the traditional Chinese thought, Confucianist thought originated from the semi-closed continental surroundings and the small peasant economy. What‟s more, the Taoism influences Chinese thought pattern as well. LaoZi holds that the world is full of opposites and contradictions. In order to eliminate them to come to harmony, man must get to the level of “Wu Wei”, which derived from a point of Dao and De. Influenced by the above Chinese philosophy, Chinese thought pattern tend to be synthetic and subjective. Chinese way of thinking decides Chinese people express their polite culture more directly.4.2.2 Western Ways of ThinkingContrary to the Chinese, English speaking people usually consider the objective things。

从汉英礼貌原则对比中看中西文化差异

内蒙古农业大学学报(社会科学版)2007年第5期(第9卷　总第35期) Journal of Inne r Mongoli a Agric ul tural Universit y(Soc ia l Sc i ence Ed ition)N o.5　2007(V ol.9　Sum No.35)从汉英礼貌原则对比中看中西文化差异＊○　刘莉莎(辽宁师范大学外国语学院,辽宁大连116029)摘　要:本文从跨文化语用学的视角,探讨汉英两种既相互关联又相互区别的礼貌原则,旨在通过两种礼貌原则的对比研究,发掘言语应用背后的文化差异根源,从而使参与者在跨文化交际的过程中根据不同的交际对象和交际环境,选择合适的礼貌原则,克服跨文化交际中的语用失误,保证跨文化交际顺利完成。

关键词:礼貌原则;文化差异;跨文化交际中图分类号:H313 文献标识码:A 文章编号:1009-4458(2007)05-0375-03 一、引言语言与文化关系密切,语言是文化的重要载体,也是文化的重要组成部分。

人在学习和运用语言的过程中获取文化。

任何生活在两种不同文化中的人,都会感到不同文化的人说话方式会有很大差别,并不仅仅是语音、语法以及词汇等有所不同,而是他们对语言基本构成要素的使用方式存在很大差别,也就是语用方面的差别很大。

语用差别的制约因素有很多,但何自然曾经指出:“英汉两种语言在语用方面所受到的制约有诸多不同,其中最重要的是文化因素的制约”。

因此,文化的差异,可以直接体现在语言的运用和理解上。

礼貌作为人们交际活动的基本准则,是维系人际和谐的工具和手段,是实现人与人之间成功交际的基本条件,是人类文明进步的重要标志。

礼貌不全是语言表达问题,但是表达礼貌的方式往往绝大多数都是通过语言,因此语言是表达礼貌的重要手段。

礼貌原则(Politeness P rinciple)就是英国语言学家Geoffrey N.Leech根据英语语言、文化背景提出的如何应用、理解礼貌的语用原则。

英汉语言文化中礼貌原则的差异性研究

１引言．
众所周知，过语言表达礼貌是最常用的手段，的确是通它成功交际的一条十分重要的原则。礼貌作为人们交际活动的基本准则．维系人际和谐的工具和手段，实现人与人之间是是成功交际的基本条件，人类文明进步的重要标志。然而，是礼貌虽然是人类言语交际中的普遍现象，但不同的文化ｘ￣貌ｔ，Ｌ有不同的解释和侧重。英汉两种语言在语用方面所受到的制约有诸多不同．其中．重要的是文化因素的制约。英国语言学家Ｌｅｈ据英最ｅｅ根语文化的特征列举了六条礼貌原则，顾日国先生在《貌、而礼语用与文化》文中分析了汉文化的礼貌持征，纳了五个礼一归貌准则。将顾先生与Ｌｅｈｅｃ的礼貌准则作比较可发现英、语汉的礼貌准则在很多方面存在差异，学地分析、比这些差异科对是防止语用失误、促进交际顺利开展的有效途径。２英汉文化背景下的礼貌原则．不同语言文化的差异性决定了人们言语行为方式的不同．决定了表达礼貌方式的差异。因此，也要讨论礼貌原则在英汉语言文化中的差异，首先有必要了解两种文化的主要价值取向ＲｎｔＴｕｈＤｇｉ ” ‘ 凰 ” 火星探测器的挖掘陷入困ｕｓｎｏｏｇｉｇｇ（凤ｉｎ ‘ 号境）这篇网络科技新闻的报道是有关 “ 凰号 ” 星探测器的，凤火国内的新闻媒体大多直接采用 “ 凤凰号 ” 代替其全称，翻来故译时加上“ 凤凰号 ” 使标题更符合国内读者的阅读习惯。又会如：Ｒｎｉｉ（空气行驶的汽车）果直译为 “ “ ｕｎｎｏＡｒ靠ｇｎ ” 如靠空气行驶 ” 使读者一头雾水，会不知所云。

从文化角度看英汉礼貌原则的差异

ｌ
从文化角度看英汉礼貌原则的差异
魏伶伶
（宁师范大学外国语学院，宁大连１６２）辽辽１０９摘要：貌作为一种文化现象普遍存在于各种语言和礼
美国语言学家格赖斯（．．ｒｅ在２世纪６年代提出了ＨＰＧｉ）０ｃ０
会话含义理论。他认为，人们为了确保会话的顺利进行，就必
文化中，不同文化类型中的 “ 貌原则 ” 有所不同。汉文但礼却英化的巨大差异必然导致礼貌语的使用差异。本文从历史文化的角度研究中西方社会礼貌原则的差异。提高跨文化交际的
一
１点至７不能在那里停车（ａｋｎｏａｏｅｏ２０ａ２点Ｐｒｉｇｉｎｔｌｗｄｆｍ１：．ｓｌｒ０ｍ．ｏ７３．ｏｕｓａ）早上１点对她来说是中午１点．ｔ：０ａｍ．ｎＴｅｄｙ．２２对美国人则是半夜ｌ点，之所以把车停在那里，因为想着中２她是午１点前她已经把车开走了。２在交罚款之前，凡向负责人解释了中国人对早上１点的２理解．明如果她知道那在美国指的是半夜１点的话，说２自己是不会把车停在那里的．负责人想了想说：既然这是文化差异 “ 所导致的误会，就不罚你３美元了，罚１美元吧！” 戴凡我０只５（

汉英礼貌用语对比与分析

汉英礼貌用语对比与分析06秋专升本学员张先存学号z06205604001礼貌作为一种社会现象,普遍存在于各国语言中,但由于语用文化价值差异和语用习惯特点的不同,人们对礼貌的理解、处理和运用方式则各不相同.中西方由于受到不同文化、民族心理和价值观的影响,会用不同的方式来表达自己的礼貌言行.而这种差异往往会影响我们进行有效的跨文化交际,因此在英语学习中我们有必要了解汉英礼貌语用方面的差异.一。

汉英礼貌用语的对比：例1：问候语以什么样的方式与别人见面打招呼，分手告别，也因东西方文化传统和风俗习惯的不同而不同。

西方人则注重逻辑，他们讲究科学，追求准确、系统的分析和实证，西方形式逻辑中有三大定律，即同一律、矛盾律、排中律；在演绎推理中有三段论，即大前提、小前提和结论。

在语言上表现为重视语言的形式，人称要一致、单复数有讲究、时态有要求，主语和谓语要配合，介词讲究搭配等等，每个细节都不能马虎。

例如：中文说“你吃了吗？”可以表示字面意义，也可以表示问候，这里的“吃”字后面的“饭”可以省略，不论早饭、中饭、晚饭都可以这样说，也不管什么时候吃的。

而英语中可能要说三句不同的话“Have you had your lunch/super/dinner?” 而且他们并不能用来表示问候，除了字面意义，这三句话可能用来暗示一种邀请，但说话人至少要考虑到两个问题：吃的是哪一餐饭，用什么时态，这些问题不清楚，这句话就没法说。

所以，中国人见面时常用的客套话是：“吃过饭了吗？”“你去哪儿？”而与英美人打招呼，不要说“Have you had your meal?”或者“Where are you going?”他们会以为你想邀请他一起外出用餐或你在打听他的私事呢。

而当他们正等着听你的下文时，你却谈起旁的事情。

这样往往会使对方觉得莫名其妙。

他们会想，不请我吃饭，干吗问我吃过饭没有？即使你见他正在用餐，一般也不能说“Are you having meal?”（你在吃饭？）或者“You are going to the dinning room?”（你去吃饭吗？）他们认为这简直是无用的话，明知故问，你不是看见我正在吃饭吗？又如你正巧遇见一个美国人在修理他的汽车，你走过去说声“Hello. ”或者“Hi.”就行了。

1、下载文档前请自行甄别文档内容的完整性，平台不提供额外的编辑、内容补充、找答案等附加服务。
2、"仅部分预览"的文档,不可在线预览部分如存在完整性等问题,可反馈申请退款(可完整预览的文档不适用该条件!)。
3、如文档侵犯您的权益，请联系客服反馈,我们会尽快为您处理(人工客服工作时间：9:00-18:30)。

英汉礼貌原则文化差异对比分析
语言的学习最终还是要运用到日常生活中,贯穿于人与人之间的交往。

英汉两种语言有着不一样的文化背景,要实现成功的跨文化交际仅凭语言知识是远远不够的。

语言与文化是一个不可分割的载体,语言是文化的一个组成部分,是文化的载体。

语言与文化相互影响,相互作用,理解语言必须了解文化,理解文化必须了解语言。

要掌握并运用好英汉两种语言,就要了解英汉两种语言的不同文化背景,不能生班硬套某一文化背景的礼貌原则去衡量另一文化中的言语行为是否得体。

而是通过文化的对比,了解相互之间文化的差异,把各个言语行为应用到具体的语境中,采用不同的礼貌准则。

英语中的礼貌,从词源上来说起源于拉丁语的“Politus”,意思是“随和的”,后来到了17世纪逐渐地演变为“有教养的人”和“彬彬有礼的行为”。

在现代西方社会,人们追求自我,实现个人价值,重视个人权利和隐私。

在汉语中,现代的礼貌与古代的礼貌也有着截然不同的意义。

古代社会等级差别严格,所以礼的基本精神就是“上尊下卑”。

礼貌的社会功能随着社会等级差别而消失,以便为保持人与人之间关系的融洽与和谐,消除抵触,达到更高层次的合作。

在语言学中,英汉语言学者对礼貌的定义也不尽相同。

P.Brown和S.Levinson (1978)认为礼貌是在威胁面子行为发生时的一种补偿行为。

koff(1979)把礼貌定义为是一种减少人际交往摩擦的手段。

Leech认为礼貌原则是合作原则的必要补充,它把合作原则从困境中解救出来。

(“as a necessary complement,which rescues the CP from serious trouble”)Leech把礼貌原则分为六类:(1)得体准则(用于指令和承诺)Tact maxim(in impositivesand commissives):尽力减少他人付出的代价和尽力扩大对他人的益处;(2)慷慨准则(用于指令和承诺)Generosity maxim(in impositives and commissives):尽力减少对自己的益处和尽力扩大自己的付出;(3)赞扬准则(用于表达和断言)Approbation maxim(in expressives and assertives):尽力缩小对他人的批评和尽力夸大对他人的表扬;(4)谦逊原则(用于表达和断言)Modesty maxim(in expressives and assertives):尽力缩小对自己的表扬和尽力夸大对自己的批评;(5)赞同准则(用于断言)Agreement maxim(in assertives):尽力缩小与他人之间的分歧和尽力夸大与他人之间的一致;(6)同情准则(用于断言)Sympathy maxim(in assertives)尽力缩小对他人的厌恶和尽力夸大对他人的同情。

中国学者徐盛恒提出了礼貌原则新构想,认为Leech在陈述礼貌原则的准则是用了“尽力缩小”,“尽力夸大”这样的一些想法,显然过于绝对化,理想化,比较极端。

因此,他对礼貌原则进行了修正,下面是其礼貌原则的简述:促进各方关系和运用礼貌策略。

顾曰国以中国的礼貌研究为基础,提出了四个基本概念,他们是:尊敬,谦虚,态度热情,文雅。

接着,他又提出了比较适合于中国文化的礼貌原则:(1)“自卑而尊人”与贬己尊人准则;(2)“上下游义,贵贱有分,长幼有等”与称呼准则;(3)“彬彬有礼”与文雅准则;(4)“脸,面子”与求同准则;(5)“有德者必有言”与德,言,行准则。

索振羽在肯定Leech 的礼貌原则基础上提出了得体原则,并认为礼貌原则从属于得体原则。

礼貌是一种社会现象,是人们都要遵守的行为规范,这是礼貌的普遍性,而对礼貌的理解因文化的不同有所差异,这是礼貌的特殊性。

在跨文化交际中,礼貌原则都是不可缺少的成功交际的语用原则。

但由于英汉语言文化背景,语言,风俗,价值观念的不同,在两种语言的运用和表达上及文化涵义存在着很大差异。

1 称呼
在英汉两种语言中,某一种称呼方式在英语里被认为是礼貌得体的,但在汉语里则被认为唐突无礼。

相反,某一种称呼方式在汉语里被认为是礼貌得体的,但在英语里则被认为唐突无礼。

在英语中,为表尊敬,人们习惯把Mr、Mrs、Miss与姓连用。

为表尊敬,在汉语里习惯在人的姓氏后加上职位来称呼,比如“张经理”,“王医生”,“李律师”等。

中国人重等级、秩序,汉语从主席、总理到组长都可以做称呼,称呼语也一般需要说明彼此的关系,亲属、同事、师生、上下级之间均要呼出辈分、职务、头衔等,诸如“二姐”,“二叔”,“四姨”,“刘局长”,“赵书记”,“李主任”,“刘大爷”,“李老师”等。

而这在英语里,这是不被接受的,不得体的。

英语的亲属关系也不像汉语中这样纷繁复杂,除了mom、dad、uncle、aunt、grandpa、grandma等几个常用的外,其他的几乎不用,人们常直呼其名,显得亲切和礼貌,体现了西方人崇尚自由追求人人平等的思想。

在汉语中,亲属关系的称呼是有严格的区分的。

晚辈若是直呼长辈的姓名则会被视为没有教养、不礼貌。

这种语言现象的产生归因于中国两三千年的封建统治和封建文的影响,提倡长幼有序、尊卑有别。

2 赞扬
对于赞扬的回应,由于英汉两种文化的不同,对于赞扬的回应也非常不一样。

在跨文化交际中,赞扬是建立良好关系的方法之一。

但是,如果做出了不合理的回应就
会让气氛陷入困惑或是尴尬之中。

英语里在对于赞扬的回应都是采取感谢别人的方式,通常会回应“thank you”。

而汉语里,对于赞扬的回应都显得非常自谦。

红楼梦中黛玉刚进贾府问她可读过书,她一句“不过认识几个字罢了”。

由此可见,汉语里的自谦自古就有,也难怪对于中国人的“哪里,哪里”,“惭愧,惭愧”,我们已经习以为常。

可这番对于赞扬的回应若是被讲英语的外国人听到,他们会认为你是虚伪或是责备他们赞扬的诚意。

在这种情况下,尴尬是难免的。

这与汉语是高语境的语言,英语是低语境的语言不无关系,同样是出于礼貌的赞扬和回应,却让有不同文化背景的人有着不同的理解。

3 集体主义和个人主义
在汉语里很早就有集体主义的涵义,很多的成语典故也是与这相关的,比如说成语有饮源,忘恩负义等。

在英语里,个人主义的词语就有
在中国,对于集体主义的教育也可以看出,老师从小就会教导要有集体荣誉感,个人获得一定的成就时,往往都会感谢别人而把个人的力量放在最后。

而在讲英语的国家,他们更崇尚个人主义。

这一点在一些国际的赛事上便可看出,对于奥运会上记者的提问:“你觉得你会拿第一吗？”中国选手刘翔的回答是“我需要一点运气”,而很多外国选手的回答都是:“It’s me.”而对于赛后感言,大多中国选手都会感谢自己的教练和父母,把功劳的大部分都归于别人。

而在讲英语的西方人眼里,认为这是自己的荣耀是实现并证明了自己,虽然也感谢其他人,但与其他人没有太大关系。

而在中国,这样会被认为是没有礼貌。

可见,由于两个国家对于集体主义和个人主义的偏向不一样,在英汉两种语言进行交流时,更应该从文化层面做出合理的回应和沟通。

4 隐私、委婉语
英语中对于很多问题是有避讳的。

比如不能问他人的工资,不能问女性的年龄或是体重,这样会被人认为你不尊重他。

而在汉语里,对于这些问题就没有那么多的避讳。

在英语里,对于个人隐私的保护也非常注重,会有个人隐私保护法,在中国则没有。

英语里对于不愿提及的事会用委婉语来表达,比如汉语里也有这样的例子,比如“死”这个字,在汉语里是忌讳这样说的,因此,会有“去世,过世,走了”等表达。

这些,都是出于礼貌而不同的表达方式,但是由于英汉两种语言的文化背景不一样,在各自所注重的方面会有所区别。

礼貌原则在英汉两种语言里都有所体现,但它并不是一个放之四海皆准的原则,它会因各自的文化背景和风俗习惯而不一样。

只有去了解两种语言的所蕴含的不同意义,才能在跨文化交际中取得成功。

参考文献
[1] Yule,George.Pragmatics[M].Oxford University Press,1996.
[2] Mills,S.Gender and Politeness[M].Cambridge University Press,2003.
[3] Brown,P and S.Levinson. Politeness: Some Universals in Language Usage[M].Cambridge University Press,1987.。