新编简明英语语言学教程-第二版-戴炜栋9-Language-and-Culture

Chapter9LanguageandcultureWhatisculture?Inabroadsense,culturemeansthetotalwayoflifeofapeople,includingthepatternsofbelief,customs,institutions,techniques,languageandetc.thatcharacterizesthelifeofthehumancommunity.Inanarrowsense,culturemayrefertolocalorspecificpractice,beliefsorcustoms,whichcanbemostlyfoundinfolkculture,enterprisecultureorfoodculture,etc.Therearegenerallytwotypesofculture:materialandspiritual.Therelationshipbetweenlanguageandculture1.Thesamewordmaystirupdifferentassociationsinpeopleunderdifferentculturalbackground,e.g.theword“dog”.2.Languageexpressesculturalreality,reflectsthepeople’sattitudes,beliefs,worldoutlooks,etc.3.Theculturebothemancipates(解放；解脱)andconstrainspeoplesocially,historicallyandmetaphorically.4.Culturealsoaffectsitspeople’simaginationorcommondreamswhicharemediatedthroughthelanguageandreflectedintheirlife.5.Ontheonehand,asanintegralpartofhumanbeing,languagepermeates(渗透)inhisthinkingandwayofviewingtheworld,andlanguagebothexpressesandembodiesculturalreality;ontheother,language,asaproductofculture,helpsperpetuatetheculture,andthechangesinlanguageusesreflecttheculturalchangesinreturn.Sapir-WhorfhypothesisEdwardSapirandBenjaminWhorf,proclaimedthatthestructureofthelanguagepeoplehabituallyuseinfluencesthewaystheythinkandbehave,i.e.differentlanguagesofferpeopledifferentwaysofexpressingtheworldaround,theythinkandspeakdifferently,thisisalsoknownaslinguisticrelativity.SapirandWhorfbelievethatlanguagefilterspeople’sperceptionandthewaytheycategorizeexperiences.ThisinterdependenceoflanguageandthoughtisnowknownasSapir-WhorfHypothesis.TwoInterpretationsaboutSWHStrongversionbelievesthatthelanguagepatternsdeterminepeople’sthinkingandbehavior;Weakversionholdsthattheformerinfluencethelatter.----ThestudyofthelinguisticrelativityorSWHhasshedtwoimportantinsights(领悟):Thereisnowadaysarecognitionthatlanguage,ascode,reflectsculturalpreoccupations(偏见，成见)andconstrainsthewaypeoplethink.MorethaninWhorf’sdays,however,werecognizehowimportantcontextisincomplementingthemeaningsencodedinthelanguage.LinguisticevidenceofculturaldifferencesDenotativemeaning(指示的，外延的，表示的)----ameaningthatcanbefoundinadictionary.Connotativemeaning(内涵的)----ameaningorideasuggestedbyawordorthinginadditiontotheformalmeaningornatureofthewordorthing.Iconic（图象的）meaning----theimageoriconinvoked（援引）inmindbyaword.Forexample,“dog”.SomeculturaldifferencesinlanguageuseGreetingsandtermsofaddressThanksandcomplimentsColorwordsPrivacyandtaboos*EuphemismRoundingoffnumbers（四舍五入）Wordsandcultural-specificconnotationsCultural-relatedidioms,proverbsandmetaphorP134-135Euphemism(委婉)Itistosubstituteagreeableorinoffensiveexpressionsforthosethatmayoffendorsuggestsomethingunpleasantinordertoshowpoliteness.Itconveysthewriter’sattitude.Therearetraditionalandcontextualeuphemisme.g.Iunderstandifyoucan’tstaymarriedtome.---Ifyouwanttodivorceme,I’llunderstand---youhaveeveryreasontodoso.(B1L2GoingHome)Hehad…donehisbusinesslikeadogattheroadside…(B3L10DiogenesandAlexander)todie---topassaway;todepart;togotosleep;togotoheaventoilet---bathroom,restroom,togotothetoilet---topowderone’snose“…InprivateIshouldmerelycallhimaliar.InthePressyoushouldusethewords‘recklessdisregardfortruth’andinParliament----thatyouregrethe‘shouldhavebeensomisinformed’…”*SimilarChinesefigure:婉曲e.g.尤氏道：“我也暗暗地叫人预备了。----就是那件东西，不得好木头，且慢慢地办着罢。”ThesignificanceofculturalteachingandlearningLearningaforeignlanguageisinseparablefromlearningitsculture.Weneedtolearnenoughaboutthelanguage’sculturesothatwecancommunicateinthetargetlanguageproperlytoachievenotonlythelinguisticcompetencebutalsothepragmaticorcommunicativecompetenceaswell.CulturaloverlapCulturaloverlapreferstotheidenticalpartofculturebetweentwosocietiesowingtosomesimilaritiesinthenaturalenvironmentandpsychologyofhumanbeings.Forexample,thesuperiortendstorefertohimselforherselfbymeansofkinshipterms,suchas“Havedaddy/mummy/teachertoldyouthat?”Culturaldiffusion（扩散）Throughcommunication,someelementsofcultureAentercultureBandbecomepartofcultureB,thisphenomenonisknownasculturaldiffusion.Onetypicalexampleofculturaldiffusionistheappearanceofloanwords.Thepracticeofobservingholidaysofforeignoriginsandacceptingconceptsfromothercultures.Theattitudetowardsculturaldiffusion(esp.culturalimperialismowingtolinguisticimperialism)InterculturalcommunicationInterculturalorcross-culturalcommunicationiscommunicationbetweenpeoplefromdifferentcultures(theirculturalperceptionsandsymbolssystemsaredistinctenoughtoalterthecommunicationevent.)Incross-culturalcommunication,weneedtopayspecialattentiontothesignificantdifferencesregardingsocialrelationsandconceptofuniversefromdifferentperspectivessuchaslanguage,food,dress,attitudetowardstime,workhabits,socialbehaviorandreligiousbeliefthatcancausefrustrationsincommunicationsandcontacts.