Verbal-Communication

Session3InterculturalVerbalCommunicationWhatsetshumankindapartfromotheranimalsis________________________________________________________________Languageisimportanttohumanactivitybecauseitishowwereachouttomakecontactwithothers.人类区别于动物的最大特征是创造和使用语言的能力。theabilitytobuildandmanipulatelanguageandothersymboliccodesWhatislanguage?Languageisasetofsymbolsandtherulesforcombiningthosesymbolsthatareusedandunderstoodbyalargecommunitytopeople.Alanguageisasymboliccodeofcommunicationconsistingofasetofsounds(phonetics)withunderstoodmeaningsandasetofrules(grammar)forconstructingmessages.语言是人类特有的用来表情达意的工具，有语音、词汇和语法构成。CulturalLiteracy:Turkey(Casestudy)AnAmericanmagazineeditorwashostingagroupofChinesewhenoneofthemsaid,“Pleaseexplainwhatisaturkey.”TheeditorlaunchedintoalengthyexplanationoftheungainlyAmericanbirdthathasbecomethecenterpieceatAmericanThanksgivingtables.Then,ofcourse,hehadtoexplainabouttheAmericanholiday,Thanksgiving.TheChinesewaitedpatientlyandthenreplied,“Well,Istilldon’tunderstandwhatismeantwhenyouAmericanssay‘Comeon,youturkey.Let’sgetmoving.’”bird/apersonconsideredineptorundesirableTurkey1（a）[C]largebirdrearedtobeeaten,esp.atChristmas吐绶鸡;火鸡.（b）[U]itsfleshasfood（食用的）火鸡肉:★asliceofroastturkey一片烤火鸡肉.2[C](USsl俚)failure;flop失败;失败的人或事物:★Hislastmoviewasarealturkey.他最后的那部影片一塌糊涂.Turkeytalk`turkey(infml.口esp.US)talkfranklyandbluntly说话坦率.cold`turkey(sl.俚esp.US)（a）wayoftreatingadrugaddictbysuddenlystoppingallhisdosesofthedruginsteadofgraduallyreducingthem使有毒瘾者突然停用毒品而不是逐渐减少剂量的处理方法.（b）frankstatementofthetruth,oftenaboutsthunpleasant直言不讳;照实说:★talkcoldturkeyto/withsb对[与]某人直言不讳.ItemswithdifferentculturalmeaningsBomb:Theprojectwasabomb.[UScontext:amassivefailure]Theprojectwentabomb.[Britishcontext:Ahugesuccess]ItemswithdifferentculturalmeaningsTable:【1】(Brit)submit(amotionorreportinParliament,etc)fordiscussion（在国会等）提出（动议或报告）供讨论:★TheOppositionhavetabledseveralamendmentstothebill.反对党已对议案提出几项修正.【2】(esp.US)leave(aproposal,etc)tobediscussedatsomefuturedate将（建议等）搁置,留待日后讨论.★Let’stablethebillforsometime.这个议案我们留到以后讨论。JokeappreciationABritisholdladywenttoanAmericanhotelforherholiday.Shecalledthereceptionisttoarrangeamorningcall.“Couldyoupleasewakemeupat6:00tomorrowmorning?”“Sure,Iwillknockyouupthen.”Thewomanranintorageandshouted,“Ibegyourpardon?”Whydidthewomantakesuchareaction?knockuparouse,awaken(US);makeawomanpregnant(BR)WhichisBritish?WhichisAmerican?Nodogsallowed.Videocontrolled.PleasekeepHandsOffDoor.Weregretthatintheinterestofhygienedogsarenotallowedonthesepremises.BritishEnglishismixedwitheuphemismthatenablesthespeakertoavoidexpressingstrongfeelings.AmericanAmericanBritishBritishWhichisBritish?WhichisAmerican?Notice:Intheinterestofourregularcustomersthesepremisesarenowequippedwithcentralsecurityclosedcircuittelevision.Obstructingthedoorcausesdelayandcanbedangerous.Thereisjustonethinginallthatyouhavebeensayingthatworriesmealittle.BritishBritishAmericanWhyso?YouAmericansdonotevenknowwhoyourgrandfatheris!YouFrenchmendonotevenknowwhoyourfatheris!ShorthistoryRomanticcountryLanguageandMemoryLookatthefollowingpictures.Trytofindoutwhattheyare.CurtainHatTwolanguageisinfluencedbypeople’sperceptionoftheworldHumboldt(1767-1835)AGermanlinguist“Thedifferenceinlanguageisnotadifferenceinsoundsandsigns,butadifferenceinworldviews.”ThemostwellknowntheoryrelatedtothisisSapir-Whorfhypothesis.Sapir-WhorfHypothesis萨丕尔－沃尔夫假说Humanbeingsdonotliveintheobjectiveworldalone,noraloneintheworldofsocialactivityasordinarilyunderstood,butareverymuchatthemercyoftheparticularlanguagewhichhasbecomethemediumofexpressionfortheirsociety.…Therealworldistoalargeextentunconsciouslybuiltuponthelanguagehabitsofthegroup.Notwolanguagesareeversufficientlysimilartobeconsideredasrepresentingthesamesocialreality.(Sapir,1931)萨丕尔－沃尔夫…thatthelinguisticsystem(inotherwords,thegrammar)ofeachlanguageisnotmerelyareproducinginstrumentforvoicingideasbutratherisitselftheshaperofideas,theprogramandguidefortheindividual’smentalactivity,forhisanalysisofimpression,forhissynthesisofhismentalstockintrade…(Whorf,1952)萨丕尔－沃尔夫假说语言反过来对文化和思维也产生影响。最早提出语言对思维方式有影响的是萨丕尔和沃尔夫。他们认为语言的作用不仅是传递信息。而且在实际生活中塑造了我们对客观现实的感知，即语言结构能举鼎使用该预言者的思维方式，各种不同语言的结构导致使用这些语言的人以不同的方法去观察世界。“语言相对论”或“语言决定论”至今没有足够的依据可以证实萨丕尔－沃尔夫假说BasisofSapir-WhorfhypothesisSapirandWhorfbasedtheirhypothesisontheresearchontheIndianlanguage–Navajo,whichemphasizesthenatureanddirectionofmovement.1）English:Onedresses.Navajo:Onemovesintoclothing.2)English:Oneisyoung.Navajo:Onemovesaboutnewly.LanguageisaguidetosocialrealityNotonlyameansofreportingexperience,butalsoawayofdefiningexperience.Ournativelanguageshapesallourperceptionsoftheworld.Brother-in-law:mysister’shusband,myhusband’sbrother,andmyhusband’ssisters’husbands.(Iamledbymylanguagetoperceivealloftheserelativesinasimilarway.)姐夫妹夫大伯小叔子姑爷（Iamledbymylanguagenottoperceivealloftheserelativesinasimilarway.)MoreexamplesGrandson孙、外孙HowdidLinDaiyu（林黛玉）andJiaBaoyu（贾宝玉）relatetoGrandmaJia？Didtheoldladyequallylovebothofthem?Didshetreatthemasiftheywereequallyimportanttoher?loneliness:solitud