language and culture.doc

Language and Culturehapter1Deslanguageshapeulturerdesultureshapelanguage?Inyvie,languageisairrr,infrntfhihultureisrefleted.Asastudentajringinhineseasafreignlanguage,IdlikettakethisadvantagetdisusstheulturaldifferenesbeteenhineseandEnglish.Inthefllingpassage,Iagingtelabratentheulturaldifferenesrefletinginlrs.Thereareanylrrdsinurlanguage,suhasred,hite,blak,yell,purpleandsfrth,hihareusedfrequently.Inthefirstplae,Idliketintrduethenusagesfthelrrds.1.adj.+lrrd(1)deep/dark+lrrds:indiatingthestrnglre.g.,deepblue;deepgreen;darkbrn;darkred.(2)light/pale+lrrds:indiatingthelightlre.g.,lightyell;lightblue;palegrey;palehite.(3)bright/rih/vivid+lrrds:indiatingthebrightlre.g.,bright/rih/vividred;bright/rih/vividyell.(4)dull/dirty+lrrds:indiatingthedarklre.g.,dullyell;dullgld;dirtygrey;dirtyhite.2.lrrds+-ishThisgrupindiatesthedifferentshadesfthelr.Anadjetiveflledby-isheansslightlye.g.,hitishsky,yellishbkleaves;reddishfae3.lrrds+lrrdsThispatternindiatestheixturefthelr.Thefrerstandsfrtheainlr,hilethelatterfuntinsasdifiatin.e.g.,redgreen;greenyell;greyblue4.lrrds+and+lrrdsTlrsexistinginsethingithutbeingixedfradesignandlr.e.g.,Thedgisblakandhite.Shehasayellandblakar.hapter2Englishabundsithphrasesntaininglrrds.lrsaynveydifferentessagestpeplefdifferentultures.Duettherespetiveulturalbakgrundandtraditin,sephrasesntaininglrrdshavefarsurpassedtheirriginaleanings,fringdifferentnntatins.hatdesseeredean?Ifheisinablued,hatkindfdishein?Ishehappy,sad,rhat?bviusly,redandbluednteanjustthelr.Eahhasadditinaleanings-ertainulturalassiatins-thatarehiddenbehindtherd.Thefllingpartillbedevtedtthedisussinfulturaldifferenesfertainlrrds.2.1RedInbthhineseandEnglish,redisusuallyassiatedithhappyasins.nalendar,eanfindthathlidayssuhasSpringFestivalareprintedinred,hihisalled“red-letterdays”,hilerdinarydaysareinblak.Besides,“tpaintthetnred”istelebrateildly,tenjyneselftnesheartsntent.Antherexapleist“rlluttheredarpetfrsene”,eaningtgiveahspitableandfralreeptin.Siilarly,hinesepepletraditinallyutredupletsandappliquetelebrateasinslikeeddingandNeYear.Besides,ehaveaveryfaustradeark“dubleredhappiness”(红双喜)hihissyblifgdfrtune.Redisalsassiatedithertainetins.Letusseeafeexaples.Helenhedhisfistandentveryred.Herfaeturnedredhenbbardedithsuhanebarrassingquestin.Ianseethatheisredithanger.henheritiizedyrk,Ireallysared.Theereentinfhiseneysnaeislikeavingaredflagthi.Inthesentenesabve,eanguesstheeaningfse,frthereisanhineseequivalent，hilethethersarentseasytunderstandbyhinese.Frinstane,inEnglish,herfaeturnedredrtbeered-faedshsnesebarrassent,asitdesinhinese脸红.Buthatistheeaningfseeredandavingaredflag?Bthsuggestanger.Thefrereanstbeeveryangryhilethelattereanstausequikangerinsebdybydingsethingffensive.“Gvernentpliyininterestrates,andnfinanegenerally,hasbeenarkedbyvaillatin,ishfulthinking,eletralexpedienyfthestshaefultypetardstheendflastyear,ntrtinsandntraditins,alltadatetherednekenisftheNatinaluntryParty.(HarsardAug.271981)”Intheexapleabve,“rednek”isusedasanadjetive,eaning“reatinary”.“rednekery”derivingfr“rednek”referst“reatinaryattitudes”.Frinstane,“therednekeryftheQueenlandgvernent(GarthNettheiABBksandritingApr.21.1982)”Theliteraleaningf“rednek”isred-nek.Hisitrelatedt“reatinary”?“rednek”riginallyeant(AE)SuthernfarersfU.S.A.,usuallyarryingadergatryeaning.N“reatinary”,theextendedeaningf“rednek”,hassethingtdithitsspeialhistrialandgegraphialbakgrund.Antherexaple.“Irnially,itasRedNseDay,thedayhenillinsfAustraliansdnnedrednsestsupprtresearhintsuddeninfantdeathsyndre.(NeIdea.t.71989)”RedNseDayreferstadaynhihanappealisadefrdnatinsfrresearhintsuddeninfantdeathsyndre,arkedbythedistributinfplastirednsestdnrs.Inhinese,hever,thereisnsuhnntatin.Seesternerstake“red”asanevilenrredfrdanger,steingfrthespiritsfbullfighters.Stheredrag(rredflag)thatbullfightersusetprvatebullsisnsideredannying.ArdingttheRandHuseDitinary,redfurtherdevelpstbethesynnyfrplitialradial.Furtherre,redhasseextendedeanings,suhasruelty,disaster,trivialfralities,et.redalert alaringineergenyaredbattle aruelbattleinhihaltfliveshavebeenlstbeaughtred-handed beaughtnsitehaveredhands itaurderredideas revlutinaryneptsredruin fire(asadisaster)redtape bureauratiritingsinthered indebtdntarearedent dntareatall2.2hiteTsthineseandesterners,hitehasseeaningsinn.hitesuggestspurity,inneneandhnesty.e.g.,aryisahitegirl.(pureandinnent)Tisaveryhiteby.Henevertellslies.(hnest)Butinthissense,hatdestheterahitelieean?analiebepureandinnent?Atually,ahitelieisaharlessne,intendedntthurtsene.Frexaple,yurtherbughtadressfryuthatsheasverysatisfiedith,andantedtknifyulikedit.aybeinyurind,itasutfthefashinrthelrasnttyurtaste.Butyusaid,“h,Ireallylikeit”inrdernttletherdn.Itasalie,butagd-intentinedlie.Thenntatinfhiteinhinesealsinludessethingunhappy.Atfunerals,hinesepayrespettthedeadandexpresstheirsrrbyearinghiteandritingelegiaupletsinhitepaper.Intheest,hever,hiteisthetraditinallrfrthebridesateddings,andtearhiteatfuneralsuldbeffensive.Sareshuldbetakenintranslatingthephrase红白喜事.Tavidisunderstanding,eanputitsiplyaseddingsandfunerals.Talkingabutredandhite,thereisaninterestinginideneinhineseandEnglish.Inhinese,thsehareppularandfindfavriththeirbssesarealled红人(redguyliterally).ButIrishpepleallthethehite-headedby.Inthissense,redequalshiteinthetultures.ehaveafausdraaalled白毛女.IfetranslateitliterallyasAhite-hairedGirl,thseesternersillbenfusedanditillbeveryhardtseetheprfundeaningbehindit Inldhina,flksingeneralereadeghsts,hilethingshavehangedaltinnehina.Inadditin,hereisalletinfexpressinsntainingtherdhite.thehitearea ananti-revlutinaryareaahiteday alukydayhitelightdistrit ever-brightareaahiteelephant sethingburdenseandvalueless;hugeburdenshthehitefeather shfearahiteslave senehisfredtbeaslavedaysarkedithahitestne happydaysahitear aarithutbldshed;anenipetitinbleedhite extrteveryentfrsene2.3BlakInbthhineseandEnglish,therearevariustersindiatingthatblakftenarriesanegativeeaning:blakail(勒索),blaklist（黑名单),blak-hearted(黑心的)，blakarket(黑市),et.Butinthefllingsentene,anyuguesstheeaning?Sinehetkverthebusiness,thepanyhasbeenintheblak.Intheexapleabve,blakhasagdeaning runningthebusinessprfitably.Theterintheblakreindsefthephraseintheredhihisjustppsitetthefrerne.Bthtersefrthelrftheinkusedinkeepingaunts.Interestingly,ehaveanapprpriateequivalentinhinese-赤字,prbablybughtfrEnglish.Besides,blakipliesgl,disgrae,isfrtune,extreeanger,et,asanbeseeninthefllingexaples.theblakart enhantentblakandblue fullfbruisesblakday unlukydayblakdg unhappyablaklk anangrylk;glareatsebdyinablakd inlspiritsblaksheep evileberftheherdablakstranger astrangerutandutturnblakhite nfuserightandrng2.4BlueItseesthatblueisafavrablerdthinese thebluesky,asftenasnt,anaruseustyearnfrabetterfuture;theblueseafullfunertaintyinduesbundlessiaginatin.Naturally,etakeitfrgrantedthatthefaussngLveisBlueequalsarantilvestry.Inesternulture,hever,bluedesntassiateithhappinessandiaginatin,butglanddepressin.Hehasbeeninablued(rhavingtheblues)sineheknethathisfailureintheentraneexainatin.Inthisexaple,thsetterseanasadrglyd.Siilarly,abluendayarriesthesaefeeling.Usuallyafterthehappyeekends,earelikelytfeelrelutanttattendshlrgbaktrk,thusingtheexpressin-abluendaythatanbeaeptedandunderstdbybthultures.Blueisalsftenassiatedithhighsialstatusrbeingaristrati.Heisarealbluebldeansheisfranaristratifaily.Inadditin,inU.S.,abkiththenaesffausfigures,espeiallytpgvernentffiials,isalledbluebk.Hereisretpleenttherdlistfblue.blueabutthegills indepressinbluedevils depressinandglbluefil ertifilInhinese,eallit黄色电影(ayellfilliterally).neinabluen urringnlyneinathusandyearsblueinthefae lkpastyblueurder hrriblesreaingandshutssingtheblues inlspirits;verydepressedutftheblue athunderfrthelearsky;thesuddeningfsethingunexpeted2.5GreenEnglishhasthetergreen-eyedrgreenithenvy,btheaningjealusandenvius.Hever,inhinese,theexpressinusedtdesribethesaefeelingis眼红r红眼病(literallyred-eyed) attallydifferentlrfrthesaefeeling!InEnglish,greenalsindiateslakinginexperiene,asseeninthephrasegreenhandandgreenhrn.Thefrersuggestssenehisinexperienedandiature.Thelattersuggestsaniigranthisntfailiarithlalustsruntravelled.Bytheay,thehineseexpressin戴绿帽子（literallytearagreenhat）eanstbeaukld.Ifetranslateitrdbyrd,isunderstandingrnfusinillarise.henpairedithdifferentrds,itseaningisdifferent.Thefllingexaplesellillustrateitsvariususages.greenapple unripeapplegreenbak USdllarsgreenfrtheshl freshfrtheshlgreenhuse aaringhusegivethegreenlighttsebdy allsenetdsethingagreenldage bearnesageellgreenper ightypergreenrevlutin agriulture-relatedrefrgreenr thedraingrfratrsandatressesgtthegreend tbetheherinthed2.6YellYellappearsinsuhhineseexpressinsas黄色书刊，黄色电影，黄色音乐.Shuldtheybetranslatedasyellbks,yellvies,yellusi?fursent.eanreplae黄色ithfilthy,bsene,rvulgar.InEnglish,ehavethephraseyelljurnalishihlaystuhephasisnsandalsrexaggeratestherdinarynestasensatinaldegree,setiesevenithdistrtin.Siilarly,ehaveYellPages(黄页)bthinhineseandEnglish. Thisisabkiththetelephnenubersfdifferentshps,businesses,rganizatins,et.,arrangedintherderfdifferentategries.YellPagesisaveryusefulhandbkhsepagesareyell,butthententisntyellinthehinesesense.Generallyspeaking,yellistseextentdergatrythatarriesthenntatinsfardie,jealusy,suspiinandnteptibility.Hereistheprf.yellalert alertinadvaneyellby gldinayelldg anteptiblepersnayelldgntrat antratsignedintheprenditinthattheeplyeeillntjininthelabruninthesearandyellleaf anldageyelllks suspiiuslksyellstreak tendingtbeardandhiken-hearted2.7PurpleInEnglish,purplesharesthesaenntatinasthatinhineselanguage.Intheeyefesterners,purpleisthesyblfeperrandper.Inpartiular,thepurplereferstthethrneftheeperrrtheppe.“tbebrninthepurple”eans“tbebrninaryalfaily”;“tberaisedtthepurple”eans“tbeprtedtthepsitinasappe”;“purplepassages”eans“tflridrds”,et.Inhinese,ehave红得发紫,eaningppularttheextree.Here,purpleindiatesthedegreefppularity(红).Hereisre:arryintthepurple arryintafailyfhighsialpsitinpurplepathes ppuspassagesturnpurpleithrage flyintafuryPurpleHeart (US)aninsigniaaardedtthseundedinthebattle2.8GreyGreyisftenusedtsuggestdarkness,sulleneather,bluedrglyutlk.Frinstanes,Helksgreyandtired.Theprspetfthearketisgrey.Heisagrey-hairedann.Greyalssuggestsisdandtat,asinthefllingexpressins:greyisd,greyatter,andgraybeard.therlrshavesenntatinsasell,butillntbedisussedhere.hapter3Ardingttheabveparisnandanalysis,eanseethattherearedistintdifferenesbeteenthelrrdsinhineseandEnglish.Seties,hineseayntusethelrrdshentheyareusedinEnglishexpressinsandvieversa.Letusseeafeexaplesntainingthehineseharater红.红人 afavriteithsebdyinper红榜 hnrrll红利 bnus;extradividend红运 gdluk