A Comparative Study of Polite Language Between English and Chinese.doc

毕业论文(设计)B.A. Thesis A Comparative Study of Polite Language Between English and Chinese B.A. Candidate: Xie Shuilan Advisor: Yang Yingchun Foreign Language DepartmentJiaying UniversityMay 21, 200823AcknowledgementsI would like to extend my sincere gratitude to the teachers and friends who have offered me all kinds of help in accomplishing this thesis. Especially, Ms. Yang Yingchun, my supervisor, who has given me constructive suggestions, word-for-word scrutiny, and other expert guidance. Without her painstaking instruction, the completion of the present thesis would not have been possible.I am equally indebted to all other professors who have enlightened me with their insightful lectures and instructive advice. My thanks also go to the scholars who have done a lot of research work on polite language, and to the authors whose works I have quoted directly and indirectly. I am also grateful to my classmates and roommates for their psychological support and encouragement.AbstractThis paper is a comparative study on the different use of polite language between English and Chinese. As an universal phenomenon, politeness exists in all kinds of cultures，which plays a vital role not only in maintaining friendly relationship between human beings but also in creating the harmonious atmosphere conversation. As English-speaking countries and China have different cultures, they use different ways to express their own polite words and deeds, and the different nationalities understanding of polite language always affects the effective trans-culture between them. What is more, it would cause unsuccessful cross-cultural communication. A comparative study of polite language between English and Chinese, will urge English learners to reduce the faults in using trans-cultural language, and will simultaneously achieve effective human communication through using appropriate polite expressions.This paper includes five parts: (1) to review the definitions of politeness that have been proposed by scholars at home and abroad; (2) to show some features of politeness; (3) to analyze the differences in addressing, greeting, offering and inviting, and apologizing and thanking by comparison; (4) to analyze the specific cultural assumptions, and put forward suggestions on how to improve the cross-cultural communication; (5) to make a conclusion.As polite language is a specific tool for communication, we, as English learners should try our best to understand the cultural differences on polite language between English and Chinese, and make ourselves mutually respect in cross-cultural communication. Key Words: politeness polite language comparative study cultural differences摘 要礼貌是人们在频繁的交往中彼此表示尊重与友好的行为规范。礼貌现象存在于各种不同的文化之中，对于保持人们之间的友好关系，建立和谐的谈话气氛起着重要的作用。英汉国家由于受到不同文化的影响，会用不同的方式来表达自己的礼貌言行，而不同的民族对礼貌的理解各不同，这就往往影响英汉双方进行有效的跨文化交际，甚至会导致跨文化交际的失败。通过对比研究英汉礼貌用语的差异，会促使英语学习者在跨文化交际中减少语用失误，同时达到使用恰当的礼貌用语进行有效交际的目的。本文由五部分内容组成。一是引语；二是分析礼貌的概念和特征;三是采用了比较分析的方法，研究英汉礼貌用语在称谓语，招呼语，邀请和给予语，致谢与答谢语四个方面的差异；四是研究导致礼貌用语差异的主要文化观念，并就如何采取有效措施进行良好的跨文化交际提出了若干建议；五是结束语。礼貌用语作为一种特殊的交际方式，作为英语学习者应该尽可能去了解英汉礼貌用语的各方面交际差异，从而使自己在各种跨文化交际中，做到彼此的礼貌和尊重。关键词：礼貌 礼貌用语 比较研究 文化差异 ContentsAcknowledgements. iAbstract (English).iiAbstract(Chinese).iv Contents.v1. Introduction.12. A general survey of politeness.12. 1 Definitions of politeness.1 2.2 Features of politeness.23. The comparative study of polite language between English and Chinese.3 3.1 Addressing forms.33.1.1 Different addressing forms in relatives.33.1.2 Different addressing forms in social occasion.4 3.1.3 Different use of given name.53.2 Greetings.63. 3 Polite language for inviting and offering.113.4 Polite language for apologizing and thanking.16 3.4.1 The different frequency of occurrence and distribution of apologies and thanks.163.4.2 The different use of expressing appreciation and show concern for others.174. The investigation of dominant cultural influence on politeness and strategies forimproving cross-cultural communication .194.1 The dominant cultural patterns which influence polite language.194.2 Strategies for improving cross-cultural communication205. Conclusion22References. .23A Comparative Study of Polite Language Between English and Chinese1. IntroductionPoliteness as a social phenomenon can be observed in all languages and cultures.It is an integral part of our daily life and a crucial component of human communication. The role played by politeness in social interaction can not be underestimated. As members of social communities, we address and greet each other, pay invitations and offers, express thanks and apologies, and so on. As English-speaking countries and China have different cultures, in some extent, the cultural differences would influence the usage of polite language in cross-cultural communication. It is very important for us to analyze the differences in using polite language, and make some strategies to achieve the goal of making a good communication with foreigners.2. A general survey of politenessBefore taking a look at the different polite language, we need to know some fundamental elements about politeness. The primary purpose of this part is to give a rough idea of what politeness is and the universal features of politeness. 2. 1 Definitions of politeness What is politeness? This notion is a very important subject of research in pragmatics and sociolinguistics. Watts (1992) offers us the definition of politeness as “a form of social behavior; a skill to be used to achieve special aims; Principal aim is the enhancement of egos self-esteem and his/her public status in the eyes of others with supplementary aim of enhancing others self-esteem”. Lakoff (1979) holds the view that politeness is a device used in order to reduce the friction in personal interactions. Leech interprets politeness as forms of behavior aimed at the establishment and maintenance of comity, i.e. the ability of participants in a socio-communicative interaction to engage in an atmosphere of relative harmony (1983:104).In China, the concept of politeness can be traced back to the notion of Li (礼) in Zhou Dynasty. During the West Han Dynasty, the classical Chinese notion of Li was described as “to humble yourself but show respect to other”. And in modern Chinese, limao(礼貌), is believed to be derived from this notion. Professor Gu Yueguo (1990) from Beijing International Studies University proposes that there are basically four notions underlying the Chinese conception of Limao: respectfulness，modesty, attitudinal warmth and refinement. These are the key components of Chinese conception of politeness. 2.2 Features of politenessThe Chinese scholar He Zhaoxiong has figured out the characteristics of politeness. “Politeness is phenomenal, instrumental, and normative by nature” (1995). According to Gino Eelen, the features of politeness involve(1) evaluativity, where he argues that politeness and impoliteness are connected to social values and always evaluative in nature; (2) argumentativity, meaning it is always associated with situations where there is something to lose or gain; (3) politeness, where he thinks that each individual considers himself and his cultural group as polite and others as impolite; (4) normativity, referring to the fact that politeness is the result of social norms; (5) modality and reflexivity, which refers to the optionality of polite interactional strategies for the actor (Hamza, 2001: 6). It is true that politeness is observable and evaluative as a universal social phenomenon. Individuals from a specific culture have a scale in their mind to judge the behavior of themselves and others according to their own understanding of politeness. Therefore, it is very necessary for us to know the different polite language between English and Chinese. 3. The comparative study of polite language between English and Chinese In the preceding part, we have discussed politeness theoretically, and in this part we will illustrate how polite language is differently used in daily communication in Western and Chinese cultures, including how to address and greet each other, how to give offers and invitations, and how to express thanks and apologies. Let us start from the most commonly used polite language- addressing forms.3.1 Addressing formsAddress plays an important role in establishing friendship between speakers. The main function of addressing forms is to draw addressees attention, and they also help to establish or maintain social bond, strengthen solidarity or show deference. The concrete addressing form is determined by culture, society, education, belief, age, sex, and so on. The major distinctions of address lie in the following aspects:3.1.1 Different addressing forms in relatives Chinese culture obeys old orders，and every relative has strict addressing forms. The son or daughter of “姑 姑 或 舅 舅” are called “表 兄”、“表 弟”、 “表 姐”、“表妹”. The children of “叔 叔 或 伯 伯” are called “堂 兄”、“堂 弟”、“堂姐” “堂妹”. And we have other relatives such as: “伯 父”、 “叔 父”、“舅 舅”、 “姑父”、“姨 父”、 “舅 母”、 “姑 姑”、 “姨 母” and so onThese different addressing forms will make the native English speakers confused. However in English, the addressing forms of relatives are more general and ambiguous. People use “Uncle” and “Aunt” to address all the relatives who are brothers or sisters of their parents. “Cousin” stands for all brothers and sisters of the person himself or herself. And in the daily life, English people usually omit “Uncle” and “Aunt” to call their names. But this isnt seen in China. 3.1.2 Different addressing forms in social occasion In China, almost all official and administrative as well as military titles can be used as addressing forms with family name. On a formal or informal occasion, Chinese like adding a title to peoples names, such as Wang Chuchang王处长、Li Juchang刘局长、Zheng Zhuren 郑主任、Zhang Jingli张经理、Sun Shifu 孙师傅 and so on. These social titles are used to show ones respect and deference by indicating his ranks or positions. Addressing in title aims to emphasize the addressees importance in social hierarchy. This echoes the essence of Chinese politeness: elevate others and denigrate self. But in English-speaking countries, people use “Mr.” “Mrs.” and “Miss.” on any occasion. There are some official titles that can be used as addressing forms, but they are quite small in number and less frequently used in face-to-face interactions. Sometimes the native English speakers even call names to show their kindness. Furthermore on campus of a university, English students directly call the professors name, and this will not be considered to offend the teacher. As for the social and occupational titles combined with family name, which are common in China, are unacceptable in English. Native English speakers do not say Teacher Kane, Engineer Smith or General Manager Jones. In English speaking communities, there is no need to add titles to show the achievements, importance or seniority of the addressees. Phrases like “Good morning, teacher” are never used in English.3.1.3 Different use of given nameGiven-naming has a very high frequency of occurrence in English-speaking countries. Most people use it between close friends, relatives, neighbors, classmates and colleagues, or even to strangers and people of different age and status. It is true that the Western culture allows status or age inferiors to address their superiors in given name, for example, students and employees may address professors and bosses in given name. In contrast, the Chinese culture strictly forbids this. In China, a failure to address elders in a respectful way may be regarded as a sign of rudeness, or a deviation from the established social order. For example, though my supervisor, whose given name is Yingchun and family name is Yang, treats me very well and we are good friends, it is totally inappropriate for me to address her by her given name. Instead, I always call her Yang Laoshi杨老师 (literally teacher Yang).In China, the use of given names is strictly limited to status equals of the same sex. And addressing by given names in China indicates a much closer relationship between speakers and hearers than it does in English. Chinese people do not forget to respect others and denigrate themselves even in addressing. We would not call westerners by their given names but automatically add some titles in their family names, because we consider it more polite than given-naming. As a matter of fact, westerners may feel offended at not being called by their given names and conclude that Chinese are unwilling to make friends with them.3.2 GreetingsWhen people get to know each other for the first time, when acquaintances meet in the street, when strangers have an intention of starting a conversation, all of them have to find some appropriate and polite words to greet each other. Greeting is a sign of social norm. In China, it is intolerable to go straight ahead without saying anything to an acquaintance. That kind of behavior may threaten hearers positive face, and more seriously it may be regarded as a provocation. If speaker wants to build up the relationship with hearer, he/she must recognize the importance of greeting as an influential factor in interpersonal relationship. There are some functionally equal greeting forms between English and Chinese, such as “hi”, “hello”, “How are you?”, “Good morning” versus Ai哎, Nihao你好and Zaoshang Hao早上好or only one word Zao早. All these forms are easy for second language learners to master. But the common occurrence for two Chinese who start asking about some personal questions as each others age, marital status, offspring, occupation, and even income when they meet for the first time is not easy for foreigners to understand. To generalize, Chinese greeting language has the following characteristics, which are very different from greetings in English:(1) Greetings which compose of questions seem to ask for information but actually are to show attitudinal warmth of speaker. Questions such as: “Ai, Na Li Qu? 哎，哪里去? (T: Hi, where are you going?)”, “Wei, Chi Fan Le Ma? 喂，吃饭了吗?(T: Hi, have you had your meal?)” as well as “Gan Ma Qu干嘛去? (T: What are you going to do?)” seem that speaker is asking for information from hearer, but actually these questions are merely greetings. Whether hearer has taken something to eat or not does not make any difference to speaker; and what hearer says is not important, but the fact that hearer replies becomes crucial. The response from hearer constitutes a complete and successful greeting between speaker and hearer. Suppose that A uses “Hi” to greet B but B does not offer any reply, that will leave A feeling unrewarded. It is true that greetings like inquiry can also be heard in English, such as “How are you doing, Candy?”, but the questions contents and motives are different. Lets look at some greeting examples in China:A: Ai, Na Li Qu? 哎, 哪里去? (T: Hi, where are you going?)B: You Shi Chu Qu Yi Xia. 有事出去一下. (T: Im out to run some errands.)A: Gan Ma Qu Ya? 干嘛去呀? (T: What are you going to do?)B: Qu Ban Dian Shi. 去办点事. (T: Ive got some business to take care of.)B: Qu Mai Dian Dongxi. 去买点东西. (T: Go out to buy something.)B: Sui Bian Zou Zou. 随便走走. (T: Take a walk.)For Chinese, the questions just like routine polite questions in most native English such as “How is your family?” speakers may respond with “Fine, thank you”. Let take some greeting examples in English-speaking countries:A: Nice to meet you!B: Nice to meet you too!A: How are you?B: Fine, thank you, and you?A: It is a good day, isnt it?B: Yes, it is.In multi-cultural interaction, the outsiders of the Chinese culture may feel strange about the contents of Chinese greetings. Here I would like to share you with a vivid description made by an American girl when she was competing in a Chinese Speaking Contest “I love Beijing”. Her Chinese name is Rui Xiaolan. Foreigners from twelve countries participated in this contest which was transmitted on June 20th of 2002 by Beijing Television. “When I first came to Beijing and learnt to speak Chinese, one of my Chinese friends asked me if I had had my lunch when we met on campus. I was puzzled and curious about why he asked me this question. In the beginning, I regarded it as an invitation. In the following days, I was asked the same question again and again, so I began to worry about my health. I must be too thin or undernourished in their eyes, so people are concerned that I was not eating enough.”This is a typical example of misunderstandings resulting from the differences in greeting. It may be hard for westerners to understand Chinese way of showing warmth and concern for others. Another characteristic of Chinese greeting language is:(2) Greetings which compose of questions concerning what hearer is doing seem to be unnecessary.Another frequently use of greetings in China is asking questions which seem to be silly to weste