中外寒暄语的差异(英文).doc

1. IntroductionChinese and English culture is totally different. So When and where they meet with each other, the ways to begin to communicate are not the same. They will say “hello” or “how are you”. We call these as phatic communions. Phatic communion is the most common communication in our daily life. It is really useful. Because it will make the communication successful. It is frequently used as a tool of communication to create good atmosphere and strengthen the relationships, so as to satisfy the communicative needs. There are many studies on the origin of phatic communion or the function of phatic communion, but there are few studies on the differences between Chinese and English phatic communion. The culture has a very important impact on the using of phatic communion. Refer to my study; I make a comparison between Chinese phatic communion and English phatic communion. I also analysis the ways of using Chinese and English phatic communion in different situations. Through the comparative study, we can make people pay more attention to using phatic communion successfully.2. Literature Review of Phatic CommunionAs we know, phatic communion is widely used in our everyday life. But there are a lot of people who dont know the differences between Chinese pahtic communion and English phatic communion exactly. They dont notice these differences, so they will make faults when communicating with people whose culture background are different from theirs. Refer to my study; I list some occasions of phatic communion in Chinese ways and English ways. The following parts discuss the previous studies on phatic communion. The studies can be divided into two aspects: studies from abroad and studies at home.2.1 Studies on phatic communion abroadThere are many foreign scholars make studies on phatic communion, which is so called the most common language. Here, I set out some famous scholars and their studies.2.1.1 Bronislaw MalinowskiPhatic communion was first proposed by Bronislaw Malinowski in the paper “The Problem of Meaning in Primitive Languages” in the 1920s. During his research on the ethnographic theory of language, he paid attention to the Trobriand Islanders magical formulae. The ways they communicated with each other were not used to tell people the new or unknown things. People only wanted to keep in touch with each other. Then he found that communication between people was not always for the purpose of providing and having the access to certain information, some of the communications were to establish and maintain social contact. So he defined such communication as phatic communionAnd he also introduces the concept of phatic communion into linguistics. Malinowski pointed out:the communion of words is the first act to establish links of fellowship, which is consummated only by the breaking of bread and the communion of foodAfter the first formula, there comes a flow of language, purposeless expressions of preference or aversion, accounts of irrelevant happenings, comments on what is perfectly obviousThere can be no doubt that we have a new type of linguistic use phatic communionThey fulfill a social function and that is their principal aim, they are neither the result of intellectual reflection, nor do they necessarily arouse reflection in the listener(1923:10)He concludes that phatic communion is free, aimless and social intercourse. It mentions “inquiries about health, comments on weather” (Malinowski 1923:13). People should pay special attention to phatic communion. Talking about health, weather or other obvious things is very useful to begin to communicate. It will create comfortable atmosphere. Through Malinowskis words, we can learn that phatic communion is a polite way to fulfill a social function by using aimless expressions. Such as preference or hate, happiness or sorrow or comments on something obviously.He declares that language does not function here as a means of transmission of thought (Malinowski, 1923:10). The aim is to strengthen the relationships among people. Phatic communion serves to establish bonds of personal union between people brought together by the mere need of companionship and does not serve any purpose of communicating ideas. (Malinowski 1936: 314-316)In Malinowskis opinion, phatic communion is a tool for people to fulfill their needs and strengthen their relationships. It is really common in our daily life. Malinowski makes a clear characterization of phatic communion which has not been classified accurately so far. His study is also very great because it is extremely significant in the analysis of human interactions. 2.1.2 Roman Jacobson Though phatic communion seems aimless, it is also helpful to curtail the distance among people. According to Jacobsons Communication Model in his theory of communicative functions which was first published in “Closing Statements: Linguistics and Poetics”(in Thomas A. Sebeok, Style In Language, Cambridge Massachusetts, MIT Press, 1960:350377), the verbal communication can be divided into six elements: (1) a context (the co-text, that is, the other verbal signs in the same message, and the world in which the message takes place), (2) an addresser (a sender, or enunciator ), (3) an addressee (a receiver, or enunciate), (4) a contact between an addresser and addressee, (5) a common code and (6) a message(1960: 113). These factors make up the communication.In his theory, he also summarized as follow:(1) the referential function is oriented toward the context (the dominant function in a message like Water boils at 100 degrees); (2) the emotive function is oriented toward the addresser (as in the interjections Bah! and Oh!); (3) the co native function is oriented toward the addressee (imperatives and apostrophes); (4) the phatic function serves to establish, prolong or discontinue communication or confirm whether the contact is still there (as in Hello?); (5) the multilingual function is used to establish mutual agreement on the code (for example, a definition); (6) the poetic function (e.g., Smurf), puts the focus on the message for its own sake (1960:356).We can know that the phatic communion is used to link with the speakers and listeners. If we are familiar with each other, we can enhance our relationship by using the phatic communion. If we are not familiar with other, we can have in-depth knowledge by using it. The phatic communion is used to create dialogical contact through communicating about the various things. When people begin with a topic, they should make sure that in topic will be useful to create a good atmosphere. The phatic communion is also very important to break up the silence between the speakers and the listeners. 2.1.3 Other theoriesIn the recently years, the number of studies of phatic communion is still very few. Many scholars tend to make new conclusions based on Malinowskis viewpoint. Lyons says that phatic communion serves to establish and main a feeling of social solidarity and well-being (1968:417). Abercrombie says that the actual sense of the words used this term as phatic communion matters little (1956:3).2.2 Studies on phatic communion in ChinaThe studies abroad are scattered, so are in China. The number of studies is poor. Chinese scholars are very late to start to analysis the field of phatic communion. Until now, the significant theories of phatic communion nearly belong to foreign scholars. Only a few Chinese scholars have important achievement. When I search the Internet to find some studies on phatic communion, it is very hard. Based on a survey of CNKI, I find that the most comprehensive and specific study comes since 1979. There are only half of papers or Master thesis related to phatic communion. About 30% of the papers topics are Japanese phatic communion. Less of them are focus on the comparative study of Chinese phatic and English phatic communion.2.2.1 Zhu YongshengThe first study on Chinese phatic communion and English phatic communion is written by Zhu Yongsheng in 1989. The paper “Four Discussions on Phatic Communion” is helpful. Other Chinese scholars begin to pay attention to the Chinese and English phatic communion. In his paper, he describes the development of linguistics. Talks about the applied rage of phatic communion and analyzes the relationship between Chinese phatic communion and English phatic communion based on cultural differences. Zhu Yongsheng is the first man who introduces the research outputs of phatic communion into China. It calls scholars attention to the necessity of linguistics study on phatic communion.2.2.2 Bi JiwanIn 1997, Bi Jiwan made a conclusion about the phatic communion all over the world. He says that phatic communion is a way to create a comfortable condition. Then people can talk about the formal topics. It is also a way to express the respect.In his paper, he lists four basic forms of phatic communion. That is greeting, inquiring, commenting and retrospecting. Chinese phatic communion has another form: instructing. Though the forms of Chinese phatic communion and English phatic communion are similar, we should be careful still. Foreign people are very bored with inquiring and instructing in Chinese way. Because they think that it is not polite. And they will think that Chinese people is to violate their privacies.2.2.3 Liu ChangqingIn 2000, Liu Changqing made a primal probe into the communicative features of phatic communion. And three years later, he enriched his previous study with Li Ruchou together. Then another paper “On the Discourse Features and Conversational Structure Characteristics of Phatic communion” was published. They propose that phatic communion has the straits of habitual uses, ethnical characteristics and balance. The phatic communion also takes place in the opening and/or the closing part of an interaction with a linear conversational structure rather than insertion sequences. In his paper, he lists many examples about the different ways of phatic communion. He says that when we begin to communicate with others, we will first say “Hello”, “Good morning”, “How do you do” and so on. The greeting in the communication is two-side behavior. The listener should make a response to the speaker. Only in this way, the communication between them can be balanced.2.2.4 Other theoriesIn 2001, Liu Shulin conducted a study on the categories and functions of phatic communion. In his paper, He also asserted that phatic communion can be divided into five factors-greeting, gratitude, small talk, introductions and making acquaintances, and leaving talking: The most important function of phatic communion is to maintain the social relationships.In 2006, Zhao Haiwei studied phatic communion from a social functional perspective and made a conclusion about the function of phatic communion. There are three important social functions: Creating harmonious atmosphere, drawing peoples attention and enhance the social.In 2008, Xie Jingjing discussed the ways of using phatic communion in accordance with its application rage and made a conclusion that the usage of phatic communion had to obey some specific situations. In this paper, it takes business negotiations as examples. When we do the business, the formal phatic communion should be used, and in daily communication, the casual ones are preferred more.According to the Zegarac and Clark Relvance theoretical study on phatic communion. Zhong Jie and Yang Li applied the relevance theory to the study of Chinese and English phatic communion. “Phatic communion is an ostensive-inferential process and whether an utterance is phatic-oriented or not depends on the speakers intention and the ostensive assumptions it holds.”(2009)3. ConclusionAs can be seen from the Chinese and English phatic communion studies both in the foreign country and in China, many foreign and Chinese scholars or researchers have made much effort to conduct studies of phatic communion. However, it seems that very few of them have made researches on the comparison between Chinese phatic communion and English phatic communion. Many scholars contribute themselves to studying the differences between Chinese and Japanese phatic communion. I determine myself to make a comparative study of Chinese and English phatic communion because it is will be helpful for me. During reading the papers about phatic communion. I learn the history of phatic communion. I know clearly about the functions of it. Through this study, my purpose is to let everyone know the correct ways of using phatic communion. Because of the different culture,