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

.,Chapter9Languageandculture,.,Whatisculture?,Inabroadsense,culturemeansthetotalwayoflifeofapeople,includingthepatternsofbelief,customs,institutions,techniques,languageandetc.thatcharacterizesthelifeofthehumancommunity.Inanarrowsense,culturemayrefertolocalorspecificpractice,beliefsorcustoms,whichcanbemostlyfoundinfolkculture,enterprisecultureorfoodculture,etc.Therearegenerallytwotypesofculture:materialandspiritual.,.,Therelationshipbetweenlanguageandculture,Thesamewordmaystirupdifferentassociationsinpeopleunderdifferentculturalbackground,e.g.theword“dog”.2.Languageexpressesculturalreality,reflectsthepeoplesattitudes,beliefs,worldoutlooks,etc.3.Theculturebothemancipates(解放；解脱)andconstrainspeoplesocially,historicallyandmetaphorically.,.,4.Culturealsoaffectsitspeoplesimaginationorcommondreamswhicharemediatedthroughthelanguageandreflectedintheirlife.5.Ontheonehand,asanintegralpartofhumanbeing,languagepermeates(渗透)inhisthinkingandwayofviewingtheworld,andlanguagebothexpressesandembodiesculturalreality;ontheother,language,asaproductofculture,helpsperpetuatetheculture,andthechangesinlanguageusesreflecttheculturalchangesinreturn.,.,Sapir-Whorfhypothesis,EdwardSapirandBenjaminWhorf,proclaimedthatthestructureofthelanguagepeoplehabituallyuseinfluencesthewaystheythinkandbehave,i.e.differentlanguagesofferpeopledifferentwaysofexpressingtheworldaround,theythinkandspeakdifferently,thisisalsoknownaslinguisticrelativity.SapirandWhorfbelievethatlanguagefilterspeoplesperceptionandthewaytheycategorizeexperiences.ThisinterdependenceoflanguageandthoughtisnowknownasSapir-WhorfHypothesis.,.,TwoInterpretationsaboutSWH,Strongversionbelievesthatthelanguagepatternsdeterminepeoplesthinkingandbehavior;Weakversionholdsthattheformerinfluencethelatter.-ThestudyofthelinguisticrelativityorSWHhasshedtwoimportantinsights(领悟):Thereisnowadaysarecognitionthatlanguage,ascode,reflectsculturalpreoccupations(偏见，成见)andconstrainsthewaypeoplethink.MorethaninWhorfsdays,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,GreetingsandtermsofaddressThanksandcomplimentsColorwordsPrivacyandtaboos*EuphemismRoundingoffnumbers（四舍五入）Wordsandcultural-specificconnotationsCultural-relatedidioms,proverbsandmetaphorP134-135,.,Euphemism(委婉)Itistosubstituteagreeableorinoffensiveexpressionsforthosethatmayoffendorsuggestsomethingunpleasantinordertoshowpoliteness.Itconveysthewritersattitude.Therearetraditionalandcontextualeuphemisme.g.Iunderstandifyoucantstaymarriedtome.-Ifyouwanttodivorceme,Illunderstand-youhaveeveryreasontodoso.(B1L2GoingHome)Hehaddonehisbusinesslikeadogattheroadside(B3L10DiogenesandAlexander),.,todie-topassaway;todepart;togotosleep;togotoheaventoilet-bathroom,restroom,togotothetoilet-topowderonesnose“InprivateIshouldmerelycallhimaliar.InthePressyoushouldusethewordsrecklessdisregardfortruthandinParliament-thatyouregretheshouldhavebeensomisinformed”*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.Weneedtolearnenoughaboutthelanguagesculturesothatwecancommunicateinthetargetlanguageproperlytoachievenotonlythelinguisticcompetencebutalsothepragmaticorcommunicativecompetenceaswell.,.,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,weneedtopayspecialattentiont