跨文化交流模式下的中英称赞语比较分析

1、AbstractThe first decade of 21st century will be passed quickly. When looking back, we can find that with the deepening of reform and opening policy, our national power is boosting up and peoples living standard is increasing gradually. At the same time, our country is broadening its communication w

2、ith western countries. Cross-cultural Communication continues to heat up along. In cross-cultural communication, one phenomenon has drawn our widespread attention-that is compliment. Compliments are the “lubricant” of communication, which enable communication to go ahead in a harmonious atmosphere.

3、As a social language, compliments can not only shorten the social distance among communicators, but also enhance the emotions, maintain normal social relationships. However, due to different cultural backgrounds, there are lots of disparities in the use of compliments. In this paper, based on the re

4、search methods and research results at home and abroad, the author conducts a certain amount of study. A contrastive analysis of Chinese and English compliments is aiming at helping communicators use language decently and reduce pragmatic mistakes. This paper first introduces the definition of the t

5、erm “compliment”, its characteristics and social functions, etc. Then it analyzes the respective characteristics of Chinese people and westerners and the different ways of compliment in these two cultures. Whats more, it focuses on the disparities of Chinese and English compliments and gives corresp

6、onding analyses. At last, it makes a natural conclusion to the whole paper.Keywords: Cross-cultural communication; Compliments; Disparities 摘 要21世纪的第一个十年即将过去，回首过去，我们不难发现，随着我国改革开放的不断深入，我国的国力日益增强，人民生活水平也在不断地提高。与此同时，我国与西方国家的交流也在不断加深，跨文化交际随之持续升温。在跨文化交际中，有一种现象引起了大家的广泛关注，那就是称赞语的使用。称赞语是交际的“润滑剂”，它使交际得以在和谐融洽

7、的气氛中向前推进。作为一种社会语言，它不仅可以缩短交际者之间的社会距离，而且可以联络感情，维系社会正常的人际关系。然而，中西方各自不同的文化背景导致了在交际中称赞语的运用存在很大的差异。本文在借鉴国内外研究方法及研究成果的基础上，对汉英称赞语进行了对比研究，以期达到帮助语言学习者得体运用称赞语，减少语用失误的目的。这篇论文首先介绍了称赞语的定义，特征、以及功能等内容，随后分别分析了中西方人民各自的性格特征及由此产生的称赞语，接下来着重对比分析了中西方称赞语。最后，伴随着结论的出现，整篇论文自然而然地结束。Contents1. Introduction11.1 Preliminaries.1 1

8、.2 Purposes and Significance of the Study. .11.3 Research Methodology. . 22. Literary Review32.1 What Is Compliment. . 32.2 General Characteristics of Compliments.32.3 The Function of Compliments.43. Compliments in Chinese Culture. 6 3.1 Characteristics of Chinese People6 3.2 Compliments in Chinese

9、Culture . 7 4. Compliments in English Culture8 4.1 Characteristics of Westerners .8. 4.2 Compliments in English Culture. 95. The Disparities between Chinese and English Compliments115.1 Disparities in the Way to Compliment 11 5.2 Disparities in the Topics of Compliments115.3 Disparities in Sentence

10、Patterns 156. Analysis of the Disparities167. Conclusion. 19References1. Introduction1.1 Preliminaries Compliment, “expression of praise, admiration, approval, etc” (Oxford Dictionary, 1997: 283) is a speech act which happens with a highly frequency in our daily lives. “compliment is a speech act wh

11、ich explicitly or implicitly attributes credit to someone other than the speaker, usually the person addressed, for some good (possession, characteristics, skill, etc), which is positively valued by the speaker and the hearer” (Holmes&Brown,1987:530).There seems to be a widespread argument over what

12、 constitute a compliment. Owing to different cultural backgrounds, there are disparities existing in the compliments used in English and Chinese. This paper is selected for two reasons: Firstly, as a student who has been studied in Chinese department for half a year and now English major, the author

13、 is very interested in cross-cultural communication. There are many researches which have been done on cross-cultural communication, but in terms of compliments there are still very limited resources. Secondly, both Chinese and English compliments may be troublesome for learners from different cultu

14、ral backgrounds. Even for our English majors, they are often at a loss about how to make appropriate uses of compliments when communicating with westerners. A contrastive analysis of Chinese and English compliments will be beneficial to cross-cultural communication. Thus, the author carried out this

15、 paper.1.2 Purposes and Significance of the StudySpecific speech acts or speech behaviors, in general are governed by social norms. Every speech act reflects its cultural norms and values. Compliments are the reflection and expression of cultural values. Compliment is a particularly suitable speech

16、act. It expresses more or less certain cultural values explicitly. Ignorance of cultural differences may cause communication failure. The findings from this kind of study may help predict and prevent breakdowns in intercultural communication.This comparative study is designed to reveal the general c

17、haracteristics shared by the two cultures, and then explore the different compliments in these two different cultures. The most important thing is to compare and analyze the differences between English and Chinese compliments. In addition, it intends to broaden peoples perspective; enable people to

18、make an appropriate evaluation of two different cultures. The author does hope it can help to achieve better cross-cultural communication.1.3 Research MethodologyThis paper is a very brief study on the disparities between English and Chinese compliments. As the authors level is limited, this paper c

19、an not but avoids some biased views. The compliment cases including compliment responses in this paper come from various ways. Some were arranged by the author according to his experience and investigations. Others are from the related papers and many books written by famous scholars. All the cases

20、are orderly numbered:Step1.Setting down the topic after searching information related to cross-cultural communication on the Internet.Step2.Collecting data and information from books. Ranging them in order.Step3.Discussing basic things about compliments.Step4.Analyzing the respective characteristics

21、 of Chinese and westerners, then analyzing the different compliments of them. Step5.Comparing the disparities between Chinese and English compliments in cross-cultural communicationStep6. Analyzing the disparities 2. Literary review2.1 What is ComplimentA compliment is a polite speech act that expli

22、citly or implicitly attributes credit to someone for what is valued positively by the speaker and hearer. (Holmes&Brown, 1987:530) Lets take two sentences as example: “you are beautiful” and “your dress suits you very well”. The first sentence is a direct compliment, while the fact is that the secon

23、d one count as a compliment which is not so direct but it can make the hearer happy. As the second sentence illustrates, a compliment may be indirect, requiring some inferences based on the knowledge of cultural values in the community. There are some other ways in which a compliment may be indirect

24、, too. Compliments usually focus on something directly attributable to the addressee. But when a compliment apparently refers to a third person, it may be fine to compliment the addressee indirectly.2.2 General Characteristics of ComplimentsIt seems that many scholars have a common idea about what c

25、ompliment is. Most definitions emphasize two conditions: “One is to express the speakers praise; the other topics are concerned about the hearers everything, achievement or personal qualities” (Manes and Woflson, 1981：120). Compliments include two parts: the speaker speaks out the compliments and th

26、e hearer responds accordingly. An obvious feature of compliments is using positive evaluating words. What compliments different from other speech acts is that there are no negative words emerged in communication. Compliments are all flattering words. The use of compliments has a close relationship w

27、ith the society and culture. Different cultural groups have different responses to compliments in terms of objects, contents and occasions. For example, the main function of compliments is to maintain harmony between the two sides in Chinese and English culture, but English compliments incline to ex

28、press an equal and consistent relationship, while the Chinese compliments focuses on respect, and caring for each other. As for the response, westerners often give the response “thank you”, while in China it is a traditional self-deprecating style. In general, when facing compliments, Chinese often

29、choose “not acceptable” “non-consent” as the strategies, or just answer “Nothing” “Wherever”.2.3 The Functions of ComplimentsManes and Wolfson point out that in offering a compliment, “the speaker expresses a commonality of taste or interest with the addressee, thus reinforcing or in the case of str

30、angers, creating at the least a minimal amount of solidarity” (1981:124). In general, compliment serves to reinforce desired behavior. Firstly, compliment is often used to express encouragement. “Youre doing well” and “well done”, “good job” are typical of compliments in classrooms. For example:Teac

31、her: Marys sitting up nicely Mary: (nonverbal response, Mary sits up even straighter, looking pleased)Teacher : Lily, you really did a good job Lily: Thanks, madam. I will try to do better next time.Secondly, there are some situations in which a compliment functions alone as an expression of gratitu

32、de. Indeed there are occasions when compliments is the only appropriate means of thanking. They usually involve a response to the performance of a service, as illustrated in the following example:Speaker 1: I loved the tacos , Ill be back tomorrow for some more.Speaker 2: Hope they werent too hot.Wh

33、ats more, Compliments can also be used to persuade someone in some situations. In our daily lives, there are occasions in which we dont want to do something, other people may put some compliments on us and try to make us change ideas. Peter: its really a pity that a man like you whose oral English i

34、s really good wont take part in the English speaking contest. Come on, just have a try! Paul: (nonverbal response, struggling in his brain whether he should do it)Another way in which compliments serve to grease the social wheels has to do with their use in greeting routines, especially in cases whe

35、re the interlocutors have not been in recent contact. Colleagues passing one another in hallway of an office building or seeing one another at a meeting, and friends meeting either by chance or by design, may frequently be heard to utter compliments either as part of or in place of greeting formulas

36、. One very striking example of the way in which compliments serve to replace greeting routines is found in cocktail party talks. In the speech situation, the greeting plus compliments routine is so conventionalized that the greeting formula alone is seldom heard at all, a fact that language learners

37、 should be aware of.All in all, Compliments can be used to enrich the greeting words. Compliments can enhance thanks. Compliments can lead to talks and adequate topics in other conversations can stimulate each others interest. Compliments can create a harmonious atmosphere and express good intention

38、s. Therefore, using compliments in conversations can advance the progress of conversation. Compliments help to get rid of the predicament and eliminate alienation. 3. Compliments in Chinese Culture3.1 Characteristics of Chinese PeopleThe characteristic of Chinese people has been deeply affected by C

39、onfucius and Taoism for thousands of years. The print of cultural transmitting on Chinese characteristics can still be seen in present society. Benevolence, integrity, chivalry, loyalty and filial piety, rationalism, diligence, enterprising can be concluded as the advantages of Chinese peoples chara

40、cteristics. But pragmatism, utilitarianism and private morality, jealousy, deception, and resignation are the character flaws. The legal consciousness of Chinese people is weak; their philosophy is the philosophy of Confucius. Confuciuss moral contain obligations between women and brothers, father a

41、nd son. The practice of these things is only a formality, but not the free inner feelings. Chinese dont express their personal desires and feelings frequently. They tend to do things in an indirect manner. Still, they have a strong sense of provincialism concentration, believing “Fallen leaves retur

42、n to the roots - to revert to ones origin”. Having local temperament, local feelings (due to the long-term small-peasant economy in agricultural society) Chinese people are concerned about the “good guys or bad guys” “villain or a gentleman” appearance and the impression is important. One should pay

43、 attention to his appearance when communicating with the Westerners. They think highly of the first impression you give others. Outgoing, being cheerful and energetic are the best first impression. Chineses life goal is to enjoy life. Doctrine of the Mean can be used in any way. In China, individual

44、ism has almost been a synonym for selfishness. Chinese people have a very strong hierarchy. Westerners personality is characterized by the spirit of teamwork and collective success, while the spirit of Mahjong, everyone wins his own, is character traits of Chinese.3.2 Compliments in Chinese CultureT

45、he above part has talked about the characteristics of Chinese. When Chinese people use compliments, they like to do it in an indirect way in order to avoid offending other people. While complimented by others, they would always keep cool and modest, never accept compliments actively. Instead, they w

46、ould depreciate themselves .Through some examples we can see it. Speaker 1: Your English is very good. Speaker 2: No, I can only speak a little English. This example is a very typical one with which we are very familiar. Its not difficult to imagine that most of Chinese people will have the same ans

47、wer to the same compliments. And from this example we can see that Chinese people are sometimes reserved when they are complimented by other people. A: What a beautiful hair you have! B: No, its very ordinary.This example is another common one in Chineses daily life. Maybe Bs hair is really beautifu

48、l, but she just refuses to recognize it. She gives a negative answer to A. we can say she is trying to be modest and trying to keep a low profile. A: Ah! What a good son you have! Top students in the class! Great!B: Oh, he doesnt care much about his studies. I scold him almost everyday!In this case,

49、 from a normal logic view, we may feel confused about Bs answer. Why does she still scold her good son since he studies very well? But in fact, our Chinese people would never feel strange about her answer at all, because B is trying to transfer the compliments on his son. 4. Compliments in English c

50、ulture4.1 Characteristics of Westerners After experienced overseas exploration era, colonial era, the Renaissance, the Enlightenment, three times industrial revolution and two world wars, Westerners can be said to have a very complex character. Christian doctrine, Roman law and Greek literature are

51、the foundation of Western society. For a long time, they have been pursuing freedom, equality and fraternity. They made unremitting efforts to pursue the individual rights. Rich cultural heritage and strong academic flavor make westerners have higher qualities. The developed capitalist economy, exce

52、llent social welfare systems have enabled Westerners to roam in a rich material world. The advanced science and technology give them motivation to move on. Westerners have a strong materialistic sense and they emphasize individualism. On emotional expression, Westerners are active and bold with no f

53、ear of being refused. Westerners are always. When select a partner, Chinese may say: “this man is a good hearted man”, while westerners may say: “He make me shining”. Chinese put emphasizes on personal qualities (value, intrinsic moral training), westerners focus on external performance (energy, ent

54、husiasm). The life goal of Chinese is enjoy life, while the westerners are pursuing powers, including the power to control human and nature. Take drinking as example: westerners like drinking a lot. They enjoy drinking after dinner or before sleeping, but they never care too much about other people

55、feeling. They drink and get drunk for their own emotions. Drinking emphasize the process but not the results. However, for Chinese, they emphasize on the results. Getting drunk may make them satisfied. In West society, individualism is a universally recognized value. It aims at asking people to resp

56、ect the basic individual rights and at the same time respecting the others basic rights. While In China, individualism has almost become a synonym for selfishness. China is a society of identity while the West is a society of law. When getting rich, westerners tend to go travelling or consuming. In china people may store money in the bank as much as they can for a future use.4.2 Compliments in English CultureGenerally speaking, westerners are more active and braver than Chinese people .When they compliment others, they may not care whether it is direct