1、1,Language and Culture,2,入境而问禁入国而问俗入门而问讳礼记 曲礼上,Book of Rites,3,Case Analysis,1. A: Why couldnt Cinderella be a good soccer player? B: She lost her shoe, she ran away from the ball, and her coach was a pumpkin. 2. A: Coffee, please. B: White or black? A: Uh- just want some coffee.3. A Chinese: Have y
2、ou had your lunch? An American: No, I havent. But I think I can manage to arrive home for supper.,4,Language,Nothing more clearly distinguishes one culture from another than its language. Arensberg and Niehoff,5,What is language?,Language is a way of communicating needed by all peoples.It is the pri
3、ncipal means whereby people conduct social lives.,6,What is culture?,Broadly speaking, it means the total way of life of a people, including the patterns of belief, customs, objects, institutions, techniques, and language.In a narrow sense, it refers to local or specific practice, beliefs or customs
4、.,7,The relation between language and culture,Language expresses and embodies cultural reality.Language and culture are inextricably entwined.Language is an important way to transmit culture.Language is the carrier of culture which in turn is the content of language.,8,语言和文化密不可分.语言是文化的一部分，文化又无时无刻影响着
5、语言.语言是文化的载体，又是文化的写照.语言文字当中，处处都打有文化的烙印，语言活动过程中，时时可觅见文化的踪迹.,9,Culture,Big Culture,Small Culture(except language),Other Cultural Phenomena,Language,Language,The relation between language and culture,10,1. Language as a reflection of the society,2008年度中国主流媒体十大流行语榜单及解读综合类十大流行语北京奥运、金融危机、志愿者、汶川大地震、神七、三聚氰胺、
6、改革开放30周年、降息、扩大内需、粮食安全,11,metrosexual= metropolis + sexual,metrosexual,Newly-coined word:,都市玉男/型男,12,Metrosexual,Meet the metrosexualHes well dressed, narcissistic and obsessed with butts. But dont call him gay.By Mark Simpsonhttp:/ ladult is single, assured, solvent and secure in his new-found mascu
7、linity. Aged between 25 and thirty something, the Ladult works moderately hard at middle management. . He spends a lot on gadgets and DVDs, and enjoys poker, online gambling and even fly fishing. He irons his own shirts and can cook simple meals. Observer, 1 Jan. 2006,最近在歐美大量出現Ladult這個詞彙，指20幾到30幾歲的青
8、壯男性，由於坐擁社會資源，讓他們意識到自己有權利與義務更加關心這個社會 (2006 远东月刊)。,Ladult=lad+ adult,都市新男性,14,British and American English (differences of signs)US: No dogs allowed. England: We regret that in the interest of hygiene dogs are not allowed on these premises. US: Video controlled. England: Notice: In the interest of our
9、 regular customers these premises are now equipped with central security closed circuit television.,15,2. Language can be an expression of racial and ethnic discrimination.,Some words have more than one meaning and create negative images, such as “blackhearted” or “a black mark on your record.”Negat
10、ive words can also become associated with groups, such as referring to Native Americans as “savages.”,16,Dutch,Dutch actDutch bargainDutch courageDutch mans landDutch treatDutch uncleDutch comfortI am Dutched.Im a Dutch man if ,美俚自杀,酒席上作成的交易, 酒后之勇,过分直率或严厉地批评或谴责别人的人,各付己帐,无济于事的安慰,social prejudice,海市蜃楼
11、,17,One Englishman can beat three Frenchmen.The Italians are wise before the deed, the Germans in the deed, the French after the deed.An American will go to hell for a bag of coffee.,Social prejudice,18,The use of the word “man” in words like chairman and mankind.Use of the pronouns “he” and “she” a
12、ffects thinking about gender. For example, nurses and secretaries are usually referred to as “she.”,3. Language can also be a source of sexual discrimination,19,In Chapter III in Jane Austens novel,“Pride and Prejudice”, Mrs Bennet, excited after participating in a party, talked to her husband about
13、 Mr. Bingley as follows:,20,Oh! My dear Mr. Bennet, we have had a most delightful evening, a most excellent ball. Jane was so admired. Every body said how well she looked. Mr. Bingley thought her quite beautiful, I was so vexed to see him stand up with her. I am quite delighted with him. He is so ex
14、cessively handsome! Mr. Darcy is a most disagreeable, horrid man. So high and so conceited that there was no enduring him! He walked here, and he walked there, fancying himself so very great! Not handsome enough to dance with.,见英语与社会 p.2-3,21,In this chapter, Jane Austen has taken advantage of these
15、 intensifiers to indicate that Mrs Bennet is shallow, superficial, and exaggerating.,22,Sexism in English:,The chicken metaphor tells the whole story of a womans life. In her youth she is a chick. Then she marries and begins feathering her nest. Soon she begins feeling cooped up, so she goes to hen
16、parties where she cackles with her friends. Then she has her brood, begins to henpeck her husband, and finally turns into an old biddy.,http:/faculty.ed.umuc.edu/jmatthew/articles/sexinEnglish.html,23,4. Language as a reflection of values,24,English: fair play, privacy or independence, individualism
17、,American English vocabulary: eg. self-absorbed, self-appointed, self-centered, self-confident, self-conscious, self-important, self-image, self-reliance, self-regard (关注自己，关注自身利益),25,The upper class: America, cake, helping, ice, lavatory, looking glass, pudding, relatives, rich, Royalties, scent, s
18、curf, sick, sofa, spectacles, writing paperThe lower class: the States, pastry, portion, ice-cream, toilet, mirror, dessert, relations, wealthy, Royals, perfume, dandruff 头皮屑 , ill, settee长沙发 , notepaper, glasses,5. Language as a reflection of social status,26,Speaker A Speaker B I did it yesterday.
19、 I done it yesterday. He hasnt got it. He aint got it. It was she that said it. It was her what said it.When we look at the language used by two speakers A and B, we can estimate roughly their relative social status.,27,Culturally-loaded words,Animal wordsColor wordsTaboos and euphemisms,28,Chinese
20、English吹牛talk horse孺子牛willing horse牛饮eat/drink like a horse健壮如牛as healthy as a horse老黄牛work like a horse强按牛头不喝水You can lead a horse to the river, but you can never expect to force it to drink.,Animal Words,Why different?,29,Chinese:麒麟送子,English:a visit by the stork,30,Exercise:,Better be the head of
21、 a dog than the tail of a lion. drink like a fishtread upon eggs,宁为鸡头，不为凤尾。牛饮如履薄冰,31,Chinese:胆小如鼠 狐假虎威 瓮中之鳖,English:as timid as a rabbit/chicken-heartedan ass in a lions skinlike a rat in a hole,32,Chinese:落汤鸡母老虎（比丈夫强的妻子）,English:like a drenched chicken; like a drowned ratgrey mare,33,dog,汉族人眼中的“狗”：
22、,走狗、狗仗人势、狗腿子、狐朋狗友、 狼心狗肺 ,love me , love my dog a luck dog top dogold dogclever dog,西方人眼中的“dog”：,1. 胜利者；夺魁者 2.主要人物,34,中国龙是一种祥兽,西方龙则是邪恶的代名词,龙,35,A collection of Asian American feminists articles (published in 1997),THE ASIAN MYSTIQUE: Dragon Ladies, Geisha Girls, and Our Fantasies of the Exotic Orient
23、 (published in 2005)（亚洲的奥秘：泼妇，艺伎，我们关于奇异东方的幻想，）,36,Why are women of Asian origin so often depicted in Hollywood and Western literature as submissive, sexually available Geisha or demure China Dolls or the converse, as Dragon Ladies or Dominatrix? （http:/www.international.ucla.edu/showevent.asp?eventi
24、d=4590）,为什么好莱坞和西方的文学作品总是把亚洲妇女描写成温顺的、随时愿意奉献肉体的艺伎，或矜持、美丽却没有头脑的中国尤物，或者走向另一个极端，把亚洲妇女描绘成恶毒的女人（Dragon Ladies）或嗜好性虐待的女魔头（Dominatrix）？,37,杨过与小龙女 “Little Dragon Maid”?,Loong Girl 小龙女,包租婆 功夫,38,She is a real dragon, youd better keep away from her.(她是凶狠的母夜叉, 最好离她远点)。,39,OwlIn English: as wise as an owl 象猫头鹰一样聪
25、明 In Chinese: 猫头鹰进宅, 好事不来bear In English: He is a bear at maths (他是个数学天才) In Chinese: “瞧他那个熊样儿”、“真熊”,40,。,fish In Chinese: 年年有余(鱼) In English: a poor fish a loose fish fish in the air,可怜虫,生活放荡的女人,水中捞月,41,English Shelleys Ode to the West Wind (西风颂) John Masefield/约翰梅斯菲尔德 The West Wind(西风颂) zephyr (th
26、e west wind),East Wind Automobile,Zephyr automobile,John Masefield(18781967),Percy Bysshe Shelley 珀西比希雪莱 （1792-1822）,42,Color terms,Mr. Brown is a very white man. He was looking rather green the other day. He has been feeling blue lately. When I saw him, he was in a brown study. I hope hell soon be
27、in the pink again.布朗先生是一位忠实可靠的人。那天他脸色不好，近来感到闷闷不乐。我见到他时，他显得心事重重。我希望他早点振作起来。,43,Western countrybloody(eg.a red battle)RudeIrritableModern meaning:universal love(博爱的 from the film “red”),China Loyal(忠贞, e.g一颗红心）SuccessfulPopular(受欢迎，受重视，eg.红人）Lucky(吉利,e.g. 红白事）,red,44,red,red letter day “纪念日” “喜庆的日子” r
28、ed figure，red ink(赤字)in the red（亏损）red balance（赤字差额）red tape,繁文缛节,45,black,black money（黑钱）black market（黑市交易或黑市）a black letter day 不吉祥的日子，倒霉的一天black ox 不幸black figure，in the black都表示“盈利”、“赚钱”表示 “严重的，不受欢迎的，不吉利的、罪恶的、不合适的、不合法的、愤怒的”等,46,“黑色”,黑心人the very cruel people黑帮the reactionary organizations gathere
29、d secretly多表示贬意如“阴暗的、非法的、秘密的、坏的、狠毒的等,47,Black in Chinese,黑眼镜sun glasses黑货smuggled goods黑心肠evil mind黑话cant黑体字boldface type黑咕隆咚pitch-dark黑死病the plague黑更半夜in the dead of night,48,Black:the color of night or coal,Western countryEvil(e.g.black mail)Unlucky VS.white meaning unluckiness in Chinese Hopeless
30、 (e.g.thing was beginning to look pretty black for us),ChinaRighteous(e.g.黑脸的包公铁面无私）The same as western country evil(黑社会）Secret (e.g.黑话）,49,Translation of black,1.black tea红茶(而不译为黑茶) 汉语中的“红茶”译成英语是“black tea”，字面上意为“黑茶”，这是因为汉语针对茶水的颜色而言，故称其为“红”，而英语的着眼点则放在茶叶的颜色上，故称其为“黑”。2.black and blue青一块紫一块(而不是青一块黑一块)
31、,50,You look blue today. Whats wrong with you?你今天看起来闷闷不乐，出了什么事？ “忧郁，伤感，沮丧” a blue Monday(倒霉的星期一)in a blue mood(情绪低沉)blue moon; once in a blue moon“罕见之至，极不可能”千载难逢,blue,51,blue,he is a real blue blood.（他是真正的贵族。）blue-eyed boys “受到管理当局宠爱和特别照顾的职工”blue book （蓝皮书）blue-sky market（露天市场），blue-collar workers（从
32、事体力劳动的工人）,52,Blue:the color of sky,Western countrySad(eg.get the blues;bluesa slow sad style of music that came from the southern US)Obscene(mentioned above,blue book)Noble,highly privileged(e.g.blue-blooded=belonging to a royal or noble)Modern meaning: freedom(from the film “blue”),ChinaSinister(阴险
33、，京剧脸谱中的蓝色代表阴险）,53,“黄袍加身” ;“黄袍”;“黄榜”;“黄门” 有“崇高”、“尊严”和“权力”的象征意义“黄花闺女”、“黄毛丫头”,黄色,54,Yellow in Chinese,黄瓜 cucumber黄鳝 finless eel黄土高原 loess plateau黄蜂 wasp黄花闺女 a virgin黄道吉日 lucky day黄豆 soybean黄毛丫头 a silly little girl黄牛 ox黄昏 dusk,55,yellow,You are yellow!yellow boyTurn yellowYellow pages,表示“卑鄙”、“怯懦”、“猜忌”等,
34、56,Green:light blue,Western countryJealous(e.g. green eyes VS.红眼in Chinese)Inexperienced(e.g. green hand), lack in social experience(e.g.贾宝玉is a green boy in the translation of “the dream of red mansion”) Unripe(不成熟）,China Dynamic (生机勃勃）A cuckold husband (绿帽子）,57,green,a green hand(生手，易上当受骗的人)，green
35、 goods(新鲜货)，a green man(新来水手)，a green old age(老当益壮)等等。green-eyed“嫉妒”、“眼红”You are expecting too much of him. He is still green, you know.（你对他要求过高，他还没经验嘛。）green back “美钞” green power “金钱的力量”或“财团”,58,Yellow:the color of butter,gold,etc.,Western countryCowardly,timid(胆怯的，eg. Yellow bellied=not brave)Ori
36、ginate from the offensive way of describing the skin color of people from parts of Asia.,China Obscene(淫秽，色情，庸俗，eg. 黄色书籍，vs.blue book in English）Royal (黄色是帝王的颜色）Failure(计划不能实现，eg.这事黄了。）,59,brown,to be done brown 被欺骗，被烤Brown Baggers 学习用功的学生brown stoners 贵族气派的人,60,White,Universal connotations: purity
37、and innocence,61,“White” in Chinese,白班day shift白鹭egret白内障cataract白痴 idiot白开水plain boiled water白血病 leukemia白眼 supercilious 白手起家to start from scratch,62,White,Snow White, white Christmas, a white soulthe White HouseHe has white hands.white hand有“pure”(纯洁)、或“unstained”(清白)之意。white war指没有硝烟的战争，常指“经济竞争”。
38、white elephant（昂贵却派不上用场的物体或物主不需要但又无法处置之物） white goods表示纯洁、美好、善意、合法、公平、幸福、轻轻的、政治上反动等 a white flag,63,白色,“白手” “白手起家”start from scratch; build up from nothing白眼the tired look白丁very common people表示清楚、明白、陈述、纯净、无代价的、无效的、政治上反动的等,64,White:the color of snow,Western countryFair,pure(in the wedding)Lucky(eg.a
39、white day)ConservativeModern meaning:equal, from the film “white”,China Unlucky(葬礼，白事）Crafty(奸诈的，eg.白脸的曹操）Vain (eg.没效果，白费力气）不付出代价而享受（eg.吃白食，小白脸）,65,Purple:the mixed color of red and blue,Western countryRoyal(e.g.born to the purple=born into a high social class)Flashy and without substance(华而不实的，e.g.
40、a purple passage),ChinaPropitious(祥瑞，e.g.紫气冲天）,66,紫气东来 关 令 尹 内 传 Different meanings are contained in the same color for different nationalities,Case,67,Grey:the mixed color of black and white,Western countryExperienced( e.g. grey hand老手）Boring (e.g. a grey book)Gloomy(e.g. grey prospects)Reliable,ex
41、pensive(灰色是西方消费者联想到贵重的，质量可靠的商品）,China also the meaning gloomy,depressed (e.g. 灰心丧气，心灰意懒）Cheap,unqualified(灰色使消费者联想到廉价货，水货）,68,Pink:pale red,Western countryHealthy(e.g. In the pink=in good shape)Mostly referred to female(e.g. Pink jobs:女性的职业）,China Related with the color of peachRomantic (e.g.桃花运）,69
42、,Scarlet:the brilliant red color,Western countryNot pure,without chastity,obscene(e.g.The Scarlet Letter “红字” is about adultery;scarlet womana woman who has sexual relationships with many men )Criminal (e.g.the murderer huddled on the crimson carpet in a scarlet poor 罪犯在深红色的地毯上蜷成一团，像是一汪刚刚流淌出来的鲜血）,Ch
43、ina The same meaning as red :passionate 热情，泼辣（e.g.王熙凤总穿深红色的衣服，以显示其泼辣的性格）,70,Taboos and euphemism禁忌语与委婉语,Taboo refers to some words or actions that are avoided by a particular group of people, or in certain culture for religious or social reasons. Euphemism means the act of substituting a mild, indir
44、ect, or vague term for one considered harsh, blunt, or offensive.,71,Talking about sexual intercourse and certain parts of the body is taboo in both cultures.Eg. make love To have sex with,72,Four- letter words are still considered improper in most conversation, especially in mixed company.,eg. Fuck
45、 tits, shit Jesus Christ Holy Mary Son of a bitch bitch Damn! Damn it! Hell!,73,委婉语的类别1) 传统委婉语 生,老,病,死 性 裸 拉 撒,decease, expire, breathe ones last, fall asleep elderly, golden ager, mature in ones birthday suit,74,breezer make a noise smell of gunpowderdrop a rose (出去放屁)call of the nature natures cal
46、lcan I add some powder?,empty dump go to the bank major need number two,75,apple and pip number one See a man about a dog (horse )Plant a sweet pea pick a daisy Pluck a rose to spend a penny Wee-wee cis-cis cissy sis-sis sissy,76,Get some fresh air May I please be excused? (American)Powder ones nose
47、 Wash ones hands What is the geography of the house?,77,2.职业委婉语,eg.home help housemanmeat technologist recycler beautician cosmetologist hairstylist,vision engineer wardrobe engineer mixologist酒吧调酒员,78,sanitation engineer 环卫师（婉指垃圾工人）vision engineer 视力工程师（婉指眼镜商）sleep engineer 睡眠工程师（婉指床具制造商）,79,Furthe
48、r Case Analysis Case 1 Shoes for Street Walking It is said that in Rome, in front of a shoe store, there was such a sign to attract English speaking customers: Shoes for street walking. Come in and have a fit . The sign caught the attention of many English speaking tourists , but not to look at the shoes displayed in the windows, but to read the sign and then break out into laughter. Why?,
