中西方语言文化的差异.doc

呼和浩特职业学院
HOHHOT VOCATIONAL COLLEGE

THE DIFFERENCE CULTURE OF LANGUAGE BETWEEN CHINA AND AMERICA
中西方语言文化的差异

Ⅰ Introduction:
Because of the globalization ,we have more and more communicate with the other countries. Language is the most important in communication. However, every countries have their own culture. So there must be some problem in it. Sometimes we can not understand each other, what ’s more we will have misunderstand. In this article, we will analyzes and compares with greeting, topic taboo, how to start a conversation and other respect of language culture difference and how to avoid this misunderstand.

Ⅱ Different view on language
2.1 purpose of language
If you look at the relationship between thought and language, it should be said that it is consistent with the purposes of the West, however, because of the purpose of thought, it make them appear different, it is up to both sides to "DAO" of different decisions. Chinese culture of "Dao" in ancient is same as Greece "Logos". But it does not mean this is the same completely, on the contrary, they have obviously distinguish, it is not a Supreme entity, but a natural process, in people's daily life, and Western "Dao" is either a Supreme entity, or is one of the most basic elements of nature or a personal God, and little is understood as a natural process. Chinese language and discourse is not the will of God, and its real content, communication and saying that in order to reality, people with strong colors. In the West, the content language saying ' it's not real life, but to God
2.2 way of language
Although in Western religious background is an act of God, but this does not deny the fact, people actually speak. In theology it is because of the need to examine how we can make religious doctrine better accepted by the Muslims, which involved a number of specific issues, namely, manner of speech.

ⅢThe different form Chinese and American
3.1the difference of compliment in daily communication
3.1.1. how to answer the compliments
Chinese people's traditional virtues of modesty and prudence, compliments and praise of others should be refused.
In the treatment of praise and compliments, the reaction in the West is very different. Westerners are praised if usually say "Thank you" gladly accepted and thanked the Chinese people are very different response. I have seen an example of : an American writer praise a Chinese mother, superb cuisine, Chinese mothers modestly replied, "Where, where, do not, pay attention to the eat." writers translation is "No, No, I'm not good at cooking, but perhaps you could make do with it. ". The American friends are not familiar with Chinese culture, confused until later writer explained to him, he can be understood in China, people hear the praise, not immediately embraced, but to show to a very modestly attitude, otherwise it is considered conceited and proud. 
"Westerners are never too much humility, expressed thanks for the compliment, showing a self belief in yourself.
For example: "You can speak very good French."
"Thank you." 　
"It's a wonderful dish!"
"I am glad you like it."

Therefore, students should pay attention to when you speak English you never answered: "No, I don't think so." This answer is not polite to Westerners, even hypocritical.
3.2How to start a conversation
3.2.1first meeting
Chinese Lun-yu love to greet an acquaintance said: "eat it?" "Where to?" "To work for?" And so on. In our view this is a polite greetings.
If you talk like Westerners greeting "Have you had your meal?" "Where are you going?" they will think that you would like to invite him to dinner or to interfere in their private affairs, be misleading. westerners to meet, often greeting: "Hello!" "How do you do! "" Nice day, isn't it? " 
3.2.2visit patient
In the West, to help others, caring, compassion, how and to what extent is based on the extent of the receiving party is willing to accept
Chinese would help busy is usually warm, in every possible way. For example: a Chinese students in the United States saw an old Professor stumble across busy roads out of compassion, he came and took the old man, to send him to the past, but he got was a glare. Consider the following dialogue:
Chinese student: Mr. White you are so pale, are you sick?
English teacher: Well...yes. I have got a bad cold for several days. 　　
Chinese student: Well, you should go to a clinic and see the doctor as soon as possible. 　　
English teacher: Er...what do you mean?
People go to see the doctor for the Chinese proposals suffer from cold, expressed genuine concern. But Americans don't understand, will think that his disease was so serious?, answer: "I'm sorry to hear that." It is enough.
3.3 The topic conversation and topic taboo
3.3.1the topic of personal privacy and privacy aspects of the word
the topic of personal privacy and privacy aspects of the word, and the protection of privacy first produced in Western countries, in English, is privacy, is that people do not want to inform the public of a private matter, circumstances or living conditions.
In Western culture, people For the privacy of the very different perceptions and attitudes. Westerners self-centered, but also attaches great importance to personal privacy, privacy is respected English proverb says, A man's home is his castle. (a person's home is his castle. that home is sacrosanct for personal privacy, others can not interfere or referred to, but can not interfere in these personal matters generally include private business (personal affairs, private affairs (private business, private concerns (such as personal a matter of concern For example, asked such as age, marital status, salary, weight, religion and other topics of personal information, will be seen as interfering in another's privacy, spying on other people's private lives, is considered a violation of someone else's castle, such as: 
How Old Are You?
What's Your Age?
How Much Do You Make?
What's Your Income?
What's Your Religion?
In China, there is almost no privacy, and does not understand the West's view of privacy, it did not have a lot of privacy as Westerners taboo on many topics related to personal circumstances, such as age, income, family status, marital status, etc. will often hear people ask "how old", "there is not married," "how revenue this year," a similar problem. This is mainly because China's large population, thousands of years most people live in rural areas, dense distribution of Chinese culture as the main feature is the group of countries, more opportunities for contact between people, the natural thing to others will be more concerned about and help each other, mutual respect and mutual love. "All men are brothers." "a difficult one, P Plus support" reflects this concept of community, sometimes, what is the collective personal things, such as "where to work" or "married you", the subtext is, "If you work in need of help where there is a problem, I can help you, "" If not, I can help introduce you to an object. "For Chinese people, this is not only a way to chat, but also a friendly gesture. Westerners usually a hospital alone, do not care what others, if the West asked the similar question, is a violation of privacy was the performance of their culture to individualism, based on a person is seen as more an independent entity. 

3.3.2 the number of taboos Chinese figures four, five and so on.
 "Four" and "death" euphony, the Chinese people think it is unlucky, they will bring disaster, so now the general case, the license plate number of people in the election, phone number, do not want to choose when building with a "4". "five" in the ancient taboos, the ancients said on May evil, evil on the evil day May 5, especially inauspicious.
In the English-speaking countries, people are very taboo figures 13 and Friday in the "Last Supper", Judas was the 13th person, Jesus is being crucified on Friday, 13 on the cross, so Westerners room number, building, room number, so there is no 13, 13 out of taboo left, the candidates who taboo frame sizes 13, please do not treat when 13 people. 
Third, the conclusion by comparing the above analysis, we found that in this respect the West is still taboo in the language have great differences, it is true this is due to the different cultural basis between the two causes. In other words, the difference between a good taboo words reflects the differences in Western culture. to understand the difference between the two taboo words for understanding cultural differences is very helpful and we communicate with the West, should pay more attention to this phenomenon, mutual respect and accommodate each other's culture, seek common ground, can further promote bilateral exchanges and cooperation to narrow the cultural differences between Chinese and Western.

3.4 Greeting
Greeting the Chinese people are accustomed to the daily asked: "Do you eat it?", If you like English people so that they will have the misconception that you want to ask them to eat., Greeting English-speaking countries usually weather, state of health , traffic, sports and hobbies as a topic. Again, the Chinese habit of seeing an acquaintance asked: "Where?" If Westerners are so greetings, they may be very unhappy to answer: "None of your business . "Westerners greeting often said:" Good morning / afternoon / evening "," How are you doing? ", among acquaintances can also say:" Hello "or" Hi ". 
3.5 thanks
Generally speaking, we Chinese people rarely use among family members, "Thank you." If used, will sound strange, or mutual relations with distance. And in English speaking countries "Thank you." Almost for all occasions, between all people, even parents and children, brothers and sisters are no exception. send a drink, meal preparation table, the other will say "Thank you." public places, no matter what other people help you busy Road, you have to cry "Thank you .." This is the most basic courtesy. 
3.6 Phone greeting
Call of the Chinese language with the usual speech language not much difference.
"Hello, Hello. Please call a loss answering the phone. 　
"" I am Zhang Ying, who are you? " Call with the usual term in the English language vary greatly.
For example:
"Hello, this is John speaking."
"Could I speak to Tom please?" 　
"Is that Mary speaking?"
West received a phone call to their number or name of the work unit.
For example:
"Hello,52164768,this is Jim
Chinese students just learning English could have made such an error:
"Hello, who are you please?"
3.7Festivals And Accept Gifts.
Chinese and English-speaking countries is also significant cultural differences manifested in holiday areas. In addition to the common Chinese and English national holiday, the two sides also have their own unique holiday. Chinese New Year Lantern Festival and Dragon Boat Festival, etc., English-speaking countries lovers Festival Easter, Thanksgiving April Fool's Day Christmas. the customs of Western holidays are also very different. In the festival, a gift for someone else, the Chinese tend to put off some, performance was no alternative but to accept, accept generally not open after face to face. If face to face open and exclaimed, may lead to "greedy" is suspect. and in English culture, people send gifts to others are generally required to personally open the praise about it, and pleased to thank.
3.8 Daily Call.
Kinship in Chinese language has a tendency to use the generalization, often among non-relatives: the young man said to the elders, "Uncle," "Auntie", to Equals the "Big Brother" "Big Sister." But in English, kinship is not widely used in social life. If we are native English speakers elders said "Uncle Tom", the other party will feel very strange after listening. English culture, only a very close relationship between the circumstances under which the use of such kinship. Another example is the Chinese students often " Wang, "called the" Teacher Wang ". In fact, the English teacher is a profession, and the Chinese people have greater respect for tradition," teacher "is not only a career, and became a kind of respect for human beings, the West sounds like people feel weird. are generally used in English called Mr., Miss, Mrs. Ms and so on. 
3.9 Different of body language
3.9.1 different of handshake
Handshake is a social ritual, but British handshake ritual differences. Courtesy of the Chinese action is: Two people to hand, and then immediately release, two distances then pulled away. Courtesy of the Chinese action is: two people to shake hands and close to each other, two people threw hand tight, or simply hang on to each other. In this regard, the English-speaking countries often distress unbearable. They believe that physical distance is too close, and catch the hand shake and irrelevant, gay people shook hands and even invite gay, and therefore, generally regarded as taboo. In addition, Ms met generally by men and women in Western countries take the initiative, unless high men's identities or ages, interaction between the Chinese without the custom of ladies first. Two people shake hands when they meet, generally determined by the supervisor or senior citizens.
3.9.2different express of hugs and kisses
Kisses and hugs the body expressions are not the same. In the West, even in public places will do a leisurely, with ease, but in China, the public feels awkward to do. This is because the two different cultural backgrounds, China's long feudal oppression, in the form of emotional expression has always been very reserved. For example, in Western countries, reunited mother and daughter at the airport or other places can hug and kiss excitedly, while in China, experienced mother-daughter may meet again cried excitedly, hugs, and never kissed.

ⅣReason of the difference
4.1different national character
The national character of a nation is also of national character shaped his and other communication features. Character is the man of the Chinese nation and people-centre, pay attention to the harmony between man and nature, how to behave, the coordination of relations between man and man and nature into the spirit of the Chinese nation as a whole. Westerners have advocated the objective view of the world, and even transform the World East and West, there are big differences in the cultural roots, and this difference in communication is particularly prominent.
4.2different value
Differences in value systems that every culture has its own unique set of systems, it tells people what is expected by society and what is rejected by society, scholars have called a value system or the system values. Oriental concept is "Heaven", and the West favor "separation of heaven and man". The difference of values between East and West have created one