毕业论文-the-influence-of-cultural-differences-between-china-and-the-west-on-courtesy-language-商英.doc

中国某某某某学校

学生毕业设计(论文)

题 目:The Influence of Cultural Differences
between China and the West on
Courtesy Language
姓 名 ： 0000000
班级、学号 ： 0000、00000
系 (部) ： 经济管理系
专 业 ： 商务英语
指导教师 ： 0000000
开题时间： 2009-4-10
完成时间： 2009-10-25

2009年 10月 25日

21

目 录

毕业设计任务书…………………………………………………1
毕业设计成绩评定表……………………………………………2
答辩申请书……………………………………………………3-5
正文……………………………………………………………6-22
答辩委员会表决意见……………………………………………23
答辩过程记录表…………………………………………………24

课 题 The Influence of Cultural Differences between China and the West on Courtesy Language
一、 课题(论文)提纲
0.引言
1. 影响中西礼貌语言差异的的重要因素
1.1文化价值
 1.2社会规范
1.3思维模式
1.4家庭观念
2. 中西方日常交际中礼貌用语的差异体现
2.1敬语
2.2 问候语
2.3告别方式的差异
2.4对于赞扬和恭维的应答差异
2.5 致歉和回应的差异
2.6 致谢和答谢的差异
3. 人们在文化交际中应注意的问题
4.结论

二、内容摘要
随着我国经济的发展，国际间的交流与合作日益密切，语言的重要媒介作用也日益凸显，尤其是礼貌语言，礼貌语言它能帮助人们建立和维持良好的人际关系，因此人们在交流时，都会努力做到礼貌。但由于文化价值的影响，表示礼貌的方式方法，以及人们用以判断礼貌的标准也会有所不同，因此在跨文化交际中，常会出现一些误解，这些误解常常会导致交际失误乃至失败。本文从文化角度来对比中西礼貌用语的用法，阐述文化差异对礼貌语言的巨大影响以及人们在不同文化之间的交流上要注意的问题。

三、 参考文献
[1] 克拉姆契. 语言与文化[M]. 上海外语教育出版社. 2000. P3
[2] 许力生. 跨文化交流入门[M]. 浙江大学出版社. 2004. P48-50
[3] 孙琴芳. 跨文化礼貌用语语用探析[J]. 贵州师范大学学报（社会科学版）. 2002. 3. P85
[4] 严莉芬. 中西禁忌语.委婉语差异的对比研究[J]. 中南民族大学学报（人文社会科学版）. 2005. 5. P173
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The Influence of Cultural Differences between China and the West on Courtesy Language
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Abstract: With the development of our country’s economy, international exchange and cooperation becomes closer and closer. The important media function of language is also prominent increasingly. Especially polite language, polite language helps to establish and maintain a good relationship between people. So people in every culture are trying to be polite when communicating. But the influence of cultural value orientations, the actual manifestations of politeness and the standards for its judgment differ from culture to culture. Therefore, misunderstandings or even breakdown may occur if the cultural differences of politeness are neglected in cross-cultural communication. This thesis aims to make a contrastive study on polite language between Chinese and the West in cultural perspectives and the points that people should be aware of in communication between different cultural groups
Keywords: courtesy language; cultural trait；cultural difference；principle
0. Introduction
What is politeness? We might say it is courtesy, respect or consideration to other people. Politeness is everywhere. It is a sign of human civilization, so in community communicative activities, people must abide some certain principles to achieve mutual friendly exchanges, it concludes generous, modest, compassion, tact, etc. English linguist Leech delivered his six criteria of politeness in 1983, which is called “Politeness Principles” (PP). The principle s of the PP proposed by Leech (1983:133) go in pairs as follows：
Tact principle: Minimize cost to other, maximize benefit to other
Generosity principle: Minimize benefit to self, maximize cost to self
Approbation principle: Minimize dispraise of other, maximize praise of other.
Modesty principle: Minimize praise of self, maximize dispraise of self.
Agreement principle: Minimize disagreement between self and other
Sympathy principle: Minimize antipathy between self and other.
1．Considerable cultural items related to polite language.
Polite language, as a language phenomenon, is greatly influenced by cultural factors. How to make your language to be more polite? It is important to know their difference. They are as follows:
1.1 Cultural values
Different cultural factors may result in cultural values. The concept of Chinese cultural values is often consciously or unconsciously placed in opposition with Western values. In the west, people believe that each person is rational and capable of making choices. Each one should be responsible for him. Consequently, they develop themselves freely, emphasize on individual intelligence and ability, and hold that group benefits should make a concession to individual ones. In my opinion, western values have three levels: physical level – science, technology, business, public administration, and modern capitalist economics; conceptual level – equal opportunity, the role of law; and time management; and core values – open debate, equality, balance of power; free speech, and democracy.
The core of the Chinese value has some relationship with the Confucianism. The ethnic principle of Confucianism is its discovery of the ultimate in the moral character of human relationships in which Confucius offered the solution for the ills and evils of his days. Chinese value was greatly influenced by traditional philosophies. In China, it is polite to give others face and at the same time avoid losing one’s own face.
The differences discussed above are showed clearly in the polite language. Chinese usually give advice to show their concern and the “we” thinking, such as “Eat more” and “Put on more clothes”. But when you say these to a westerner, he or she does not like that and will think that you are ordering.
1.2 Social norms
In short, social norms, is to tell people what should or should not do, say, or think in a given situation. It is formed in a long period of development. They are rules not written into a law, but realized by people’s habitual behavior. Sometimes, even people themselves do not know why they should follow certain norms. For example, patriotism is a value; showing respect for the flag is a norm.
Norms are reflected in the polite language. Take greetings as an example, In Chinese, “Have you eaten yet?” and “Where are you going?” are the most common greetings. The former is a greeting around mealtime, but in the West, it might mean an invitation if you say to an English-speaker. The latter may use anytime in China when two acquaintances meet while in the West it is an invasion of their privacy, especially those who are in China but not familiar with Chinese culture. Regarding the reason why Chinese like to greet people in this way, some scholars think that it has something to do with China’s backward economy and poor living standard in the past, therefore, it is natural to care for whether others have eaten or not. But nowadays, the two above-mentioned greetings are the habit of Chinese and good wish but not mean anything. So people just respond to it very vaguely. Greetings that are commonly used in the West are as follows: Hi, Hello, Morning, Good morning/afternoon/evening, and so on.
1.3 Patterns of thought 
Humans thought varies from person to person, but differ much more greatly between people from different cultures. For example, in writing a letter, Chinese address is different in order from the western one, which reflects the thinking differences. Chinese and Westerners differ greatly in respect with patterns of thought. 
The distinction between these two patterns reflects cultural differences between China and the West. Consequently, communications in different cultural backgrounds are also different. Take the response to an invitation for example; there is obvious difference between them.
Example:
   A: How would you like to come to my party?
   B: (Chinese) Maybe I will come to.
   B: (westerns) thank you very much. I’d love to. Or that’s very kind of you, but I’m afraid I have already had an appointment.    
In the West, the speaker or writer organizes his or her ideas and tries to send them explicitly and directly. In contrast, in China the listeners have to infer the intended meaning from the dialogue. According to an investigation, the majority of Chinese people first give reasons then raise a request, but the Westerners are the opposite. Some English idioms, such as “Don’t beat around the bush”, “Let’s get down to business” and “Get to the point”, reflect western style. In a word, Chinese are more indirect and ambiguous than the Westerners.
1.4 Value of family
The culture organizes and institutions have a great effect on members of the culture perceive the world and how they communicate. As the smallest social organization in a culture, the family greatly influences its members, including the ways of thinking, the attitudes to everything, and the ways of living. From the ancient, Chinese usually live in a big family. Filial piety is highly valued in China and considered part of morals. The relationships between Chinese family members are mutually complementary and unshakable.
In contrast, the vast majority of the Westerners live in nuclear families. Children live in their separate rooms, and they are encouraged to make decisions for themselves and learn to be responsible for things since they are very young. Thus, children may learn how to depend on their own from an early age. Independence is a remarkable characteristic of Western life. Generally speaking, the family plays a more important role in China than in the West.
Different cultures cause different views of values, which affects the criteria of politeness and lead to differences of polite language in various aspects.
2. Differences in polite language
2.1 Ways to address
Address reflect the relationships between people and the values of different people. In the cross-cultural communication, it is very important to address properly.
Children should always address adults in the formal situation, using their title and last name. Another difference is about the form of addressing. From the viewpoint of sociolinguistics, forms of addressing can serve as an indication of the relationship of power and solidarity in the society. In calling their superiors or elders, the Chinese are accustomed to the nonreciprocal or asymmetrical addressing, in other words. They use “title +surname” to address their superior or elders rather than call them surnames, while the superior or elders call the addressers their names. The Chinese tend to abide by the polite principle of depreciating oneself and respecting others to show appropriate respects towards the persons being addressed, otherwise, the addresser may be considered as ill mannered, ill educated or rude. But in English speaking countries, people have a tendency to follow the reciprocal or symmetrical addressing. Although they are different in age and status, they can call the other directly, namely, their names, even first name, except when they call the doctors, not arousing offence between them, but demonstrating the sense of intimacy and the conception of”
Everyone is created equal”
Chinese people feel unnatural addressing a westerner by his given name, feeling that it indicates too close a relationship, and westerners, on the other hand, may feel that if a Chinese insists on using his surname, it indicates an unwillingness to be friendly and maintains a gap between them. So the use of forms like” Miss Mary” or “Mr. Smith ” may be a Chinese forms of compromise. With Miss Mary, the use of the given name indicates friendliness, but the addition of the title indicates the respect they feel they ought to show. And with Smith, the lack of a title indicates friendliness, but the use of the surname prevents if sounding too intimate. However, both addressing used by the Chinese sound very strange and uncomfortable to the westerner.
2.2 Ways to greet
In daily life, greeting is a polite language whenever one meets others and wherever he or she is. It plays an important role in social communication .For example, a Chinese and an English-speaker are acquaintances and came across in the way home one day. Chinese passed by and asked, “Have you eaten yet?” The English-speaker was offended by this question. This is a typically acceptable and polite greeting used by native Chinese people to show their concern for others, but it is peculiar and offensive to the Westerners. Because to some Westerners, this question might mean that, “I haven’t either. Come on, let’s go together and get something to eat” or “If you haven’t, I am just going to invite you to my place and have a dinner.” But in the west they greet each other by “Hello” or “Hi” .Another example they prefer to talk about weather rather than personal affairs. Chinese people are likely to say, “Where are you going?” when they meet. But in the Western culture, people prefer to greet in this way, such as “isn’t it a good day?” totally, when they meet English-speakers, we should use friendly greetings rather than these greetings are considered as questions which invade their personal life, such as “Where are you going?” “Have you eaten yet?” Even though greetings in Chinese and English are quite different in linguistic forms, but their pragmatic functions are similar. By greeting, people tend to show politeness so as to establish a good social relationship with each other.
2.3 Differences about farewells
Farewell, means more than simply saying “goodbye” in many cases, whether in Chinese or in English. People would make use of this occasion as an opportunity to imply a future meeting, extend an invitation, express good wishes, show gratitude or concern, etc. And people also use different farewells according to the particular time, place and relationship between them.
The most popular and common farewells in English are as follows: Goodbye: Good night; Have a good day; Have a good trip; I hope everything goes well with you; I’m so pleased to have met you; See you; Best regards to your parents; Thanks for everything; but there are also have some similar sayings in China and in the west such as: “Goodbye” “I wish you a good journey” and “Good luck”. We also have some Chinese specific farewells such as “Walk slowly” and “Be careful of walking” The native speakers of English will surely be puzzled and offended. They would think, “Why should I walk slowly? It’s none of your business”, “Is it impolite to walk faster?” “Shall I be attacked by somebody or something on my way back?”
Thus we can conclude that in intercultural communication, we must make sure that the linguistic means we use to perform certain speech acts should not be translated literally from our own to another. Otherwise they may alter their original meaning may be altered and resulting in different speech acts, and consequently lead to communication failure.
2.4 Compliments and responses
Generally speaking, people like getting along with those who share the same views and tastes with them. And we can see that compliment may be used to start a conversation, even between strangers. Furthermore, compliments are like “lubricating oil”, which can make conversations go smoothly in a harmonious and friendly atmosphere. But in different countries the ways to compliment are greatly different.
Example:
   (Setting: Afte