英汉词汇的社会文化内涵对比

英汉词汇的社会文化内涵对比 金晶爱 内蒙古民族大学外国语学院 2011年11月4日语言与文化语言即语音、语法、词汇。是文化的组成部分，是文化的最重要的载体，全面储存着文化的整体信息。而词汇更是承担着负载文化的主要任务。敏感地反映着社会生活。文化是语言的内涵、交际的具体内容。文化意识是语言交际的思维基础。许多文化凝聚于词汇之中。文化形态差异反映到语言层面就是语言差异。不同的语言有不同的文化背景。了解英语国家文化是学好英语的主要环节。下面探讨英语词和汉语词的语义差别。1、某些事物和概念在一种语言里只有一种表达方式，而在另一种语言里则又多种表达方式。Generic term Name for male Name for female Name for the young Chicken Cock,rooster HenChickDuck DrakeDuck DucklingGoose Gander GooseGoslingHorse Stallion MareFoalCattle Bull CowCalfPig Boar SowShoatDog Dog BitchPuppySheep RamEweLambdeer stagdoefawn并非所有动物都要用特殊名称来区并非所有动物都要用特殊名称来区分雌雄。人们对某些特殊名称并不分雌雄。人们对某些特殊名称并不熟悉。要用不常见的区分雌雄的词熟悉。要用不常见的区分雌雄的词时，常用时，常用bull 或或cow，cock或或 hen来代替。来代替。公海豹公海豹bull seal母海豹母海豹cow seal公象公象bull elephant母象母象cow elephant 公野鸡公野鸡cock pheasant母野鸡母野鸡hen pheasant 公麻雀公麻雀cock sparrow 母麻雀母麻雀hen sparrow也可用也可用male、female、she再加上再加上原名。如原名。如公豹公豹 male leopard 母熊猫母熊猫female panda 母狼母狼she wolfChinese Terms in English Examples in English 副Vice-Vice-chairman,vice-president AssociateAssociate professor,associate director AssistantAssistant manager,assistant secretary underDeputyDeputy director,deputy chief-of staffUndersecretary(of U.S.)lieutenantLieutenant governor,lieutenant general2、在一种语言里有些词在另一语言里没有对应词夏练三伏，冬练三九In summer keep exercising during the hottest days；In winter do the same thing during the coldest weather。Cadre（干部）（干部）Official官员；行政人员；高级职员人官员；行政人员；高级职员人Functionary机关工作人员；官员机关工作人员；官员Administrator行政官员行政官员按道教的宇宙观，阴和阳是两种力按道教的宇宙观，阴和阳是两种力量，这两种力量的本质产生了宇宙，量，这两种力量的本质产生了宇宙，保持宇宙和谐。保持宇宙和谐。“阴阴”表示黑暗、表示黑暗、雌性、消极的。雌性、消极的。“阳阳”表示光明、表示光明、雄性、积极的。雄性、积极的。In Chinese philosophy,medicine,yin,the feminine or negative principle in nature;yang,the masculine or positive principle in nature.节气 solar trems冰糖葫芦 candied haws on a stick炕 a heatable bricked bed 秤 steelyard风水客气关系 上火It was packed like sardines.time clock car poolAmbitionprivacy3、在两种语言里，某些词语表面上指同一事物或概念，其实各自另有所指。知识分子知识分子 IntellectualLover First lady籍贯籍贯 busboy 大忙人大忙人 改善生活改善生活 rest room high school service station 4、有些词的基本意义大致相同，但派生意义的区别却很大。政治家(politicianstatesman)Idealist 唯心主义者唯心主义者She has always been an idealist.So you can understand why she turned down a good job offer to work among refugee immigrants and low-income groups after she got her degree in social sindies.materialist唯物主义者唯物主义者Quite frankly，I am a materialist。I have got a good-paying job and I want to keep it。I have bought a new home near Westlake，and my wife and I want to enjoy the comforts of life。I had a hard time when I was a kid and I dont want to go though all that again。Thank you!Denotation and ConnotationDenotative meaning of the word“mother”is“the female parent”.Connotative meaning of the word“mother”is the associations we usually have with the word “maternal love”,“care”,“tenderness”,etc.So we can have the sentence“the young teacher is like mother to the kids”.Meaning of WordsCultural differences in lexical meaning occur on both levels of denotative meaning and connotative meaning.3.Cultural Differences in Connotative MeaningsWords with same denotation but different connotations e.g.color words,animal wordsWords with connotations in one language but none in the other e.g.plants like pine tree,bamboo,plum blossom e.g.numbers1.Paratactic Structure vs.Hypotactic StructureParataxis(意合意合)and hypotaxis(形合形合)are two grammatical terms describing the ways sentences are built up.Parataxis:the arranging of clauses one after another without connectives showing the relation between them.Hypotaxis:dependent relation or construction.ChineseparatacticEnglishhypotactic明早还赶路呢，睡去吧。Go to bed now as youll set out early tomorrow.快点儿，迟到了会挨说的。Hurry up!Youll be criticized if you are late.生活费用不断上涨，许多人拿不出这笔开支。The cost of living is rising and therefore many people are having a hard time in paying their bills.ChineseparatacticEnglishhypotactic听到有人说话，他赶紧将文件放回抽屉，拿起桌上的报纸，疾步回到沙发上，假装读起来。Hearing someone talking outside,he hurriedly put the file back into the drawer,picked up a newspaper from the table,and hastened back to the sofa pretending to read it.A Chinese Poem枯藤，老树，昏鸦，Crows hovering over rugged old trees wreathedwith,rotten vinethe day is about done.小桥，流水，人家，Yonder is a tiny bridge over a sparkling stream,and on the far bank,a pretty little village.古道，西风，瘦马，But the travelers has to go on down this ancient road,the West wind moaning,his bony horse groaning,夕阳西下，断肠人在天涯。trudging towards the sinking sun,farther and farther away from home.2.Bamboo Structure vs.Tree StructureEnglishtree structureThe notion of the tree structure suggest that:There is a basic structureAll other constructs sprout out from this basic structureThe expansion of the branching constructs does not affect the basic structureEnglishtree structure7 types of sentence patternsSV SVOSVCSVASVOOSVOCSVOAThey are running.Our parents love us.They worked very hard.She was watching TV in the living room.My friend sent me a New Years card.I found the book very interesting.We shall finish the work as quickly as we can.Chinesebamboo structureChinese sentences are constructed like an up-going bamboo,which means that:There is not a basic structure or frameworkThe Chinese sentences are built up by placing one word upon the other,one phrase upon another or one clause upon anotherWithout the rigid control of a basic framework,the structure may change as the sentence extends.Chinesebamboo structure下雨了，快走吧，又该迟到了。Its raining already.Lets go right away;or well be late again.处处都有热心人。You can meet kind-hearted people everywhere./There are kind-hearted people everywhere.这件事我现在脑子里一点印象都没有。I do not remember anything about it.3.Left Expansion vs.Right ExpansionAs a result of the parataxis structure and hypotaxis structure,the Chinese and English sentences take different patterns in their expansion:The Chinese sentences tend to expand from the right to the left with an open beginning and a closed ending.The English sentences tend to expand from left to the right with a closed beginning and an open ending.书给我买的书我姐姐给我买的书我过生日时我姐姐给我买的书那是我过生日时我姐姐给我买的书This isThis is the bookThis is the book that my sister gave meThis is the book that my sister gave me on my birthday.CTP differenceThe basic or remote reason for this difference of left expansion and right expansion is the CTP difference(Cultural Thought Pattern).E.g.第二次世界大战后，由于科学和技术发展进入新时期，我们的生活发生了很大的变化。E.g.Our life has been greatly changed thanks to the new age of science and technology since the Second World War.ChineseBackground information+major informationEnglishmajor information+background information