Things like puns defy translation across languages.
பைடு நூலகம்
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“Why time flies?”
“Because somebody wants to kill it.” “你有什么了不起，能把我吃了！”
“不能,我是回民！” 外甥打灯笼照(舅)旧
Language = neutral codes and grammatical rules? We make cultural choices when we select words,
form sentences and send a message. All languages have social questions and information
as before; as usual; as of old 狗撵鸭子呱呱叫
very good
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恋爱“三草”原则: 女：你说你很寂寞，为什么不去找你以前的女朋友而来追我
呢？
男：好马不吃回头草！(A good horse will never turn round to graze on an old pasture.)
meaning comes out of the context, the cultural usage.
Reading I How Is Language Related to Culture
Language reflects the environment in which we live. (snow, wine)
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I am sorry. I am sorry, too. I am sorry three. What are you sorry for (four)? I am sorry five.
Reading I How Is Language Related to Culture
Communication across cultures and languages is difficult and full of hurdles and pitfalls. Even if two people from different cultures can speak a common language, they may misinterpret the cultural signals. The result is confusion and misunderstanding.
打落水狗, 斗鸡走狗, 狗恶 - Watchdog (舆论监督)
酒酸, 狗吠不惊, 狗急跳墙, - Love me, love my dog.
狗头军师, 狗血喷头, 狗眼 看人, 狗仗人势, 狗嘴里吐 不出象牙, 挂羊头、卖狗肉, 关门打狗, 狐朋狗友, 鸡鸣 狗吠, 嫁鸡随鸡、嫁狗随狗,
(爱屋及乌) - Every dog has his day. (凡人皆有得意日) - Be faithful as a dog
Unit 4 Language and Culture
Warm Up
Pun:
amusing use of a word or phrase that has two meanings, or of a word with the same sound but different meanings
Language reflects cultural values. (time)
In ICC or translation: do dictionaries always help?
We translate concepts from a foreign language and culture with words that fits our priorities.
questions.
social questions ---- a lubricant to move the conversation forward
information questions ---- asking for information Words in themselves do not carry the meaning. The
女：你们班上也有女孩呀！我们俩相隔这么远，为何来追我 呢？
男：兔子不吃窝边草！(A rabbit doesn‘t nibble the grass near its own hole.)
女：那你现在为什么又要抛弃我呢？你这个混蛋！
男：天涯何处无芳草！(There are plenty of fish in the sea.)
e.g.: dog
Identical words with rather different meanings: administration, manager/director, force majeure (不 可抗力)
Reading I
How Is Language Related to Culture
Language lives, and it changes over time. Words and phrases that are used commonly at one time may be discontinued or their meaning may change overtime.
狼心狗肺, 鼠窃狗盗, 偷鸡 - I am too old a dog to
摸狗, 指鸡骂狗, 猪卑狗险, learn new tricks. (行家里
狗皮膏药, 狗走狐淫, 丧家 手)
之狗, 狗行狼心, 狗胆包天, - He is top dog in the
关门打狗
office. (头儿)
Reading I How Is Language Related to Culture
“gay”
purity of a language
A language, if spoken in different parts of the globe, ultimately develop differently.
“Englishes”
Reading I How Is Language Related to Culture