Unit 4
Verbal Communication
Objectives
Learn the culturally loaded words Learn the cultural reflections on
proverbs Learn taboos Learn the differences in cultural
patterns
III. Summary IV. Assignments
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I. Warm-up cases
Case 1. Shoes for Street Walking Question : Why did the Italian shop owner
make such a blunder? Shoes for street walking. Come in and have a fit.
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Culturally Loaded Words 文化负载词
(Cultural Loaning Words) • 1.是指标志某种文化中特有事物的词
组和短语.
• 2.文化负载词是反映一个国家、一个 民族特有的文化和历史的一些词汇.
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2.2 Color Terms in Chinese and English
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Interpretation a street walker----- a prostitute
to have a fit--------to become suddenly and violently angry or upset
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Case 2. A Misunderstanding Caused by a Joke
----to be careful, especially when there is danger
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II. Detailed Study
1.Culturally Loaded Words
What is loaded words?
Loaded words and phrases are those which have strong emotional overtones (n. 暗示，弦外音，寓意) or connotations (n. 涵义，言外之意), and which evoke strongly positive or negative reactions beyond their literal meaning.
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Case 3 Look out
Didn't you hear me call 'look out'?
Yes, and that's what I did.
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Case 3 Look out
Look out---- to stick your head outside of sth. (window/door) to take a look
1.pure/clean/stainless 2.supercilious look 3.blue sky 4.be made a scapegoat/
be unjBiblioteka stly blamed 5.filthy books
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• blue book
• a blue Monday • a white lie • a green wound
• 7 Can you see the green in her eyes? • 8 The mere thought of her husband
with the secretary made her see yellow
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• 9) I got some black looks from the shopkeeper when I cancelled my order.
Comment:
Hustle---- to force sb to make a decision before they are ready or sure
-----to work as a prostitute / romance or sex is hinted
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Case 3 Look out
• 2) I tried to call her many times but she was in a brown study and didn’t hear me
• 3) One day, out of the blue, a girl rang up and said she was my sister
• red-letter days
• 蓝皮书（美）刊 载知名人士的书
• 倒霉的星期一 • 善意的谎言 • 新伤，未痊愈的
伤口 • 喜庆的日子
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Translating the Underlined Part
• 1) He’s just a green recruit fresh from college
thought patterns
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CONTENTS
I. Warm-up cases II. Detailed Study:
culturally loaded words cultural reflections on proverbs taboos differences in cultural thought
• 4) The new office block has unfortunately become an expensive white elephant
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• 5 Mary was always regarded as the black sheep of the family
• 6 You’d better do something to prove you’re not
• Group Work 1.红糖 2.红茶 3.眼红 4.开门红 5.红白喜事
1. brown sugar 2. black-tea 3. green-eyed 4. to begin well, to make
a good start 5. weddings and funerals
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1. 清白 2.白眼 3.青天 4.背黑锅 5.黄色书刊