当前位置:文档之家› Lecture 4 Language and Culture

Lecture 4 Language and Culture

Lecture 4Language and Culture语言与文化( See Units 4 in Tb )Outline of this lecture•I. Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis(萨丕尔-沃尔夫假说Culture shapes language and•then language shapes culture. Language both reflects and shapes societies.)•II. Words and their Cultural Distinctions and Connotations•(论词汇及其文化差别和含义)•III. “Colorful” Words(颜色词)•IV. Idioms, Proverbs and Sayings(成语,谚语和格言)•V. Learning While Watching(看中学)•CCTV百家讲坛:涉外礼仪(43分钟由中国人民大学国际关系学院•金正坤教授主讲)•Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis(萨丕尔-沃尔夫假说)( See p.150 & p.152 in Tb )•萨丕尔-沃尔夫假说的观点最早见于萨丕尔1929年发表的一篇文章(胡文仲2004/2006:53):•语言是¡°社会现实¡±的指南。

虽然人们通常认为语言对社会科学研究者并不具有重要意义,但它对于我们对社会问题及过程的看法产生强大的影响。

人们并不仅仅生活于客观世界之中,也不是像人们通常所理解的那样仅仅生活于社会活动的世界之中,而是处于成为该社会表达手段的认为某特定语言的严格控制之下。

人们毋需使用语言就可以适应现实,认为语言仅仅是解决具体交际或思考问题的附带的手段,那是一种幻想。

事实是:¡°真实世界¡±在很大程度上是用这一人群的语言习惯不自觉地构筑起来的。

从来没有两种语言如此相近,足以被认为是表现同一社会现实。

不同社会所生存的世界是不同的世界,而不仅仅是带有不同标签的同一世界。

•沃尔夫发展了萨丕尔的论点,表达得更加明确(胡文仲2006:54):•每一语言的语言系统(换句话说,即其语法)不仅是为了表达思想使之再现的工具,实际上它使思想成型,它是人们思想活动、分析I. Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis(萨丕尔-沃尔夫假说)•种种印象、综合思想感觉的程序和指南¡-¡-我们按自己的语言所规定的路子解剖自然界。

我们从现象世界中抽出来的范畴和类别,之所以能抽出来,并不是因为它们明明白白地摆在那里,相反,世界表现为万花筒式的各种各样的感觉和印象。

这些必须由我们的头脑来组织,而这意味着大致上是由我们头脑中的语言系统来组织。

( Whorf 1952: 5 )•封宗信《现代语言学流派概论》(2006:104)•萨丕尔-沃尔夫假说的核心是人的语言影响了人对现实的感知。

我们看到的世界是语言所描述的世界,因此我们生活在其中的世界是一个语言结构。

有多少种语言,就有多少种分析世界的方法。

也就是说,世界上的语言不同,各民族对世界的分析和看法不同。

•该学说有两个主要组成部分:1.语言决定论(即语言决定思维);2.语言相对论(即语言的结构多样化是无止境的)。

II. Words and their Cultural Distinctions and Connotations(论词汇及其文化差别和含义)•Dog: a lucky dog, a jolly dog, a sly dog, teach an old dog new tricks• A good dog deserves a good bone.•Dutch: go Dutch = Dutch treat, in Dutch, Dutch collar, Dutch concert,•Dutch talent, Dutch courage, Dutch defense, double Dutch•III. “Colorful” Words(颜色词)•Red:red-letter days, to paint the town red, to roll out the red carpet for sb.•red light, red hunter, red tape, red battle, red hands, red handed,•red ruin, to see red, waving a red flag, the red light district•double happiness, to begin well / to make a good start, flourishing,•in luck, fair-haired boy, woman matchmaker, dividend, men and women•in holiday dress, feasting and revelryIII. “Colorful” Words(颜色词)•White: a white lie, a white hope, a white elephant, the white feather,• a white night, a white slave, white war, weddings and funerals•Black: a black day, a black spot, a black sheep, a black mood, a black look,•black news, a black comedy•Blue: a blue Monday, blue video/film, a blue blood, a blue ribbon, blue book,• a bluestocking•Green( lacking in experience, training or knowledge ): •greenhorn, green hand•Other colors: yellow belly, yellow dog, purple passageIV. Idioms, Proverbs and Sayings(成语,谚语和格言)• 1. Idioms• e.g. look down (on), look out (for), run into, keep at, make out, …•Turn out: 1) Turn out the light. 2) Turn out the guard.•3) The whole town turned out for the event.•4) This machine can turn out 300 copies a minute. •5) It turned out to be a mistake.• 1.1 英汉语比喻所用动物或人不同:•as brave as a lion(狮)勇猛如虎•as cheerful as a lark(云雀)欢喜雀跃•as hungry as a hawk(鹰)如同饿狼•as mute as a fish(鱼)噤若寒蝉•as obstinate as a mule(骡)犟得像牛IV. Idioms, Proverbs and Sayings(成语,谚语和格言)•as plump as a partridge(鹧鸪)胖得像猪•as quiet as a mouse(鼠)静如处子•as sleek as a cat(猫)马屁精•as strong as a horse(马)体壮如牛•as stupid as a goose(鹅)笨得像猪•as tame as a chicken(鸡)驯如羊羔•as brisk as a bee(蜜蜂)轻快如燕• 1.2 英语比喻所用动物在汉语中不同:•as blind as a bat(蝙蝠)瞎得很•as busy as a bee(蜜蜂)非常忙碌•as crooked as a dog’s hind leg(狗的后腿)很不正直IV. Idioms, Proverbs and Sayings(成语,谚语和格言)•as cross as a bear(熊)怒气冲冲•as fleet as a deer (鹿)异常快捷•as gaudy as a peacock(孔雀)十分华丽•as graceful as a swan(天鹅)姿势优美•as greedy as a wolf(狼)极为贪婪•as mad as a March hare(野兔)特别疯狂•as melancholy as a cat(猫)非常忧郁•as mild as a dove(鸽)十分温顺•as poisonous as a toad(蟾蜍)极其恶毒•as poor as a church mouse(鼠)特别贫穷•as proud as a peacock(孔雀)异常骄傲IV. Idioms, Proverbs and Sayings(成语,谚语和格言)• 2. Proverbs and Sayings•1) Strike while the iron is hot.•2) Many hands make light work.•3) Haste makes waste.•4) Out of sight, out of mind.•5) Birds of a feather flock together.•6) Look before you leap.•7) Where there’s smoke there’s fire.•8) Where there’s a will there’s a way.•9) Give a person a dose of his own medicine.•10) All good things must come to an end.V. Learning While Watching•CCTV百家讲坛(by DVD play):涉外礼仪•References:•王振亚. 2004. 实用英语语言文化[M]. 保定: 河北大学出版社.•邓炎昌, 刘润清. 1989. 语言与文化[M]. 北京: 外语教学与研究出版社. •胡文仲. 2004. 超越文化的屏障[M].北京: 外语教学与研究出版社.•封宗信. 2006. 现代语言学流派概论[M]. 北京: 北京大学出版社.•靳梅琳. 2005. 社会语言学与英语学习[M]. 天津: 南开大学出版社.。

相关主题