英汉植物词汇的文化内涵与差异英语毕业论文.doc

分 类 号： TP391 学号：1303140109学号：1303140109本科毕业论文英汉植物词汇的文化内涵与差异Cultural Connotation and Differences in English and Chinese Plant Words姓 名： 宋佳乐 专 业： 英 语 指导教师姓名： 陈洪宇 指导教师职称： 讲 师 2017年5月长春师范大学本科毕业论文AbstractHuman beings have close ties with everything when they appeared in the world, because plants provide the necessary material base and high practical value for human life. People always express ideas and emotions according to its distinctive form. Therefore, there are many of words concerning plants in Chinese and English. Most of these plant words have similar meaning, but there are some different connotations in them. In this article, historical factors, cultural tradition, aesthetic psychologyand religions are considered as the reason factors of cultural connotative divergence in English and Chinese language. Therefore, under the situation of the closely current international communication, this paper addresses important topics including the social culture and psychological culture of different nationalities by realizing the plant culture of different ethnic groups, in order to facilitate all aspects of communication in different ethnic.This thesis introduced the similarities and differences of different kinds of plant words in Chinese and English language culture. It put up some examples of plant words and analyzed the culture connotation in English and Chinese. It analyzed the reasons for geographical locations, historical legends, religious beliefs and aesthetic psychology. With this study, it helps people who have different cultural backgrounds communicate more smoothly.Key words: cultural connotation intercultural communication plant words摘 要 自人类出现以来，植物便和世间万物有着密不可分的关系。因为植物为人类生活提供必要的物质基础，具有很高的实用价值，于是和人类结下了不解之缘。植物鲜明的形态习性而成为人们抒发思想，寄托情感的载体。因此这些植物词汇虽然寓意大体上一致，但是在文化的内涵上存在着许多差异。本文认为导致文化内涵差异的原因是文化传统，历史，审美心理和宗教信仰的不同，最终导致英汉两种语言展现出不同的文化特色,而正因为这种特色更折射出英汉两个民族各自绚丽多姿的文化形态。因此，在当前国际交流日益紧密的形势下，洞悉不同民族的植物文化，有利于了解不同民族的社会文化和心理文化，以便于民族间各方面交流。本文研究了不同植物词在中西方所产生的不同文化的联系和差异，以及产生这种差异的原因，列举了一些植物词语的例子，细致分析对比植物词在英汉两种语言中所体现的文化内涵。从地理位置、历史传说、宗教信仰以及审美心理展开研究，列举分析产生差异的原因所在。通过学习研究，有助于使不同文化背景的人更好的交流沟通。关键词： 文化内涵 跨文化交际 植物词汇IContentsAbstractI摘 要II1. Introduction12. Background Information22.1 Language and Culture22.1.1 The Definition of Language22.1.2 The Meaning of Culture32.2 The Relationship Between Language and Culture32.2.1 Language Reflecting Culture42.2.2 Culture Controlling Language42.3 Word and Its Connotation43.The Comparative Study of Plant Words Cultural Connotations Between English and Chinese63.1 Same Plant Words With Similar Cultural Connotation in English and Chinese63.2 Same Plant Words With Different Cultural Connotation in English and Chinese73.2.1 Same Plant Words With Admiring Meaning in English, but With Derogatory Meaning in Chinese73.2.2 Same Plant Words With Admiring Meaning in Chinese, but With Derogatory Meaning in English83.3 Different Plant Words With Similar Cultural Connotation in English and Chinese83.4 Discrepancies of Plant Words in English and in Chinese83.4.1 Particular Plant Words With Plentiful Connotation in English93.4.2 Particular Plant Words With Plentiful Connotation in Chinese104.The Forming Reasons of Cultural Different of Plant Words in English and Chinese114.1 Differences of Geographical Environment and Life-style114.2 Differences of History and Cultural Tradition114.3 Differences of Myth and Legend124.4 Differences of Aesthetic Psychology135. Conclusion14References15致 谢16原创性声明17版权使用授权书17II1. IntroductionIn the long development of human society, the relationship between plants and human beings becomes more and more harmonious. On the one hand, the plants have a strong practical value to human beings. On the other hand, plants have revived infinite aesthetic feeling because of its unique morphological habits and characteristics, which should make human being produce all sorts of imagination, and express their thoughts, feelings and ideas. In this way, plants have the profound cultural connotation and aesthetic value. Plant cultures are reflected by the national culture in the history and culture, the moral sentiment, psychology different national spirit and other aspects. By analyzing the cultural differences in plants, it can be easy to understand the social and psychological culture of different ethnic groups in Chinese and English, which is conducive to cross-cultural communication. Chinese and western plant cultures are widespread and encyclopedic. However, there is a long history in English and Chinese language, as well as English and Chinese plant words. But due to the various natural environment, religious beliefs, ways of thinking, aesthetic concepts and differences exist, the same plant words in Chinese and English may have identical, similar or different associative meaning. This article will focus and analyze the similar and different meaning of plant words in Chinese and English.02. Background Information2.1 Language and CultureLanguage and culture influence each other and restrict each other. In order to make the implication of plant words in English understood well, it demands that we reach the correlations between culture and language.2.1.1 The Definition of Language Language plays an important role in human beings. As a result, people live in a world that is full of all kinds of languages. Of course, Language has so many functions that we should not live normally without it. In addition, we make use of language to make friends, to communicate with family in our daily life and to express peoples emotions. Without language, we cant share plenty of knowledge and information with others directly and feel lonely. Without language, people will lose the association between the world and mind, as language is a bridge between them. Without language, we cant express our love for a girl or a boy so that we cant receive perfect love. What is the language？This is the first question about language research. All the other questions in language research: the theory of the language research, the goal of the language research, the range of the language research, the approach of the language research, the way of the language research, the key point of the language research, the result of the language research, and so on. A different view of language can lead to different language theories. Language is so sophisticated that there is no consensus on the definition of it. In the generalization, language is used for communication, by any form of expression, such as writing, talking and dancing, etc. In a limited sense, the language may mean different things for different people. In case someone talks to strangers others somewhere, he will say language is what people speak. However, for primary or high school teachers, language is a set of grammar which is a memory and teaching method for students. As for translators, language is the creative tool for the expression with different forms. Social linguists look language as a tool for the creation and maintenance of social relations. In spite of the fact that diverse people have diverse definitions and descriptions of language, linguists have the general agreement on some of the significant characteristics of the world language. In addition, the majority of them will undertake a tentative definition that it is a language system of vocal symbols, which is used for human communication.2.1.2 The Meaning of Culture When it is regarded as a creation of a group of people, it is a social phenomenon or culture, as well as the social history of the precipitate. Particularly, culture is outside of the condensation in the material, which would be delivery history, traditions, geography, life style, local conditions and customs, literature and art, moral behavior standards, thinking style, values, to cite a few. It is a universal recognition in communication between a human ideology of inheritance.In 1871, the idea of culture was first defined by E.B. Taylor, who put forward the first profound scientific under of the nature of the term. Taylor says that culture is “That complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society”. From that time on, from diverse views，scholars spare no efforts to define culture. However, the definition of Browns -A culture is a collection of beliefs, habits, living patterns and behaviors which are held more or less in common by people who occupy particular geographic areas.” Kramsch defines it in term of the humanities, focusing on “the way a social group represents itself and others through its material productions, the works of art, literature, social institutions, or artifacts of everyday life”. All in all, culture contains both material things which can be seen as literature, artifacts, etc. and spiritual things that are not easy to observe, like beliefs and values. It is a universal recognition in communication between human ideologies of inheritance.2.2 The Relationship Between Language and CultureCertainly, culture and Language could interact with each other. In real life, Language is a basic instrument for people to associate with each other. However, people can build on life and psychological bridge by using interpersonal communication. Language can promote personal relationship in the process of social progress. In the meantime, the language for the development of human society provides the basic platform. One of the key reasons of people social development is that human own the right and have the ability of a language. With language, people can create a real world with new concept and significance.2.2.1 Language Reflecting CultureWhile analyzing the connection of culture and language, Kramsch thinks that language is closely related to culture in three views. First of all, language expresses cultural reality. The words people utter refer to common experience. Obviously, people feed back their authors attitudes, beliefs and their points of view. Then, language embodies cultural reality. Except for using language to express experience, people have experience with the language. Lastly, language also symbolizes cultural reality phenomenon. Language becomes a system of signs that is seen as having itself a cultural value. Language speakers identify themselves and others through their use of language; they view language as a sign of their social identity. From my point of view, the conclusion is that language is an important part of culture. Nevertheless, the reason of unique thing is as below. In fact, its uniqueness lies in a carrier of culture, it integrates other cultural components to itself and all the levels of culture can be reflected in language.2.2.2 Culture Controlling LanguageThere are many opportunities influencing the use of language. However, knowing the culture is significant to understand the given language, since in different cultural context the same utterance may have different interpretations. Maybe it is polite and appropriate in culture, but offensive and impolite in another. For instance, in China when our friends or relatives who have come to visit us are about to leave, we usually see “慢走”,“小心点” ,etc. In case you say so to westerners, they will consider that you are worried about their health and may get angry. Instead of that they often say “Come again”, “See you next time”, etc. on this kind of scenes.2.3 Word and Its ConnotationOne word is a unit of language that represents a concept which can be expressively associated with meaning. However, one word consists of one or more morphemes which are linked more or less tightly together and has a phonetic value. Forlanguage, onewordis the smallest factor that is uttered in isolation with semantic or pragmaticcontent and with literal or practicalmeaning. This contrasts with amorpheme, which is the smallest unit of meaning but would not necessarily stand on its own. One word could consist of a single morpheme, for instance:oh! red, rock , quick, run, expect, or rocks, redness, question, unexpected, quickly, running, whereas a morpheme might not be able to stand on its own as a word (in the words just mentioned, these are-s, -ness, -tion, -ly, -ing, -ed). Some semanticists have proposed a theory of so-called semantic primitives orsemantic primes, indefinable words representing fundamental concepts that are intuitively meaningful. According to this theory, semantic primes serve as the basis for describing the meaning, without circularity, of other words and their associated conceptual denotations. Nowadays, plants play a very important role in human. The article introduces part of the plant words in Chinese and English language cultural similarities and differences and analyze the causes of such differences, and by this study, people who have different cultural backgrounds are able to communicate smoothly.3. The Comparative Study of Plant Words Cultural Connotations Between English and Chinese Because humans sense has many common things by perceiving the objective world, it is not pure chance coincidence in Chinese and English. Yet it is decided by all national cultural commonality. The structure of some plants has the same rational word meanings in sound system among English and Chinese, so it is a very natural phenomenon that associative meaning is same or similar. 3.1 Same Plant Words With Similar Cultural Connotation in English and Chinese Because all the people live in the same world, we have more or less similar ideas on parts of plants; it does not matter he is American or Chinese. They share the similar cultural connotation in the following plant words both in Chinese and English. Such as “ laurel ” (桂), “peach” (桃) , “rose” (玫瑰) and so on.People regard the laurel as “outstanding” and “honor” both in Chinese and English. Laurel trees are evergreen and laurel flowers fragrance pleasant, so people love it very much. Ancient Chinese weaves the crown with cassia twig, called the “crown”. A Chinese feudal society lifts stressed before the draft is described as “toad hall won”, which refers to win the first prize. British and American people also like to use cassia twig laurel wreath put on the head of the warriors and poet,so there is a laureate（桂冠诗人），gain/ win ones laurels（赢得荣誉），look to ones laurels（小心翼翼地保持荣誉），rest on ones laurels（躺在过去的荣誉中睡大觉）and related expression.Peach flowers are pink, red, white, etc. Peaches are white inside deeply red and they always remind people of the young girls easily. So people use the peach to refer to the skin thin white inside deeply red rosebud, white inside deeply red complexion less and good things. For example, rosy cheeks，said of a girl（颜如桃瓣、面若桃花), peachy cheeks(桃腮), What a peach of a study (多好的一间书房) ! She is a peach (她真是个美人)! Homer always praises rose thatused as a daub killed Hector perfume. There is no doubt that this is the dog rose or general Rosa canina. Until the fifth century BC, Greece has the cultivation of roses.Different legends show the source of this plant, some people think that it is originated from the blood of Adonis; some people also said it is the blood of Aphrodite. There is a Greek poet mentioned that the earth appears this kind of beautiful plant when the Aphrodite born. In addition, Graces, Muses, Nymphs and Dionysus are considered related to the plant. Graceful Chinese lotus, born from the silt but not imbued, is the symbol of incorruptible nobleness.3.2 Same Plant Words With Different Cultural Connotation in English and Chinese Due to the historical and the social-cultural background are different, the same plant words with different cultural connotations occur in the English and Chinese cultures. The same plant words share the same connotation meaning, but they reflect different cultural connotations in Chinese and English. 3.2.1 Same Plant Words With Admiring Meaning in English, but With Derogatory Meaning in Chinese There are many plant words that are derogatory in Chinese while admiring in English, such as red apricot and poppy flower. Red apricot is a kind of fruit in Chinese and English, but Chinese poet use “满园春色关不住，一枝红杏出墙来” to express cheating woman that betrayal her husband. It is just a kind of fruit in English, while red apricots are derogatory in Chinese.Poppy flower is the main raw material for making opium, so people always think of poppy flower is the drug and want to far away from it, the meaning of poppies is a temptation to lead to destruction. But in English poppy flowers mean God flowers. The ancient Greeks show their praise for the opium poppies and make the valley goddess of in charge of agriculture take a poppy. The story of ancient Greek myth includes poppies too. There is a devil God ruling over the death called hypnosis, whose son Fez holding poppy flowers to guard the sleeping father, lest he woke up with a bother, so the poppy flower is means good things in Chinese.Generally speaking, the different culture between the English and Chinese will lead to all the different images of the plant words in the language. The word may be commentary in English while derogatory in Chinese, or vice verse. 3.2.2 Same Plant Words With Admiring Meaning in Chinese, but With Derogatory Meaning in EnglishA lot of plant words have admiring sense in Chinese while derogatory sense in English. The most representative example is “red bean”. A red bean is a lovable plant in ancient China, as a symbol of lo