A Cultural Approach to Verbal Taboos in English and Chinese论文
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最后更新时间:2024-03-30
【摘 要】禁忌语是人类语言中不可分割的一。自古以来，人类出于迷信、恐惧、嫌恶等理由，忌讳谈论某些现象、行为或事物，从而产生了禁忌语这种语言现象。
【Key words】 verbal taboo；cultural difference
2.The definition of taboo
Taboo has become a commonly used word in anthropology and studies of religion and folk custom. Freud pointed out that taboos contained two opposite meanings： on one hand， it was lofty， sacred； on the other hand， it was mysterious， dangerous， prohibitive and unclean. On the basis of Freud’s views， the Oxford Advanced Learner’s English-Chinese Dictionary defines the word “taboo” as follow： “ a） ban or prohibition on something that is regarded for religious or other reasons as not to be done， touché， used， spoken of etc. b） general reasons as not to discuss or to do something.” Verbal taboos are generally related to social life.”
3.Similar verbal taboos in English and Chinese
With regard to verbal taboo， Ronald Wardhaugh points out that when people use language to convey their thoughts they all try to oid talking some inelegant topics or things and that those words or phraseswhich can give rise to unpleasant or even embarrassed feelings are called verbal taboos. As a sign system， language is a communicational tool and has no magic power itself at all， but why people worship language and why the prohibition and substitution of language came into being？ From human beings’ knowledge at the beginning， we can catch sight of the foundation from which verbal taboos emerge. There exist two viewpoints all the time and thereby from two influential schools. Firstly， the conventionalists hold that the symbols he been chosen arbitrarily for the message and that there is no intrinsic relationship between sound and sense. Secondly， the naturalists believe that language originates from the imitation of natural sounds and the combination of sound and sense has an inevitable link， so there is an intrinsic correspondence between them.
【Key words】 verbal taboo；cultural difference
1.Introduction
Taboo word is an essential part in language family. It was born on account people oid some phenomenon， action or object as harmful for superstition， fear and loathe etc. as a symbol of highly developed human civilization， It aces on people’s thinking style， what is more， it affects people’s spirit， and endows many common things with a kind of mythical feeling of the attractive culture. Taboo word exists in people’s subconscious in every second and affects every aspect of people’s daily life deeply. In English， if they must be mentioned， then the terms should be euphemistic ones. In Chinese， they are also taboo， but the Chinese attitude is less strict， and sometimes one will hear people say 吃喝拉撒睡 in serious public talk or conversation.2.The definition of taboo
Taboo has become a commonly used word in anthropology and studies of religion and folk custom. Freud pointed out that taboos contained two opposite meanings： on one hand， it was lofty， sacred； on the other hand， it was mysterious， dangerous， prohibitive and unclean. On the basis of Freud’s views， the Oxford Advanced Learner’s English-Chinese Dictionary defines the word “taboo” as follow： “ a） ban or prohibition on something that is regarded for religious or other reasons as not to be done， touché， used， spoken of etc. b） general reasons as not to discuss or to do something.” Verbal taboos are generally related to social life.”
3.Similar verbal taboos in English and Chinese
With regard to verbal taboo， Ronald Wardhaugh points out that when people use language to convey their thoughts they all try to oid talking some inelegant topics or things and that those words or phraseswhich can give rise to unpleasant or even embarrassed feelings are called verbal taboos. As a sign system， language is a communicational tool and has no magic power itself at all， but why people worship language and why the prohibition and substitution of language came into being？ From human beings’ knowledge at the beginning， we can catch sight of the foundation from which verbal taboos emerge. There exist two viewpoints all the time and thereby from two influential schools. Firstly， the conventionalists hold that the symbols he been chosen arbitrarily for the message and that there is no intrinsic relationship between sound and sense. Secondly， the naturalists believe that language originates from the imitation of natural sounds and the combination of sound and sense has an inevitable link， so there is an intrinsic correspondence between them.