words and culture.pptVIP

Chapter 2  Word Meaning and Culture Word meaning Word meaning and culture 3. Summary 1. Word meaning Words, the basic component of a language, are influenced and shaped by culture. In each language, there are particular labels or names for objects, events, experiences and feelings as the speech community has arbitrarily decided to name them so. We would like to illustrate them in the following five parts : ⑴ words with basically the same cultural meanings ⑵ words with partially equivalent cultural meanings ⑶ words with greatly different cultural meanings ⑷ words with completely different cultural meanings ⑸ words with cultural meanings absent in the other. 1、Words with basically the same cultural meanings That is to say: the conceptual meanings and associative meanings of words in both English and Chinese are the same. Examples are as follows : Head The meanings of head are basically the same in both English and Chinese. ①that part of the body, which contains the eyes, nose, mouth and brain. In Chinese we say “头”、“脑袋”。 E.g., Hit him on the head. 打他的头。 ②something likes a head in form or position. In Chinese we say “开头或位置似头的东西” E.g., the head of a nail 钉子的头儿 ③ （of plants）mass of leaves or flowers at the top of a stem or stalk. In Chinese we put it to “（植物）茎顶端的一团叶或花”。 E.g., a flower head 花头；头状花 ④ ruler, chief, position of command. We call it “统治者”、“领袖”、或“首长地位”。 E.g., headman 队长、首领、酋长、工头等 ⑵ Fox In Chinese, fox is the synonym for cunning and craftiness: 老狐狸 ”、“精得跟狐狸似的 In English speaking countries: He is as sly as a fox. 他就像个狐狸一样老奸巨滑。 You can never fox me. 你可蒙不了我。 ⑶ Laurel related to prominence and honor in both English and Chinese culture: In western countries, heroes, warriors and brave men wear laurel wreath （用桂枝编成的花环） Poet Laureate. in Chinese: “折桂 ⑷ other instances 2 Words with partially equivalent cultural meanings In this part, words to be discussed have the same conceptual meanings but their associative meanings are a little differen