A Study of the Cultural Distinctions between Chinese and English Taboos _英语毕业论文.docVIP

A Study of the Cultural Distinctions between Chinese and English Taboos 【关键词】禁忌语；演变；相似点；不同点 I. IntroductionLanguage, as the carrier of culture, is created during the process of human beings’ productive labor and serves as the tool of communication to convey the message between people. However, it has been endowed with magic and power in particular language acts. As the old saying goes, troubles come out of the tongue. Taboo is a commonly existing cultural phenomenon among nations in the world which regulates people’s language and social communication. The great differences between Chinese and Western cultures directly result in the great difference between Chinese and English taboos. With the consideration of the different cultures and customs, we should avoid using offensive expression. Cross-cultural communication is an important part of modern communication. The phenomenon of taboos can make the cross-cultural communication more appropriate. Evidently, linguistic taboos are a reflection of these social development and the value concepts and beliefs of the culture in which they are born. Taboos have a great influence upon the people’s cultural life and material life. Therefore, taboos are well worth studying.?There are some similarities in English and Chinese linguistic taboos, but different cultures may not all agree on what is or is not a taboo in a specific context. So the differences also exist between English and Chinese linguistic taboos. A lack of knowledge in this field or improper use of linguistic taboos may lead to misunderstandings, conflicts and other unknown serious consequences in the cross-culture communications which is increasingly frequent and wider now. This paper intends to study the evolution of linguistic taboo, to analyze the similarities between Chinese and English linguistic taboo in pronunciation and vocabulary, and present the differences from the aspects of names, numbers as well as taboo subjects in both cultures. Last but not leas