chapter 2 words and meaning

词汇是语言的基本要素，是语言达系统赖以存在的支柱，因此文化差异在词汇层面上体现得最为突出，涉及面最为广泛。心灵的语言(languageofsoul)IntroductionThecloserelationshipbetweenlanguageandcultureismostreadilyseeninwords.Wordsthatareintuitivelyrecognizablearebasicunitsofmeaning.Thesystemofmeaningshapedinaparticularculturalcontextisunique.Thisisnottodenythesimilaritiesbetweeneithersystemsofmeaningorthewaysinwhichthesesystemsofmeaningarerepresented.Butasawhole,eachlanguagerepresentsauniquesystemofmeaninginuniqueways.WordsandCultureInsomelanguages,theremaybeonlyasinglewordforacertainobject,creatureorconcept,whereasinanotherlanguage,theremaybeseveralwords,evenquitealargenumber.Eg.1:camel(InArabic:morethan400words)Eg.2:snow(InEskimo:morethan30terms)Eg.3:carry(扛、挑、抬、担、背、提、驮、挎)Culturally-loadedwordsWordsarefoundtohavetheheaviestcultureloadinalanguage.---DanYanchang“…communicationwithanativeofanotherlanguagedemandssharingmeaningsthatgobeyondlistlessdictionarydefinitions.”---SeelyeTypesofmeaning1.conceptualmeaning:therelationshipbetweenawordandanobjectintherealworld(e.g.dog,book,river,etc.)oraconceptinourmind(e.g.life,friendship,hatred,etc.)towhichthewordrefers.2.connotativemeaning:thecommunicativevalueanexpressionhasinadditiontothepurelyconceptualmeaning.e.g.woman,politicianandstatesman3.socialmeaning:iswhatapieceoflanguageconveysaboutthesocialcircumstanceofitsuse.e.g.domicile,residence,abode,homeThesocialcircumstanceoflanguageusemayincludeatleastlanguageusers.(whoareusinglanguage),setting(whereislanguageused),topics(whatarethelanguageuserstalkingorwritingabout).domicile:isnormallyusedinofficialorlegaldocumentsorbetweenpeoplewhoareinvolvedinofficialorlegalaffairs.residence:isnormallyusedinformaloradministrativecircumstance,abode:isapoeticword,normallyusedinthecreationandappreciationofpoets.home:istheonlywordthatisoftenusedineverydayspeechbetweenclassmates,colleagues,friendsorfamilymembers.Connotativemeaning:e.g.Politician,statesman:highgovernmentofficialpolitician:conveysaderogativeconnotativemeaning“engaginginpoliticsforpersonalgain.”Woman:anadultfemalewhoisbipedandhasawomb.Othersocialfeaturesofwoman:gregarious,subjecttoinstinct,andcapableofspeechGossipgirls:43percentofwomenwhostraychataboutittotheirclosestfriendand15percenttellmorethanone.Awomanistellingherfriendasecret.Theaveragewomancannotkeepasecretforlongerthan47hours.Typesofmeaning4.affectivemeaning:iscommunicatedwhenthefeelingsorattitudesareexpressedinlanguage.e.g.“aha”,“myGod”,“oh”,“dear”“Youarealiar.Ihateyouforthat”5.reflectedmeaning:itarisesinwordsofmultipleconceptualmeaning,whenonesenseofawordformspartofourresponsetoanothersense.e.g.“thecomforter”,“theHolyGhost”ReflectedmeaningManyEnglishcompoundsandtheirequivalentsinChineseareformeddifferently,revealingthefactthatEnglishandChinesespeakersmayviewthesamethingindifferentways.blackteavs.红茶contactlensesvs.隐形眼镜Businesscardvs.名片Greenhousevs.温室sunspotvs.黑子Typesofmeaning6.collocativemeaning:consistsofassociationsawordgetfromthosewordsthatareoftenusedtogetherwithit.e.g.pretty,handsome7.thematicmeaning:iswhatiscommunicatedbythewayinwhichaspeakerorwriterorganizesamessage,intermsofordering,focus,oremphasis.compare:Mrs.BessieSmithdonatedthefirstprize.ThefirstprizewasdonatedbyMrs.BessieSmith.1)girl,woman,flower,garden,color,village,2)boy,man,car,vessel,overcoat,airliner,typewriter.translatingpracticemakearoad,makeprogress,makeefforts,makeapoem,makeone’spositionknown,makeafire,maketea,makemoney,makeenemies,makepeace筑路，取得进步，作出努力，作诗，表明立场，生火，沏茶，挣钱，树敌，讲和开罐头，开灯，开电视，开饭，开恩，开车，开船，开飞机，开矿，开荒，开窍，开心，开胃，开腔，开炮，开战，开玩笑Openatin,turnonlights,switchonTV,serveameal,showmercy,driveacar,sailaship,flyaplane,exploitamine,reclaimwasteland,straightenoutone’sideas,feelhappy,stimulatetheappetite,begintospeak,fireagun,makewar,crackajoketranslatingpracticetakeabook,takeacity,takeanumbrella,takethefirstplace,takethefloor,taketheblame,takeacupoftea.拿一本书，占领一座城，带一把伞，获得第一名.发言，承担过错，喝一杯茶看朋友，看黑板，看情况，看风使舵，看病，看电影，看电视Visitafriend,lookattheblackboard,dependoncircumstances,trimone’ssails,gotoadoctor,seeafilm,watchTVCaseanalysisShoesforstreetwalking.Comeinandhaveafit.streetwalker:prostitutehaveafit:becomesuddenlyandviolentlyangryCaseanalysisCheesecakebeefcakeCaseanalysis科学减肥新概念ACompletelyNewConceptofReducingFatCaseanalysis芳芳牌唇膏FangFanglipstick芳：香，美好的Fang:along,sharptooth,esp.ofdogsandwolves,asnake’spoisonoustooth.CaseanalysisDabaoSODsod:somethingorsomeoneconsideredunpleasantCaseanalysisGoldencockCock:obscenetermsforpenisCaseanalysise.g.1.Theforeignaidtothecountrywasbelievedtobenothingbutawhiteelephant.2.Whenheplannedtosellhishouse,hisexpensivefurniturebecamewhiteelephants.3.whiteelephantsaleQuotation:Carefulwithfire,isgoodadvice.Weknow:carefulwithwords,istentimesdoublyso.--WilliamCarletonI.EnglishwordsthatcorrespondinconceptualmeaningwiththeirtranslationequivalentsinChineseMostEnglishwordshavecounterpartsintheChineselanguage,otherwisetranslationfromEnglishintoChineseorviceversawouldbeimpossible.abook一本书tiger老虎commander–in–chief总司令哲学philosophyLaurelwreath桂冠Poetlaureate桂冠诗