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1、AbstractDue to different countries and nations have different customs, social traditions, folk customs, thus causing the differences in language. Understanding of the different cultures, so that we can understand the cultural heritage of the world better. The culture of any country in the labor crea
2、tes a lifestyle of accumulation, thereby affects the different languages.The specific historical development in the formation of culture, the main content includes some allusion idiom, proverb and dialect. The differences between Chinese and western culture in language are reflected in the meaning o
3、f the words. Undering the different cultural background, people has different expressions and understanding on the same things, This article express the difference in the natural environment, customs and other aspects of the comparative study of Chinese and western language.Key words: Natural e
4、nvironment Customs language difference摘要由于不同国家和民族有不同的习俗，社会传统，民俗风情，从而造成语言的差异。对不同文化的了解，使我们能够更好地了解世界文化遗产。任何一个国家的文化都是劳动创造，生活方式的积淀，进而影响着语言的不同。特定的历史发展中形成的文化，其主要内容包括一些典故习语，谚语和方言。中西文化差异在语言中的反映就是词的意义不对应。在不同的文化背景中的人，有时对同一事物的不同表达方式不同的内容，理解是不一样的。本文通过自然环境，风俗习惯等方面的对比研究，表达中西方语言的差异。关键词：自然环境 习俗 语言 差异1.IntroductionLa
5、nguage is a part of culture and plays a very important role in it. Some social scientists consider it the key-stone of culture. Without language, they maintain, culture would not be possible. On the other hand, language is infuluenced and shaped by culture; it refects culture. In the broadest sense,
6、 language is the symbolic representation of a people, and it comprises their historical and cultural backgrounds as well as their approach to life and their ways of living and thinking.Cultures differ from one another, each culture is unique. As cultures are diverse, so languages are diverse. It is
7、only natural then that with difference in cultures and differences in languages, difficulties often arise in communicating between cultrues and across cultures. Understanding is not always easy.Learning a foreign language well means more than merely mastering the pronunciation, grammar, words and id
8、ioms. It means learning also to see the world as native speakers of that language see it, learning the ways in which their language reflects the ideas, customs, and behavior of their society, learning to understand their “language of the mind”. Learning a language, in fact, is inseparable from lerni
9、ng its culture. In what ways are there the differences between Chinese and Western language?2. The differences between Chinese and Western language 2.1.Natural environmentIn the eyes of the Chinese people, “ summer” is always related to “hot ” . But Shakespeare Sonnet have such lines“Shall I compare
10、 thee to a summer day ?” The poet compares his lover to a summer, sweet and warm. The meaning of “ Summer ” in China and Britain was so different. The reason lies in the different geographical position, China is located in the Asian continent, belong to continental climate, four seasons are clearly
11、demarcated. In summer the sun is shining fiercely, the weather is scorching hot. Britain is located in the North Temperate Zone, an oceanic climate, summer is sunny mild, agreeable. Of course, there are other examples , for example, in Chinese,“east wind” make people think of the warm wind, which ma
12、kes people have a pleasure feeling, however, in the western is the opposite. The reason is the same, the two different locations, different feeling.2.2.Productive laborIn Western, many words related to fisheries and shipbuilding industry very much, such as fish in the air (缘木求鱼 )、an odd fish(怪人)、mis
13、s the boat (错过机会) .This kind of words in Chinese is much less. Because the British is surrounded by water, aquatic fishing and seafaring in the economic life plays an important role, therefore, they have many of these words. In China, with only a few coastal areas that fishermen net fishing, so this
14、 kind of words is relatively little. To express the" physical" negative carry verbs in Chinese, there are many, such as “carry, load, pick, pack,” and so on, every word has a certain negative carry things with the corresponding, which is really very close. In English, only a "carry&qu
15、ot; to refer to this action. However, in Chinese, there have many different words to express the same meaning. There probably because in the long run China agricultural society, especially because of the many physical labor.In Chinese, we will encounter “ 老黄牛”, “ 气壮如牛 ”, to express the same meaning
16、in English，we can say “work like a horse”, “as strong as a horse”, “flog a willing horse” .Why Chinese use “cattle(牛)”，But English use “horse”. The answer is Chinese always use cattle to plow farming, early British and Malay farming. Cattle and horses in the production process are divided into two p
17、eople, and they represent two different characters.2.3.Customs and habits2.3.1.Ways of Address For example, "cousin", corresponding to the China, as we know, Chinese cousin relationships are distinguished very strictly in sex and age, but in British, there only has one general word. This l
18、anguage phenomenon contributes to Chinese thousands of years feudal society rule. This feudal society attaches great importance to ties of blood, with special emphasis on the differences between the old and young grade, high and low status. Relative relation, age and gender such aspects are differen
19、t, right and obligation also along with the social status. In the English-speaking countries, people has been to address others by using the first nameTom,Michael, linda, Jane, etc.rather than calling the person Mr. Summers, Mrs. Howared or Miss Jones. This is especially common among americans , eve
20、n when people meet for the first time. This applies not only to people of roughly the same age, but also of different ages. It is not a sign of disrespect. It is not at all uncommon to hear a child calling a much older personJoe, Ben, May, Helen, etc. This may even include the childs parents or gran
21、dparents. People of different social status do the same. For example, many stuednts call their professors by their first names. The professors do not regard this as a sign of disrespect or familiarity, but rather, as an indication that the professor is considered affable and has a sense of equality.
22、 This , of cours, is quite counter to Chinese custom. One can imagine the reactions of adults if a child were to call a grandparent by his or her first name, or a student to do the same in calling a teacher. A quick reprimand, and possibly even a spanking for the child, would be sure to follow.Anoth
23、er common Chinese form of address is the use of a persons title, office, or occupation , such as 黄局长，林经理，马校长. But one seldom hears English speakers addressing others as Bureau Director Smith, Manager Jackson. In English, only a few occupations or titles would be used : Doctor_ is common for those wh
24、o have qualified in the medical profession, and Judge_ for those authorized to try cases in law courts; Governor_and Mayor_may be used for those who hold such offices, although often without the name. However ,there are very few others.2.3.2.Honorific modest wordsLike the title, English honorifics i
25、n modest words have far fewer Chinese. In English, regardless of their age, their status，"You" is " You" , " I " is " I". But in China it requires people to speak with the elders, and even peers or superiors, to use honorifics, or you will be thought as a misn
26、omer and ruder. Using the modest words, if not, you will be considered impolite. Another reason is that, Chinese people for thousands of years of tradition, to express their own, they always use“ modest” words.While in English the word less than two reasons, one is that Westerners like a pursuit of
27、equality, two is their long-term respect for individual values, happy to express themselves, emphasizing the cultivation of self confidence. By the above idea control, the West receive praise, congratulations when response was right the answer. Chinese hear such words would say modest words, while t
28、he westerners would not hesitate to say "Thank you". I have read this joke, at a dance, a tribute to a Chinese woman said "You look very beautiful today (你今天很漂亮) " .The Chinese woman quickly said modestly " Where( 哪里 ), where( 哪里 ). " The Americans are very strange, and
29、 then had to say "everywhere( 到处 ) " .According to the Western habit, when they praise others, always want other people to give thanks or readily acceptable answer; otherwise they will misunderstand each other on their own sense of doubt. But the East is relatively modest, cautious, even i
30、f they are very happy, also do not have identity or accept a compliment. What reply should be given by guides and service people when a foreign person says Thank you for a job well done? This is a situation often met by hotel attendants, museum or exhibition guides and tour guides. To translate the
31、Chinese expression 这是我应该做的as Its my duty conveys the idea that the Chinese attendant or guide didnt really want to do it, that he/she did it only because it was his/her duty. Quite a different message is conveyed! A proper reply might be Im glad to be of help or Its a pleasure.2.3.3.Privacy When wes
32、terners meet for the first time, the most frequent topic is about the weather. For example" its fine, isnt it? "、" Its raining hard, isnt it? " They are in front of the person they meet for the first time or not too familiar, never ask about their privacy issues to show respect f
33、or each other. Chinese greeting sometimes also said to you. Such as" you don't look well today, ill?"" We have not seen each other for a long time ", for most Westerners, to strangers or not familiar with the people present " How old are you? How much do you make? Are yo
34、u married? " Talking about age, income, marital status, religion, family as well as the topic belongs to personal privacy, when others said,. "you get fat. "" You thin", should pay attention to the body. Even more familiar with each other, they will feel embarrassed, difficu
35、lt to answer, because it is not polite.The whole matter of privacy ,as understood in the West, is alien to many Chinesein fact, there is no equivalent Chinese term for privacy. This may be due, in part, to the close living arrangements of the Chinese. Villages with scores or a hundred or more famili
36、es desnsely packed in a small area have been typical of the Chinese countryside for centuries. Even in towns and cities in the north of China, the 四合院,a quadrangle with several households around a single courtyard, meant continual contact among members within the compound. With such arrangements, pr
37、ivacy would be hardly possible. This is quite different from the individual housesoften with a sizeable surrounding yard or garden for each that have been characteristic of Western countries until comparatively recent times. Another reason may be the communal spirit or spirit of brotherhood that has
38、 long prevailed among the Chinese. Close contact concern mean that one persons affairs are also very much the affairs of ones family, ones neighbors, and even the larger community that one belongs to. How different this is from the privacy so treasured in the West.2.3.4.Religious beliefEnglish langu
39、age related to religious words amount is huge, magnificent. The language is the thought reflected directly, two distinct religious vocabularies is one of the two ethnic and religious concepts different true portraiture. Before the Sui and Tang Dynasties, Confucianism and Taoism in Chinese teaching o
40、f the two dominant in Chinese religion, involving more words related to that, such as “ 太极",“阴阳”“五行”, its spirit, such as the statue of destiny, line of filial piety, resign oneself to one's fate also visible in daily language. During the Suit and Tang Dynasties, Buddhism was introduced int
41、o large, lots of Buddhist words followed, the retribution idea was accepted and digested Confucianism. Confucianism, Buddhism, Taoism that occupies the absolute dominant position in china. In the UK, while Christianity is the predominant religion. The education in 597 years in England. After a long
42、time, many related words into the English succession cavalcade. It is the Old English period from Latin into English words ,for example angel (天使)、monk (僧侣 )、religion (宗教) 、dean(教长).Modern English period from other foreign language borrowed a large number of words, the English involved in religious
43、terms far more than other languages.2.3.5. Mode of thinkingDifferent regions, physiological, psychological and cultural differences will form different modes of thinking, especially the difference of culture decide the difference of mode of thinking in a very great degree. Good at thinking in images
44、 is the notable character of the Chinese way of thinking; they are used to regard things as an organic entirety. While the westerners are good at logical thinking, their mode of thinking is linear; they think that thing is made up with different parts, when one part has problem, they will deal with
45、that part. The difference between Chinese medicine and western medicine is a good illustrate for this point. Chinese medicine emphasizes the overall diagnosis and treatment, while western medicine has no overall plan, they will treat head if they have a headache and treat foot if there is a pain in
46、foot. There are the differences between the overall thinking and individual thinking. Chinese culture emphasizes the whole thinking mode and attaches great importance to the harmony and unification. “Harmony is important" is the good embodiment of that idea.Therefore, the subject as the main bo
47、dy of behavior in the Chinese language is usually omitted. It is known as the sentence without subject. But it is different in the western culture; it emphasizes the opposition between the subject and object. It is called subject-predicate dichotomy on the linguistic reflection. In addition to the i
48、mperative sentence, every English sentence must have a subject, otherwise the sentence is incomplete. Therefore, we need add subject for a lot of sentences according to the specific context when we translate Chinese into English.2.3.6.The individualism valuesValues are peoples views, good and bad, n
49、ice and evil, beauty and ugliness, right and wrong, fair and unfair to judge standard. A nation's basic values once formed, will be firmly rooted in people's hearts, of brandish do not go, and be handed down from age to age.Chinese and Americans in the implementation of request speech act, m
50、ay be indirect, but for different reasons. Chinese is the result of the traditional way of thinking, as well as others or the group orientation and the influence of the face on the consideration and implementation of "request". While western and individual orientation people closely related to others to request, as far as possible the euphemism, this is be