An Analysis of English and Chinese Linguistic Taboo 英语专业毕业论文.docVIP

An Analysis of English and Chinese Linguistic Taboo 1 Introduction On social contacts, especially in the cross-cultural communications, you will often meet a sensitive issue which is taboo. Taboo restraints our language and behaviors as an invisible discipline, and makes us dare not to transgress the bounds in the forbidden ground. Taboo is almost everywhere, and linguistic taboo is an important part of the social taboos. In any kind of culture and any society, there are linguistic taboos, and in English and American society there is naturally no exception. In the same culture, because of the difference of regions, taboos have something in common and also some differences. In different cultures, the taboo differences will be greater. Because of this, taboo sets a barrier in our communication, especially in the cross-cultural communication, which makes people pay attention to it, to avoid it, to make sure that the communication can be well. Actually, the Chinese people, since ancient times, have paid great attention to this problem. The Book of Right has explicitly specified the etiquette norm of When in Rome, do as Romans do.” And with the evolution of history, people even put some important forbidden into the regulation in the public to attract attention. English-speaking people also focus on taboo very much. In daily communication, if anyone who violates the taboo, one may express unhappiness, and the more serious case is that it may make one turn hostile and even dont break off. Therefore, we can see that, knowing about taboo can do well for the international relations. 2 The evolution of linguistic taboo Linguistic taboo originally came from the word “taboo”. “Taboo” came into existence is because that at that time human beings didnt understand, or couldn’t understand a natural phenomenon and the essence of nature. In the eighteenth century, an English navigator called James Cook sailed to Tonga Archipelagoes in the South Pacific Ocean. He found there are many s