Abstract

Formed by taboos, taboo words are common phenomena in Chinese and Western societies. Taboo which commonly exists among nations with different cultures regulates people’s language and social communication. The great differences between Chinese and Western cultures directly result in the great differences between Chinese and English verbal taboos. There are inevitably huge cultural differences in communications among people from different cultural backgrounds, as is a big obstacle in the cross-cultural communication. The comparative analysis of taboos helps readers understand the different connotations of Chinese and Western cultures and values, while helping to avoid communication errors, to achieve the desired communicative effects in intercultural communication, so that the cross-cultural communication can be more decent and much smoother. Therefore, it is of profound significance to study them it in linguistics and cultural communication.
This essay consists of four parts. The first part deals with taboos’ origin, main characteristics and classification. The second part, with examples of taboos, introduces the related basic cultural theories. The third part analyzes the similarities and differences between Chinese and English taboos and compares their cultural connotations and social psychology. To conclude, the fourth part proposes ways to avoid communication errors and help readers master them correctly; meanwhile, it points out that the special attention should be paid to the cultural differences between Chinese and English taboos so as to avoid artistic distortion.

Key words: taboos; comparison; cultural differences

摘  要

由禁忌所形成的禁忌语是中西方社会共有的现象。作为世界各民族之间复杂而又普遍存在的一种文化现象，禁忌语规范了人们的言语行为与社会交际。中西文化之间的巨大差异导致了中西禁忌语的差异，所以不同文化背景的人们之间的交际也存在着巨大的差异，从而成为跨文化交际顺利进行的一大障碍。本文对中英禁忌语的对比分析有助于读者理解中西方不同的文化内涵和价值观念，以期在跨文化交际中避免交际失误,达到理想的效果，从而使跨文化交际更加得体和顺畅。因此，对禁忌语的研究不仅在语言学上而且在文化交际上都有重大意义。
本文由四部分组成。第一部分简要介绍禁忌语的起源、主要特征和分类。第二部分结合禁忌语实例，介绍相关文化理论知识。第三部分分析英汉两种语言禁忌之间的异同，对中英禁忌语的文化内涵及社会心理进行分析与比较。第四部分针对上述现状，提出避免交际失误的有效方法，从而帮助读者正确地掌握和使用禁忌语，同时指出读者要特别留意英汉两种文化差异的禁忌，以避免文化失真。

关键词：禁忌；比较；文化差异