Because of the influence of feudal ideology, taboos were strictly forbidden from been talked about。 Therefore, Chinese studies of taboos are much later and fewer than western countries。 In China, the Sociolinguistics by Chen Yuan is the earliest literature that introduces and interprets taboos in1983。 After that, more and more Chinese linguists and researchers began to research this topic。 For example, Chen Jianmin’s New Explorations on Language, Culture, and Society published in 1986 discusses the relationship between language and society。 Since 1980s, different aspects of taboos have been talked about, such as definitions and features of taboos, the classifications, origins and so on。 For instance, Chinese Folk Linguistics by Qu Yanbin in 1992, and Adaptation in Context by Feng Guangyi in 1999。 Besides, Cai Jianping analyzes the aspect of privacy, appellation and modesty; Lv Jie studies the factors of the difference between English and Chinese taboos。
These studies have given a detailed and comprehensive description on taboos, but few of them cite English and Chinese taboos as an example and try to present both the negative and positive effects that are brought by the complicated relations with the similarities and differences of taboos in these two languages。
3。 The Features of Taboos
Taboo is a social phenomenon that has existed in culture and language for a long time。 It influences people in many different aspects。 What is taboo on earth? Ronald Wardhaugh argued that “ Taboo is one way in which a society expresses its disapproval of certain kinds of behavior believed to be harmful to its members, either for supernatural reasons or because such behavior is held to violate a moral code” (Wardhaugh 234)。 Actually taboo is the prohibition or avoidance in any society, and is believed to be harmful to its members in that it will cause their embarrassment, shame or anger。 It can be an extremely strong politeness constraint。 If the society regards something or certain behaviors as taboo, usually the words about them should not be referred。 As a result, words and expressions about these things and acts become taboo, which is an important part language。 It is useful for people to know the definition of taboo because people can master the essence of taboo。
Taboos come into being with the appearance of human cultures。 During thousands of years of human evolution, taboos have also changed and developed。 Some of the changes and developments are of language and some of them are not。 No matter what the form is, taboos change with time, area or culture or other factors。 As a result, taboos have been given different features, such as universality, nationality, inheritance and time characteristics。 Some features can be found in explicit taboos, while some need the test of time。 It is the different features that enrich the persity of human culture。
3。1 Universality
As an important aspect of human culture, taboos appear when human civilization comes into being。 In other words, when we are born we live in a society filled with taboos。 Taboos are like air prevailing in the world no matter in remote dessert or in the prosperous city。 Taboos are like water, whether a tranquil streamlet or a majestic river, it can irrigate the wide soil。 Unlike laws, which can be found or referred to in the law books, taboos are much of a big invisible hand restraining the daily behavior of every human。 Laws are not impeccable that it has limitation in some aspects to which taboos can make contribution by its special advantages and make up for the deficiency。 Taboos have a strong control on how people think and what they should obey。 Consciously or subconsciously, people are more or less affected by taboos。 As a significant role in our life, taboos regulate and harmonize the relationship between people and people and the relationship between human and society or even the relationship between human beings and the whole universe。 浅谈跨文化交际中的中西禁忌语异同(3):http://www.youerw.com/yingyu/lunwen_202753.html