(4) Teacher: Can you answer my question?
Student: Yes, I can。
Apparently, the student seems understand the literal meaning of a whole sentence without knowing the real meaning。 In fact, the teacher wants the student to give the answer of the question, while the student takes it as a query mistakenly。 Therefore, pragmatic failure occurs between the teacher and the student。 The student should give answer of the teacher’s question。
(5) A Chinese student Zhang Zhen had a chat with his English teacher Ms。 Jones, who comes from America。论文网
Zhang Zhen: Is your husband an intellectual?
Ms。 Jones: Well… no, he is an engineer。
The term “intellectual” (知识分子) covers a much larger range of people who have received higher education in China, such as teachers, lawyers, scientist, medical doctors, engineers, college students and so on。 In contrast, intellectual has a narrow and small scope and is used chiefly for college professors and someone who have similar high scholastic intellectual achievement in America。 The word “intellectual” sometimes is used in a uncomplimentary sense, which has a relative the meaning of someone wallow in empty theorizing and thinking, and often lack ability of solving practical issues。
(6) Lily: Is it close on Sundays?
Mr。 Wang: Of course。
As a general rule, “of course” (当然) almost equals to “Yes, indeed” or “Yes, certainly”。 But the word “of course” is not always equivalent with those kind of words in all circumstances。 In the above example Mr。 Wang’s intention is to give Lily a very positive response。 But on this occasion Mr。 Wang misuses the word “of course”, which makes the listener Lily thinks Mr。 Wang’s expression means that only a fool would ask such a question。
(7)Chinese people often directly translate Chinese jargon, terms, idioms, dynasty names, allusions and so on without explanation, which make it difficult to foreigners to understand, even make a bad impression。 For example, Chinese people always say that “高高兴兴上班去，平平安安回家来”。 This sentence implies that Chinese people care about each other in interpersonal relationship。 However, if without explanation literally translates into “Go to work happily, and come back safely!” Westerners would be baffled “So, what?”。 In fact, “Good luck!” just enough to express cares and wishes clearly。 In addition, “一个中心，两个基本点” always be translated into “One center, two basics” while the native speakers of English often use “One central task and two basic points” , and “一贫如洗” often be translated into “as poor as being washed away” that usually makes hearers confused。 While American people always use “as poor as a church mouse” to describe poverty。
(8) The following conversation takes place between an American teacher and a Chinese student。
Teacher: Mary, have you finished your homework?
Mary: Yes, I have finished my homework。
As a Chinese student, It may be a habit to answer a question with a whole sentence in English。 However, it is not always appropriate because sometimes a whole sentence could have a different meanings in different occasions。 In the case, Mary uses the whole sentence here。 As a result, it makes the hearer feel that Mary is tired of answering such questions or she is getting into a temper。 Therefore, it will be nice if Mary uses the simple expression “Yes, I have。”
2。2 Sociopragmatic Failure
Sociopragmatic Failure is the failure in the cultural context where the hearer can not understand the speaker。 It occurs when communicators can not appropriately use language according to different communicative occasions, different language habits and different characteristics of cultural background。 As we all know, there is no superiority between cultures, and the purpose of comparison is to help both Chinese and American people learn and understand their culture differences and have a clearer notion about the “different others”, and try to avoid or minimize Sociopragmatic Failure during their cross-cultural communications文献综述 中美文化交流中的语用失误现象(3):http://www.youerw.com/yingyu/lunwen_98835.html