A Comparison of Taboo Words between Chinese and English---毕业论文

A Comparison of Taboo Words between Chinese and English---毕业 论文 政研论文下载论文大学下载论文大学下载关于长拳的论文浙大论文封面下载 【标题】A Comparison of Taboo Words between Chinese and English 【作者】杜 欢 【关键词】禁忌语;不同; 原因;汉语;英语; 【指导老师】游 伟 【专业】英语 【正文】 I. Introduction Nowadays, with the development of science and technology, the world becomes smaller and smaller; the increasing communication between different countries and nations make the mutual understanding more and more important. Thus, different social values and life customs blend as well as collide with one another. People in one culture may not use euphemism when referring to a social phenomenon while in another culture euphemism is the preferred way people address it. In present society, taboo plays a considerably important part in the development of cross-cultural communication in English and Chinese. There are some similarities in English and Chinese taboo, but different cultures may not all agree on what is or is not a taboo in a specific context. So the differences also exist between English and Chinese taboo. A Lack of knowledge in this field or improper use of taboos may lead to misunderstandings, conflicts and other unknown serious consequences in the cross??-cultural communication which is increasingly frequent and wider now. This paper intends to study the definition and characteristics of taboo, to analyze the similarities between Chinese and English taboo and present the differences from the aspects of privacy, name, number, colors and animals in both cultures, and the causes of the differences between English and Chinese taboo, Last but not least, two effective ways are proposed to avoid taboo words. II. The Definition and Characteristics of Taboo About the origin of Taboo, there are two viewpoints. One viewpoint is that the term Taboo is originated from Polynesian (in south Pacific) Tonga language. In 1777, Captain James Cook arrived in south Pacific Polynesian Tonga. In Tonga, he found a strange behavior in their daily life. There were many things forbidden to do, many foods forbidden to eat, and some words not allowed to say. The local language of Tonga called this phenomenon Taboo or Tabu. Then Cook borrowed the word into English. The word in English refers to acts that are forbidden or to be avoided. When an act is a taboo, the reference to this act may also become taboo too. That is, first, you are forbidden to do something, and then you are forbidden to talk about it. The other viewpoint is that the term Taboo is originated from native language in the middle Pacific Islands. After referring to information of different sources, most scholars think the source of the word “Taboo” is Tongan word, which is introduced by Captain James Cook from Polynesia to Europe in 1777. And in the book the Cambridge Encyclopedia of Language, when it defines “Taboo”, it points out clearly that Taboo has been borrowed from Tongan. Oxford Advanced Learner’s English-Chinese dictionary defines the word “Taboo” as follows: “(a) a cultural or religious custom that does not allow people to do, use or talks about a particular thing as people find it offensive or embarrassing. (b) a general agreement not to do sth or talk about sth.”1 We can also find the definition in the Cambridge Encyclopedia of Language: Taboo has been borrowed from Tongan, where it means ‘holy’ or ‘untouchable’. Taboos exist in all known cultures, referring to certain acts, objects, or relationships which society wishes to avoid-and thus the language used to talk about them. Verbal taboos are generally related to sex, the supernatural, excretion, and death, but quite often they extend to other aspects of domestic and social life. 2 In short, from these definitions of taboo, we can know all the taboos are likely to be considered sacred, dangerous, inviolable or obscene by certain people. It is usually not spoken directly. A taboo is something forbidden by religions, laws, morals or society and it is a common social phenomenon of every nation. Generally speaking, taboo has tree main characteristics: 1. Universality, taboo exists almost in every nation in the world. No matter in primitive tribe or highly civilized society; no mater in China or the western countries. 2. Nationality, as we know the culture of a nation can be reflected by the language of that nation. There is no exception for taboo. It presents some culture. Moreover, the differences of historical evolution, social system, value system and the ways of life in Chinese and English countries make the different content and form of taboos between these two cultures. 3. Variability, Language is active and it is in the continuous change and development. An American humorist listed a variety of expressions of “pregnant” in different times in English: “She has cancelled all her social engagements. (1856) she is in an interesting condition. (1880) she is in a delicate condition. (1895)She is knitting little boots. (1910) She is in a family way. (1920)She is expecting. (1935)She is pregnant. (1956)”3, at the very beginning, the word “pregnant” is hard to speak out. However, as time goes by, the expression of “pregnant” is changing clearer and clearer and at last the word “pregnant” is used by people. III. A Comparison of Taboo Words between Chinese and English As it mentioned above, from the characteristics of English and Chinese taboo words, there are many differences between them, the following is the brief contrast both in English and Chinese taboo words. A. Similarities of Taboo words between English and Chinese English and Chinese have certain areas of agreement on taboo words. Excreta and acts of human excretion (these are euphemistic terms themselves) are to be avoided in polite conversation. In English, if they must be mentioned, then the terms should be euphemistic ones. In Chinese, they are also taboo, but the Chinese attitude is less strict, and sometimes they say “吃喝拉撒睡”(eat, drink, shit and piss) in serious public talk or conversation. According to International English Usage, there are mainly several taboo aspects as follows, religion and god, sex, secretions and excretions, etc. Comparing English taboos with Chinese taboo words, Chinese taboos are similar to English taboos. For example, in Religion and God, most people in English-speaking countries believe Christianity, they have a strong sense of religion, and people are strictly prohibited from mentioning God’s name. Jesus Christ was a Jew who lived in Palestine 2000 years ago and is accepted by Christians as the Son of God. So in these countries, the religious terms like God, devil, Christ, damn, Jesus Christ, etc. are only allowed to be mentioned in serious talk. If someone mentions Jesus Christ in casual talk or in a joke, he will be considered impolite. However, when English people scold someone, they will use these words: “For Christ's sake!”, “God damned!”, “Hell!”, “Oh, damn it!” In Chinese, it is similar for people to avoid calling God’s name. Most Chinese people believe Buddhism, they also do not mention God’s name. They don’t call God such as “玉 皇大帝”(the Jade Emperor)， “大圣”(the Great Sage)，“佛主”(Lord Buddha ) etc. when they swears, they will use sky, such as “上苍作证”(god give evidence), “对 天发誓”(swear by Heaven). Sometimes they use “爷”(grandpa)， like“老天 爷”(God; Heavens), “阎王爷”(king of the hell), “土地爷”(God of the Land) and so on. Comparing English taboos with Chinese ones, we can find that though these two countries they have some similar taboo words. B. Differences of Taboo words between English and Chinese Although there are many similarities in English and Chinese, different views about what is or isn’t taboo words can be found in two cultures. Differences between Chinese and English taboo words embody the following aspects: 1. In Numbers In China, the number “4” and the word “死”(death) almost sound the same. People do not like the number “4”, because it reminds them of “death”. Among old people, they think “73” and “84” are two key ages. If you are 73 or 84 years old, you will die before the King of hell invites you. So many old people avoid talking their exact ages. While in English country, one of the most influential taboo numbers is 13. According to the story of “The last supper”: Judas, the person who betrayed Jesus, sat in the No.13 chair, therefore, Number thirteen is universally considered to be unlucky. No door’s number is thirteen; no hotel has the No.13 Room; they don’t allow 13 people to have dinner together. All in a word, they avoid number thirteen in every aspect. Therefore, thirteen become a taboo word in western countries. Another number concerning taboo in western is Friday. It also has long been considered as an unlucky day. “This taboo term affects people probably not only because they believe that Jesus Christ was put to death on the cross on Friday, but also because Friday is for many years the day of execution of criminals, commonly called “hangman’s day”4. Another striking contrast is that Chinese people like even numbers. For example, they say “好事成双”(Good things come in pairs). Chinese people especially like the even number “6” and “8”. The saying “六六大 顺”(Everything will go smoothly) can prove it . But in western countries, they like odd numbers. “The Roman poet Virgil says, ‘The god delights in an odd number’. In Shakespeare’s play Merry wives of Windsor, Falstaff says, ‘Good luck lies in odd numbers’ They say, ‘there is divinity in odd numbers, either in nativity, chance or death.’ ” 2. In Privacy Privacy means the individual situation or personal affairs that people do not want to be known by other people. As to the cultural differences in English and Chinese, it makes the differences of taboo in personal privacy. “The English-speaking people place a high value on privacy. The English have a saying ‘A man’s home is his castle.’ ”5 which means a man’s home is sacred to him; no one should come in without permission. So it is also with his life affairs. To ask questions such as those mentioned above would be considered prying into an individual’s personal life, which is another form of invading a person’s “castle”. In 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 families densely packed in a small area have been typical of the Chinese countryside for centuries. Even in towns and cities in the north of China, “四合院”(a quadrangle with several households around a single courtyard), which means continually contact among members within the compound. With such arrangements, privacy would be hardly possible. This is quite different from the individual houses often with a sizeable surrounding yard or garden for each that has been characteristics of English countries until comparatively recent times. These have vividly demonstrated that English-speaking countries pay much attention to the personal privacy. In British and the United States, the aspects of age, money, family, political affairs and religion, etc., are considered to be private affairs, which should not be asked in the interpersonal communication. But in China, it is very common to ask these questions when people communicate with each other and it will be considered to be an expression of cordiality and concern. In English-speaking countries, if you ask other people about age, it will be an impolite behavior. But in China, people often refer to the topic of age. When you meet an old people, you may ask, “May I ask how old you are, Grandpa?” When you meet a child, you may ask, “How old are you?” Talking about money is also a taboo in English-speaking countries. People should not ask something about other people’s salary or income. But in China, it’s very common to talk about money with each other and people are also willing to answer questions relating to income or other commodity prices. If you buy a new cloth, other people would ask the price of this cloth, and you are willing to tell them the price. But in English-speaking countries, if you ask the price of the goods that other people have purchased, this will be considered a disrespectful behavior. Political affairs and religious issues can not be asked in the daily life of English-speaking people, because they think that it’s the individual’s freedom to choose religious belief and political parities and it is none of other people’s business. So an American will not ask a Chinese such question “Are you a Party member?” But in China, it’s very common to ask this question, because Chinese people think Party members are always linked to a personal ethics. Another reason may be the communal spirit or spirit of brotherhood that has long prevailed among the Chinese. Close contact and a certain amount of mutual dependence and mutual concern mean that one person’s affairs related to the affairs of one’s family, one’s neighbors, and even the large community that one belong to. How different this is from the privacy so treasure in the English countries. In connection with English-speaking people’s feelings about privacy, there are certain English expressions meant to be deliberately vague. If a person says “I’m going out”, one should not ask where. If he/she says “I have an appointment”, it would be improper to ask with whom or what kind of appointment it is. Likewise, if a woman claims she has a headache, it would not do to be over-solicitous and ask what the trouble is, or whether or not she needs some medicine. If she really is in distress, she will probably say so. 3. In Names In addition to the taboos of people’s privacy, name is an important element of taboo. In appellation, English people are different from Chinese people. English people are much random than Chinese people. Chinese people are very strict about appellation. Many words are taboos and people cannot use them freely. English people can use any name if he/she likes (except god’s name). English people can have the same name with their mother, father, grandfather, grandmother and so on. What’s more, English people can have the same name with queen or king. In English, it does not matter, and it is very common for many English people to name their children as they like. But naming in Chinese is more serious and people cannot use them at random. There are many taboos in it. For example, because the second name of Sima Qian’s father was “Tan”. When writing the Historical Records，(Sima Qian changed “Zhao Tan” into “Zhao Tong” and “LiTan” into “Li Tong”) As a result , we cannot find such a Chinese character “Tan” in the Historical Records. But in the English culture, there are no such name taboos. The younger generation can refer to the elder generation’s name directly. It shows that they are equal, friendly and intimate. In the United States, many black people bear the name “Lincoln”, apparently after Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the country. English babies may be named after their grandparents or other relatives to show respect or to honor them. For example, “the British Prime Minister Churchill’s father was named Randolph. Churchill and one of the Prime Minister’s sons were also named Randolph. Churchill. The grandfather and grandson had the same name. The American president Franklin D. Roosevelt’s son also had the same name with his father.” This practice was quite different from Chinese culture which was characterized by a clearly delineated stratified society in which the names, for example, of one’s relatives, one or two generations above, or officials, or other influential figures were taboos to the ordinary Chinese, no one dared to name his babies after them. 4. In Colors The world is composed of materials of various colors. People live in this colorful world and give the color all kinds of meanings: some are positive while others are negative. Those colors with negative meanings become the taboo. People with different cultural backgrounds have different emotion or symbol to the same color. For example, in English-speaking countries, people think white is a pure, clean, plain, light and candid symbol. So, the white buildings show cleanliness, happiness, purity, and there is the white hall in London and the White House in Washington. When the people get married, the bride’s wedding dress is white for it is a symbol of pureness. But in China, white is the symbol of solemnity and grief, while red is the symbol of verve and joyousness, symbol death, bad omen. People like to use white in the funeral, also symbolizing failure, stupid and having no benefit can get. Red, This color is usually associated with celebrations and joyful occasions. This is true in English-speaking countries as well as in China. So in English one find, for example, red–letter days like Christmas and other special days. Such days are printed in red on calendars rather than in black for ordinary days. But in America, most people don’t like the red color. They think red makes people annoyed, and red means stop. They also believe that “to become red–faced” or “his/ her face turned red” shows embarrassed and unsightliness. In China, people like the red color, because they think red can bring them rich, luck and happiness. Blue, in English, blue is usually associated with unhappy feelings. “In a blue mode” or “having the blues” means a sad, gloomy or depressed mood. Blue devils mean sadness, gloom and depression. Similar in meaning is “a blue Monday” (the first day of work or school after a pleasant, happy weekend). But in China it almost has no special meaning. Yellow has positive meanings. It symbolizes the lofty, brilliance, joy, anticipation, wisdom and brightness. In America, yellow means anticipating, missing and hoping family members or good friends to come back soon. Yellow also has passive meanings, such as betrayal, envy, distrust, pornography and puerile, etc. “Yellow” is a kind of development variation of red in the Chinese culture. It symbolizes central political power and the righteousness of national territory. So in the past, yellow is used to the kings have particularly. 5. In Animals Animal is mankind’s friend, it is an essential factor for the survival of human. However, there also exist taboos in this aspect. Due to different cultures, there are different taboo words about animals in English and Chinese. In English-speaking countries, people like cat and raise it as their pet. But black cat makes people feel frightened, especially in Britain. They associate the black cat with witch. If some one runs across a black cat on a pitch-black Friday evening, it indicates this person will suffer the misfortune. In Britain’s ancient legend, people think the evil often turns into a black animal, especially a black cat and somebody says the black cat is what the witch changes into. The black cat has nine lives, which means that the witch has nine opportunities to use magic power. So the word “cat” in English means a woman with vicious heart, for example, “she is a cat” means she is venomous. And there are some other idioms about cat, such as “cats hide their claws”, “The cat shuts its eyes when stealing cream”, “Let the cat out of bag”, “Like a cat on hot bricks” etc. In daily life, people have always company with dog. Especially in English-speaking countries, they regard dog as faithful friend of mankind and it has become a part of their lives. There are many words about “dog” in English vocabulary, most of which are commendatory, such as “love me, love my dog”, “Every dog has his day”, “A good dog deserves a good bone”, “He worked like a dog”, “A son never thinks his mother ugly, and a dog never shuns its owner’s home however shabby it is” and so on. But in China, dog is merely an animal which looks after the house, and some words about “dog” in Chinese is derogatory, such as “狗腿子(hired thug), 狗嘴里吐不出象牙(no ivory issues from the mouth of a dog), 狗急跳墙(a cornered beast will do something desperate), 狗头军师(a person who offers bad advice)” etc. The dragon is considered as a sacred symbol in China. It is one of Chinese Totem, therefore, there are many words about dragon in Chinese, such as “中国龙(Chinese dragon), 龙腾虎跃(dragons rising and tigers leaping-a scene of bustling activity), 龙舟(dragon boat), 望子 成龙(long to see one’s son succeed in life)”, these all show that the Chinese people respect and love dragon. But in English-speaking countries, dragon is a symbol of fierce and evil, so in British and U.S newspapers, “Ya Zhou Si Xiao Long” is translated into “four tigers of Asia ” rather than “four dragons of Asia”. In English, owl is a symbol of wisdom. There is a saying “as wise as an owl” in children’s books and comic books and owls are usually very serious and very clever. However, Chinese people have different views about owl. They are afraid to see or hear the owl’s hoot, and consider it will be unfortunate. C. The Causes of Differences between Chinese and English Taboo Words There are a lot of causes for the differences of taboo words in cross-cultural communication between English-speaking countries and China, such as religion culture, etiquette culture and view of value and living environment, etc. Among them, the difference of national culture is a main reason. The language is a sign and a carrier of culture. Any structure and the language mode are hidden in certain culture. 1. Religious Culture As will be readily seen, the important significance of the effect of religious cultural differences on Chinese and English taboo is obvious. Christian and Confucianism are two different religions in many aspects. They fostered different cultures and value of views. For two thousands years, the core of western culture value system is the world view of Christian. People in western countries believe in the Christian religion including Catholicism and Eastern Orthodox Christians. According to the Bible, all the creations along with human beings are created by the God; the only god of the world is Jehovah. That is to say the idea that mankind has worshiped the nature, ancestor, totem since the ancient times is negated. It proves that the God created human beings and nature and at the same time endued with mankind the permission of looking after the nature and searing the nature. That’s why in western countries, the name of the God “Jehovah” is the biggest taboo. Nothing can make the listener shock compared with mentioning the God’s name. While as to China, for thousands of years there have been much worship such as totem-worship and ancestor-worship and they have never faded away. The Chinese almost believe in the polytheism (Confucianism, Daoism). And these religions advocate the thought of : “因果报应”(comeuppance)、 “生死轮回”(life–death transmigration)、“人 生无常”(uncertainty of life), Besides the ontology of Chinese philosophy which claims“天人合一” (The harmony between man and heaven/nature)，“万物本乎天,人 本乎祖” (mixes up with the mankind’s worship toward god with nature and ancestor). So the religious idea of Chinese people is vaguer than the westerners’ but the superstition thought is more densely. The Chinese religion is not monotheism but polytheism, and these religions, relatively speaking, remain in the low lever stage and incorporate with totem-worship, idea of ghosts and gods, witchcraft, fortune-telling, geomancy, fete and so on. So that is why in some areas of China people regard certain words as taboo for example they use “cat” instead of “tiger” and call the tiger “Shan Jun” or “Shan Shen Ye”. In a word, Chinese religion is in most cases collected with superstition and many other factors, which make Chinese people don't know whose suggestion to follow. That’s why in some areas, certain names of animal are regarded as taboo. 2. Etiquette Culture As is known to all that China and English-speaking countries have different etiquette culture. From time immemorial, the Chinese people had placed a premium on etiquette. In human communication people paid much attention to humility because they believed it was a kind of respect to others. So since ancient times, people have avoiding saying some words directly, for example the ancients called themselves“Bi Ren”and deferentially called others“Ge Xia、Shi Fu” . Besides Influenced by the long-term concept of respecting the old and taking care of the young, Chinese people do not regard old as taboo. In Chinese the word “old ” means “experience” and “wisdom”, So Chinese people seem to like to address each other as “老”(old), for example, “老爷爷”(old man), “老奶奶”(old woman ), “老吴”(Lao Wu), “老 教授”(old professor). These forms of address reflect people’s respect and esteem. While in western counties, people advocate the principle of practical and realistic, so they usually call other’s name directly. And they believe the etiquette of the abler a person, the busier he is, and the view of the old people are not fit to carry guts to a bear, so they regard old as a taboo. So the saying of “somebody is old” should be avoided so as not to arouse unpleasantness. That is why expressions such as “senior citizens”, “advanced in age”, “golden years” etc. are produced. What’s more because of the different etiquette culture, Chinese and English taboo is different in terms of compliments and courtliness. Traditionally Chinese people have the etiquette culture of self-abasement, and they emphasize the communication attitude of : “你行，我不行”(you can but I can not). Just like the Chinese saying “谦受益，满招损”(Pride hurts modesty benefits).So when received other people’s compliments, Chinese people tend to reply with: “哪里，哪里”(you flat me), “不敢当”(I don't deserve it) and avoid admitting to his merits so as to show their modest. By contrast, the English-speaking people advocate I can do as well as you, and they have the etiquette culture of outspreading personality, so in English there are only the compliments but not the formulae, and the English-speaking people do not take admitting their own merit as taboo. As stated above, different etiquette culture makes the Chinese and English taboo not alike. 3. View of Value and Living Environment Chinese and English-speaking people have different view of value in many aspects especially in relation to privacy. In westerners’ eyes, treating people equally and respectfully means do not interfere with others’ businesses. They take individualism as the main cultural characteristic. The principle of personality is emphasized in social communication. Respect other’s right so as to obtain harmonious interpersonal relationship. The view of “Good fence makes good neighbor” infiltrates to every field of social life including the taboo. The English-speaking people pay much attention to privacy and they believe that the individual privacy is sacred and cannot be infringed on. Just as the old saying goes, “A man’s home is his castle.” They make a point of protecting their own privacy. In their opinion, infringing on other’s privacy is no different from invading other’s territory. That’s why the westerners regard the topics of age, income, marriage, religions belief as taboo. But, by contrast, China is the country which takes group culture as the principal character. Many Chinese feel very unfamiliar with the idea of privacy. In fact, China has a large population and Chinese people attach great importance to frank and honest. The cultural view of “君子 坦荡荡，小人常戚戚”(Great hearts accommodate ships; tiny hands make wisps), “事 无不可与人言”(have nothing to conceal) makes people believe candid people do not mind being misunderstood by others. The Chinese people are thought to have the strong feeling of social conception. They promote the view of “合群”( get along well with others) which makes privacy-protecting very difficult. Besides Chinese people advocate communal spirit very much. They have the spirit of “sticking together ” (团结一致). The Chinese saying goes like this: “四海之内皆兄弟”(We are all Adam's children), “一方有难，八方支援”(When disaster struck, help came from all sides) What’s more, distinct living environment makes the privacy taboo different. Most parts of China are rural areas and Chinese people live closely together and they have the tradition of “串门”(go around to other’s house). Especially in northern China, people live in “四合院”(Chinese Quadrangle) so it is hard for people to keep privacy from others just as the Chinese saying goes “ 抬 头不见低头见” ( be bound to see much of each other). While as to the westerner, the situation is totally different. People have their individual houses with their own garden and the typical habitation style is single occupancy. This living environment makes people have the strong sense of privacy. Above all Chinese people put emphasis on the power of the collective close contact mutual dependence and mutual help, which is completely different from the view of western people who hold that each person should rely on his own efforts. Nowadays, change is characteristic of our modern society. A current trend of the society is globalization. So, it is high time to promote culture exchanges between China and English-speaking countries. Language is a part of culture, and taboo is a part of language. So in order to achieve successful communication in intercultural communication, understanding the cultural differences of taboo words in English and Chinese are very important. So, how we avoid taboo words? IV. Ways of Avoiding Taboo Words A. Having a Good Knowledge of the Taboo Culture “Language and culture rely on each other and influence each other. Languages are formed and develop under certain cultural background. Taboo is a kind of social phenomenon. Its existence and development are restricted and influenced by specific cultural background.” 3 Some words are prohibited in English; some words are banned in Chinese and some words are prohibited in both languages. As a result, if one wants to avoid violating taboos, he or she should have a good knowledge of what is or is not a taboo in this culture. For example, in China, the word “old” means “experience” and “wisdom”. At the same time, Chinese people are influenced by the long-term concept of respecting the old and taking care of the young. Chinese people seem to like to address each other as “老(old)” ,for example, “老”(old), for example, “老爷爷”(old man), “老奶奶”(old woman ), “老吴”(Lao Wu), “老教授”(old professor). But English people always connect the "old" with "uselessness" and "death". Therefore, when contacting with English people, the saying of “somebody is old” should be avoided in order not to arouse unpleasantness. For Example, we cannot call somebody “old Smith” or “old Brown”. Especially for women who are sensitive to age, no matter how old they are, we should not call them “Nai Nai” or “Da Niang”, though they are pleasant greetings in China. In English, expressions such as “senior citizens”, “advanced in age”, “golden years” etc. are produced in order to avoid “old”. A smooth cross-cultural communication greatly benefits from the good command of a foreign language’s cultural background knowledge. It is hard to imagine a Chinese who has a poor knowledge of English taboo culture can intercommunicate with the English people smoothly and without offending them, and vice versa. B. Using Euphemism From the above discussion, it is known that some harsh, blunt, unpleasant offensive taboos should not be expressed directly in our daily life. So it is very important for us to know how to avoid these taboos. Most taboo words can be avoided by the employment of euphemisms. (Euphemism refers to the use of pleasant, vague or indirect words or phrases to take the place of more accurate direct or taboo ones). In other words, euphemism is a means of expressing the words or things that are prohibited. Euphemisms are used almost in all fields of life. For example, when a judge gives the criminal a sentence, he will directly say, “I hereby sentence you to five years in prison.” But in order not to lose face the criminal himself or his relatives will tell others: “Somebody is sent to the big house”. Language is alive and changing all the time. Influenced by the social psychology and its culture, euphemisms change constantly. A euphemism may quickly acquire the stigma of the word it replaced and becomes a taboo after people use it for a time. For example, there is a series of expressions about the word “poor”. “At first I was poor, then, I became needy, later I was underprivileged. Now I’m disadvantaged. I still don’t have a cent to my name, but I sure have a great vocabulary.”8 Another example is that, in American English, euphemisms for the word “buttocks” are “arse”, “ass”, “prat”, “can”, “tail”, “cheeks”, “caboose”, “ fundament” and now the newest one is “sitting-down place”. V. Conclusion In short, this thesis mainly discusses the differences of taboo words in English and Chinese in name, number, colors and animals, etc. It compares and analyses the cultural differences of taboo in English and Chinese, at the same time it points out that the differences of national culture are a main reason for the differences of taboo words in English and Chinese. So on the basis of these discussions above, we can find that both Chinese and English taboos reflect people’s psychology for good will, for safety and fortune and pleasantness. The Chinese and English people restrict their words and deeds through taboos, trying to keep a harmonious relationship between human and nature, or between people and society. Although the traditional taboo words contain superstitions, ignorance and negative elements, the new taboo words on racism have no negative meanings. They are a reflection of people’s pursuit of freedom and equality. It hopes that the discussion about taboo words can help English learners improve their communicative competence and reduce miscommunications and conflicts in cross-culture communications. 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