摘要随着中国与西方国家的经济，政治和文化等交流越来越频繁，人们在交往中时刻存在着“脸面问题”。面子理论作为一种礼貌现象，已经深入人际交往中。尽管面子是一种普通适用的概念，不同文化背景下人们赋予面子的价值和重要性仍然有着不可忽视的差别。本文从正负值面子理论的视角下采用对比分析的方法浅析中英面子文化的差异，探讨形成这些差异的原因。通过对比中英面子理论，以及对大量的例证分析，发现中英面子文化在词汇（委婉语、模糊用词、称呼语等等）和语义分析(条件句，否定句和反义疑问句等等）以及采用幽默的方面存在着差异。分析探讨这些差异，找到其各自的特质，能够帮助人们顺利进行文化交际，避免误解与尴尬。49946

关键词：积极面子；消极面子;文化差异;对比分析

Abstract  With the further exchange of economy and trade, politics and culture between China and Western countries, people pay attention to face problems in the process of communication. As a kind of politeness phenomenon, face theory has a deep impact on the personal communication. Although face is a widely used concept, people in different cultural backgrounds endow face with different values and importance. In this paper, from the perspective of the theory of positive and negative values, the author has analyzed the differences between Chinese and English face culture, which is probed by using the method of comparative analysis. By comparing the face theory and listing a great number of examples, the author find the differences existing in vocabulary, which includes euphemism, fuzzy words, salutation and so on, semantic analysis, which includes conditional sentences, negative sentences, disjunctive questions etc, and humor. Finding their own characteristics can help people complete successfully in the cross-cultural communication, avoid misunderstandings and embarrassment.

Key words: positive face; negative face; cultural differences; comparative analysis method

On the Difference of Sino-English Face Culture from the Theory of Positive and Negative Face Value

Contents

摘 要...i

Abstract...ii

I. Introduction..1

II. An Introduction to Face Theory ..2

 2.1 The Origin of Face Theory2

 2.2 Review of Face Theory at Abroad ...3

 2.3 Review of Face Theory at Home...4

Ⅲ. The Different Strategies of Saving Face in Chinese and English .6

 3.1 Euphemism6

 3.2 Hedge7

 3.3 Addresses8

 3.4 Conditional9

 3.5 Negation9

 3.6 Disjunctive Question...10

 3.7 Humor..10

IV. The Reason of the Distinction of Sino-English Face Culture.. 11

 4.1 Chinese Collectivism-orientated Culture and English Inpidualism-orientated Culture...11

 4.2 Chinese Hierarchy-orientated Culture and English Equality-orientated Culture....12

 4.3 Chinese Multi-religious Culture and English Mono-religious Culture...13

V.Conclusion....14

Bibliography..15

Acknowledgments.... 16 

I. Introduction

With the development of economy and trade between China and the West, the tie between them has become increasingly closely related. In cross-cultural communication, the difference of culture is one of the key factors that decide whether it is successful or not. Due to the different backgrounds, face cultures in China and the west also have a lot differences. This paper aims to discuss and analyze the different strategies of saving face and the different cultural factors influencing these strategies in China and the west. It is beneficial to cope with communicative stress and the cultural conflict, and promote the communication between Chinese and the Westerners so as to improve the communicative competence. For all of the English learners, it is important to achieve a successful communication. It involves in many factors. In Chinese cultural communication pattern, the communication of Chinese nation contains unique face culture. Comparing Chinese face theory with the English face theory, we can find their peculiarity and help us to complete the cross-cultural communication successfully and evade disagreement or conflict in it.