Although the functional communication characteristics of a certain communication method remain unchanged, its language expressions can be diverse, but it is not arbitrary, but has certain rules and patterns. Circular. For example, there are often fixed or relatively stable formulas in terms of word usage and collocation relationships, which are generally conventional clichés, phrases and sentence patterns. The following will take the blessing language as an example to further explore the function
2. Functional communication method of the blessing language
The blessing language is a wish for something that has not happened yet (Wunsch?u?erung) , it is different from congratulations, which are congratulations (Gratulation) on what has happened. Wish words are a folk language phenomenon used to express good wishes and add a festive atmosphere. In daily communication, people express their wishes and hopes through various forms of wish words. For example: wishing others good luck, good health and long life, happy holidays, etc. These words are full of warmth and love.
From the perspective of communication purposes, the function of blessings is first to arouse the joy and excitement in others, or to achieve the psychological satisfaction function of seeking blessings and avoiding disasters, seeking advantages and avoiding disadvantages. It expresses people's love for beautiful things, their desire for future happiness, and reflects people's common pursuits and wishes. Therefore, according to Wilhelm Schmidt's functional communication perspective, the communicative intention of wishes belongs to the "emotionales Bewegen" type of prompting action (Aktivieren). Further analyzing the functional communicative characteristics of the communication method of blessing, its basic and distinguishing characteristics are "inzitativ" and "statement". However, an important factor that affects the communication process is the communication situation (Kommunikations situation). There are many communication situations where blessings are used, such as meal toasts, festivals, birthdays, weddings, vacations, visits to the sick, etc., in different communication situations and occasions The functional communicative characteristics of the blessings below are the same, namely "verbal action" and "statement", and at the same time there are subtle differences between them. For example, in the context of visiting a doctor, "Relax and recover, I wish you a speedy recovery!", the functional communicative characteristics of this wish are in addition to the two dominant distinctive communicative characteristics of "causing" and "statement" , also has the distinctive communicative characteristic of "comfort". For another example, in a communication scenario of support and encouragement, "The task was completed very well this time, I wish you greater achievements in the future!", the functional communication characteristics here also have the distinctive communication characteristics of "praise". In short, communicative intention determines the communication method and its expression.
3. Classification of Chinese and German blessings
Blessings with different contents, semantics and emotional colors are suitable for different occasions and objects. However, although the semantics of some blessings are similar, even The same, but only applicable to specific occasions and objects. There are many communication situations in life, and communication situations can be divided into two categories: general communication situations and special communication situations. The "general" aspect of general communication situations is that communication situations usually do not have a fixed time and place, and occur relatively frequently in life; while the "special" aspect of special communication situations is that communication situations usually have a fixed time and place, and occur relatively frequently in life. The frequency of occurrence is relatively infrequent. According to this standard, general communication situations can be subdivided into meals and toasts, encounters, farewells, support and encouragement, etc. Special communication situations can include birthdays, weddings, vacations, festivals, visits to the sick, etc. The following is an analysis of the expression forms of Chinese and German wishes from nine aspects.
1. General communication situations
(1) Toasts during meals
Chinese table expressions include "Cheers!", "Cheers for..." and so on. .
German table expressions include "Guten Appetit! Wünsche wohl zu speisen/Guten Hunger!/Wohl zu speisen! (Wish you/your good appetite)", and when toasting, say: "Wohl bekomm?s!/ Zum Wohl! / Zum Wohlsein! / Auf Ihr Wohl! / Auf Ihre Gesundheit! / Prosit!”, etc.
The forms of table wishes between Chinese and German are similar. In Chinese, commonly used verb predicate statements have omitted forms, such as "Cheers!". In German, prepositional phrases and noun phrases are commonly used. Prepositional phrases such as "Zum Wohl!" and noun phrases such as " Guten Appetit!”
(2) Encounter
In Chinese, some greetings for daily encounters also contain wishes, which can be included in the wishes. For example, Chinese people like to say "Hello!", "Good morning!", "Good evening!", etc. when meeting each other every day.
In Germany, when meeting daily, people usually say "Guten Morgen (Good morning)!", "Guten Tag (Hello you/Hello)!", "Guten Abend (Good evening)!", and then Add a title at the end, such as "Herr/Frau (Mr./Ms.)..". If you are just passing by someone and don't want to talk, you don't need to add a title at the end.
These three blessings are not restricted by region, age, occupation, or language style. You can also omit the "guten" in front and say "Morgen!", "Tag!", or "Abend!" directly. This is more concise and is generally used between acquaintances. People in southern Germany say "Grü? Gott! /Grü? dich! /Gott Grü? dich!/Gott zum Gro? (Hello)!". Now, due to the expansion of the scope of communication, people outside southern Germany often greet each other like this. "Tagchen" is the diminutive form of the word "Tag". In Hannover, people like to greet each other like this when they meet at any time of the day. "Gesegnete Mahlzeit!" A greeting between dots, used by people in all professions and at all levels of society. In addition, former East Germans would say "Freundschaft (Hello, originally meant for friendship)!" when meeting each other. However, since the reunification of the two Germanys, this usage has been rarely used by people anymore. It can be seen that greetings also develop with the development of society, and some of them that do not meet social requirements will definitely be eliminated.
Either in Chinese or German, the elliptical form of greetings when meeting is preferred. The geographical structure of language is one of the factors that affects the communication process. There are obvious regional differences in German daily blessings, and they reflect traditional religious culture.
(3) Farewell
In Chinese, there are many blessings that are often said when others leave. When bidding farewell to someone who is about to travel far away, they often say "I wish you a safe journey!" , "Have a safe journey!", "Take care!", etc. When meeting and greeting each other in daily life or when getting off work, "Have a good trip!", "Go slowly!", etc. are commonly used. There is also an unwritten rule in Chinese farewell speeches. When sending someone off by plane, you should not say "Bon voyage!" The possibility of accidents while traveling is high.
In German, when sending people away from a long journey, they say "Gute Reise (Have a safe journey)!", "Glückliche Reise (Have a safe journey)!", "Leben Sie wohl (Take care)!" ; Say "Gute Fahrt (Have a safe journey)!" or "Guten Rutsch (Have a safe journey)!" to people taking transportation. When we meet and greet each other or when we get off work, we often say "Sch?nen Feierabend (Happy After get off work)!", "Sch?nes Wochenende (Happy Weekend)!", "Kommen Sie gut heim (Good Day)!". To say good night, say "Gute Nacht (Good night)!", "Schlaf gut (Good night)!", "Angenehme Ruhe (Good night)!", "Tr?um was Sch?nes (Have a sweet dream)!", or you can Say "Guten Abend!" etc. Some religious blessings are hard to find today, such as "Geh mit Gott!/Gott mit dir!/Mit Gott! (God is with you)", "Bemüht dich Gott!/Gott bemühte dich!/ Gott segne dich! /Gott befohlen (God bless you)” etc. These wishes come from the Bavaria region in southern Germany and are now only used by some elderly people.
It can be seen that both Chinese and German farewell wishes are commonly used in omitted forms. The difference is that Chinese generally uses four-character idioms, phrases or verb predicates in the omitted form, such as the four-character idiom "Have a safe journey!" and the verb predicate in the omitted form "Wish you a good journey!". German uses noun phrases, such as "Gute Reise!", "Sch?nes Wochenende!", etc.
(4) Support and Encouragement
China’s terms of support and encouragement have been inherited from five thousand years of civilization and have a very profound accumulation and rich content. For example, "I wish you success", "A long journey ahead", "Success is imminent", "To be the best", "All the best", "All your wishes come true", "Everything goes well", "Smooth sailing", "Congratulations on getting rich", "Getting rich" , "Get to the next level", "Business is booming", "Business is auspicious", "Lucky stars shine", "Every adversity turns into good luck", etc., there are too many to mention.
In German, there are many such wishes, such as "Viel Glück!/Viel Erfolg!/Alles Gute! (All the best/I wish you success)!", "Alles Liebe und Gute!/Alles Gute" und Sch?ne! / Gutes Gelingen!”, “Ich drücke dir den Daumen!”, “Toi, toi, toi” (Success, success, success)! ", "Hals- und Beinbruch (good luck)! "And so on. In addition, originating from northern Germany are "Halt die Ohren steif! / Halt dich aufrecht / senkrecht (Good luck to you)! ". Originating from central Germany is "Mach?s gut (good luck to you)! ". In addition, there is a relatively unique phenomenon, that is, some blessings are only applicable to specific objects, which are quite similar to industry slang. Their semantics are similar, and they all mean "I wish you good luck and good luck." To give a few examples, such as :
Glück auf! (Wish the miners a safe trip and a safe return)
Glück ab! (Wish the pilot a safe landing)
Schi Heil! Good luck to the skiers)
Weidemannsheil! (Wish the hunter a great success and return with a full load)
Petri Heil! (Wish the angler good luck)
Gut Na ?! (Good luck to the swimmers)
Gut Holz! (Good luck to the bocce players)
Hipp hipp hurra! Success)
Chinese and German blessings of support and encouragement still use the elliptical form. Chinese still mostly uses four-character idioms and four-character sayings. It inherits traditional culture, is rich and colorful, and has far-reaching meanings. Colorful, in addition, some industries also have unique words of support and encouragement, which are rare in Chinese
2. Special communication situations
(1) Birthday<. /p>
The age and identity of the speaker are one of the factors that affect the communication process. Therefore, traditional blessings also have differences in age and generation. In China, there has always been a folk custom of celebrating birthdays for the elderly. There is a tradition of drawing lots for children when they are one year old. After liberation, those words and deeds that were not in line with the socialist spiritual civilization and the blessings with feudal superstition disappeared, and some blessings with strong folk customs were also abandoned as the Four Old Ages. After the reform and opening up, with the adjustment of national policies and the improvement of people's living standards, social blessings have also undergone unprecedented changes. Many blessings that were no longer used during the Cultural Revolution have reappeared, such as the younger generation wishing the elderly a happy birthday, using "health." "Longevity", "Longevity as long as the Nanshan Mountain", "Crane longevity and pine years", "Lucky stars shine brightly", and when adults wish their children a happy birthday, they usually say "Longevity", "Peace in life", etc.
< p>Germany’s birthday wishes are not as colorful as those in China, and there is no age limit. No matter who you are addressing, they generally say “Herzlich Glückwunsch! / Herzliche Glückwünsche! / Herzliche Gratulation zum Geburtstag! (Happy Birthday)”, “Alles Gute zum Geburtstag! (Happy Birthday)" etc.Among the Chinese and German birthday wishes, the Chinese wishes have obvious cultural characteristics. They usually use four-character idioms and four-character sayings. They are deeply influenced by traditional culture and are an important part of Chinese culture. The epitome of German is very direct and straightforward congratulations. (2) Marriage
There is an old saying in China, which is called "when a long drought comes, the rain comes, and when you meet an old friend in a foreign country, you meet an old friend in the bridal chamber." "On the night of flowers and candles, when the gold medal is named", these are called the four major happy events in life. It can be seen that marriage plays an important role in the journey of life. There are also many such wishes, such as "Happy wedding", "Longevity together", "Happy love", "Heart to heart", "Happy marriage for a hundred years", "Respect each other as guests", etc.
In Germany, the terms used to congratulate engagement and marriage are not as colorful and have deep traditional meanings as in China, but are relatively simple. For example: "Ich gratuliere / wünsche Ihnen zur Verlobung / zur Hochzeit (Happy Engagement + Happy Marriage)! ", "Gratuliere (congratulations)! "And so on.
There is a big difference between Chinese and German wedding wishes. Chinese often uses four-character idioms and four-character sayings. The content is influenced by Confucianism (such as "more children, more blessings") and folk customs, and the meaning is It is profound and takes into account the phonological effect. In German, it is a matter of fact and a simple congratulations.
(3) Vacation
Chinese people often say "Have a nice trip!" ”, “Happy holidays! "wait.
Germans are particularly fond of traveling. They will say "Sch&oum l;nen Urlaub (Happy vacation)!", "Viel Spa?! / Viel Vergnügen (Have a good time)!" and so on.
The forms of holiday wishes between Chinese and German are similar. Chinese generally uses subject-predicate phrases, while German uses noun phrases.
(4) Festivals
During festivals, there are many wishes in both China and the West. In China, the Spring Festival is the most important festival of the year, so there are many special wishes for this festival, and they are good at using four-character idioms or phrases. For example, "Congratulations on the New Year", "Happy New Year", "Longevity and good health", "Peace every year", "Mount every year", "Congratulations on getting rich", "Prosperous wealth", "Full of gold and jade" and so on. In addition, influenced by thousands of years of traditional folk customs, New Year's greetings are mostly related to the zodiac. For example, in the Year of the Dragon, when wishing a happy New Year, you would say "Good Luck in the Year of the Dragon", in the Year of the Horse, you can wish "Success will come from the horse", etc.
In Germany, the most important holidays are Christmas and New Year, and people use many words of blessing, such as using the word "Ich" or the phrase "Fr?hliche Weihnachten!" / Gesegnete Weihnachten! / Frohes Weihnachtsfest! (Merry Christmas)", "Glückliches Neujahr! / Prosit Neujahr! / Frohes neues Jahr! / Mit allen besten Wünschen für das neue Jahr! / Guten Rutsch ins neue Jahr (Happy New Year)! "And so on. German festivals are mostly related to religion. In addition to Christmas, there are also Easter, Pentecost, etc. At Easter, everyone will wish each other "Frohe Ostern! / Ein fr?hliches Osterfest. (Happy Easter)! ". A common holiday would be "Frohes Fest!" ”.
Both Chinese and German holiday greetings often use omitted forms. Chinese especially likes to use four-character idioms or four-character sayings, such as “Congratulations on the New Year.” In addition to noun phrases and prepositional phrases, German sometimes also uses The form of a noun phrase plus a prepositional phrase complement, such as "Guten Rutsch ins neue Jahr"
(5) Visiting a sick person
In Chinese, when visiting a sick person, it is common to say "get more rest." ! ”, “Take good care of your health! "," I wish you a speedy recovery! " etc.
In German, it is customary to say "Gute Besserung (Get well soon)" when visiting a patient! ", "Baldige Besserung (Get well soon)! ".
In addition, "Gesundheit" and "Zum Wohl" are often used in German, which means I wish you good health, but their communication context is a conventional polite expression used when others sneeze. ; In Chinese language customs, it is common to say "someone misses you", "someone talks about you" and "who is thinking of you". These words are not included in the category of blessings. They embody the characteristics of the Han-German nation. Cultural differences.
Chinese and German greetings also use elliptical forms, but there are differences in expressions. In Chinese, verb predicate statements generally use elliptical forms or combined statements, such as "I wish you a speedy recovery!" ", expressed euphemistically in informal situations, such as "Take good care of your health! ”, while German uses noun phrases, which are more direct expressions.
Language structures, such as written and spoken language, are also one of the factors that affect the communication process. No matter what kind of communication situation, wishes are This is reflected in the blessings such as "Shi Sui", "Rong'an", "Kang Ji", "Shang Qi", "Best regards", etc., which are generally used in written language such as letters and faxes, and the written language generally uses a more complete form. , the usual verbs at the beginning are "wishes..", "congratulations..", etc., such as "I wish you good results in the exam!" "When talking face to face or on the phone, concise omissions are often used, such as a phrase or a word.
4. Comparison of Chinese and German wishes
1. Comparison of syntactic structure
It can be seen from the above classification that Chinese and German blessings have similar syntax, but also have obvious differences. Whether in German or Chinese, many sentences expressing the meaning of blessings have different words and expressions. In terms of collocation, there are often fixed or relatively stable formulas.
Chinese blessings usually use "wishes", "blessings", "congratulations", "pre-blessings". Verbs such as "wishes" are often used in complete sentences in written language and formal situations, such as "On behalf of all my colleagues, I wish you a happy birthday: success is coming!" ", from a syntactic point of view, this is a concurrent sentence. In daily life, especially among relatives and friends, it is common to use a verb predicate sentence that omits the subject or object, which becomes "Happy birthday to you: success is imminent!" ” or “Happy birthday: success is imminent! ".
You can further omit the verb and simply say "Happy birthday: success is coming!", which becomes a subject-predicate phrase or phrase. This type of phrase is frequently used in both written and spoken language, especially four-character idioms and four-character idioms. A phrase or a four-letter saying.
German blessings are also commonly used in complete sentences in formal occasions and written language. As in "Ich wünsche dir ein glückliches Neujahr (I wish you a Happy New Year)!". In spoken language, the omitted form, that is, a noun phrase modified by an adjective, is used very frequently, such as "Glückliches Neujahr (Happy New Year)!", and sometimes the noun phrase is followed by a preposition modification, such as "Alles Gute zum Geburtstag! (Birthday)" hapiness)". In addition, prepositional phrases are also commonly used, such as "Mit allen besten Wünschen für das neue Jahr (Happy New Year)!" There are also verb predicate sentences that omit the subject, such as "Grü? Gott (Hello)!"
From the above analysis, it can be concluded that Chinese and German blessings tend to use complete sentences in written language, and omitted sentences in spoken language. However, with the improvement of social informatization and the acceleration of the pace of life, language expressions tend to be concise and clear. Therefore, even in some written language, elliptical forms are often used. Both Chinese and German have verb predicate sentences that omit the subject. However, Chinese has few noun phrases and prepositional phrases that are frequently used in German, and German does not have the unique four-character idioms and four-character sayings in Chinese.
2. Comparison of cultural background and tradition
Wish words are wishes for things that have not happened yet, reflecting people's yearning and pursuit of beautiful things. Chinese people have always said that the "Five Blessings" are fortune, wealth, longevity, joy, and wealth (or longevity, wealth, honor, health, and peace). "Blessings, wealth and longevity in the world, three auspicious stars in the sky." For thousands of years, Chinese people have always regarded the three stars of fortune, wealth and longevity as symbols of happiness, luck and longevity in social etiquette and daily life. Wishes are inseparable from the themes of happiness, health, harmony and wealth, which are the ideals pursued by ordinary people for thousands of years. Therefore, the content of Chinese blessings is naturally related to the "five blessings". For example, "lucky star shines high", "five blessings come to the door", "five blessings are achieved", "long life", "family well-being", "promoted steadily", "congratulations on getting rich", "prosperous wealth", "prosperous career" ", "Lucky stars shine brightly", "Misfortune turns into good fortune", "Adversity turns into auspiciousness", etc.
In addition, it also contains feudal patriarchal concepts and Confucianism. For example, "many children bring good fortune", "the durian blooms with hundreds of children", "a house full of children", "five sons pass the imperial examination", "unicorns send children", "give birth to a noble son early", etc. These are all deeply rooted in the feudal patriarchal concept of early birth, early childbearing and many children. The influence of the concept of fertility that children will be blessed and the family line will be passed down from generation to generation. Nowadays, our country implements the family planning policy and advocates late marriage and late childbearing. These outdated concepts have long been outdated, so few people say this kind of blessing now. Confucius said: "Those who speak closely but aim far away are good at speaking." People also follow this principle when expressing wishes, such as "longevity as long as Nanshan", "reaching a higher level", "a journey of thousands of miles", "sesame flowers blooming steadily", etc., which are not direct expressions of wishes, but It indirectly uses metaphors and symbols to achieve a rhetorical effect and achieve a communicative purpose.
Respecting the old and loving the young, and the three obediences and the four virtues are also part of Confucianism, and some blessings also reflect this idea. For example, there are many words specifically used to wish the elderly on specific occasions, such as "blessings are like the East Sea, life is as long as the Southern Mountains", "crane lives longer than pine years", "crane lives long and lives well", "wealth and longevity test", "sun and moon shine forever", "Pine and cypress spring together", "Gengxing Yonghui", "Blessings and longevity", "Deshuo and high age", "Pengdao Changchun", "Antarctic star", "Yifang Chuidan" etc. In the past, when congratulating newlyweds, they would say "husband sings and wife follows suit", "bringing up the case to raise eyebrows", etc., but now few people say this.
Chinese vocabulary has been gradually enriched and accumulated in the long historical development process. In its formation and development process, it has accepted the influence of many external factors, among which the greatest influence should be from India. Buddhist culture. Buddhism was introduced to China during the Han Dynasty. After hundreds of years of dissemination and development, it combined Chinese Taoism and metaphysics with the cosmology of Indian Mahayana Buddhism, and absorbed Confucian ethics of good and evil and moral preaching into the most popular form of Buddhism. , among the sermons that are most easily accepted by the public. Buddhism has become part of Chinese culture. Some blessings even have the influence of Buddhist culture. For example, "mind to heart" comes from Zen Buddhism. Pei Xiu of the Tang Dynasty wrote in "The Monument of Zen Master Guifeng Dinghui": "The hearts and minds are in harmony with each other, and the seals and seals are in harmony with each other." It originally refers to the fact that a student's enlightenment must be sealed by the ancestor, and it also refers to the lineage of Zen dharma transmission. Today it means that each other can understand each other without saying anything, and it describes that each other's thoughts and feelings are completely consistent. !
German blessings are deeply influenced by Christian culture. Throughout German history, the development of religious history is like the essence, running through the entire German history. Many major historical events are directly related to Christianity.
From the origin of German culture, the originally pagan King Clovis of the Frankish Kingdom converted to Roman Catholicism in order to safeguard his own ruling interests, to the Crusades, from Martin Luther's religious reform to the Enlightenment, which one? Isn’t it inextricably linked to religion? Religion has left an indelible mark on German politics, economy, and even daily life. Such as the wishes "Fr?hliches Weihnachten (Merry Christmas)!", "Fr?hliche Fastnacht (Happy Carnival)!", "Fr?hliches Ostern (Happy Easter)!", "Frohe Himmelfahrt (Happy Ascension Day) )!", "Frohes Pfingsten!", "Frohes Fronleichnam!", "Grü? Gott / Gott grü? dich / Gott zum Gru? (Hello)! Mahlzeit (Hello)” and so on. However, some usages are almost no longer used, such as "Geh mit Gott!/Gott mit dir!/Mit Gott! (God is with you)", "Bemüht dich Gott!/Gott bemühte dich!/Gott segne dich!/Gott befohlen (God bless you)!” etc.
The national character of German culture itself is the root of the blessing, which is characterized by respect for women and emphasis on loyalty, reputation, honor and bravery. Coupled with the influence of medieval knight culture, modern Germans pay great attention to the principle of "ladies first" in daily communication etiquette, which is often reflected in blessings, such as "Ich wünsche Ihrer Frau und Ihnen einen sch?nen Urlaub (Wish you and your wife a happy holiday)! "This sentence is generally used in written language. It can be seen from this sentence and its Chinese translation that the German sentence puts ladies before gentlemen, while the Chinese sentence is just the opposite. A wish that expresses the importance of fame, honor and bravery. For example, in spoken language, people often say Viel Erfolg (Wish you success)! ", "Hals- und Beinbruch (good luck)! ”, “Mach?s gut (wish you good luck)! " etc., all achieve the effect of wishes and encouragement in the form of blessing words, in the hope that the other party will eventually obtain personal honor and prestige
German culture emphasizes individualism and self-realization, which is consistent with the Han nationality's emphasis on group harmony. , the Confucian philosophy of belittling oneself and respecting others is exactly the same. Communication is a two-way process, and there must be an answer when there is a wish. We can also get a glimpse of different cultural backgrounds from the answers to blessings. For example, Germans always answer blessings first. Saying thank you, saying "Danke!" and then wishing the other person politely has become a basic principle in daily communication etiquette; while the Chinese sometimes use some self-effacing words, such as "Thank you for your good wishes", " "Thank you", "Thank you" and other words, and then wish the other person the same.
The Germans' wishes for the elderly are also very different from the Chinese. China has respected loyalty and filial piety since ancient times, among which filial piety is The foundation of loyalty, loyalty is the highest expression of filial piety. In modern society, we still advocate respecting the elderly and loving the young. There are many such blessings, but related words and phrases in German are rare, and there are very few blessings specifically involving the elderly. Mainly wishes for good health, such as "Gesundheit und ein langes Leben (good health and long life)!" ”.
Chinese and German blessings are a folk language phenomenon. There are integrities and differences in terms of wording, syntax and cultural background. The different cultural backgrounds and traditions are the result of The difference is key.
In the process of cross-cultural communication, in order to achieve the effectiveness of communication and avoid communication failure, the different cultural backgrounds of both parties must be taken into account, and the cognition of different cultures should go through the process of "depicting -> explaining -> evaluating" as much as possible , the same should be true for cross-cultural communication of blessings. In today's era of world cultural integration, become a "third cultural person" or "cross-cultural person" and have an understanding and tolerant attitude towards the cultures of other nations. , in this way, maybe the so-called Weltdorf, where there are no national boundaries between various ethnic groups, can really be realized one day?