1、Unit8HumorInterpretationinInterculturalEncountersCulture is a Bridge.English gas stationnAllGreektome:nMeaninglessandincomprehensiblelikesomeonewhocannotread,speak,orunderstandanyoftheGreeklanguagewouldbe.nnAllInTheSameBoat:nWheneveryoneisfacingthesamechallenges.nnAnArmAndALeg:nVeryexpensive.Alargea
2、mountofmoney.English gas stationnATasteOfYourOwnMedicine:nWhenyouaremistreatedthesamewayyoumistreatothers.nBeatADeadHorse:nToforceanissuethathasalreadyended.nBeatingAroundTheBush:nAvoidingthemaintopic.Notspeakingdirectlyabouttheissue.n英格兰人谈论苏格兰人和爱尔兰人的3则笑话:1.一个爱尔兰人给旅游公司打电话:“我坐飞机到伦敦将用多长时间?”办事员想看看飞机时刻表
3、,对他说:“(请等)一分钟,先生!”“非常感谢!”爱尔兰人满意地答道并挂上了电话。2.一个苏格兰人从英格兰回到了家。家人问道:“在伦敦怎么样?”苏格兰人答道:“还行!就是那些英格兰人很奇怪。我住在旅馆时,他们像疯子一样在我隔壁敲了一夜墙。”“那你当时干什么呢?”“我没干什么!我只是吹了一夜笛子!”3.一个爱尔兰人前来伦敦度假,住进一家高级饭店。服务生拿起箱子,带他去房间。爱尔兰人生气地说:“看着点儿!别以为我来自爱尔兰,就让我住进这么个小房间!”服务生连忙解释道:“别生气,先生!这是电梯。”United Nations SurveynLastmonth,aworldsurveywascondu
4、ctedbytheUN.Theonlyquestionaskedwas:Wouldyoupleasegiveyourhonestopinionaboutsolutionstothefoodshortageintherestoftheworld.Thesurveywasahugefailure.nInAfricatheydidntknowwhatfoodmeant.nInEasternEuropetheydidntknowwhathonestmeant.nInWesternEuropetheydidntknowwhatshortagemeant.nInChinatheydidntknowwhat
5、opinionmeant.nIntheMiddleEasttheydidntknowwhatsolutionmeant.nInSouthAmericatheydidntknowwhatpleasemeant,andnIntheUSAtheydidntknowwhattherestoftheworldmeant.Humor Failure to understand humor is a common occurrence.n“Youarealsohuman”nAcomplimentinAmerica,butcauseembarrassmentinChina.Chapter 1:Humor as
6、 a Pathway to Intercultural Communication CompetencenHumorgoesbeyondlanguage.nLearninghowtoexplainhumorandhowtoaskquestionsabouthumorisimportantforinterculturalcommunication.nAtwo-stageprocessisinvolvedinsharinghumorbetweennativeandnon-nativespeakers.Stage 1:making new conversational rules.nThereare
7、manyreasonswhyitishardtoexplainhumor.nvocabularynsayingsandidiomsnbackgroundknowledgensomestereotypedimagesElements that may hinder our understanding of English humornVocabulary n“Quid”isthemodernwordforwhatwasoncecalledashilling”.nfriendsarecalled“tossers”.nIfyouarefondofsomeone,youshouldtellhimhei
8、sa“greattosser”-hewillbetouched.nSayings and idiomsnascloseasanoyster嘴很紧npolishtheapple讨人欢心;拍马屁nBackground knowledgen“Werenotamused.”nThiscelebratedremarkwasfromQueenVictoria,whowasexpressingherdissatisfactiontowardsomethingmeanttobehumorous.Some stereotyped imagesScientistsareconsiderednerdyandugly
9、.Rule for Nonnative Speakers1.Abandontheoldconversationalrule:2.Makethenewconversationalrule:3.Behaviornecessarytoimplementnewconversationalrule:1.Abandon the old conversational rule:Admittingincomprehension(不理解)andaskingquestionsabouthumorisstupid.2.Make the new conversational rule:naskingquestions
10、abouthumorisacceptableanditisasignofcourageratherthanincompetence(无能力)nAsConfuciussaid,itisbettertobestupidforthreeminutesthanforanentirelifetime.3.Behavior necessary to implement new conversational rulenAskingquestionsandregulatingconversationsintermsofidiomaticverbalandnonverbalexpressions.Cultura
11、l and personal idiomatic verbal and nonverbal expressionsnIdiomaticverbalexpressionsnitswayovermyhead!nIdidntgetit.nItleftmeoutinthecold.nWhoa!Thatwastooquickforme.nIdiomaticnonverbalexpressionsnA“T”gesture.nRaisingthepalmofthehandbeginningatthemiddleoftheforeheadupovertheheadaccompaniedbyajetlights
12、oundIdiomatic nonverbal expressions n A”T”gesturesnRaising the palm of the hand beginning at the middle of the forehead up over the head accompanied by a jet light sound Rule for Native Speakers1.Abandontheoldconversationalrule:2.Makethenewconversationalrule:3.Behaviornecessarytoimplementnewconversa
13、tionalrule:1.Abandon the old conversational rule:Checkingwhetherthepartnerunderstandshumoristreatinghimorherasanignorantchild,whichisrudeandinappropriate2.Make the new conversational rule:nactivelycheckingincomprehensionandencouragingquestionsassistsinterculturalunderstanding,whichisasignofmaturitya
14、ndhonestyratherthanimpropriety3.Behavior necessary to implement new conversational rulenDoublechecknonnativepartnerscomprehensionnIndicatethefactthatevennativespeakerssometimesfailtounderstandthehumornAffirmandencouragethenecessityofaskingquestionsStep 2:explaining humorn“Outoftheordinary”nCultureis
15、usuallyimpartedinatacitway.ntacit tsitadj.心照不宣的,缄默的,默示的nTheyhaveatacitunderstanding.q他俩心照不宣。Comparison of syllogism and enthymemenSyllogism nMajor premise(s)n minor premise(s)nConclusionnEnthymeme nnminor premise(s)npremise premis,premis,primaizn.前提Iwonderwhetherthewholepremiseisright.我怀疑整个前提是否正确。Co
16、ncepts:nsyllogism nsildizm,sil.dizmn.三段论法,演绎推理,诡辩nAsyllogisminvolvesathree-stepformalreasoningprocessassociatedwithformallogic.Itconsistsofthreepremises.nenthymemenen.mi:mn.省略推理法,省略三段论法nPiecesofsyllogismareusuallymissing.Theyareassumedtobeunderstood.Aspeakerhastorelyonhisorheraudiencetoprovidethemis
17、singpremisestoreachtheconclusion.nsyllogism nScientist are usually nerdy and ugly.(the major premise)nSamuel is a scientist.(the minor premise)nSamuel is quite nerdy and ugly.(the conclusion)nenthymemenMajor premise(s)missingn minor premise(s)provided(humor or text)nConclusion missingChapter 2:Conve
18、rting Enthymeme into SyllogismYou might get confusednMeatmarket?nbeef?Pork?nMeetmarketnabarornightclubwherepeoplecanmeetforsocialorromanticpurposesThree steps in converting:1.ExplainingtheMinorPremises2.ConstructingtheMissingMajorPremises3.(Not)ReachingConclusionsStep 1 Explaining the Minor Premises
19、nExplaintheexplicitmessagesseeninthecartoonnAcoupleofscientistsinabartryto“meet”peopleStep 2 Constructing the Missing Major Premises nMissingpremise(a)ntheordinarymeatmarketbehaviornMissingpremise(b)nthestereotypesofscientistsn(Scientistsareoftenportrayedas“nerdy”,meaningawkward,unfashionable,boring
20、,andsociallyinept)nNonnativespeakersmayunderstand:nAscientificmeatmarketisabarwherenerdypeopletrytoseekromanticencountersandstrikeupconversationsbyshowingoffimpressivescholarlyoracademiccredentialraterthanphysicalattractiveness,socialstatus,andwealth.Step 2 Constructing the Missing Major Premises St
21、ep 3 Reaching Conclusion or NotnReachedinanalogousculturalcontextnIfnot,humorousconclusionscannotbereached.na)theirbarsaredifferentfromthebarsinAmericanb)thestereotypesofscientistsarepositiveStep 3 Reaching Conclusion or NotnUndersuchcondition,nativespeakersshouldask:na)wheredopeopleseekromanticenco
22、unters?(e.g.Studentsdancingparty)nb)whoistheleastdesiredinromanticencounters?(e.g.Militaryintelligenceofficers)Step 3 Reaching Conclusion or NotnThusnReconstructthecartoonbyusingthepartnersculturalcontextn(placethemilitaryintelligenceofficersatadancingpartyratherthanscientistsinthemeatmarket)nnlocatinganalogousculturalcontextsChapter 3:SummaryAccomplishments:nFirstly:toimproveproceduralcompetencenSecondly:toknowmoreaboutourownculture,andbegintoactivelyidentifyandarticulatetacitculturalassumptionsnThirdly:toknowmoreaboutotherscultures,thustobemorehumbleandcautiousininterculturalcommunication