Abstract

Nowadays, taboo has become a common cultural phenomenon among different nations all over the world and it has regulated people’s speech acts as well as their social interactions. Therefore, people should try to learn how to express themselves better and not make the foreigners feel uncomfortable, especially in today’s fast-developing society. And under the influence of economic globalization and information globalization, people from different nations and countries are having a more frequent communication. Therefore, this dissertation makes a comparison between Chinese and Western taboo words to make people have a better communication with foreigners and improve the relationship between the two cultures. 

Key words : taboo words; Chinese and Western; comparison;    intercultural communication

Contents

Abstract

中文摘要

1. Introduction1

2. An overview of taboo words.2

2.1 Definition and Origin of taboo words..2

2.2 Causes of the arising of the taboo words3

3. Comparison between Chinese and Western taboo words.3

3.1 Similarities between Chinese and Western taboo words4 

3.1.1 Taboos on illness and death..4

3.1.2 Taboos on religions5

3.2 Differences between Chinese and Western taboo words7

3.2.1 Taboos on naming and appellations.7

3.2.2 Taboos on numbers and colors8

4.Measures to avoid the embarrassment caused by using taboos.10  

4.1 Comprehension of language and cultural backgrounds.10

4.2 Skills of using euphemisms..11

5. Conclusion..12

References.14