Discussion on Russian-Chinese Language, Culture, and Customs

Author: Liu Guangzhun, Huang Suhua
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1999-11-01
Features: Language is not only a carrier of culture but also an integral part of it. All cultural activities, creations, and developments are inseparable from language. Language is a vital form through which culture arises, is passed down, and evolves. As a symbolic system, language is not merely a code for meaning but also a code for culture, serving as a significant marker of cultural existence—culture cannot exist without language. Language is a unique cultural behavior of humans, a special cultural phenomenon. The language of every nation is a mirror of its national culture, embodying immense spiritual wealth. Therefore, broadly speaking, language is also a form of culture; at the same time, it is a product of human creativity, a system, a norm, and a value framework, possessing social, transmissive, and variable characteristics, similar to narrow culture (religion, philosophy, art, etc.). However, language differs from narrow culture. As a formal system, it is universal and classless, sharing commonalities with world languages while retaining the uniqueness of the language itself. This special cultural phenomenon is typically referred to as "linguistic culture" to distinguish it from general culture. This book explores certain aspects of Russian-Chinese linguistic and cultural customs, primarily focusing on the cultural connotations of Russian-Chinese vocabulary and language use. The linguistic and cultural customs referred to here are the cultural background and connotations of certain linguistic units (such as words, idioms, proverbs, colloquialisms, and body language, etc.), or what can be called national semantic culture, as well as their characteristics and norms in verbal communication. Through analysis and appropriate comparison, the book attempts to elucidate related issues in cultural concepts, cultural psychology, cultural orientation, social customs, and national cognitive biases of the Russian and Chinese peoples, identifying similarities and differences in culture. For example, in Chinese, a close and reliable assistant is often referred to as a "left and right hand," while in Russian, the expression for this meaning is closely tied to the Russian national cultural psychology of revering the right and avoiding the left. This book is not a theoretical work on cross-cultural communication or language and culture, nor does it offer a comprehensive discussion of linguistic culture. Its purpose is to provide readers (particularly university and high school students, young teachers, and translators who have studied or are studying Russian) with rich and solid material reflecting traditional Russian-Chinese cultural customs, and to explore some intriguing issues in this field together with them. The authors strive for in-depth and specific analysis, with a novel approach to the starting points of their analysis. It is hoped that this book will not only expand readers' knowledge of cross-cultural communication but also help learners of Russian avoid or minimize awkward or unpleasant linguistic and cultural clashes when interacting with Russians, ensuring smooth communication and achieving desired outcomes. If readers find it beneficial, we will be gratified.