象征符号解码与跨文化差异

Decoding of Symbols and Intercultural Differences

象征符号的符号形体与符号对象之间没有肖似性或因果相承的关系,它们的表征方式仅仅建立在社会约定的基础之上,是基于传统原因而代表某一事物的符号。语言就是典型的象征符号,它与所表征的对象之间没有必然的联系,仅仅建立在一定社会团体任意约定的基础之上,这种关系是任意的、偶发的,而不是必然的。不同民族因其特有的生活习俗、心理定势、思维方式及社会历史文化可以有各自不同的约定,从而形成不同的语言符号系统。符号的衍义性意指和象征意义都是由社会习惯建立起来的,因而不能直接推断出来。这种带有感情色彩的象征符号会因为编码人及其文化背景的不同造成所指的很大差异。

According to Peirce, the founder of American semiotics, signs can be divided into three categories： icon, index and symbol. Symbol is built up on the basis of social customs and traditions so that it can not be inferred or deduced directly. Language is a kind of typical symbol which has no indispensable relationship with the object it represents or suggests. This kind of relationship is arbitrary and occasional instead of being inevitable. Different nationalities may have different customs and traditions so that they may develop different language sign systems. People can use some symbols to express some abstract notions and feelings which are difficult to emulate and can not be directly referred to. Human beings get accustomed to using their familiar things to explain the implication of some cultural phenomena. Different cultural atmosphere and natural ecological environments make people have different association. Plants are the symbol of the natural world and the representative of the beautiful natural surroundings and they are closely related to human existence. Many idiomatic usages and symbols about plants came into being, and so did such culture. Generally speaking, people take interest in those beautiful or vigorous plants, which the world people, but they bring them different associative meaning. The color ＂red＂ in English symbolizes ＂violence, deficit＂, while it symbolizes ~happy, a festival day, revolution＂ in Chinese. Influenced by experience, cultural traditions and social institutions, people have gradually formed their own values, aesthetic standards, moral standards and religious tradition. According to their experience, speeches which human beings use animals as vehicles to speak highly of noble human behavior or spirit or belittle undue human behavior have been produced. In western culture, ＂owl＂ symbolizes wisdom, calmness, while in Chinese culture, ＂owl＂ is described as the phantom of the devil and the symbol of ill omen. So once people establish relationship between some language signs and objects, which is acknowledged by a particular society, certain symbols may come into being. Different symbols derive from different cultures. Language sign system is the symbolic representation of a people and comprises their outlooks on life, their values, their customs, their ways of living and thinking as well as their historic and cultural backgrounds. Therefore, during the development language sign system and its profound cultural connotations have been deeply ingrained with traces of social life, reflecting the unique cultural tradition of a particular society. Symbols with rich and colorful feelings may lead to great differences due to the different cultural backgrounds of the coders. It is a meaningful effort to probe into implied meanings of symbols based on the analysis of denotations and profound cultural connotations as well as discuss the intercultural differences in different cultural backgrounds.