旅游对纳西东巴文语言景观的影响

Tourism Impact on the Naxi Dongba Linguistic Landscape

语言景观作为文化在公共空间中的重要呈现,是文化变迁研究的突破点。东巴文作为一种濒危语言,在旅游中被作为文化资源开发,形成当地的语言景观。虽然政府、研究者均期待通过旅游复兴东巴文,但是旅游的相关影响在学界中至今未达成共识。通过定性研究,以丽江作为研究地,运用语言景观信息功能与象征功能的理论框架,对旅游影响东巴文语言景观进行探讨。研究发现,旅游中东巴文景观虽然突出,但是流于形式,旅游"复兴"的东巴文景观仅具有象征功能,成为一种旅游商业符号,缺乏支撑语言活力的信息功能。研究认为,东巴文的未来发展需要另辟新径,东巴文的真正复兴需要从东巴文原有的发展模式中去寻找启示,其精髓更大程度需依赖文化精英维系。

Tourism and language are closely related. Language not only serves as a communication tool between hosts and guests but also can be developed into tourist attractions. Tourism development has proved to have important impacts on languages, such as the spreading of English. Yet, most of previous researches investigate the phenomenon superficially, focusing only on oral language rather than the written characters. This study attempts to fill this gap by investing the impacts of tourism on the Dongba language in Lijiang, one of the most famous tourism destinations in China. Dongba script, which is used in Dongba religious books, is regarded as a world intangible heritage and is in an endangered status. Dongba script seems to be widely used in public spaces. Linguistic landscape refers to the written languages used in public spaces, such as road signs, warning signs, and private business signs. Linguistic landscape analysis was used in this study. Qualitative research method was adopted and field work was carried out. The research is mainly based on first hand data which were collected through participant observations and interviews with various stakeholders. Secondary data were also collected from relevant agencies and research institutes to supplement the research findings. By comparing the use of Dongba scripts in three historical towns that are at different tourism developmental stages, the study finds that the use of Dongba script in the public and private signs are closely related to the process of tourism development. Governments and small business entrepreneurs are the major drivers to use Dongba scripts. The wide use of Dongba scripts in the public signs is due to the governments＇ regulations to enhance the ethnic cultural atmosphere of the destination. Business people tend to use Dongba scripts to add an ＂exotic＂ flavor to the business attractiveness. However, the use of the script is only for its symbolic function rather for communication and information. None of the guests, entrepreneurs, local residents and even the governments staff interviewed understand the Dongba scripts and ever use these scripts in their daily lives. Most of them also show no interests in its cultural meaning. These scripts are only aware in the tourism context as the symbol of unique Naxi ethnic culture. Due to the lack of need for communicating using Dongba script, the use of Dongba language is very causal and lack of rigorous attitude. This causal and often wrong use of these scripts in the long run will further bring barriers for its information function since these scripts cannot communicate the right meaning. The study concludes that the role of tourism in the revival of the Dongba script is very limited and more efforts should be made to increase the number of Naxi intellectuals who use Dongba scripts to communicate messages.