汉语文化特性的“积极评价面子”与“消极评价面子”概念建构:基于身份理论的视角

Constructing Positively-evaluated Face and Negatively-evaluated Face in Chinese Culture:An Identity Theory-based Approach

本文依据身份理论探究体现汉语文化特性的面子表征。采用实证研究的方法,以中国传媒大学有声媒体语料库为语料来源,对关键词"面子"和"脸"进行检索,提取V+"面子"和V+"脸"在不同场景使用的搭配形式,然后对其呈现的层面、使用的频率以及突显的面子敏感因素进行数据分析;根据分析结果,从自我呈现和面子敏感性视角对"面子"和"脸"呈现的异同进行分析,进而对体现汉语文化特性的"积极评价面子"与"消极评价面子"概念进行建构。研究发现:汉语中的面子表征存在"积极评价面子"与"消极评价面子"之分,其内涵与Brown和Levinson所界定的"积极面子"与"消极面子"有显著差异。这一发现进一步证明,具有英语种族文化倾向的积极面子和消极面子概念不适于解释汉语文化特性的面子表征。

This research,drawing on identity theories,explores the culture-specific face-representation in Chinese. It adopted an empirical method,specifically,by surfing the key words Miànzi and Liǎn from the Sound Media Corpus of Communication University of China from which V +Miànzi and V + Liǎn collocations were extracted,and then the data analysis was made in terms of their presentation levels,frequencies,and sensitive factors. Based on the results,it analyzed the similarities and differences between Miànzi and Liǎn-representations from the self-presentation and face-sensitivity perspectives,and finally constructed the two concepts Positively-evaluated Face and Negatively-evaluated Face which are exhibited as culture-specific face-representations in Chinese. The study finds that Positively-evaluated Face and Negatively-evaluated Face are characteristically distinguishable in Chinese culture,but these two concepts are significantly different in their connotations from Positive Face and Negative Face proposed by Brown and Levinson. The finding further confirms that the English ethnocentric notions of Positive Face and Negative Face are not applicable to explaining the culture-specific face-representation in Chinese.