A Comparative Study of Chinese and English Refusal Language Strategies

Using 80 short video examples about refusal language strategies on Douyin short videos as a corpus,this study explores the commonality and individuality,as well as the contradictory relationship between Chinese and British countries in the use of refusal language strategies by combining manual and graphical data analyses.It is found that Chinese people use more indirect ways of using refusal speech acts,and British and American countries use more direct ways of using refusal speech acts.In addition to this,both Chinese and British countries use non-verbal behavior to reject speech as a way of protecting the positive face of the addressee and reducing the threatening behavior to the face of the other party.This study also found that the ambivalent relationship between the emergence of refusal language strategies in both China and Britain is related to their personal psychological state,social values,and personal face.The results of this study have some values for sociology as well as pragmatics,which is conducive to the maintenance of interpersonal relationships.

High-context and Low-context communication: A Case Study of A Chinese Refusal

Edward Hall offers us an effective means of examining cultural similarities and differences,that is the classification of high-context and low-context culture.The paper attempts to analyze a case of a Chinese refusal from the perspective of highcontext and low-context communication and explores the differences between the two types of communication.

A Genre——based Analysis of English Refusal Letters

The present study analyzes ten English refusal letters of two subcategories based on Swales' genre analysis model and finds that difference exists in the generic features of the two subcategorized types. Teachers should reveal the underlying rationale behind linguistic features of a specific genre so that students can not only identify genre but also apply it appropriately.

The Erasure of Signifiers and Refusal of Signification in Philip Larkin's Poem“High Window”

This paper tries to analyze Philip Larkin's poem"High Window"from a deconstructive perspective. It is to show that in the poem the key words/signifiers are always under erasure, and thus the chain of signification is endless since the poem is self-deconstructing. Then, the paper argues that the linguistic features of the poem paradoxically meaningful in the sense that it reflects the poet's skepticism and anxiety.

Speech Act of Refusal-A Proposal from an Interlanguage Pragmatic Perspective

This paper is to present a typology of refusal strategies which may be employed in the analysis of refusal performance from a discourse approach.Some previous research carried out is reviewed in order to classify non-native speakers' production of this speech act.Then,the suggested taxonomy will be described in a systematized way from an interlanguage pragmatic perspective and within a conversational analysis framework.Finally,it is emphasized that effective communicative competence plays an important role in the production of this face-threatening speech act of refusing.

Cross-cultural Pragmatics within Speech Act:Refusal in Chinese and American Culture

This essay concentrates on the differences in one cross-cultural pragmatics within one speech acts-refusal in both Chinese culture and American culture.Some background theories are introduced at the beginning,followed by specific pragmatics situations of refusal.At the end of the essay,some concepts of cross-cultural pragmatics speech acts teaching are also discussed.

Refusal Speech Acts in Chinese and American English

Refusals are frequently performed in our daily lives.Based on the speech act theory of Austin and Searle,with the theoretical frame of the politeness theory put forward by Brown and Levinson,It presents a comparative study of speech acts of refusal in Chinese and American English.The results show that refusals vary in directness with situations and cultures;On the one hand,both languages employ the three directness types,namely the direct refusal speech act,ability of negation and indirect refusal speech act,and prefer indirect refusals.The situational variability of directness in both languages follows a similar trend.On the other hand,Americans are more direct than Chinese.Furthermore,Chinese shows the lower degree of situational variation in the use of the three directness types.People' s choices of refusal strategies are influenced by social power and social distance.From all these evidence,we maintain that the cross-linguistic differences are due to basic differences in cultural values.

A Polite and Respectful Acceptance——Implicit Function of Refusal in Chinese from Pedagogical Perspective

This paper discusses the implicit function of refusal expressions that has been used by Chinese native speakers when responding to people’s offerings.By analyzing three conversations regarding how Chinese people have accepted people’s offerings during different time periods(1960’s,1980’s,and 2000’s),the author argues that the verbal refusal in reacting to people’s offerings(especially gifts)does not literally mean“No,I don’t want it.”Instead,it is a way to show humility,politeness,and respect to the gift giver,and it functions as an implicit form of acceptance.By referring to three excerpts chosen from The Book of Rites(Liji禮記),the author demonstrates the Chinese cultural values and cultural themes,focusing on what Chinese people say and do to show respect and politeness when dealing with gifts or other friendliness related offerings.The paper finds two pedagogical implications:1)it is the instructor’s responsibility to highlight the verbal and non-verbal behaviors that both native speakers and language learners do not ordinarily notice in language class,and 2)the repetitive contextualized performances in different levels of learning are necessary and play crucial roles in teaching and learning.

Exploring the Negative Perceptions Influencing the Refusal of Flu Vaccination in the Older Adult Aged Greater than 60 Years Old: A Qualitative Systematic Review

Aim: To review and investigate the negative perceptions influencing the refusal of flu vaccination in the older adult population age older than 60-year-old. Methods: This literature review focus on the qualitative studies or qualitative data from the mix-design research. A structural search of databases was performed for qualitative studies or mix-design research containing qualitative methods which were published in English between 2011 and 2021. There are eight studies selected in total, including 6 pure qualitative studies and 2 mixed-design studies with qualitative research methods. Only the qualitative data would be analyzed during this literature review. Results: Five descriptive themes emerged: “Insufficient promotion for influenza vaccination by healthcare professionals”, “Anti-vaccination influence”, “Insufficient local policies for encouraging influenza vaccination in elders”, “The negative personal experience of influenza vaccination” and “The negative perception of influenza vaccination from social network”. And one analytical theme was developed: “The cultural influence of influenza vaccination”. “Anti-vaccination influence” was the most significant theme out of the others, as this theme contained the greatest number of correlations to the other themes. Discussion: The six themes synthesized from the reviewed studies have correlations between them. The theme of anti-vaccine influence was the most significant theme with the evidence of the greatest number of correlations with the other theme. Both intrinsic and extrinsic factors strengthen the effect of anti-vaccine perception in older adults, leading to refusal of influenza vaccination in older people population. Conclusion: The government should design new strategies for promoting influenza vaccination among older adults and acknowledge their needs culturally and financially. The cooperation of alternative medicine and mainstream western medicine maybe help for promoting influenza vaccination among older adults who adopted alternative medicine. Moreover, healthcare professionals also play a vital role in improving the influenza vaccination ratio in older adults as older adults are likely to follow the vaccination advice from healthcare professionals.

Obstetric Anesthesia Practice Significantly Evolved: A Field for Cesarean Delivery Parturient for the Provision of Safe Anesthesia in Urgent Circumstances

General anesthesia and Obstetric Anesthesia is the gold standard for a cesarean section but there are some cases where general anesthesia is unavoidable. The use of general anesthesia for cesarean delivery has decreased in recent years due to the widespread use of neuraxial techniques. The choice of anesthesia techniques for cesarean delivery depends on several factors, including the patient’s psychology and the attending physician’s experience. It is chosen because of its safety profile and its benefits to the mother and fetus. It may be indicated due to emergency, maternal refusal of regional techniques, or regional contraindications. Major complications include failed intubation, gastric content aspiration, and increased bleeding risk. This study aims to evaluate the impact of a newly launched team on obstetric anesthesia practice.

The Black Protests in Poland: An Example of an Anti-pastoral Revolution

Michel Foucault in Security, Territory, Population: Lectures at the Collège de France, 1977-1978 argues, that there has never been such a thing as an anti-pastoral revolution in Western societies. Yes, we have had revolutions against the disciplinary apparatus and legal devices of power (schools, hospitals, prisons) and we have had examples of revolutions against the economic foundations of social inequality, but there has never been a genuine revolution against pastoral power as a power relating to the conduct of individuals (but also entire social groups) and their disposition to “voluntary submission” to the will of external authorities. In my paper, I would like to reflect on this thesis, and taking it quite seriously, to look for examples of such revolutions. One of them is a women’s strike in Poland during the power of the conservative government of “Law and Justice”. Mainly referring to the texts of Silvia Federici and Paul Preciado, I will want to reflect on contemporary practices of reclaiming the body in contemporary capitalism. I will defend the thesis that regaining control over sexuality and reproduction means changing the material conditions of life and modern reproductive technologies.

Assessment of risk factors associated with oral polio vaccine refusal in Rahim Yar Khan District,Pakistan(2017)

Objective:This study aimed to determine the risk factors associated with oral polio vaccine(OPV)refusal.Methodology:A case-control study was conducted in Rahim Yar Khan(RYK)District,Pakistan.A case was defined as‘‘any child aged<5 years who was enrolled in the microplans of RYK District as part of the National Immunization Days program in January 2017 and whose parents or guardians refused to receive OPV for these eligible children.”The age-and sex-matched controls(1:1)were obtained from the same locality.Ratios were calculated,and odds ratios(ORs)were determined at 95%confidence interval(CI)and p<0.05.Results:Among the 110 children,64(58%)were male(male to female ratio,1.4:1).The mean age was 29.5 months(range,0.26–60 months).Seventy-four(67.2%)children were living in urban areas and 29(26.3%)children were living in peri-urban and rural areas,while seven(6.3%)were considered nomads.A total of 72(65.2%)children were Punjabi speaking,33(30%)were Saraiki speaking,2(3.7%)were Urdu speaking,and 2(1.82%)were Balochi speaking.Repeated campaigns(n=91,82.7%)was the major reason for OPV refusal.Living at a distance>1 km from a healthcare facility was significantly associated(OR,2.5;95%CI,1.4–4.4;p<0.05)with OPV refusal,while prior visits by healthcare workers(OR,0.11;95%CI,0.06–0.22;p<0.05)and mother’education above primary level(OR,0.42;95%CI,0.24–0.73;p<0.05)were inversely associated with OPV refusal.Conclusion:On the basis of our recommendations,door-to-door social mobilization visits by healthcare workers to alleviate fear,misconception,and fatigue of repeated campaigns and strict accountability mechanism were developed by district government at pre-and intra-campaign levels.

Impacts of Import Refusals on Agricultural Exports duri ng Pan demies: Implicatio ns for China

Pandemic outbreaks disrupt agricultural trade.The possible strengthening of import barriers to products from countries at the epicenter of a pandemic by their trade partners could aggravate this situation.This paper examines the responses of the US Food and Drug Administration(FDA),import refusals,and subsequent trade impacts on the agricultural exports from the developing countries that were the epicenters of four pandemics in the past two decades.Using monthly data for the period 2002-2020,we find increased import refusals and amplified trade-impeding impacts on agricultural exports during pandemic outbreaks.Increased import refusals and the amplification of the trade-impeding effect of import refusals were especially large when China was the epicenter.We further examine possible differences in these results across products and FDA inspection methods,and the main conclusions remain robust.This paper offers a better understanding of the economic outcomes of pandemic outbreaks and provides policy suggestions for China.

Psychotropic Medication Refusal:Reasons and Patients’Perception at a Secure Forensic Psychiatric Treatment Centre

Poor adherence to prescribed medication regimens can undermine the effectiveness of medications.This study was conducted to determine the demographic profile of forensic psychiatric inpatients refusing medications and to identify the reasons for refusal.Data were collected through interviews using a questionnaire including Drug Attitude Inventory‑10.Medication refusal was more common among Aboriginals(68%,n=34)than Caucasians(32%,n=16)and was highest among the patients 21–30 years of age(44%,n=22).Antisocial personality disorder and substance use disorder featured prominently among patients refusing medications.The main reasons for medication refusal were inconvenience(34%,n=17)followed by side effects(22%,n=11),ineffective medication(20%,n=10),illness‑related(16%,n=8),and no reasons(8%,n=6).Antipsychotic medications topped the list of the major classes of medications refused followed by Antidepressants and Mood Stabilizers.

基于通信顺序进程的并发DEDS的规范和证实

在实时通信顺序进程 ( TCSP)的基础上对离散事件动态系统 ( DEDS)进行建模、规范和证实 .介绍了 TCSP中与 DEDS相关的一些研究成果 ,根据离散事件的特点作了符号语义上的改进 ,就两个具体的例子——自动导引小车 ( AGV)和火车道口系统建立了 TCSP模型 ,给出了它们需要满足的特性 。

Decliners of provider-initiated HIV testing and counselling: Characteristics of participants who refused HIV testing in a population survey in Zambia

Objective: To assess the prevalence of HIV infection, to highlight HIV-testing refusal rates among participants in a population-based tuberculosis survey and to assess the implication for programme implementation.Methods: This cross-sectional study on the characteristics of participants who refused HIV testing was conducted in a national survey in Zambia. All eligible participants were aged above 15 years and included in the analysis.Results: Out of the 44 791 tuberculosis survey participants, 14 164(31.6%) refused to participate in HIV testing. The unemployed, rural dwellers, married, and those aged 15-24 years were associated with higher refusal rates.Conclusions: Strategies to improve HIV testing acceptance are necessary. Qualitative research is recommended to understand the reasons for testing refusals so that remedial interventions can be implemented.

Investigation of Prefrontal Cortex Activity in University Students with Presenteeism: A Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) Study

Presenteeism refers to impaired performance attributed to attending work with health problems. There has been no study examining the state of presenteeism with objective measures. We compared cerebral hemodynamic changes, measured by near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), during neuropsychological tests conducted by university students with presenteeism and healthy controls. Twenty-two university students participated in the study;11 of them with impaired performance caused by mental health problem were allocated to the presenteeism group and 11 without health problems to the control group. Presenteeism was assessed by the Presenteeism Scale for Students. To evoke hemodynamics changes, the participants completed a Word Fluency Test (WFT) and a Trail Making Test (TMT). The NIRS probes were located over the bilateral prefrontal area. Students with presenteeism had significantly higher incidences of depression than controls. However, there was no significant difference in behavioral performance examinations between the two groups. With regard to hemodynamics changes, the repeated measures analysis of covariance of the NIRS signals revealed significant interactions between group and task activation. Although we observed a significant increase in oxygenated hemoglobin concentration during the WFT among controls (simple main effect;left channel, F(1, 19) = 27.34, P F(1, 19) = 22.05, P < 0.001), no changes were found in students with presenteeism during either the WFT (simple main effect;left channel, F(1, 19) = 0.12, P F(1, 19) = 0.08, P t = ﹣0.94, P with Bonferroni correction = 0.745;right channel, t = ﹣2.19, P with Bonferroni correction < 0.113). This is the first study to reveal differences in activity in the cerebral cortex associated with presenteeism. The fact that students with presenteeism have prefrontal dysfunction might reinforce the concept of presenteeism.

On One Model of Complex Technical Queuing System with Unreliable Devices and with Time Redundancy

The given article deals with the development of analytical model of request service process by multichannel technical system with unreliable, repaired and reconfigured service facilities. It is assumed that the system is functioning in service mode of random length random request flows. The system considers the existence of time redundancy for afterservice of calls, the service of which is interrupted with refusal, non-depreciating the performed part of the task. Special probability functions are introduced which on the basis of probability reasoning allow to make the systems of integral equations describing the dynamics of request service process.

Why Did Sudanese End Stage Renal Failure Patients Refuse Renal Transplantation?

Renal transplantation remains the most effective treatment of End Stage Renal Failure (ESRF). In this cross sectional study we explore the reasons behind refusal of renal transplantation among adults’ Sudanese haemodialysis patients. The subjects of the study are ESRF adults’ patients on regular haemodialysis treatment in 15 haemdoialysis centres in Khartoum/Sudan. All patients who are on regular haemodialysis were interviewed by questionnaire to explore the reasons of refusal of renal transplantation. A total of 1583 ESRF adults’ patients on regular haemodialysis have been participated in the study, 381 (24.1%) patients refused kidney transplantation. The mean age of patients refusing kidney transplantation was (58.5 + 15.1 years);77.4% of them were ≥50 years old, 59.2% were males and 88.1% were unemployed, patients older than 50 years old and unemployed are tend to refuse renal transplantation

Difficulties and measures of driving super long piles in Bohai Gulf

Long piles of the ocean oil platform are usually manufactured as the integration of several segments, which have to be assembled one by one during installation. During pile driving, excessive pore pressure will build up in such a high level that hydraulic fracturing in the soil round the pile may take place, which will cause the soil to consolidate much faster during pile extension period. Consequently, after pile extension, the soil strength will recover to some extent and the driving resistance will increase considerably, which makes restarting driving the pile very difficult and even causes refusal. A finite element （FE） analysis procedure is presented for judging the risk of refusal by estimating the blow counts after pile extension, in which the regain of soil strength is considered. A case analysis in Bohai Gulf is performed using the proposed orocedure to exolain the nile refusal phenomenon.