英语论文网

摘要：迄今为止，有许多关于思维和语言两者之间关系的争论，其中最著名的就是萨丕尔-沃尔夫假设，它提出了语言决定论和语言相对论的观点。从这个假设中，我们可以推导出，由于每种语言都有自己的形式，没有两种语言的形式是一模一样的，因此具有不同语言的不同文化对世界可能有不同的看法。不同民族的思维方式虽相似之处颇多，但又各具特点。因此，本文的第二部分着重从四个方面对汉、英两种语言所体现的逻辑思维进行了分析和对比，即:具象思维和抽象思维;综合思维和分析思维;主体思维和客体思维以及顺向思维和逆向思维。语言是表达和传播思维的最佳工具。思维作用于语言，语言也作用于思维。阐释过思维与语言的关系之后，我们能够更好的分析语言对思维的影响，特别是英语学习对中国人的思维产生的影响。 1. Introduction There have been many arguments for the exploration between thought and language. Among them is the famous Spair-Whorf hypothesis[1], whih proposes linguistic determinism and linguistic relativity. Put in an extreme form, this hypothesis follows that since every language has a form and no two forms are the same, no two cultures having different languages can have identical views of the world. Thought is the basis of language and language has to depend on thought for its content, at the same time, language provides the best instrument for the expression and communication of thought. The illustration of the relation between thought and language places us in a better position to clarify that language influences thought, particularly how English studying could influence Chinese’s thought, for Chinese people have been studying English for very a long time and almost every student in Chinese has to study it. Having learned the English for 10 years, the Chinese students maybe influenced by the language in thought. Here presents the hypothesis that English studying could influence Chinese people’s thought in some aspects. 2. Language and Thought 2.1 What is language? Modern linguists have proposed various definitions of language, and some of them are quoted below: “Language is a purely human and non-instinctive method of communicating ideas, emotions and desires by means of voluntarily produced symbols.”(Sapir, 1921) [2] Language is “the institution whereby humans communicate and interact with each other by means of habitually used oral-auditory arbitrary symbols.”(Hall, 1968) [3] “From now on I will consider language to be a set (finite or infinite) of sentences, each finite in length and constructed out of a finite set of elements.”(Chomsky, 1957) [4] Each of these definitions has its own special emphasis, and is not a totally free from limitations. However, there are some important characteristics of human language linguists have agreed on; the most commonly accepted definition of language is: “Language is a system of arbitrary vocal symbols used for human communication”.[5] So language is a special tool for human beings to communicate. It is possessed by human beings and allows people to say things to one another and to express thoughts and needs. In short, language is a unique system of communication and it is the cornerstone of society. 2.2 What is thought? “Thought is a function of human brain, and is a cognitive activity for human to understand the objective world. Thought is a process that uses the conceptions, judgment and reasoning to reflect the objective world. Thought can process all kinds of information that enters the human’s brain, therefore we can reflect the nature of things and can solve problems when we think.” [6] “Thought is a power or process of thinking.”（Oxford Advanced Learner’s English-Chinese Dictionary,2002,P1588） Thought is a process that information enters the brain and is analyzed, synthesized, judged and inferred on the basis of presentation and concept. After the spoken and written language come into being the information which