Analysis of Causes of the Chinese Negative Images in American Movies

校园英语/语言文化Analysis of Causes of the Chinese NegativeImages in American Movies西南科技大学/杨静[ Abstract] Among numerous Chinese characters in AmericanMost of the initial Chinese images in American movies arefilms, some Chinese negative images deserve attention.The causes cooks, servants or laundrymen.“These comic roles keep longof those images require further study.This paper explores the braids, say pidgin English.They are often not the real humor rolesreasons behind those Chinese negative images in the American but the targets of ridicule.”Typical Hollywood police banditmovies.The author chooses some typical negative Chinese images movie Year of the Dragon, which was directed by Micheal Ciminoin American films.And the main discussion is about the historical in 1985, tells a story happened in Chinatown in America that areasons and the influence of international communications.white policeman contests with the Chinese gang boss and finally[Key words] American movie; negative images; demonization; defeats him.international communicationThe movie actually expresses an issue: the prosperity of theL.IntroductionChinatown can not conceal the dirt and crimes in it.As a result,since entering the 20th century, the Chinese images in in this film, Chinatown is a frightening place with its numerousAmerican movies have been becoming more and more diverse. bangs, regular deadly shootings, drug trafficking and so on.Positive Chinese images can be found in the U.S moviesIn the film Once Upon a Time in America( 1984), theincreasingly.However, there are still numerous negative Chinese protagonist Noodle goes to a Chinese opium house.There areimages in American movies.And obviously, most of the negativemany eastern pornography pictures on the screens and walls,images of Chinese are a kind of distortion.Therefore, seeking the and many people who lie and blow a cloud in the opium house.causes behind the negative Chinese images is helpful for Chinese An old Chinese woman appears with her eyes blank and faceto work out a better way to show the world Chinese culture.expressionless.II.Chinese Negative Images in American MoviesThese films all shape an image of a laggard China and ofa result, if one wants to avoid linguistic taboos, he or she should original rigid theory becomes lively.However, there are also fewhave a good knowledge of what is or is not a taboo in the culturelimitations such as the involved ranges are relative narrow, and4.2 Using Euphemismthe knowledge studies are not further enough.A euphemism is a mild, indirect or less offensive word orexpression substituted when a speaker or writers fears more directReference:wording might be harsh, unplesantly, direct, or ofensive Since []Kramsch,Language and Culture,ShanghaiShanghai Foreigneuphemism may very well serve as polite substitutes for tabooEducation Press.C.2000.language, euphemistic terms are used in every aspet of society. [2]Keith Alan,Kata BrigeForbidde words [M].CambridgeExcept for the examples mentioned in this essay, instances likeUniversity Press,2006these can multiply.[3]段萍.On Analysis of English Taboos [J].科技信息,2007(3).While at the same time, we must ralie that language is alive [4]高 媛.Taboos in English-speaking Countis[].科技信and changing all the time .nfluenced by the social psychology息,2010().and its culture, euphemisms change constantly.When the negative[5]张慧.英汉禁忌语对比例谈[J].和田师范专科学校学报,connotation of a word is recognized in its euphemistic form, a2007(5).new euphemism will have to be sought for.[6]刘娜娜.跨文化交际背景下的中英文禁忌语对比研究[D]上V.Conclusion海师范大学2009.This paper mainly recommends simiarities and differences[7]陈原.社会语言学[M].上海学林出版社,1983.of taboos between English and Chinese culture in the present age[8]张洁茹东西方语言与文化的差异.禁忌语[]宁夏社会by social cultural factor. By comparison, we can find both Chinese科 学,009,(02).and Engish linguistic taboos rflet people' s psyhology for [9]杜 学增中英(英语国家)文化习俗比较[M].外语教学与研究good wll, for safety, fortune and pleasantness.But we can' tdeny出 版社199.中国煤化工the fact that there are differences between English and Chinese[10]张 玉洁,胡宗HCN MH G较[]西安邮电taboos.This thesis explores language taboos from our daily life学院学报,2008.and ilustrates relevant examples in each side. Therefore, the [1]陈松 英汉禁忌语的语用研究[DI].上海海事大学2007.校园英语/语言文化ignorant Chinese.The development of the English media in China can not meetlI.Historical Causes of the Chinese Negative Images in the shifting needs of Chinese international consensus propaganda.American MoviesChina Daily, the largest circulation newspaper to the outside3.1.The Hell Image in American Imaginationworld of China, has a circulation of three hundred thousandOver the past five centuries, the images of China have per day, but only has a circulation of twenty thousand abroad.evolved over time.The negative Chinese image was peaked in the The Chinese international communication has following keylate nineteenth.China changed from rich to poor, from open to problems:conservative.At that time, the“ Yellow Peril ”swept across Europe and has mainly focused on“ external publicity ”.The Chinese newsthe United States.“Yellow Peril”was a color metaphor for race media is used to serving as the spokesman for the government andthat originated in the late nineteenth century with immigration of takes official tint.However, the western audience don’t like the :Chinese laborers to various Western countries, notably the United reports which takes strong official tint.States.and later associated with the Japanese during the mid 20thThe communication is monotonous in contents.Chinesecentury, due to Japanese military expansion.It refers to the skin communication contents are featured by strong self-conscious andcolor of East Asians, and the belief that the mass immigration of seldomly choose subjects from foreign audience' s point of viewAsians threatened white wages and standards of living.The Chinese news transmission lacks artistic quality.There3.2.A History of Chinese Immigration to Americaare stiff didactic reports in Chinese news transmission.It gives theChinese immigrants came to the United States to seek better western audience the impression on Chinese that they are stiff,economic opportunity. Yet there were others that were compelled inflexible and difficult.to leave China either as contract laborers or refuges.The west can not learn more about China or can notAs time goes by, the Americans were aware of the threat understand China well.It has a negative effect on Chinese image.from Chinese .Newspapers around the country and especiallyV.Conclusionin California started to discredit and blame the Chinese forThe Chinese negative images in American movies reflectmost things such as the white unemployment. The police the prejudices and misunderstandings of American people evenalso discriminated against the Chinese by using the slightest western people against Chinese.It is a question worth pondering.opportunity to arrest them.Although there was widespread dislikeTo improve Chinese image and disseminate Chinese culture,for the Chinese, some capitalists and entrepreneurs resisted their Chinese government have taken some measures like setting upexclusion based on economic factors.Only in 1862, there were 88 Confucius institutes and carrying out some“cultural actities”Chinese Americans that were murdered in America.includes Peking Opera and calligraphy in the foreign countries.IV.The Influence of International Communications on the Meanwhile, China should pay much more attention to the choiceConstruction of Chinese Negative Images in American Moviesof the way of international communication.Chinese media should4.1.The American Media Transmissionmake a change.They should renew the transmission idea, enrichThe international communications have an undoubted the news contents, do more researches overseas and so on.dramatic effect on the national image.This problem should be treated with much patience.“RomeThe U.S media reports always hold a kind of demonizing was not built in a day."”The effort of every Chinese is needed.attitude and bias with some sensitive issues of Chinese society.The Chinese-related reports of American main media are notReference:neutral and could also be used as a medium to convey the []sas,Harold Rober.tCratches on our minds:Amerian viewsideologies of the powerful group.The reports about China are farof China and India,New York:The John Day Company,1958.from value-free.[2]段鹏,国家形象构建中的传播策略[M].北京:中国传媒大学出From the end of 1980s to nowadays, the reports of China版社,2007.by u.S.media are almost negative. Those reports reveal the so- [3]胡鞍 钢,张晓群.中国:一个迅速崛起的传媒大国一传媒实called dark side of China, or the fictions between China and力实证分析 与国际比较[M].北京社会科学文献出版社2004.some western countries on economy, politics and culture.The[4]陶乐赛.琼斯.美国银幕上的中国和中国人[M].北京:中国电American media even reports the isues about human right,，影 出版社，1963.中国煤化工Tibet,“Eastern Turkestan”and the environment of China[5]忻剑飞.世界的intentionally and falsely.[6]张健挺.负传播CN MH G:社会科学出版4.2.The Chinese Media Transmission社,2003.