Cross-linguistic Awareness of Cultural Keywords: A Study of Chinese and English Speakers

Abstract

In this paper we examine six Chinese terms which are among a handful of identifiable cultural keywords which have played an important role in Confucian heritage cultures. On the basis of an examination of common translations and explanations of the keywords in English, we show that their meanings are interrelated and overlapping. Using a questionnaire, we use 'definitional elements' from translations to investigate how native speakers of Chinese understand these keywords, compared with English-speaking learners of Chinese, and how English speakers who do not know Chinese understand the translations. Using a statistical approach we show in detail how the three groups have a measurably different understanding, which is asymmetrical. Visual representations, closely derived from mean scores, display the participants' awareness of the interrelated meanings, which is different for the three groups. The article is relevant to translators and teachers of Chinese, and in general to teachers and learners of vocabulary.