首页
登录
职称英语
Linguists have understood for decades that language and thought are closely
Linguists have understood for decades that language and thought are closely
游客
2025-04-04
4
管理
问题
Linguists have understood for decades that language and thought are closely related. Humans construct reality using thought and express these thoughts through the use of language. Edward Sapir and his student Benjamin Whorf are credited with developing the most relevant explanation outlining the relationship between thought and language, the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis. The hypothesis consists of two parts, linguistic relativity and linguistic determinism. Supporters of linguistic relativity assume that culture is shaped by language. Terwilliger defines linguistic determinism as the process by which "the functions of one’s mind are determined by the nature of the language which one speaks. " In simpler terms, the thoughts that we construct are based upon the language that we speak and the words that we use. In its strongest sense, linguistic determinism can be interpreted as meaning that language determines thought. In its weakest sense, language partially influences thought. Whorf was careful to avoid authoritative statements which would permanently commit him to particular position.
Because of the broad nature of his statements, it is difficult to distinguish exactly to what extent Whorf believes that language determines thought. Heated debate among modern linguists demonstrates that disagreement exists about the accuracy and correctness of Whorf’s studies and of the actual level of influence of language on thought processes.
The Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis essentially consists of two distinct statements connecting the relation of thought and language. Whorf believes that humans may be able to think only about objects, processes, and conditions that have language associated with them. The Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis also explains the relationship between different languages(French, English, German, Chinese, and so on)and thought. Whorf demonstrated that culture is largely determined by language. Different cultures perceive the world in different ways. Culturally essential objects, conditions and processes usually are defined by a plethora of words, while things that cultures perceive as unimportant are usually assigned one or two words. Whorf developed this theory while studying the Hopi Indian tribe. Whorf was amazed that the Hopi language has no words for past, present, and future. The Hopi have only one word for flying objects. A dragonfly, an airplane, and a pilot are defined using the same word. Whorf questioned whether or not the Hopi view the world differently than western peoples. After further interpretation and analysis he concluded that the Hopi have a sense for the continuum of time despite having no words to specifically describe past, present, and future.
It is commonly believed that the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis possesses some truth, but the extent to which it is applicable to all situations is questioned. Linguists generally support a "strong" or a "weak" interpretation. Linguists who study the hypothesis tend to cite examples that support their beliefs but are unable or unwilling to refute the opposing arguments. Examples exist that strengthen the arguments of everyone who studies the hypothesis. Nobody has gained significant ground in proving or refuting the hypothesis because the definitions of Sapir and Whorf are very vague and incomplete, leaving room for a significant amount of interpretation. [br] Towards the hypothesis, the author’s attitude seems to be______.
选项
A、supportive
B、objective
C、suspicious
D、critical
答案
B
解析
综观全文,我们仅从作者客观介绍SapirWhorf假设的相关段落获得了些信息,并未发现作者是否对该假说持怀疑、批评或支持的观点。因此B项“objective客观的”为正确答案。
转载请注明原文地址:https://tihaiku.com/zcyy/4026684.html
相关试题推荐
Thisteachingmethodisa______ofmanymethodswhichhavebeenusedfordecades
Peoplethought:Hey,eatacarpandyouwillbetakinginAwhatitisthatgives
InevertrustedhimbecauseIalwaysthoughtofhimassucha______character.A、g
Inthepastfewdecades,remarkablefindingshavebeenmadeinethology,the
Inthepastfewdecades,remarkablefindingshavebeenmadeinethology,the
Inthepastfewdecades,remarkablefindingshavebeenmadeinethology,the
Inthepastfewdecades,remarkablefindingshavebeenmadeinethology,the
Inthepastfewdecades,remarkablefindingshavebeenmadeinethology,the
Inthepastfewdecades,remarkablefindingshavebeenmadeinethology,the
Inthepastfewdecades,remarkablefindingshavebeenmadeinethology,the
随机试题
EachdayofEarthWeek,forexample,hasbeengivenovertoaseparateenvir
Todaywearegoingtopracticeevaluatingthemaintoolusedwhenaddressing
影响围护结构热稳定性的最主要因素是下列哪一项?A.传热系数 B.热惰性指标
外国投资者与中国投资者依法设立的娱乐场所()。A.只能是中外合资经营 B.只能
在我国,个人征信系统数据的直接使用者包括()。A.司法部门 B.税务部门
各国在制定汇率时必须选择某一国货币作为主要对比对象,这种货币被称为关键货币。根据
下边四个图形中,只有一个是由上边的四个图形拼合(只能通过上、下、左、右平移)而成
患者,女性,26岁。因左下颌角区渐进性膨隆5月余就诊。专科检查:面部不对称,触诊
银行承兑汇票的承兑银行,应当按照票面金额向出票人收取()的手续费。A:千分之一
阴囊疼痛,畏寒、发热A.慢性前列腺炎 B.急性附睾炎 C.膀胱炎 D.淋病
最新回复
(
0
)