謝罪場面における言語表現の日中対照研究 ― アンケート調査の結果をもとに ―

Abstract

When certain social norms are violated, an apology is necessary and common in most cultures. However, different cultures have different views on what to do in certain situations. Even if under similar circumstances, there are differences in the way the Japanese and the Chinese apologize. If Chinese speakes learning Japanese language are not aware of the differences in language habits when communicating with Japanese people, even if they show respect and sincerity, they may hinder the communication, resulting in misunderstanding and even discrimination in some cases. Therefore, for Chinese people learning Japanese, it is very important to understand the Japanese way of thinking and the differences between Japanese and Chinese. To address the issue, this article analyzes the linguistic data from the perspective of discourse types proposed by Oki (1993a, b) through questionnaire surveys of Japanese and Chinese college students, and then clarifies the differences in linguistic expressions of apology between English and Chinese. The results show that Japanese people prefer concise expressions while Chinese people prefer expressions that contain more combinations of discourse elements. In terms of apology strategies, the Japanese use standard apology phrases such as “Sumimasen” more than the Chinese, while the Chinese like to use discourse elements such as “admit mistakes”, “explain reasons”, and “ask for forgiveness” to express their gratitude and sincerity.