1、The Comparative Analysis of Politeness between Chinese and English Abstract: This paper holds the view that the concept of politeness varies in different cultures. The concept of politeness in the Chinese culture is closely tied with ethics and moral standards. But in the English culture, the concep
2、t of politeness exists only in the immediate context that involves two conflict parties. Thus Chinese people have a different interpretation of what counts as a face-threatening act and what does not. Chinese modesty, which can be seen as another way of saying self-denigration, is a virtue of self-c
3、ultivation while the English modesty is a strategy of minimizing or avoiding self-praise. Privacy is valued in all cultures, but the applicable scope of it in the English culture is much larger than that in the Chinese culture. Attitudinal warmth is considered very polite in the Chinese culture. The
4、 different value systems, individualism in the English culture and collectivism in the Chinese culture, impose different rules of communication on their peoples. Politeness helps establish, maintain or consolidate harmonious interpersonal relationships and facilitate social interactions. Politeness as an observable phenomenon is actually a reflection of specific cultural values in the language. Key Words: Politeness; face; difference; reason; principle 1. Introduction What exactly is politeness
