Lexical Gaps In Cross-cultural Communication

Language is the carrier and the communicational tool of culture as well as the inseparable part of it, while the vocabulary is the basis of language. Each nation has its own unique culture, and the culture gives birth to the very different vocabulary, which is named lexical gap. Now the intercultural communication happens so frequently. To achieve the smooth and successful communication, it should break through the obstacle of language, especially the lexical gap. By intercultural communication, people can get a glimpse of different ethnic customs and values, religion, aesthetics and so on through the lexical gap. However, these factors are also the barrier of international communication.This paper explores the culture of Chinese and the West, especially the various phenomena of lexical gap between Chinese and English, in order to reveal the reason and the underlining meaning of lexical gap and translation methods to solve it.The article can be divided into four parts: The first chapter introduces the purpose and significance of the research and development status. The second chapter reviews the concepts of culture, intercultural communication and lexical gap and its classification. The third chapter focuses on the reasons that led to lexical gaps from the perspective of culture, grammar and rhetoric. The fourth chapter discusses the translation strategies of lexical gap. At last, there is an outlook for the future of the area on the basis of concluding the whole paper.The paper aims to provide a new perspective of lexical gaps in intercultural communication. And it is hoped that it can promote the intercultural communication and have the reference value for future research.