Contents

Acknowledgements

Abstract

摘要

Chapter One Introduction-1

1.1 Research Background-1

1.2 Research Purpose and Significance-1

1.3 Research Method and Data Collection-2

1.4 Structure of the Thesis-2

Chapter Two Advertising and Pro-environmental Public Service Advertisements-4

2.1 Definition of Advertising-4

2.2 Definition of Public Service Advertisements-4

2.3 Pro-environmental Public Service Advertisements-4

2.3.1 Definition of Pro-environmental Public Service Advertisements-4

2.3.2 Pro-environmental Public Service Advertisements in China and Abroad-5

Chapter Three Comparative Studies from Lexical Perspective-7

3.1 Similarities of Chinese and English Pro-environmental PSAs’s Vocabulary-7

3.1.1 High Frequency of Nouns-7

3.1.2 High Frequency of Verbs-8

3.1.3 High Frequency of Adjectives-10

3.2 Differences of Chinese and English Pro-environmental PSAs’s Vocabulary-11

3.2.1 High Frequency of Personal Pronouns in English while Low Frequency in Chinese-11

3.2.2 High Frequency of Prepositions in Chinese while Low Frequency in English-12

3.2.3 High Frequency of Adverbs in English while Low Frequency in Chinese

-13

3.2.4 High Frequency of Numerals and Quantifiers in Chinese while Low Frequency in English-14

3.3 Causes of Differences-15

3.4 Strategies to Deal with Differences between Chinese and English Pro-environmental Public Service Advertisements-16

Chapter Four Conclusion-18

References-19

Abstract

 Along with increasingly serious environmental problems, people have realized the importance to protect the environment and have participated in environmental activities. As an effective way to propagate social values and serve for the public interest, Public Service Advertisements(PSAs) are beneficial to propagate environmental issues and environmental knowledge. It is still of theoretical and practical significance to make a study of pro-environmental PSAs 

This thesis adopts a quantitative and qualitative method and comparative analysis on pro-environmental PSAs ( of which are print PSAs) in Chinese and English from the lexical perspective. Firstly, this thesis reviews the close relationships among environment protection, public service advertisements and pro-environmental PSAs and review Chinese and English researches about pro-environmental PSAs. After the analysis of similarities and differences of pro-environmental PSAs in Chinese and English, the causes and strategies to deal with Chinese and English pro-environmental PSAs are generalized. Finally, after summarizing the findings and limitations of the research, the thesis points out we are responsible to protect the environment. The findings of this thesis are expected to be helpful which can help receivers and advertisers understand pro-environmental PSAs in different cultural background better and design them better. At the same time, they also can facilitate the communication between Chinese environmental protection between China and England.

Keywords:  pro-environmental PSAs  lexical features  comparative analysis