Abstract:Language is the carrier of culture, and number is an important part of a language. It is a tool of thoughts and human intercourse which is in a high usage frequency. The preferences and taboos which are in the use of numbers of Chinese and English can be similar or different, and the numbers are endowed with some peculiar associative meanings by different languages or cultural psychology of nations.

　　　The study aims to show the preferences and taboos in the use of the following numbers “4、5、7、8、13” of Chinese and English and to analyze the influences on them from the phonetic systems and cultural psychology of nations. A questionnaire is designed and used for the present study. The subjects are 199 Grade-Four students in a college. The study shows that the majority of the students have a certain understanding of the usages in numbers of Chinese and English.

　　　The study also shows that more attention should be paid to develop cross-cultural intercourse through the correct understanding of numbers’ meanings in languages, and to avoid the cross-cultural failures through the correct understanding of languages and cultures.

Key words: preference; taboo; phonetic systems; cultural psychology of nations

摘要:语言是文化的载体，数字是一种重要的语言文化，是使用频率高的思维和交际工具。数字在英汉语使用中的偏好和禁忌有相似也有不同，更被不同的语言或民族文化心理赋予了特殊的联想意义。

　　　本文主要说明4、5、7、8、13这些数字在英汉语使用中的偏好与禁忌，从语音语义系统和民族文化心理领域分析它们对英汉语使用中数字的偏好或禁忌习俗的影响。研究采用了问卷调查，调查对象为某大学大四的199名学生，调查表明现今大学生对数字的用法有着一定的了解。

　　　通过研究分析语音系统和民族文化心理方面对数字在英汉语使用中的偏好与禁忌的影响，可以看出数字文化对跨文化交际的影响，正确了解英汉语中数字的偏好与禁忌习俗，有利于正确理解各自的语言文化，避免造成交际失误。

关键词：偏好；禁忌；语音语义系统；民族文化心理