从英汉动物习语的对比看文化差异（英文）.pdf

Contents摘要.IAbstract.IIIntroduction.11A Brief Review of Animal Idioms.41.1 Definition and Features of Animal Idioms.41.2 Relationship Between Culture and Animal Idioms.61.3 Embodiments of Animal Idioms.72 Cultural Differences Between English and Chinese from AnimalIdioms.132.1 Dog and Gou.132.2 Dragon and Long.142.3 Bat and Bianfu.162.4 Peacock and Kongque.173 Reasons for the Differences Between English and Chinese AnimalIdioms.193.1 Different Social Conventions.193.2 Different Living Environments.21Conclusion.23Bibliography.25Acknowledgements摘要习语在任何语言中都是精华。它是在不同的历史，地理环境和文 化背景下形成的；承载着一定的民族文化特色和文化信息。英汉两种 语言历史悠久，包含着大量的动物习语，由于历史，社会生活等方面 因素的影响，英汉动物习语体现了中西文化的相同和差异。国内外多数学者已对习语做了研究。我国邓炎昌教授对动物习语 体现的英汉语言文化进行对比分析，其为对动物习语日后的研究打下 基础。本论文从一些动物习语入手，通过比较其在中西文化中所具有 的不同文化内涵，向读者展示中西文化的差异，以便人们更好地理解 动物习语，在跨文化交际中恰当运用。关键词：动物习语；文化差异；原因AbstractIdiom is the cream of any language.The formation of idiom is achieved under different history,geographical environment and cultural background,which is a symbol of one national5s unique culture and culture information.English and Chinese languages both have a long history,and they contain many animal idioms.Because of the history,social life and some other influences,English and Chinese animal idioms reflect the similarities and differences between Chinese and Western cultures.Many scholars and linguists at home and abroad have done researches about idioms.Professor Deng Yanchang(2003)made a contrastive study of English and Chinese language cultures from the animal idioms.The research of animal idioms laid a foundation for the researches on idioms later on.This thesis starts its discussion from animal idioms to show the differences between Chinese and Western culture by contrasting the different connotation in different areas.To get people to know the function that animal idioms are used in multi-cultural communication,can make people use it proficiently.Key words:animal idiom,different culture,reasonIntroductionNowadays,with the economic globalization and the regional economic integration strengthening,the cultural exchanges between China and the West have become more and more important.Transmission and application in English is used widely,so understanding the differences between Chinese and Western culture is imperative.However,the social development is reflected in the language.Without idioms,our language would become dull and dry,whereas an appropriate use of them in our speech and writing will add to the strength and vividness of our language.And the idiom can better reflect the cultural characteristics and connotation.Idioms are fixed and unique expression,which are formed in the process of using a language.Idioms are the sediment of the history and culture,the essences of culture derived from the process of recognizing and transforming the nature,the substantial corpus of information,and a vivid reflection of national culture.Both English and Chinese languages have a long history,and they contain many idioms which are implicitly,humorous,serious,elegant,concise and vivid image.These idioms are closely linked with the cultural traditions,which reflect the cultural characteristics and cultural information of the nation.Therefore,the idioms of English and Chinese,especially the animal idioms,reflect sharp differences of national culture.Deeply understanding animal idioms makes cross-cultural communication go smoothly.Animal idioms have been emphasized and studied at home and abroad.At home,Yu Fumin(1996)made strenuous and successful efforts in comparing English and Chinese idioms to illustrate the authors pertinent points.Chen Dezhang(1999)had a research of cultural connotation of animal words in English and Chinese and find out what images people have over 30 common animals.Jiang Lei(2000)analysed animal idioms and made a survey of contrastive studies of English and Chinese idioms,which show the nations long history and cultural character.There are also overseas linguists who have done researches of idioms.Strassler(2004)made a pragmatic analysis on English idioms and created a pragmatic model for English idioms and to provide a basis for a theory of idioms as a phenomenon of natural language.(Chang Chenguang,2004:36)A contrastive method will be taken to analyze the difference of animal idioms between English and Chinese to help people have a good understanding of the different cultures.It contains five parts.Introduction,the first part,states the significance,method,framework and modern researches of the thesis.The second part of this thesis is a brief review of animal idioms such as definition,features,the relationship between culture and animal idioms.Cultural differences between English andChinese from animal idioms are illustrated in the third part.The fourth part of this thesis lists the reasons for the differences between English and Chinese animal idioms.The last part is a summary of the whole paper.A Brief Review of Animal Idioms1.1 Definition and Features of Animal IdiomsAnimal idiom,just as its name implies,is one type of idioms which are combined by animal words,therefore it is essential to define idiom first of all.Idiom is a phrase or sentence whose meaning is not clear from the meaning of its individual and which must be learnt as a whole unit,in Oxford Advanced Learners English-Chinese Dictionary.Idioms are fixed phrases or short sentences derived from a long-term use of language.It contains a wealth of cultural information,cultural characteristics and cultural background.It has a distinctive image and metaphor,showing the distinctive national characteristics and geographical color.（包惠南,2001:148）The fixed phrases or sentences in English and Chinese are called“idiom”,and can also be interpreted as“set phrase”.Idioms,fixed in their structure,have been used for expressing the full meaning for a long time.Such phrases or short sentences are gradually formed in the development of the language,so they can not be opened or re-combined.（蒋 磊,2000:49）Last but not least,idiom means an accepted phrase,construction,or expression contrary to the usual patterns of the language or having a meaning different from the language or having a meaning different from the literal,written in Websters New World Dictionary of the American Language.The Chinese equivalent for“idiom is 熟语（shU yu）.It means a kind of set phrase or sentence,which,like a stock expression,is often quoted by the common people.（有B福敏，郭珊琏,1999:8）English idioms,in a broad sense,include idiomatic phrases,proverbial sayings and a number of slang expressions.Whereas Chinese idioms can be roughly divided into:set phrases（成语），common sayings（俗语），proverbs（谚语），a two-part allegorical sayings（歇后语）,and some vulgar expressions（粗俗语）.As a particular linguistic unit,idiom shows its own specific characteristics.Firstly,idioms are usually forceful,concise,vivid and comprehensive,and some idioms such as animal idioms,often contain images and figures of speech,so they have acquired a figurative meaning.They convey more meanings as a whole than the few words could carry separately.Secondly,many idioms do not follow any standard rules,for they often violate conventional grammatical rules,and sometimes are wrong in logic.They seem arbitrary and it can not be explained how or why a particular idiomatic phrase has assumes its present form.They are the brief statement of English and Chinese idioms.Knowing the definitions and features of idioms will help people understand their cultures better.1.2 Relationship Between Culture and Animal IdiomsAnimals are friends of human beings.Languages of all nations contain a lot of words denoting animals,and so do Chinese and English.With the development and progress of human society,many animals were tamed to become domestic ones serving people,and many others have become peoples pets.So,animals have become part of peoples life.As science develops,people learn more and more about animals.Zoological gardens are now necessary scenes in many major cities all over the world.Hundreds of thousands of books on animal have been published.Every TV station broadcasts special programs about animal in certain channels.In all this process,animal words gradually got their established connotations in all languages,that is,people associate their feelings and emotions,even happenings and natural phenomena with various animals which are thought to represent different characters like people,or serve as omens.Many animals have become a kind of symbolism in peoples thinking and this symbolism is reflected in the language.However,because of different history and culture,the connotations of animal idioms in one language do not necessarily coincide with those in another.So,the idioms of animal best are reflected the culture.（胡文仲,1999:236）1.3 Embodiments of Animal IdiomsThere are so many kinds of animals in the nature,and they each have their own nature and living habits.Animals are the indispensable part of humans daily life,whether it is the rural labor,oxen and horses,or domestic pet in the town,they all closely linked with the peoples life.At long-term contacts with animals,people have a deep-rooted knowledge of the animals nature.There have many English and Chinese idioms which derived from the animals nature and habits.Language,as an important part of the social cultural,can not avoid the influence of the society.It is often hard to understand or use animal idioms correctly.People often associate certain qualities with certain creatures or objects.These qualities often arouse certain reactions or emotions,although there is little or no scientific ground for such association.The qualities that are associated or the emotions that are aroused are not always the same as different peoples.1.3.1 The Same Idiom with Same MeaningsChinese and English countries9 cultures have the same view of the most animals5 nature and living habits.Such as:Horses are hard-working and brave.People in Chinese and English countries all appreciate the horses reliable quality.In Chinese and English,most of the expressions of horses are complimentary sense.Here are Chinese idioms:路遥知马力，日 久见人心;(A long journey tests the horses strength,a long acquaintance shows you a mans heart.);一马当 先,万马奔腾；(The horse taking the lead will make ten thousand horses gallop ahead.)In English,there are:work like horses(拼命干，舌),Its a good horse that never stumbles(好马总有失蹄时),from the horse mouth(确凿可靠),a dark horse(黑马，实力难以预测)Wolf has the meaning of cruel and greedy in the idioms of English and Chinese.Most of the idioms are negative connotation,for example:中山狼;(the Zhong Shan wolf in the fable,to express a person who repay good with evil);狼:狈不堪;(to be in a fluster/to be in terrible stuck/to be in the suds/in an embarrassing situation/the situation is unbearable);狼 狈逃窜;(to flee in confusion/to flee helter-skelter);狼狈为奸；(to action in collusion with./to be banded together as traitors/collusion between.and.);牙良心狗月市；(to be ferocious and diabolical in nature as a wolf or a dog/brutal and cold-blooded cruel and unscrupulous);狼烟 四起；(smoke signals rising on all sides,war alarms raised everywhere).In English,we can also find many phrases about wolf,such as:cry wolf(谎报)Wolf in sheep5s clothing.(温厚、内心陷恶之人；伪君子)Keep the wolf from the door.（很艰难的维持生活不受饥寒）In English and Chinese,ass has an implied meaning of foolish,stupid and the person who is in troubles,for example:走投无路;（have ones ass in a sling）;狐彳发虎威;（an ass in lions skin）;阿谀逢迎;（ass kissing）;蠢如驴；（as stupid as an ass）.Make an ass of oneself.（做傻子 受人嘲笑），dont be an ass（别傻了），someones ass is on the line（处境 危险）,one、ass in grass（受害遭殃、陷入困境）Both the Chinese and English think the fox stands for cunning and slyness.Here are Chinese idioms about fox：狐彳朗虎威;（to assume someone elses authority as ones own/the fox makes himself feared by walking in tigers company,to assume someone else5s authority to browbeat others）;狐狸尾巴;（foxs tail-something that gives away a person5s real character or evil intentions）;狐群狗党;（a bunch of rascals）;狐疑不决;（to be wavering and unable to decide）.There are also such idioms in English,for example:as sly as a fox（狡猾的像个狐狸），an old fox（老狐狸精），play the fox（行为狡猾）,fox飞sleep（假装漠不关心）.In English and Chinese,bear means the rude,stupid and reckless people,for example:as cross as a bear（脾气极坏），be a bear for punishment（倔强、顽强），like a bear with a sore head（脾气暴躁），sell the bears skin before one has caught the bear（过早乐观）.From these examples above,we find a lot of similarities between Chinese and English animal idioms,so many scholars and researchers will take for granted the knowledge of Chinese animal idioms to grasp the study of English animal idioms.However,the English animal idioms are not entirely similar to the Chinese animal idioms,there are still many differences between them,and they have their own role in their own languages.（徐青,2000:90）1.3.2 The Same Idiom with Different MeaningsIn English and Chinese,there are some same idioms with different meanings.Such animals as dog,dragon,bat ect.Dog,mans best friend,is sometimes heard in English conversation or seen in English writing.How many Chinese know what animal is being referred to?Many Chinese would be surprised that it is the dog.Dogs,in China,are generally associated with unpleasantness.They are kept not because they make good companions,but because they are useful.However,English appreciate the quality of dog,such as:loyalty,dependability,courage and intelligence.As we know,dragon is the symbol of royalty in China,and stands for the king or emperor.As an auspicious creature,dragon supposedly brings good luck.While in English,the dragon is often a symbol of evil,and is usually associated with fierceness.Another animal bat is usually associated with negative qualities in the west.As blind as bat”,crazy as a bat and have bats in the belfry”are typical expressions of the negative associations.To Chinese,however,the bat is a symbol of good fortune,well-being and happiness-all positive qualities.1.3.3 Different Idioms with Same MeaningsIn English and Chinese,there also are some different idioms having the same meanings,such as lion ect.To the English and most Westerners,uthe king of the beasts”,is the lion.The lion enjoys high prestige,as can be seen from such expressions as 6regal as a lion,majestic as a lion”.Richard I,the King of England in the latter part of the 12th century,was known as lion-hearted for his courage and chivalry.It is no wonder that the English have chosen the lion as their symbol.In Chinese culture this beast has fewer such associations.It is regarded commonly as being fierce and powerful,but not necessarily majestic or regal.To Chinese,it is the tiger that more likely evokes such associations.However,the characteristics associated with the tiger in Chinese culture are embodies from two aspects:positive and negative,good and bad.On the positively it shows courage,vigor,decisiveness.On the negative side it expresses ferocity,cruelty,ruthlessness.（邓炎昌，刘润 清,2003:53）There are the brief statement of