要中英习语文化差别-英语-毕业论文-英语专业.doc

陕西师范大学远程教育学院函授生毕业论文论文题目 论中英习语的文化差别 姓名 李小艳 学号专业 英语 年级 2014级 层次 专升本 教学点 榆林函授站交论文时间 2016 年 1 月20日评 语成绩_ 评阅教师_备注：论文成绩采取优秀、良好、及格、不及格四个等级进行评阅1Cultural Differences between English and Chinese Idiomatic PhrasesAbstractIdioms are social products, carrying a nations civilization. Life can be used and seen anywhere. They have rich cultural connotations, reflecting the different ethnic groups in history, geography, religion, customs and ways of thinking. So it is necessary to compare their culture. In this paper, the author will discuss the idioms in five levels: living environment, custom, religion, allusion, and acknowledge of objective things. The translation of idioms in both languages should not only be a simple conversion, but also cultural exchanges.Key Words: Idioms; culture; culture differences 15CatalogueAbstract1Introduction31 Cultural differences between English and Chinese Idioms31.1 Differences in living environment31.2 Differences in Customs41.3 Cultural Differences in Religious Beliefs51.4 Allusion61.5 Different opinions on objects7Conclusion8Bibliography:9Introduction Language carries a rich connotations about culture, however, the idiom, as the essence of a language, is even more so. A lot of forms of fixed, brachylogy, concision, and full of implications, rather ethnic characteristics of the idioms are from in English and Chinese long history. The idiom has a strong cultural identity and is the core and essence of language and an important part of society and culture. These idioms and this nations customs, history and culture are linked in countless ways. “Culture is a complex body, including physicals, knowledge, beliefs, arts, ethics, law, customs, and the rest of the ability and habit which learned from the community.”A nations values, social customs, ways of thinking are all most vividly manifest in the idiom. 1 Cultural differences between English and Chinese Idioms.About Idiomatic phrases, “ Oxford” explanation is that the idiom is divided into two meanings:(1) language of a people or country ；specific character of this ；（2）(gram)succession of words whose meaning is not obvious through knowledge of the individual meanings of the constituent words but must be lean as a whole. Therefore, the Idiomatic phrases, including idioms, proverbs, sayings, phrases, slang and allusions.From the Linguistic Weltanschauungs, the national life of the Earth is only one; therefore, the commonalities of different ethnic language and culture must exist. However, “different ethnic languages, because the physical environment and located in different geographical, social and cultural philosophies of origins are diverse, and thus there must be its own unique national identity. In any case, cultural differences, the reality is prevailing at this stage.”1.1 Differences in living environmentAs the United Kingdom is located in an island nation, English people has always been good at sailing; the maritime industry has always occupied an important position, a lot of English idioms are nautical terms which used by sailors, and later people on the ground who also gradually use it. Such as: all at sea (All at sea, as a metaphor for at a loss),hang in the wind (Swaying in the wind, as a metaphor for hesitating to do things), three sheets in the wind(three sails feet shaking, as a metaphor for drinking too much), all hands to the pumps(All have gone to pumping, as a metaphors foe critical issues, we must go all out), in the same boat(This is the sailor said: “with somebody at the same boat”, and, later, people use it to express “the situation is the same to somebody”) and so on. China has vast territory, although near the sea, and the coastline is very long, but the maritime industry has been in a backward state. Though with the navigation-related idiom there are a few, such as “same boat”, “through thick and thin”, “the drowned disaster” , etc .China mainly locates in the Asian continent, is a landlocked country, the land is vital for people, people can not live without the land, so there are many agriculture-related idioms in Chinese, such as: “Tu yangjie he”, “the collapse of soil bang”, “extermination”, “home-grown”, “comeback” and so on.In the Chinese cultural atmosphere, summer is often linked with the intense heat, there are many idioms describing the hot summer, such as: “Jiao yang si huo”,“scorch like fire”and so on. The United Kingdom is located in the North Temperate Zone, summer weather is cool and pleasant, and it often together with lovely, warm and good, beautiful the words. In Shakespeares sonnets, Shakespeare draws an analogy between lover and summer,“shall I compare thee to a summers day? Thou art lovelier and more temperate.” In addition, the United Kingdom is located in the Western Hemisphere, the reporter is the message of spring westerly winds, while in Chinese, and the east wind is the reporter about spring. In addition, people always use the “bamboo” to describe as that:“the things are rapid development” in China. English idiom is synonymous with “like mushrooms”(like a mushroom General).Because Britain does not produce bamboo,“bamboo”in English this word comes from Malay.1.2 Geographical environment Britain is an island country. People who live along seacoast and whose livelihood is dependent on the sea will have idioms about water, sailing, island and fish. For example, we speak in Chinese 挥金 如 土 ，but we should render it into English as spend money like water. There are a lot of English idioms about ship, water and fish: as close as an oyster(守口如瓶), sail under false colors(欺世盗名).On the other hand, the Han People live on land, they belong to an agrarian society that places agricultural production at the top of the national agenda, During the long history of farming, the Chinese language has accumulated large numbers of farmers idioms, like 二人同心，黄土变金(When two people are of the same mind, even clay may be changed into gold)，上无片瓦，下无寸土(as poor as a church mouse). Britain is located in western hemisphere, with North Temperate Zone and marine climate, so west wind is the symbol of spring. So Britain abounds in rain can be proved in some idioms concerning rain: to make hay while the sun shines (趁热打铁), rainy day（穷困时期）, to rain or shine（无论如何）,etc.In Chinese culture, east wind is the wind of spring; spring is warm and colorful, and it is regarded as the beginning of all lives. There are many idioms in China, which refer to spring： 春暖花开 (in warm spring, all the blossoms are in full bloom.), 一年之计在于春 (the whole years work consists in a good start in spring.1.3 Differences in CustomsCulture is long acquired from customs and habits. These customs and habits are representative of the way of living of a certain speech community and they are mirrored in the habitual speaking of the language.Idiom has a strong flavor of life and distinct ethnic characteristics. Customs of a nation are reflections of cultural awareness and performance in the long years of evolving by the nation s psychological state of domination. Colorful ethnic customs, which constitute the roots of idioms and is soil which idioms, depends on the resilience to survive and get the deep, and a lot of idioms are from folk idioms. Example, Apple-pie is a traditional food and is from the United States population. Some women used to start the week, first baked apple pies are 7, and then discharge them in turn in the food shelves. Monday is to eat first lattice pie, Tuesday is to eat second grid. Do the same by analogy. Therefore, apple-pie order (the order of apple pie) has become a synonym for neat and orderly. For example: Before her guests arrived, the hostess had put her house in apple-pie order.Chinese idiom “xiao cai yi die” and the English Idioms a piece of cake (a cake), all mean easy things. In this sense, the Chinese language, “side dishes” and English “cake” contain “easy things” meaning. But in the idiom, the expression of same idea is completely different in the form between Chinese and English, and it is a relationship with eating habits. The Cake is very common form of food in the Britain .The British often used it in life, so they will use a piece of cake that easy to do. In China, the cake appear Over the past few hundred years in peoples life, is a High-grade food, generally only in exceptional circumstances can eat. The dish has had an important place in the lives of the Chinese people, eating a dish is easy for Chinese people, so we use “a piece of cake” to describe a very easy thing for a long time . Because this eating customs are different，when Chinese and English idioms express the same meaning from food culture, they use a completely different form.Culture is long acquired from customs and habits. These customs and habits are representative of the way of living of a certain speech community and they are mirrored in the habitual speaking of the language. Due to different living conventions , different nations have obvious cultural differences in concept of value and aesthetic standards. For instance ,in Chinese ,the word“old”is the honorific title to the experienced. For thousands of years , family , to the Chinese , is always an important and stable part of life. Whether the old is in family or in society , they are revered. In Chinese culture ,“old”was the symbol of wisdom and experience. Therefore , it is not surprising that in Chinese there exists such idioms as 老成持重 ( experienced and prudent) , 老当益壮 (old but vigorous) 老将出马 , 一个顶俩(when a veteran goes into action , he can do the job of two ) . However , in western countries , especially in America , the development of industry has spoiled the traditional relationship between family members. Most people have to show their care about the old by making a phone call . With the declining social position of the old and the rising role of the young , the latter has become the center of the whole society , which attaches importance to those full of vigor. In American culture ,“old”means the end of youth , the decline of vigor. Therefore , most Americans mentally resist the idea of becoming old and try to keep young. They are not willing to use word“old” just because of the connotation of it . And the idiomatic expression such as“you dont look your age”is welcomed.To illustrate this point further , lets take the animal words for example. People in the West have had a long tradition of keeping pets. To them , domestic animals such as dogs and cats are dear and valued companions. However in China dog is disgusting in peoples eyes. Naturally they have different idiomatic expressions toward dog in the use of language. For instance , in Chinese people have such derogative expressions as 狗腿子 ,狗崽子 ,狗急跳墙 ,狗嘴吐不 出象牙. Nonetheless , in English people have favorable expressions as follows : love me ,love my dog (爱屋及乌) ,top dog (最重要的 人物) ,lucky dog (幸运儿) , dog - tired (筋疲力竭) ,to lead a dogs life (过着牛马不如的生活) .Another case in point is dragon. Chinese people admire and worship this imagined animal .It is the symbol of the Chinese nation ; and it is the symbol of authority , strength and good fortune. In English , though dragon can bring the association of “strength ”and“power”, it gives derogatory association. When seeing this word in English , people always think of cruelty , devilishness and viciousness. But Chinese idioms such as 望子成龙 ,龙飞凤舞 ,龙子龙 孙 ,龙凤呈祥 express Chinese peoples appreciation and love to dragon.Similarly , owl implies wisdom and calmness in the West . “As wise as an owl ”indicates that English - speaking people associate wisdom with this bird. In childrens books and cartoons , the owl is usually solemn and wise. In disputes among birds and beasts , it is the owl that they go to for advice. Sometimes , the bird is considered as impractical and foolish. But in general , the owl stands for wisdom. However , there is a superstitious belief that this bird is a sign of bad luck and the symbol of sinister things among many Chinese. So comes the common Chinese saying 夜猫子进宅 , 无事不来 (“an owl visiting a home ”portends misfortune in that household) . The mere sight of an owl or the sound of the creatures hooting might cause people to draw back in fear.1.4 Cultural Differences in Religious BeliefsReligious differences are typical of the psychological and cultural differences. Religion has played a very important role in the development of all different nations. Western people are Christian faith, and the Chinese are Buddhist faith. Thus, a large number of idioms, which related to religion, appear to the English language. In many Western countries, especially in the Anglo-American, they are Christians, related idioms such as: “God helps those who help themselves.”,“Go to hell.”This curse and so on.The Bible” was adopted Christianity as its classic, because“the Bible” tells a lot with religious myths and legends related to the Jews, codes, religious rules, and some of the facts and so on. It reflects the emotions of the ancients, entreaties and ideals. Therefore, a large number of idioms are from “Bible” Such as: Jobs patience “very patient”, “Judas Kiss”, a daughter of Eve“woman”, as wise as Solomon “superior intelligence” and so on. This shows that the“Bible” of the impact of the English language. “Buddhism was introduced into China in Western Han Dynasty. There have been already 1000 years of history. There appear lots of idioms which form Chinese Buddhism in China. They believe the “Buddha” dominates everything in the earth，there are many idioms, such as: “borrow something to make a gift of it, leisure does not burn incense, five body cast, the back is the shore, paying homage to Tao is one foot tall high magic Yi Zhang and so on.”Religion , the main component of human culture , reflects different attitudes towards admiration and taboo of each nation. Chinese culture is deeply affected by Taoism , Buddhism and Confucianism , among which the effect of Buddhism is the most inveterate , while English culture is greatly influenced by Christianity. There is no question that Chinese idioms reflect the influence of Buddhism , whereas English idioms are closely related to Christianity. For instance , 远看菩萨 ,近看泥巴 and 平时不烧香 ,临时抱佛脚 are taken from Buddhism , 灵丹妙药 and 回光返照 from Taoism. In contrast , idioms from the Bible and Christianity are also abundant , such as a thorn in the flesh (眼中钉) ,the forbidden fruit (果) ,the apple of ones eye (掌上明珠) ,a covenant of salt (不可背弃 的盟约) ,gird up ones loins( 准备行动),as poor as Job/ thechurch mouse(家徒四壁) , pride goes before a fall (骄兵必败) ,and so on.1.5 Allusion Different countries possess different history culture , which mainly comprises allusion , myths , poems , ancient books and records , etc. Among them , allusion is the most important ; it reflects the national characteristic. Idioms from history culture are the gems of human cultural heritage. It is worthwhile for us to learn them well . Chinese and English idioms , springing from different cultural background , differ from each other to a great extent . A knowledge of the historical background of the English and Chinese idioms may help us to comprehend what they really mean. A study of several examples will illustrate this : 妙手回春 and 对症下药 come from traditional Chinese medicine , 拔苗助长 and 杞人忧天 from classical works. English idioms are mainly from the life experience of the English people (e. g. to give somebody the cold shoulder , to be in the same boat , to read between the lines , to be in the soup) , Shakespeares plays (e. g. much ado about nothing , gild/ paint the lily , bay/ bark at the moon) , myths , legends , fables (e. g. sour grapes , Achilles heel , the lions share. ) , in addition to Bible. Having been customarily used for ages in terse terms and with incisive meanings , Chinese idioms carry more historical color and literary allusions than do English idioms .In brief , as language learners , the more we learn about the cultural differences in English and Chinese idioms , the better they can understand and utilize them. The above analysis of reasons causing cultural differences and their influences on idiomatic expressions only provides a way for us to study them , which is intended to enhance our intercultural awareness so as to comprehend and use idioms from different cultures precisely and accurately.English language has much less idioms from historical events than the Chinese language, but there are still some, for example, to meet ones Waterloo(一败涂地) is from the defeat of Napoleon at Waterloo in 1815, which means to be completely defeated; The idiom Dunkirk evacuation(敦刻尔克撤退)comes from the Second World War and originally meant the retreat of the English-French troops forced by the German.English idioms, there are some from history, and some are from fables, myths and legends, and their structure are simple, but its significance is far-reaching. Therefore, they have a high value of researching. From the Greek myth of Achilles heel leads people to think of “The only Achilles heel”; cat s paw literally translated as a cats claws, it is from “Aesops Fables”, metaphor is used to “having been used as a tool to use” or “the subject of to fool people” ; between Scylla and Carbides translated as “a dilemma” ,is from Homers epics; Pandoras box literal translation for the Pandoras box, which means “endless disaster”. Chinese idioms are mainly derived from the Chinese classical fables、stories and legends. For example, trust to chance and stroke of luck; only pay lip service, “The foolish old man who removed the mountain”. “Making a mark on the Boat to Looking for a Sword”. Those are derived from fable; Chang E flying to the moon, putting the finish