中英植物词汇文化浅析.docx

中英植物词汇文化浅析.docx

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中英植物词汇文化浅析

中英植物词汇文化浅析

AComparativeStudyonCulturalConnotationofPlantTermsbetweenEnglishandChinese

Abstract:

Languageisanimportantpartofsocialculture.Peoplecan’tcommunicateandunderstandeachotherwithoutlanguage.Therefore,Cultureisthebridgeofcommunicationbetweenpeoples.Languageisreallyaforcefultoolforustounderstandtheessenceofasociety,socultureandlanguageisaninseparableentity.ThepaperprobesintotherelationshipandinteractionbetweentheconnotationofplanttermsandcultureinEnglishandChinese.TothedifferencesoftraditionalcultureandcustombetweenEnglishandChinese,thisarticlecomparesandanalysestheirsimilarities,differencesandnationalitiesinculturemeaningofplantterms,exploringtheoriginalculturalreasonsofthatdifferences,andtheconnotationoftwolanguagesaswell.Helpingthereaderslearnthedifferencesoftwoculture,theresearchhasgreatvaluetothecross-culturalcommunication,languageteaching,andbilingualtranslation.

Keywords:

plantwords；connotation；culture；similaritiesanddifferences

摘　要：

语言是文化的一个重要组成部分，没有语言作为工具，人们将无法交流和相互理解；与此相对应，文化也通过语言来体现，各种不同的语言体现着不同的文化。

透过中英植物词语可以看到不同的文化对语言的影响及其在语言中的体现，同时也可以看到不同的语言对其文化的能动作用。

针对英汉语言中的中西文化与风俗习惯差异，本文对比分析了英汉植物词语的国俗语义的趋同现象、趋异现象及其异同的文化根源及文化内涵。

这一问题的研究帮助读者了解英汉文化差异、对实现跨文化交际、语言教学、英汉互译都具有极其重要的实用价值。

关键词：

植物词汇；内涵；文化；差异

Contents

I.Introduction……………………………………..……………….…1

II.CulturalConnotationofPlants

A.TheculturalconnotationofplantsbetweenEnglishandChineseareperfectcorresponding……………………………………..……2

1.Laurel…………………………………..……………….……...2

2.Grass………………………………..……………….……...…2

B.TheculturalconnotationofplantsbetweenEnglishandChinesearepartialcorresponding……………………………………..………3

1.Pine………………………………..……………….……...….3

2.Willow…………………………………..……………….……...4

3.Peach…………………………………..……………….……...5

C.TheconnotationofthesameplantinChineseandEnglisharedifferent……………………………………..……………….…5

1.Peony…………………………………..……………….……...6

2.Lily………………………………..……………….……...….6

3.RedPoppy…………………………………..……………….….6

D.TheconnotationofaplantonlyexistsinEnglish……………………7

1.Apple………………………………..……………….……...…7

2.Rose………………………………..……………….……...….8

3.Olive………………………………..……………….……...…9

E.TheconnotationofaplantonlyexistsinChinese……………………9

1.ChinesemeiFlower………….………………………..…………..9

2.Bamboo………..……………………………………….……....10

3.Apricot…………………………………..……………….…….10

III.Conclusion……………………………………..……………11

WorksCited……………………………………..……………….……12

I.Introduction

Whenwestudyalanguagetolearnacountry’sculture,firstly,wemustpayattentiontothestudyofMEANING.Thedifficultyinthisstudyisthattheword“meaning”initselfhasdifferentmeanings.G.Leechinamoremoderatetonerecognizes7typesofmeanings:

conceptmeaning,connotativemeaning,socialmeaning,affectivemeaning,reflectivemeaning,collocativemeaningandthematicmeaning.（Hu105）Amongthesemeaningstheconnotativemeaningreferstowhatiscommunicatedbyvirtueofwhatlanguagerefersto.Philosophersuseconnotation,oppositetoDENOTATION,tomeanthepropertiesoftheentityaworddenotes.Forexample,thedenotationof“human”isanypersonsuchasJohnandMarry,anditsconnotationis“biped”,“featherless”,“rational”,etc.InLeech’ssystem“connotative”referstosomeadditional,especiallyemotivemeaning.Thedifferencebetween“politician”and“statesman”,forexample,isconnotativeinthattheformerisderogatorywhilethelatteriscommendatory.Thistypeofmeaningisknownasassociativemeaning.InthispaperIwanttomainlycompareandcontrasttheculturalconnotationofplantsbetweenEnglishandChinesetofurtherfacilitatethecross-culturecommunication.

Theplantshavecloserelationtohuman’sexistenceanddevelopment.Weknowthattherearemanykindsofplantsandwhat’smore,theymaintainallcreatures’lifeandplayanimportantpartinhuman’sdevelopment.ManyplanttermsinbothChineseandEnglishhaverichconnotativemeaningswhichpresentthelanguage’scommunitivefunctionandcognitivefunction.Ontheonehand,human’scognitiveactivitiescomefromthebodyexperiencesofdailylife,butdifferentnations’bodyexperiencesarethesame,andbecauseofthesamenatureofplants,therearesomesimilaritiesontheconnotationofplantsinChinaandEnglish-speakingcountries;ontheotherhand,peopleinChinaandEnglish-speakingcountriesbelongtodifferentculturalsystems,andtheyhavedifferentreligions,traditions,anddifferentgeographicallocations,sotheremustbesomedifferencesinbodyexperiencesanditleadstodifferentcognitions.Allofthesemakethesameplantsindifferentcountrieswithdifferentmeanings.

II.CulturalConnotationofPlants

A.TheculturalconnotationofplantsbetweenEnglishandChineseareperfectcorresponding

1.Laurel

Peoplealwaysconnectthe“laurel”with“honor”and“success”bothinEnglishandChineseculture.InEnglish,thereisaGreekmythaboutthelaurel.Oneday,ApollosawEros,theboygodofloveplayingwithhisbowandarrows;andbeinghimselfthegodofarchery,helaughedattheboy,andtoldhimtoplaywithhistoys.DeeplyoffendedbyApollo’sinsultingwords,ErosshotbothApolloandDaphnewhowasabeautifulnymph,thedaughterofarivergodwitharrows.HeshotApollowithagoldenarrowthroughtheheart,causinghimtofallmaddinginlovewithDaphne.Heshotthenymphwithaleadenone,makingherhateallsuitors.ApollofollowedDaphneeverywhere,tryingtocatchher,butDaphnedidnotstop.Whenhewasfinallyabouttotakeherinhisgrasp,Daphnecalledherfather---theriver-godforhelp.Herfatherimmediatelychangedherintoalaureltree.Herhairbecameleaves;herarmsbecamebranches;herfeetstuckfastinthegroundasaroot.Apollowasverysad,buthesaidthatthelaurelwouldbehissacredtreeandhewouldwearleavesashiscrown.ThisissaidtobethereasonwhytheGreeksgavewreathsofApollo.InRoman,greatconquerorswerecrownedwithlaurelwreaths.NowEnglishpeoplecallthepoetswhohadgotthegreatachievement“poetlaureate”.Besides,therearemanyphrasesaboutlaureate.Forexample,“gain/winone’slaurels”“looktoone’slaurels”whichmeans“tobecarefulthatyoudonotlosethesuccessoradvantage”and“restonone’slaurels”whichmeans“tofeelsosatisfiedwithwhatyouhavealreadyachievedthatyoudonottrytodoanymore”（Oxford987）.InChinese,peoplealsocallthewinners“冠军”.Here“冠”inChinesemeans“crown”.

InancientChina,thelaurelisthesymbolofhonor,sopeoplewhosucceededinhisjobwascalled“折桂”.AfterTangDynasty,takingexamforisverypopular.ItwasheldinAugusteveryyear,sopeoplewhopasttheexamwascalled“蟾宫折桂”or“月中折桂’’.Therewasacustominsomeplacesthatpeoplewhowilltakepartintheexamwouldreceivethecakewhichwasmadefromlaurelfromhisrelativesandfriends,becausepeoplethoughtthiskindofcakecangivethosewhowouldtakepartintheexamgoodluck.

2.Grass

Whenaskedabout“grass”peoplebothinEnglishspeakingcountriesandChinawillthinkof“many”“peoplewhodoesmuchcontributionbutisalwayssilent”.Forexample,inEnglish,“grassroots”means“ordinarypeopleinsocietyorinanorganization,ratherthantheleadersorpeoplewhomakedecisions”itequals“草民,百姓”inChinese.InChinese,grasshasagreatspirit—perseverance.Forexample,thereisapoemwrittenbyLiBai（Sun300）:

Grasses

Tallandhangingdown,thegrassesonthewideplain

Flourishandwitheronceineveryyear

Wildfirecouldnotburnthemuptoextirpate

Springtidezephyrsblowandtheycometolifeagain

Thispoempraisedthisspirit,andpraisedthepeoplewhoisnotfamousbutperseverantanddoeshisjobcarefully.

B.TheculturalconnotationofplantsbetweenEnglishandChinesearepartialcorresponding

1.Pine

Inwesterncountries,pineisdescribedasaevergreentree,soitsymbolizesimmortalityanditiscalled“lifetree”.InRomemythology,pineisthesymbolofCupid,godoflove.

InChinapeoplelovepineandpraiseitbecauseitcanliveinverycoldwhether.InTheAnalects,theMastersaid:

"Onlywhenitgrowscolddoweseethatthepineandcypressarethelasttofade"（“岁寒，然后知松柏之后凋也”）（Waley114）.Peopleoftenwishgoodthingstobeaspinetrees.Theymentionpinefortheirloftyimagesandinbornwin-powerandtheirunyieldingintegrityinparticularshowninextremities.PoetsfromgenerationtogenerationinChinaliteraturehavewrittenagreatmanypoemsaboutpinetrees.Becausethepineisalwaysgreenineveryseasonanditcanlivelongtime,peoplealwaysgivebestwisheswithpine.Toacountry,itsymbolizesstable,prosperousandstrong;toanoldpeople,itsymbolizeslonglife;toafriend,itmeansforeverfriendship.InEnglish,pinehascloserelationtopeople’slife.AccordingtotheBible,flooranddoorofSodom’spalacearemadeofpine.ThereisametaphorinBible（Yan152）

Allthelandsareatrestandapeace

Theybreakintosinging

EventhepinetreesandthecedarsofLebanon

Exactoverandsay

“Nowthathasbeenlaidlow

Nowoodsmancomestocutusdown”

Herepineiscomparedtopeace.Thereisnothreat,sopinecanliveinthisworldwithnofear,andthisisjustwehumanbeings’wish.

AlsointheBible,Godsaid:

Iamlikeagreenpinetree,

Yourfruitfulnesscomesfromme

Herepinesymbolizesthepermanent.Inwesterncountries,peopledecoratethepineasChristmastree,sowealsocansaypineheresymbolizeshappiness.InfrontofAmerican’sWhiteHousestandsahighpinewhichcalledNationalChristmasTree.IneveryChristmasEve,AmericanPresidentlightallthelightstoannouncet