英汉语言中动物名词喻意比较.docx

英汉语言中动物名词喻意比较.docx

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英汉语言中动物名词喻意比较

AContrastiveStudyofFigurativeMeaningsofAnimalWordsbetweenChineseandEnglish

I．Introduction

Languagesinanycountryoftheworldarebasedontheirspecialculturalbackgroundwhichreflectstheiruniquecultures.Languageisapartofculture,simultaneouslyasthecarrierofculture.Thereisaninseparablerelationshipbetweenlanguageandculture.Theculturalcharacteristicofanationandtheirnationalthoughtsinallaspectsofsociallivingmustbeinflectedinlanguages.Proverbsoridiomsaretheunitswhichcarryrichnessofculturalsignifications.Fromthat,peoplecangetlotsofeffectiveinformationaboutthegeography,history,socialcustoms,conceptsandattitudes,etc.ofanation.

Inthelongriverofhistoricalprocess,humanbeingsandanimalsareinterlinkedandhaveadeeprelationshipwitheachother.Therefore,animalwordshaveahighrateofusinginlanguage.Theusesofanimalwordsoftenreflectthedifferencesinaestheticbetweendifferentcultures.Cultureisthesoiloflanguage,andalsoahistoricalphenomenon.Eachgenerationinheritsthecultureestablishedbyitsforefathersandmakesitsowncontributionstothedevelopmentofculture;sodifferentnationshavedifferentcultures.ThesimilaritybetweenChineseandEnglishculturesandthinkingmodesmakepeopleassociatethesameanimalwordswithsomesameorsimilarfigurativemeanings.Whilethosedifferencesinthetwoculturesalwaysleadtodifferentassociations,i.e.ChineseandEnglishpeoplemayhavedifferentanimalvehiclestoexpressthesameorsimilarfigurativemeaningsorthesamevehicleswithdifferentfigurativemeanings.

Inthispaper,theauthormainlycomparesthefigurativemeaningsofanimalwordsbothinChineseandEnglishcultures.Inthefollowingparts,throughthecomparisonofthefigurativemeanings,wecanseethatinthedifferentculturalbackgrounds,thesameanimalvehiclesmayhavesameordifferentfigurativemeanings;thedifferentanimalvehiclesalsomayhavethesamefigurativemeaningsortheirespecial/ownmeanings.Intheend,theauthoristryingtoexplaintheinfluencesofthefigurativemeaningsofanimalwordsoninterculturalcommunication.

II.TheSimilaritiesandDifferencesoftheFigurativeMeaningsbetweenChineseandEnglishAnimalWords

AseveryoneknowsthattherearemanyfigurativeexpressionsbothinEnglishandChinese,especiallyinanimalwords.However,becauseofdifferenthistories,socialbackgroundsandcultures,theconnotationsofanimalwordsarenotallthesame.IfChinesepeopleandEnglishpeoplewanttousethefigurativewaytoexpressthesametenor,theycouldusethesameordifferentassociationvehicles,sothecorrespondingrelationshipsbetweenassociationvehiclesandfigurativemeaningsarealsodifferent.

2.1SameAnimalVehicleswithIdenticalorSimilarFigurativeMeanings

Differentnationshavetheirownlanguages.Nomatterinphoneticsorformations,therearetoomanydifferencesbetweenEnglishandChinese.Andtheirpeopleliverespectivelyintheeastoftheearthandthewest.Eventhough,therearenotafewsimilaritiesonusinganimalwordsinthetwolanguagesbecausetheyhavesomesameanimalnaturalcharacters.Thiskindofphenomenoniscalledculturaloverlaps.Therefore,peoplesometimesusethesameanimalwordstodescribethesamethingsinEnglishandChinese.Thesewordsmayhavethesameorsimilarfigurativemeanings.Forexample,Chinesepeoplewillsay鹦鹉学舌，thenativeEnglishspeakersays“toparrotwhatotherpeoplesay.”ParrotinEnglishmeanstoimitateorsimulateothers.Anotherexample,“Heisfoxy.Heisasslyasfox”.TheChinesesentenceis他很狡猾，他狡猾的像个狐狸。

Herefoxstandsforsomebodywhoiscunning.Thisexampleshowsthatdifferentlanguagesandculturalbackgroundshavethesamemetaphoricalmeaningsonparrotandfox.

ThefollowingexampleswillshowthatthesameanimalwordshavethesimilarfigurativemeaningsbothinEnglishandChinese.“Wolf”isregardedasagreedy,savage,cruelbeast,soinChinesetherearesomederogatoryexpressionslikethis:

狼狈为奸，狼心狗肺，狼子野心，豺狼当道，白眼狼，etc.InEnglish,thesebadcharactersofwolfarealsodisplayedvividly,e.g.“throwsomebodytothewolves”（见死不救）;“awolfinsheep’sclothing”（披着羊皮的狼）;“wakeasleepingwolf”（自找麻烦）,andsoon.

Furthermore,whenwolfrelatestoaperson,itmeansamanwhocharmswomensoastousethemforhisownpleasure.So,thereisanEnglishidiom“awolfwhistle”（挑逗口哨）,thereisalsoacorrespondingChinesewords色狼.

“Ass”bothinEnglishandChinesehasthesameimplicationandfigurativemeaning:

stupid,foolishordull.InChinese,ifsomeoneisreallystupid,wecallhim笨驴，蠢驴.InEnglish,alotoforalphrases,idiotsorproverbsconcernwiththeword“ass”toexpressthemeaningofstupid.Forinstance,“Don’tbesuchanass.”（别这么傻了）;“makeanassofoneself”（出洋相，干傻事）;“assingrain（十足的笨蛋）”;“allasseswagtheirears”（驴子摇耳朵，傻瓜装聪明）;“Anassinalion’sskin”（冒充聪明人的傻瓜）.

Moreexamples:

“asbusyasabee”（像蜜蜂一样忙碌）;“asslowasasnail”（像蜗牛一样慢）;“asproudasacock”（骄傲的像公鸡）;‘Dumbdogsaredangerous.’（不出声的狗最危险）;“Thecamelistheshipofthedesert.”（骆驼是沙漠之舟）;“Aratcrossingthestreetischasedbyall.”（老鼠过街，人人喊打）.ItshowsclearlythatthesameanimalwordsasassociationvehicleshavethesimilaroreventotallysameconceptualmeaningsandpragmaticmeaningsbothinEnglishandChinese.Thissimilarityofthinkingmodesandlanguageculturesshowsthatindifferentculturesexistsomethingincommon,whichincarnatesthecommonnessofdifferentnationalcultures.

2.2SameAnimalVehicleswithDifferentFigurativeMeanings

Duetolivinginthedifferentculturalbackgroundslongtime,EnglishpeopleandChinesepeoplehavedifferentassociationmeaningsnaturallywithregardtothesameanimal.Thus,animalwordsweregivenrichculturalconnotations.Thefollowingpartsmainlycontrastandanalyzethesameanimalwordswithoppositefigurativemeaningsbetweenthetwolanguages.

2.2.1CommendatoryFigurativeMeaningsinChinesebutOppositeinEnglish

 Let’sfocusontheword“bat”.AveryimportantfeatureofChinesecharacteristhatmanycharactersmayhaveasamesound,that’swhythepuninChineseissocommonly.TheChinesecharacter蝠（bat）hasthesamepronunciationwiththecharacter福whichmeansbliss,blessingorgoodfortune.SobatinChineseculturerepresentsauspiciousnessandhappiness.Intheancienttimeeveninthemoderntime,peopleoftendesignfivebatsonthechinaplates,cupsorbottlesetc.tosymbolizethemosthappyandluckythings,whileEnglishpeoplehavenogoodfeelingtobats,mostlybecausetheyusuallyassociatethemwithvampiresandtheuglyorhideousimages.Generally,thewesternpeopleconnectbatswithsomebadthings.“Asblindasabat”isatypicalexampletoexplainthatview.

ThepetrelisconsideredasanomenofdisasterinEnglish.TheLongmanDictionaryofEnglish-Chineseoffersustheexplanations:

“Astormypetrelisaperson,whosepresenceexcitesdiscontentment,quarrelling,etc.inasocialgroup.”Thereasonforsuchadislikeisthattheythinkpetrelisthesymbolfordisaster.However,inChina,thewordpetrelisthesymbolofbravinghardshipandadversity,advancingwithperseveranceandcourage.

ToEnglishpeople,ifmagpiesflynearawindow,itisasymbolofbadluck.TherearetwoexplanationsofmagpieinOxfordAdvancedLearner'sEnglish-ChineseDictionary:

①personwhocollectsorhoardsthings;②personwhochattersalot.Alltheseexplanationsarefigurativewithderogatorymeanings.Onthecontrary,amagpieisasymbolofgoodluckinChina.Ifamagpiesingsinatreenearhouse,peoplewouldthinksomehappythingswouldhappen.Therefore,Chinesepeopleoftensay,“Magpiesings,thehappythingcomes.”

2.2.2CommendatoryFigurativeMeaningsinEnglishbutOppositeinChinese

Wemustbefamiliarwithdogsbecausetheyareinterestingandcloselyrelatedwithpeople.ManyexpressionsoftheworddoghaveacommendatorymeaningoratleastaneutersenseinEnglish.DogsinEnglishculturetakethestateasman’sbestfriends.“Aluckydog”meanssomeoneisverylucky;“topdog”istellingthepersonwhohasthemostpowerinagroup,especiallyafterastruggle;“tohelpalamedogoverthestile”meanstohelppeopleindifficulty;“toletsleepingdogslie”meanstomakenotroublesornottodisturbpeople.“Everydoghasitsday”meanseverypersonwillsomedaysucceedorbecomefortunate.Suchusagedoesnotcontainnegativemeaning,butfiguresofspeechlikethesearenotproperinChineseasthecharacter狗（dog）.MostChinesephrasesareconcernedwithderogatorymeaningswithoutanyexceptions.Almostallthewordsorphraseswith“dog”,theChinesepeoplewillassociateitwithvile,cowardly,dirty,nomoralintegrity,despicable,etc.Forexamples,走狗,疯狗，狗腿子,狗仗人势,狼心狗肺，狗急跳墙andsoon.Inthefiftieslastcentury,Chinesepeoplehaveaverycommonsentence打倒美帝国主义及其一切走狗！

Thisphrasehasbeentranslatedas“toflattentheAmericansofimperialismandalltheirrunningdogs.”ItconfusedtheEnglishpeoplecompletelybecausetheycouldn’tunderstandtherealconnotation“runningdogs”.Infacttheword走狗（runningdog）shouldbetranslateaslackey,flunky,stooge,orfolloweretc.

“Bear”（熊）hasquitedifferentfigurativemeaningsbetweenEnglishandChinese.ToChinesepeople,bearreferstostupid.InChinese,ifsomeoneisdull,heisnamed笨熊whichmeansheisasstupidasabear.ButithasquitedifferentmeaninginEnglish.Peopleusethewordbeartorefertothosewhohavespecialability,thesentence“Heisabearatplayingpiano.”meansheisatalentatplayingpiano.

“Owl”（猫头鹰）isaverypopularanimalinwestern.TheGreeksuse“owl”to