不同的地理特征对汉英习语影响.docx

不同的地理特征对汉英习语影响.docx

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不同的地理特征对汉英习语影响

不同的地理特征对汉英习语影响

　　【Abstract】Thegeographyenvironmentisconnectedtothehuman‘slivesclosely.Fromtheancienttimes,thehumantriedtheirbesttoconquerthenature,torebuildit.Atthattime,themostimportantfunctionwastoimprovetheproduction.Sointhisperiod,thehuman‘scivilizationswereinfluencedbythegeography.ChinaislocatedintheeastoftheEurasiaandonthewestbankofthePacificOcean--whichcouldnotbecrossedatthattime.InthesouthwestofChina,thereistheHimalayas,andthesouthwestisalargedesert,becauseofthese,wecansaythatChinawasrelativelyisolatedfromtheoutsideworld.Meanwhile,Chinahasalargeoffieldfortillageandtheclimatesuitstoit.SotheChinesecivilizationisthegeographycivilization.ButinEnglandandthewesterncountries,theylackoftheinlandbutneartheMediterraneanandtheAtlanticOcean,theseweresuitedtodeveloptheseacivilization.

TheidiomsaretheflowersoftheChineseandEnglishculture.SothispaperwilllisttheidiomsaboutthegeographyinChineseandEnglishlanguages.LeteveryoneknowmorethegeographyChineseandEnglishidioms

【KeyWords】geography;idioms;Chinese;English

【摘要】地理环境与人类的生存密切相关，远古的人类就是在不断地征服自然，改造自然中，发展、壮大起来。

可以说，古代人类最重要的活动就是征服自然，发展生产。

当时的人类的文化受到地理环境的影响。

中国位于欧亚大陆的东部，东边是难以逾越的太平洋，西南是有世界屋脊之称的喜马拉雅山，西北是一片大沙漠，可以说中国是相对地与外界隔离。

并且中国有大片土地供耕耘，气候也适合农耕，因此中国的文化是农耕文化，其文化偏向土地。

而英国，乃至整个西方，适合耕耘的土地少，而且面向地中海，大西洋，适合发展海洋文化。

而西方文化的发源地古希腊，更可以被称为是典型的海洋文化，因此，英国的文化更偏向海洋。

习语是中西文化中的精华，本篇将列出中西习语中受地理影响的部分。

旨在弄清地理环境与文化之间的关系。

【关键词】地理；习语；汉语；英语

Introduction

Theenvironmentinfluencestheculture.Humanandthenaturearerelatedclosely.Foronething,humandependsonthenature,andisboundbythenature.Foranther,humanalwaystrytomasterthenatureandrebuildit.[1]

Asweallknow,theChinesecultureandtheEnglishculturehavedifferentnatureenvironments.Chinahasalargeplainfortillage.Butinthewesterncountries,especiallyintheGreece,themotherofthewesterncivilization,hassmalllandfortillage,thelandisforthestockbreeding.WhiletheGreekhavelesslandtodeveloptheagriculture,theylivenearthesea,theMediterranean,sotheycansailintheseaforcommerce.Becauseofthedifferences,theChinesecultureandtheEnglishculturearedifferent.TheChinesecultureistheagriculturecivilization　andtheEnglishcultureisfromtheGreekcivilization,sotheEnglishcultureistheseacivilization.

2、ThesimilaritiesbetweenEnglishidiomsandChineseidiomsaboutthegeography

TheidiomsarethefossilsoftheChineseandEnglishcultures.IntheChineseandEnglishidioms,therearemanyidiomsaboutthegeography.SomeoftheChineseandEnglishidiomshavethesimilarmeanings,butothersareindifferentmeanings.

Inthegroupofidioms,whichhavesimilarmeaning,manyofthemusethesameimages,whileothersusethedifferentimagestoexplainthesamething.

similaritiesbetweenEnglishidiomsandChineseidiomsaboutthegeography

InmanyoftheChineseandEnglishidioms,theyhavethesamemeanings.Coincidently,manyofthemusethesameimages.ItshowsthattheChinesepeopleandEnglishpeopleexperiencethesimilarconceptions.Meanwhile,someofthemhavethesamemeanings,buttheyusethedifferentimagestoexplain.Fromthat,wecouldknowthatalthoughtheChineseandEnglishpeoplehavethesameexperience,theyhavethedifferentcultures.Sotheidiomsalwaysusethedifferentimages.

TheChinese-Englishgeographyidiomsthatusethesimilarimages

IntheancientChinaandEngland,thepeoplemayhavethesameexperience,andcoincidentlyusethesameimagetodescribethesamething.Itisverycoincidental.

（1）Fishintroublewatersand"浑水摸鱼"

Meaning:

toprofitinaconfusedenvironment

Don’tfishintroublewaters;thatdoesyounogood.

（2）Pour/throwcoldwateronand"泼冷水"

Meaning:

todiscourage

Theboardofdirectorpouredcoldwateronhisnewinvestmentproposalsinthatregion.

（3）Makewavesand"兴风作浪"

Meaning:

tomaketrouble

Theyliftitwasnotthetimetomakewavesbystagingasit-in.

（4）Gowiththestreamand"随波逐流"[10]

Meaning:

doasothersdo

Helistenedtothesamemusicanddressedthesamewayashisfriends.Hewentwiththestream,forhelackedconfidenceinmakinghisowndecision.

（5）Burnone’sboat/bridges[11]and"破釜沉舟"[12]

Meaning:

todosomethingthatmakeitimpossibletogoback

Startingyourownbusinesshasalotofrisk,sothinktwicebeforeyouburnyourboat.

TheidiomsinthisgroupreflectthattheEnglishidiomsandChineseidiomsarenearlycoincidental.Peopleindifferentculturesexperiencethesimilarconceptions.Theexamples

（1）to（4）areusingthesameimages.Theexample（5）,inChineseweuse“釜”and“舟”but,inEnglishtheyjustuse“boat”or“bridge”.InbothChineseandEnglishtheboat,thecookingpotandthebridgeareallveryimportanttopeoplelives.

Chinese-Englishgeographyidiomsthatusedifferentimages

WhiletheancientChinesepeopleandEnglishpeoplecoincidentlyusethesameimagetoexplainthesamething.Mostofthetime,theChineseandEnglishpeopleusethedifferentimagestoexplainthesamething.

（1）Bein/getinhotwater[13]orIndeepwater[14]and"泥菩萨过江"

Meaning:

tobeinorgetintotrouble

Shehasgotintohotwateragainforherinquisitivenaturerecently.

（2）Adropinthebucket/ocean[15]and"九牛一毛"

Meaning:

anegligibleortinyquantity;somethingthatmakelittledifference

Tencentsmeansalotofmoneytothebeggaronthestreet,butisadropintheoceanformostpeople.

（3）Paddleone’sowncanoe[16]and"自力更生"

Meaning:

todependononeself

Don’tworrytoomuchaboutyourson;heisbigenoughtopaddlehisowncanoe.

（4）Abigfish（inalittlepond）[17]and"顶天立地"[18]

Meaning:

animportantperson（inasmallcommunity）

ItoldyouwhenGeorgecametoourdepartmenttwoyearsagothathe’dsoonjob-hop.Heisabigfish.

TheidiomsinthisgroupreflectthattheEnglishidiomsandChineseidiomshavethesamemeaning,butusethedifferentimages.Intheexample

（2）inEnglishtheyuse“ocean”,whileinChineseweuse“牛”.Theexample（4）,inEnglishtheyuse“fish”,butinChineseweuse“地”.Theexample（5）,inEnglishtheyuse“fish”,butinChineseweuse“牛”.TheseshowthattheEnglishculturebelongstotheseacivilization,andtheChineseculturebelongstotheagriculturecivilization.Becausefishisthenormalthinginseacivilization,andtheoxisaveryimportantanimalfortheagriculture.

3ThedifferencesbetweenEnglishidiomsandChineseidiomsaboutthegeography

Theenvironmentinfluencedtheidiomsverymuch.Forexample,inChina,therealargelandfortillage,soinChineseidioms,therearemanyidiomsabout“tu”（土）、“di”、and“niu”--theseareallconnectedcloselytotheagriculture.

Butthewesterncultureisdifferent.Inthewesterncountries,especiallyintheGreek–themotherofthewesterncivilizations,therearemanymountainsandsmalllandfortillage.Theyhadtodevelopthebusinessatsea.SointheEnglishidioms,therearemanyidiomsaboutthesea,theboatandthefish.

Thereisatypicalexample,whichcouldexplainthis.InChina,wesay“huijinrutu”，butinEnglish,theysay“spendmoneylikewater”.Thesetwoarealldescribingthatsomeonespendmoneyverymuch,butinChineseweuse“tu”,whileinEnglishtheyuse“water”.

ThedifferentimagesaboutthegeographicalwordsinChineseandEnglishidioms

Nomatterwhethertheidiomshavethesamemeaning,orhavethedifferentmeanings,theirimagesareallaboutthegeographicalwords.InChineseidioms,manyoftheimagesareconnectedtotheland.InEnglish,manyoftheimagesareconnectedtothesea.

TheChinesegeographyidioms

Thelandisveryimportanttothepeople’slive.Alsotheagricultureisthemostimportantactivityinthepeople’scommonlive.Therearesomanyidiomsusethegeographicalwordstoexplainsomething.Therearesomeexamplecouldshowit.

（1）Juantuchonglai（卷土重来）[19]

Stageacomeback

（2）Mianrutuse（面如土色）[20]

Lookashen;lookpale

turnpalewithfright

（3）Yibaitudi（一败涂地）[21]

Failcompletely;sufferacrushingdefeat;berouted.

Wejustcan’tpossiblyfailcompletely,afterallthepreparationwe’vemade.

（4）Hutianqiangdi（呼天抢地）[22]

Lamenttoheavenandknockone’sheadonearth—uttercriesofanguish.

Fromthisgroupofidioms,wecouldseethatthelandisveryimportanttotheChinese.SointheChineseidioms,therearemanyidiomsabouttheland.TheChineseculturebelongstotheagriculturecivilization.

TheEnglishgeographyidioms

InEngland,theseaisconnectedtothepeople’slifeclosely.Englandisanislandcountry.InEngland,thefieldisless,thelandisforstockbreeding.TheEnglishpeoplealwaysmaketheirlivingonthesea.Sotherearemanyidiomsabouttheseaandtheship.

（1）Atsea[23]

①Onaship,etconthesea

spendthreemonthsatsea

②Notknowwhattodo;confused

I’mallatsea;Ihavenoideahowtorepaircars.

（2）Misstheboat[24]

Missanopportunity;betoolatetoparticipateinsomething

Sheputherapplicationinforherinterviewonedaylate.Unfortunatelyforhertheuniversityauthoritiescoulddonothingandshehadmissedtheboat

（3）Atbottom[25]

Inreality;reallybasically

Heseemsaggressivebutatbottomheiskindandgood-natural

（4）Anotherkettleoffish（adifferentkettleoffish）[26]

Acompletelydifferentpersonorthingfromtheonepreviouslymentioned

Heisgoodatplayingtennisinprivate,butplayinginpublicisadifferentkettleoffish.

Thisgroupofidiomsreflectthatthesea、theboat、thefishareveryimportanttothepeople’slives.TheEnglish