英语语言学概论论文.docx

英语语言学概论论文.docx

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英语语言学概论论文

OntheCulturalSimilaritiesandDifferencesinChinese

andEnglishProverbsofAnimal

AbstractProverbsincludemanyaspectsfromthesun,themoon,wind,rain,mountain,lake,flower,animalandsoon.Amongthese,themostnumerousquantitiesareproverbsofanimal.Ontheonehand,withthedevelopmentofthehistory,animalsalwaysconnectwithpeopletightlyandgivethestrongaffectiononpeople’slifeanddevelopment.Usually,peopleusesomeanimalstoexpresstheirfeelings,sotherearemanyproverbswhichhavetherelationshipbetweenChineseandEnglish.Ontheotherhand,becauseofthedifferentcultures,theseproverbsofanimalaregiventhespecificcultureconnotationinChineseandEnglish.Eachlanguagehasitsprofoundculturalbackgroundrelativetoitsownphysiology,convention,religiousbeliefandsoon.ThesedifferencesareapparentintheEnglishandChineseproverbsofanimal.Someanimalsmayhavecertainassociatedcharacteristicsinoneculturebutnotintheother.

KeyWordsproverbsofanimalChineseculturesimilaritiesWesternculturedifferences

I.Introduction

Languagecannotbeviewedinisolationfromotherfactorssuchassociologyandpsychology.Socialscientiststellusthatculturesdifferfromoneanother,thateachcultureisunique.Asculturesarediverse,languagesarediverse.Itisnaturalthatwithdifferencesinculturesanddifferencesinlanguages,difficultiesoftenariseincommunicatingbetweenculturesandacrosscultures.Understandingisnotalwayseasy.Whatneedstobestressedhereisthattwointeract,andthatunderstandingofonerequiresunderstandingoftheother.Hudsonsaidthatasapartoflanguage,proverbischaracterizedbytheirconciseexpressions,richandvivid,involvingplace,history,andreligiousbeliefandlivingconvention.It’sakindofhumancrystallizationofwisdom.Proverbisshortsayingoffolkwisdom—ofwell-knowfactsortruths—expressedsuccinctlyandinawaythatmakesthemeasytoremember,becausetheyarepithyandhaveuniversalappeal.Therelationsbetweenhumansandanimalsaresotightthathumansarefamiliarwiththeircharacteristicverywell.Peoplewillmakesomerelationsbetweenanimalsandsomephenomenaindailylife.

II.SimilaritiesinChineseandEnglishAnimalProverbs

Humanexperiencesandobservationsoftheworldaresimilarinmanyrespects.Therefore,inspiteofthedissimilarculturalbackgroundsoftheChineseandtheEnglish-speakingpeoples,thenumberofproverbsintwolanguagesthatareequivalentorcloseapproximatesisrathersurprising.ItisthattheEnglishandChineselanguagessharethesameviewsoversomeproverbsofanimal.

2.1CulturalConnotations

Asfarasweknow,besidesthedenotation,eachwordhasitsrichculturalconnotation.Duringthelonghistoryofhumanlife,EnglishandChinesepeoplemayhavethesameideasofanimalsfromperspectiveofinnersenseoftheculture.Someexamplesareasfollows.

Fox

FoxisthemostcommonanimalthattheEnglishandChineseculturessharethesameview.Itsinnersenseofthecultureisduplicityandsuspiciousness.

E.g.

（1）Thefoxmaygrowgrey,butnevergood.

Itmeansthatevenifthecolorofafoxcouldbechanged,thecunningfeatureisnotchangedyet.

E.g.

（2）a.Whenthefoxpreaches,thentakescareofyourgeese.

b.Itisanevilsigntoseeafoxlockalamb.

Theseexamplesshowthatfoxiskindofcunning.Theyalwayshatchaconspiracyinordertoattaintheiraim.Therefore,inChinaweoftenuse“狐假虎威”todescribesomebullypeoplewhoareflauntedbyotherpeople’spower.IntheEnglishlanguage,thesamekindofusagecanalsobeseen,asweoftensay“He'saslyoldfox.”andtheexample,

E.g.（3）Whenthefoxsaysheisavegetarian,it’stimeforthehentolookout.

Ass

InEnglishandChineseproverbs,“ass”hassimilarassociationsinbothcultures.Itcursessomeone“stubbornmule”andfractious,stubbornpersonality.

E.g.（4）Allasseswagtheirears.

Itmeansafoolalwayspretendstobethewise.InChina,aresomeproverbstoexpresstheassarestubborn.

E.g.（5）驮黄金的驴吃的是草。

Thisproverbmeansthatevenifanasscarriedthegoldonitsback,itwillstillchoosetoeatgrass,butnotthegold.

Rat

Ratisakindofanimalthatcanbeseenineverypartoftheworld.Theyleadadirtylife.ThebadfeatureistheirinstinctsoitisnowondertohearinChinese’sdailylife.

E.g.（6）一粒老鼠屎，坏了一锅粥。

（Aspeckofmousedungwillspoilawholepotofporridge）

But,fortheEnglishpeopletheyoftenuserattoindicatesomeonewhoisnotloyal.

E.g.（7）a.Itisapoormousethathasonlyonehole.

b.Themousethathasbutoneholeisquicklytaken.

Wolf

Themostdistinctimpressionofwolfiscruelty,hypocrisyandgreedinpeople'smind.

E.g.（8）狼披羊皮还是狼。

ThisisoneofexamplesofChineseinnersensescultureofviciouswolf.InWesterncountries,someproverbsofwolfalsohavethesamemean.

E.g.（9）a.Don’ttrustagoatwiththekitchen-garden,orawolfwithsheepfold.

b.Agrowingyouthhasawolfinhisbelly.

TheseproverbshavethesameexpressioninChinese.

E.g.（10）a.不要引狼入室。

（Don’ttrustagoatwiththekitchen-garden,orawolfwithsheepfold）

b.Thedeathofwolvesisthesafetythesheep.

Theyallshowsthatsheepisindangerifthewolfcomestothembecausethewolfisalwayscruelty.

Whatismore,wealsohavethecommonunderstandingoverwolf.Itisakindoffigurethatstandsforbarbarityandgreedy.InChinaweoftensay:

E.g.（11）狼吃羊,一点一点进肚肠。

Astoexpressthatmanhasanevilmind.IntheEnglishlanguage,wolfisalsobeenregardedbysomeoneaspredatory,rapacious,andfierce.Take“wolfinsheep'sclothing”forexample,itisusedtodescribeonewhofeignscongenialitywhileactuallyholdingmalevolentintentions.Sofromthisexample,wecanseethatalthoughwehavedifferentculturebackground,wehavethesamefeelingtosomekindofanimalandthiscaneasilybeseenfromthetwodifferentlanguages.

Tiger

Tigerisratherthanlionthatwouldsignifyruthlessandmerciless,asintheChineseproverbs

E.g.（12）a.初生牛犊不怕虎。

b.老虎门下官难做。

c.老虎进了城，家家都闭门。

Theinnersenseofcultureoftigerissoruthlessinthoseproverbsthatpeoplehavetokeepawayfromit.InEnglish,

E.g.（13）Thetigerthathastastedbloodisneversatedwiththetasteofit.

Theyalmosthavethesamemeaning.TheChineseequivalentfortheseexamples.

E.g.（14）a.老虎屁股摸不得。

（Don’ttouchthelion.）

b.不入虎穴，焉得虎子。

（Ifyoudon’tenteratiger’sden,youcan’tgethiscubs.）

Fish

InChineseandWesterncountries,someproverbsoffishhavethesimilarinnersenseofculture.

E.g.（15）Afishintroublewatergainstripleordouble”

InChina,

E.g.（16）少数豪门，浑水摸鱼，越来越富，越花越有。

Fishisalwaysexpressedtakingadvantageofturbulenttimes.Basedontheexamplesgiven,thereexiststhesameorsimilarculturalconnotationbetweenChineseandWesterncountries.

2.2Functions

Proverbplaysanimportantpartofthelanguageandcultureofasociety.Peoplealwaysencourageandadviseeachotherinanimalproverbs.Inpeople’sdailylife,someanimalsareassociatedwithpeople’scharacter.Thesecharactersgivepeoplecertainoffeeling.Althoughthoserelationslacksomebasis,peoplealwayssetforthtoviewinproverbsofanimal,whichsumuppeople’slifeexperiencesandreflectrealitylife.Therefore,thecommunicationfunctionsproverbsofanimalsarewidelyusedinChineseandEnglish.

E.g.（17）Itistheearlybirdthatcatchestheearlyworm.

Itpersuadespeopletogetupearlysothattheyhavemoretimethanotherstoachievemoresuccesses.InChina,

E.g.（18）塞翁失马，焉知非福。

Italsotellspeopleareason.Thoughthebadluckhappens,peopledon’tworryaboutitmuch,thegoodluckwillcomelater.Itadvisespeoplenottolosetheirheartwhensomethingunfortunatehappens.

III.DifferencesofAnimalProverbs

Itisimportantthatculturegivesalanguageitscharacteristics.Thedissimilaritiesarenaturallymoreapparent.EnglishandChineseproverbscomefromdifferentculturessotheyreflectculturaldistinctionsfeaturedinmateriallife,historyandlivingenvironment.Theassociationofmeaningandculturalimageofdifferentthingsandideasindifferentculturereflectdifferentspecificculturalsignificance.ComparedwithEnglishproverbs,theChineseshowcertaindistinctivefeatures.

Horse

Fromtheancientdays,horseisanimportantpartnerinpeople’sdailylife.Itplaysanessentialpartinhunting,husbandryandwars.InChina,horseisthewiseandkindincarnation,Itisthesymbolicspirits,suchas“千里马”.InEnglish,horseoftendoesn’tshowthemeanings,butothermeanings.

E.g.（19）Youcantakeahorsetothewater,butyoucan’tmakehimdrink.

Itshowsastubborncharacterfigure.

E.g.（20）a.Acoltyoumaybreak,butanoldhorseyounevercan.

b.Singpsalmstoadeadhorse.

Theyexpressthesamefigureofthehorse.Besides,horsealsopreferslightworktheheavy.

E.g.（21）Everyhorsethinksitsownsackheaviest.

Dog

“IntheU.S.andBritain,however,thedogisgenerallyregardedas‘man’sbestfriend’”.SuchexpressionsareoftenheardinEnglishconversationorreadinEnglishwriting:

E.g.（22）a.Loveme,lovemydog.

b.Everydoghashisday.

c.Dogdoesnoteatdog.

TomanyChinese,itwouldbeunthinkableforthedogtobegivensuchhonor.DogsinChinaaregenerallyassociatedwithunpleasantness.ItconsidersthoseproverbsinChinese.

E.g.（23）狗嘴里吐不出象牙来。

（Noivorycancomeoutofadog’smouth;afilthymouthcan’tutterdecentlanguage.）

Admittedly,thequalitiesthatendearedtheanimaltoWesternpeoplearefoundindogsinChinaaswell,loyaltydependability,courage,intelligence.ButinChina,dogsarewatchdogsbutnotpetsfirsto