英汉动物谚语的对比研究.docx

英汉动物谚语的对比研究.docx

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英汉动物谚语的对比研究

毕业论文

题目：

英汉动物谚语的对比研究

Title:

AComparativeStudyof

EnglishandChineseAnimalIdioms

2009年5月20日

Acknowledgements

IwouldliketoexpressmysinceregratitudetoanumberofteachersandfriendsattheForeignLanguageDepartmentfortheirhelpandencouragementinthewritingofthisthesis.

SpecialthanksshouldgotoMs.LuLi,myrespectedsupervisor,whogavemesomuchconstructiveinstructionandinsightfulguidancethroughoutmyresearchwork.Withgreatcare,Shereadthewholemanuscriptandofferedmuchinvaluablecriticism.Hergreathelpmakesthisthesisabetteronethanitwouldotherwisehavebeen.

Iamalsoindebtedtomyaffectionateparents,andtherestofmyfamily.Throughoutthedevelopmentofthispaper,theyhavebeentherealwaysgivingmecontinuoussupport,encouragementandunderstanding.Theirloveandsupportencouragemetopursueprogressallthetime.

Abstract

Culturestudyhasbeenaheatedsubject;hencemanyscholarsfocustheirattentiononthefieldofinterculturalstudy.IdiomsareaveryimpertantpartofChineseandEnglishlanguages,andChineseandEnglishlanguagesaboundwithanimalidioms,whichreflectrespectiveculture.Thethesisattemptstomakeaninterculturalstudyofanimalidiomstotrackdownthesimilaritiesanddifferencesinculturalaspectsandculturalfeaturesexpressedinanimalidioms.Inshort,inexploringtheessenceofculture,animalidiomsshiningwithculturalflavorandculturalconnotationswillcontributetotheunderstandingofdifferentcultures,italsocanpromotethecommunicationbetweenChineseandWesternculture.

Keywords:

ChineseandEnglishanimalidioms;associatedmeanings;

culturalconnotations;translation

摘要

在文化研究成为热门话题的今天，许多学者把视角锁定在跨文化领域。

谚语是汉英语言及文化的构成部分之一。

其中动物谚语能最丰富地体现汉英语言文化，本文从跨文化角度入手，对含有动物形象的汉英谚语进行对比研究，透过文化底蕴、联想意义以及翻译方法三个层面研究汉英动物谚语，着眼于动物习语反映出的中西文化相似与差异之处。

总的来说，研究文化以及这些谚语所反映的文化内涵可以加深人们对两种不同文化的理解，促进中西文化的交流。

关键词:

汉英动物谚语；联想意义；文化底蕴；翻译

Contents

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

I.DifferentCulturalBackgroundsbetweenChineseandEnglishAnimalIdioms……………………………………………………..2

1.1TheConceptofAnimalIdioms..........................................................2

1.2CulturalConnotations………………………………………………2

II.UniqueAnimalIdiomsinChineseandEnglish………………9

2.1UniqueAnimalIdiomsinChinese………………………………….9

2.2UniqueAnimalIdiomsinEnglish…………………………………10

III.TheTranslationofEnglishandChineseIdioms……………11

3.1SuggestedWaysofTranslation…………………………………….11

Conclusion…………………………………………………………….17

Bibliography………………………………………………………18

Introduction

Languageisapartofcultureandpalysaveryimportantroleinit.Meanwhile,languageisalsoaculturalcarrierandservesastheprincipalmeanstocross-culturalcommunication[1:

45].Asaparticularpartoflanguage,idiomsarenoexceptionindicatingthedistinctivefeaturesofaculture.

Idiomsaresmallpiecesofhumanwisdomthathavebeenhandeddownfromgeneration.Theyexpressideasinshortandrecognizablesentences.Whatmighthavetakenanentireparagraphtoexplainisexpressedmetaphoricallyintheseidioms,whichcontaininanutshellthephilosophyofthecommonpeople.Idiomsalsoembodyaconcentratedreflectionofvariousrhetoricalmeansandserveasamirrorofthehistoricalandculturalconceptionsofasocialcommunity.

Idiomsareexistentinvariouspeople’slanguagesandincirculationbyformulaicphrasesinspokenlanguageaswhatcomprehensivelytransmitsexperiencesandlessonsforastruggleinexistence[2:

72].Differentpeoplesharewitheachothersuchfeaturesasidiomaticformsandcontents,becausetheysharepracticalexperiencesandwisdomforhumanbeingsinordertosurvive.Idiomsareneverthelessrootedinthesoilonwhichthepeopleliveandarerealizedasformulaicphrasesinitslanguagesystem.Thereforethecharacterofthepeopleisclearlybrandedinitsidioms.Bycomparingidiomsofdifferentpeoplewitheachother,wecanfindthateachpeople′scharacteristics,history,economiclife,culturaltradition,mentality,morality,senseofvalue,geographicalenvironmentsandotheraspectsarefullyexpressedinitsidioms.Consequently,inordertounderstandidioms,weshouldobservetheminrelationwithsuchconditionsasitsreligion,history,culture,customs,geography,etc.

I.DifferentbackgroundsbetweenChineseandEnglishIdioms

1.1AnimalIdiomsandCulture

Manyidiomsaretestedinpracticeandhavebeenregardedveryimportant.Manyofthempackalotofinformation,especiallyculturalinformation.Animalimagesaremuchmorepopularinidiomswhicharefullofculturalconnotations.Makinguseofidiomsisamethodofexpressingoneselfmorequicklyandconciselythaninanyotherway.Peoplearecarryingontheresearchonhowtoovercometheculturalobstaclesevokedbyculturaldifferences.

Culturally-loadedvocabularyplaysanimportantroleinalanguage.Different

socialbackgroundsandnationalculturehaveagreateffectonculturalconnotations.

Withcomparison,thesameanimalwordsmaybearthesameanddifferentcultural

meanings.Anddifferentanimalwordsmayconveythesimilarorevensamemeaning.ChineseandEnglishidiomscarvedwithculturalcharacteristicsaccountforagreatpartintranslation.Culturalsimilaritiesanddifferencesmayhaveapositiveornegativeeffectontranslation.

Idiomshavemanycharacteristics,suchassuccinctwriting,properchoiceof

words,vividandbrightimages,andtheyarefullofrhythm.TolearnandstudyidiomsbystudyingtheassociativemeaningsofanimalimagesbothinEnglishandChineseidiomsaswellastheoriginofidiomswillhelptoachieveathoroughunderstanding,apropercommandandasolidgraspofanimalcultureinidioms.

1.2CulturalConnotationsReflectedinChineseandEnglishAnimalIdioms

1.2.1GeographicalCulturesinAnimalIdioms

Geographicalculturereferstothecultureformedbythearea,naturalconditionandgeographicalenvironment.ThegeographicalculturesoftheChineseandEnglishnationsareofgreatimportanceanddifference,whichhaveobviouslymanifestationsintheirindividualproverbs[12:

42].Emergenceofidiomsiscloselyrelatedtopeople'slaborandlife.Mostidiomsaretheoffspringoftheirdifferentlifeexperience,sonaturallytheymanifesttwodifferentkindsofnationalforms.Duetodifferentlivingconditions,theEnglishandChinesepeoplehavetheirownindividualstateofmindandwaysofthinking,whichalsoaddnationalcoloringtotheidioms.

TheChinesepeoplebelongtoanagrariansocietythatplacesagriculturalproductionatthetopofthenationalagenda.Sincetimeimmemorial,Chinahasbeenalargecontinentalcountrychieflybasedonagriculture,andanoverwhelmingmajorityofthepeoplelivesintheruralareas[12:

42].HencethereisasurprisingnumberoffarmingidiomsandidiomswithanimalimagesaccumulatedintheirproductivelaborbytheChinesepeasantsfromgenerationtogeneration.Forexample,

林中不卖柴，湖上不卖鱼。

Fuelisnotsoldinaforest,norfishonalake.

Thefarmers'proverbialsayingsformalargepartofChineseidioms.TheChineseancestorscreatedgloriousmaterialwealth.EverythingneededwasproducedintheterritoryofancientChina[10:

56].TheChineselovepeaceandearth.Sothemajorityofagriculturalidiomsemphasizetheimportanceofagriculture,takingfarmingasmaterialsandshowingthesimpleandindustrioustraditionofChinesepeopleandtheirnationalcharacter---"stickingtotheirhometownland,revertingtotheirorigin".SuchidiomsareaveryimportantcomponentofChineseidioms.Forexample,

牛不喝水强按头。

trytomakeanoxdrinkbyforcinghisheadintothewater---trytoimposeone'swillonsb.

马到成功。

bevictoriousthemomentthebattlesteedsarrive---gainanimmediate

victory.

风马牛不相及。

betotallyunrelated.

TakingapanoramicviewofEnglishhistoryandanalyzingEnglishidioms,wewillfindoutthat"islandculture".Britainisanislandcountrywhichhasalonghistoryofnavigation.Therefore,peoplewholivealongseacoastandwhoselivelihoodisdependentonseawillhaveenormousnumbersofnauticalidiomsconnectedwithwater,sailingandfish,andagreatnumberofEnglishidiomsarederivedfromthesea[12:

44].ThelifeandlaboroftheEnglisharecloselyconcernedwithoceans.AlotofEnglishidiomshavemuchtodowiththesea,marineclimate,shippingandrelevantexperienceandlessons.Forexample,

ascloseasanoyster

asdrunkasafish

crystinkingfish

allisfishthatcomestohisnet

neveroffertoteachfishtoswim

thebestfishswimnearthebottom

throwoutasprattocatchaherring/mackerel

AnothertraitofBritainisthatitsagricultureisbasedonanimalhusbandryandalotofordinarypeopleareengagedinthisworkandpoultryraising,fromwhichmanyidiomshavebeencreated.Forexample,

Likecow,likecalf.

Youcantakeahorsetothewaterbutyoucannotmakehimdrink

Alllayloadsonawillinghorse.

Abigfishinalittlepond（山中无老虎，猴子称霸王。

）

1.2.2CustomaryCulturesinAnimalIdioms

Customarycultureisthecultureofanation'scustomsandconventionswhichexistindailysociallifeandcommunicativeactivities[13:

78].Linguistsholdthatlanguageisacceptedthroughcommonpractice[12:

48].ManyidiomsbothinChineseandinEnglishcomefromcolloquialspeechindailylifeandcustomsofdifferentnations.Peoplehavecreatedlotsofidiomsinpractice.Theyarevivid,practicalandcloselyrelatedtohuman'slifeexperience.

Bothculturesaretheproductofthedifferentlifeexperience,andcustomsandconventionsofthesocialmemberswhousethelanguages.Thedifferencesintheseaspectsofthetwonationscertainlyproducegreatdiscrepa