学年论文.docx

学年论文.docx

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学年论文

CulturalDifferencesonIdiomsOrigins

Name:

DongQianqianNo:

20095061704

EnglishMajorSchoolofForeignLanguages

Supervisor:

MaXiaohuanTitle:

Instructor

Abstract：

Differentpeoplefromdifferentculturesmayhavedifferentunderstandingsofthesamesentencebecausetheyknowlittleaboutthetargetcultures.WhiletheultimateaimofEnglishteachingasaforeignlanguageistocultivatestudents'competencetoapplyEnglishcorrectly,fluently,andappropriatelyincross-culturalcommunication.However,duetolackofknowledgeofculturaldifferences,manycollegestudentsfailtoachievethispurposeduringtheactualcommunicatingactivities.ItisnecessaryforustostudytheculturaldifferencesinsomefieldsbetweenChinaandWesterncountries.Languageisthemostprincipalmeansforinter-culturalcommunication.Idioms,apartoflanguage,aretheessenceofcultureineverycountry.Usinglanguageinsuchcommunication,weoftencomeacrosssomeidiomswithdistinctiveculturalcharacteristics,soitisaveryimportantandcomplicatedthingforustounderstandandusetheseidiomscorrectly.Therefore,inthispaper,wewilldiscusstheidiomsreflectingthedifferencesofChineseandWesternculturesinvariouslevelswithmanylively,important,andinterestingexamplesofidioms.

KeyWords：

idioms;origins;culturaldifferencesbetweenEnglishandChinese

摘要:

同一句话，不同文化背景的人的反应有时是不同的，甚至会截然相反。

究其原因，是说话双方没有真正掌握对方的文化。

大学英语教学的目的，是使学生在跨文化交流中可以正确、流利与恰当的运用英语。

而大学生在实际交流活动中，往往不能达到这一目的，这是因为他们对中两方文化差异不够了解。

因此，完全有必要对中西文化差异进行详细的研究。

语言是跨文化交际中最主要的手段。

在运用语言进行跨文化交际时,由于民族文化差异,难免会遇到具有鲜明文化特色的成语和习语,而对此确切地理解并正确地加以运用,则是一个十分重要而又复杂的问题。

习语是各国文化的精髓，反映各国的风俗习惯。

因此，本文从最能体现中西文化差异的习语着手，论述习语在文化的各个层次上所反映的中西文化差异，并采纳大量生动有趣的例子作为论据进行适当的分析。

关键词:

习语;来源;英语;汉语;文化差异

1.Introduction

Languageisinseparablefromculture.Foronething,languageisapartofcultureandplaysanimportantroleinit.Foranother,asamirrorofculture,languageisstronglyinfluencedandshapedbyculture;meanwhile,itreflectsculture.Idiomsincludemetaphoricalphrases,slang,colloquialism,proverbandsoon.Asanessentialpartofthelanguageandcultureofasociety,idiomsarecharacterizedbytheirconciseexpressions,richandvivid,involvinggeography,history,religiousbelief,livingconventionsandsoon.Theyareusuallyhighlyspecializedinmeaningandcloselytiedtodistinctiveculturalfeaturesandculturalattitudes.Itisbelievedthatidiomsarethemostculturallyloadedelementinanylanguage'svocabulary.Undoubtedlytheyareoftenhardtounderstandandhardertousecorrectly.EnglishandChineseidioms,closelyrelatedtotheirownculture,conveydifferentculturalfeaturesandmessagesoftheirownnation,reflectingtheirownculture.（胡文仲，1999，P281-282）ThereexistsvastdifferencebetweenEnglishandChinesecultureandthisdifferenceoccursinEnglishandChineseidioms,too.Basedonothers’research,thispaperintendstoexploreitbyfullyanalyzingthemainculturalreasonscausingidiomaticexpressionsdifferencesinbothChineseandEnglish.

2.Differentlivingcircumstance

Thatcultureisdeterminedbygeographicalenvironmentisasubjectiveviewofgeographicaldeterminism.Itcannotbedenied,however,thatnaturalenvironmentincludinggeographicalposition,climate,ecologicalconditionissomethingthatplayscontributoryroleintheformationofaculture.Peopledwellinginacertainregiontrytoadaptthemselvestothesurroundingssothatlivelihoodcanbemaintained.Asaresult,theirspecialwayofliving,thinkingandbehavingisformedasaside-productoftheirrelationshipwiththeenvironment.

2.1.Geographicalenvironment

Britainisanislandcountry.Peoplewholivealongseacoastandwhoselivelihoodisdependentontheseawillhaveidiomsaboutwater,sailing,islandandfish.Forexample,wespeakinChinese挥金如土，butweshouldrenderitintoEnglishas"spendmoneylikewater".TherearealotofEnglishidiomsaboutship,waterandfish:

"ascloseasanoyster"（守口如瓶），"castananchortowindward"（未雨绸缪）,"atsea"（茫然），"tokeepone'sheadabovewater"（奋力图存），"totakethewindoutofsomebody'ssail"（先发制人），"towerone'ssail"（甘拜下风），"infullsail"（全力以赴），"sailunderfalsecolors"（欺世盗名），"halfseaover"（酒喝得太多）,"fishbeginstostinkatthehead"（上梁不正下梁歪），"neveroffertoteachfishtoswim"（不要班门弄斧），"dullfish"（枯燥无味的人）;"plainsailing"（一帆风顺），"totrimone'ssailtothewind"（见风使舵）,"tobeinthesameboat"（同舟共济），"toburnone'sboat"（破釜沉舟）,"abigfishinalittlepond"（山中无老虎，猴子称霸王）.（江瑞，2000，P110）

Ontheotherhand,theHanPeopleliveonland,theybelongtoanagrariansocietythatplacesagriculturalproductionatthetopofthenationalagenda,regardingindustryandcommerceasthenon-essentials.Duringthelonghistoryoffarming,theChineselanguagehasaccumulatedlargenumbersoffarmers'idioms,like二人同心，黄土变金（Whentwopeopleareofthesamemind,evenclaymaybechangedintogold），上无片瓦，下无寸土（aspoorasachurchmouse），人不亏地，地不亏人（Themaster'sfootstepsfattenthesoil），瓜熟蒂落（Thingswillbeeasilysettledwhenconditionsareripe），瑞雪兆丰年（atimelysnowpromisesagoodharvest），五谷丰登（abundantharvestofallfoodcrops）,种瓜得瓜，种豆得豆（asamansows,soshallhereap），四体不勤，五谷不分（canneitherdophysicalworknordistinguishricefromwheat）.（朱丽玲，2000，P99）

2.2.Climate

Climateisanotherfactorinthelivingcondition.WhileBritainislocatedinwesternhemisphere,withNorthTemperateZoneandmarineclimate,so"westwind"isthesymbolofspring.ThefamousEnglishpoetShirley's"OdetoWestWind"isapraisingsongofspring.SummerinBritainisawarmandcomfortableseason,whichisusuallylinkedwith"lovely","gentle"and"nice".Shakespearecompareslovertoasummerinoneofhispoems,"shallIcomparetheetoasummer'sday?

Thouartmorelovelyandmoretemperate."（Shakespeare’sSonnet18）ThewestwindblowsfromtheAtlanticOceanaswarmandgentleasChineseeastwindandbringsvoluminousraintothisarea.SothatBritainaboundsinraincanbeprovedinsomeidiomsconcerningrain:

"tomakehaywhilethesunshines"（趁热打铁）,"rainyday"（穷困时期）,"torainorshine"（无论如何）,"toraincatsanddogs"（倾盆大雨）,"asrightasrain"（非常正确）,etc.Britainusedtobeknownasacountryoffogpartlyduetothedampnessandwarmnessoftheweatherconditionandpartlytotheairpollutionassideproductoftheindustrialrevolution.Therefore,inEnglishtherearesomeidiomaticexpressionsconcerningfog,suchas"inafog"（云里雾里），and"tohavenotthefoggiestidea"."Springuplikemushrooms"（雨后春笋）maybecomeincomprehensibletoChineselearnerifheisunawarethatthisidiomimpliestherichnessofmushroomgrowinginthewetareainBritainjustas"bamboo"inChinesespecialty,and"asplentifulasblackberries"（黑莓遍地）alsoindicatestheecologicalenvironmentinBritain,forblackberriesareeasilyavailableinEngland.

InChineseculture,"eastwind"is"thewindofspring";springiswarmandcolorful,anditisregardedasthebeginningofalllives.TherearemanyidiomsinChina,whichrefertospring：

春暖花开（inwarmspring,alltheblossomsareinfullbloom.）,春意盎然（springisverymuchintheair）,一年之计在于春（thewholeyear’sworkconsistsinagoodstartinspring），万紫千红总是春（itisspringwhenthegayestcoloursabound）.Springhastheimageofgoodthings,soChinese“春”isusedinsomeidiomstoexpressthis:

满面春风（one’sfaceradiateshappiness）,春风化雨（thelife-givingspringbreezeandrain---salutaryinfluenceofeducation）.Summerisalwaysconnectedwithextremelyhotortheintenseheat,so赤日炎炎似火烧（theblazingsunscorcheslikefire）、骄阳似火（theburningsunislikeafire）aretermsoftenusedtodescribesummer.

Sodifferentlivingsurroundingsmayproducedifferentidiomsanddifferentculture.

3.Differenttraditionsandcustoms

Cultureislongacquiredfromcustomsandhabits.Thesecustomsandhabitsarerepresentativeofthewayoflivingofacertainspeechcommunityandtheyaremirroredinthehabitualspeakingofthelanguage.

3.1.Foodandcooking

FoodisoneoftheaspectsofculturaltraditionthatarereflectedinEnglishidioms.InmostEuropeancountries,wheatusedforbakingbread,barleyforbrewingwineandoatforfeedinganimalsarethemajorsupplyoffood.Bread,butter,jam,cheese,etc.areusualkindoffoodindailymeals.Breadisoneofthesuppliesforliving.So"toearnoneabread"means"tomakealiving"."Breadandbutter"（日常所需）,asmajorfoodoftheWesternersisalsoanidiommeaning"theusualneedsoflife"."Toknowwhichsideone’sbreadisbuttered"（知道自身利益所在）isaninterestingidiomimplying"toknowwhereone’sinterestlies".Tobutterbothsidesofone'sbreadmaysatisfyaperson'sappetitebetter,so"tobutterbothsidesofone'sbread"（过舒适的生活）isusedtomean"toobtainancomfortableliving".Itiscertainlyabadluckifsomeonehastoeathardcheese,so"hardcheese"（倒霉）gotitsmeaning"badluck."

InChina,mostoftheareasespeciallythesouthgrowrice,somanyidiomshavetodowithrice:

巧妇难为无米之炊（Eventhecleveresthousewifecan'tcookamealwithoutrice），茶余饭后（overacupofteaorafterdinner---atone'sleisure）,不当家不知柴米贵（Hewhotakeschargeknowstheresponsibility），看菜吃饭，量体裁衣（toadaptoneselftocircumstances）.ChinahasalonghistoryofcookingandtheChineseareknownasthemostcriticalandatthesametimethemostcausaleaters,fortheyattachgreaterimportancetofoodthananyotherpeople,asisreflectedinthesayingslike:

家常便饭（dailyfoodpreparation），粗茶淡饭（coarseteaandbrownrice），大鱼大肉（abundantfishandmeat---richfood）,添油加醋（toexaggerateembellishmentto）,画饼充饥（todrawcakestoallayhunger），鸡毛蒜皮（aninchbreaksnosquare）,生米煮成熟饭（What'sdonecannotbeundone）.SuchexpressionsarequiteabundantintheChineselanguage.Inourdailylife,theChineseusuallygree