英汉习语差异论文Word格式.docx
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英汉习语差异论文Word格式.docx
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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
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.[1]P281-282ThereexistsvastdifferencebetweenEnglishandChinesecultureandthisdifferenceoccursinEnglishandChineseidioms,too.Basedonothers’research,thispaperintendstoexploreitbyfullyanalyzingthemainculturalreasonscausingidiomaticexpressionsdifferencesinbothChineseandEnglish.
1.Differentlivingcircumstance
Thatcultureisdeterminedbygeographicalenvironmentisasubjectiveviewofgeographicaldeterminism.Itcannotbedenied;
however,thatnaturalenvironmentincludinggeographicalposition,climate,andecologicalconditionissomethingthatplayscontributoryroleintheformationofaculture.Peopledwellinginacertainregiontrytoadaptthemselvestothesurroundingssothatlivelihoodcanbemaintained.
Asaresult,theirspecialwayofliving,thinkingandbehavingisformedasaside-productoftheirrelationshipwiththeenvironment.
1.1.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'
(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).[2]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).[3]P99
1.2.Climate
Climateisanotherfactorinthelivingcondition.WhileBritainislocatedinwesternhemisphere,withNorthTemperateZoneandmarineclimate,so
westwind"
isthesymbolofspring.ThefamousEnglishpoetShirley'
s"
OdetoWestWind"
isapraisingsongofspring.
SummerinBritainisawarmandcomfortableseason,whichisusuallylinkedwith"
lovely"
gentle"
and
nice"
.Shakespearecompareslovertoasummerinoneofhispoems,
shallIcomparetheetoasummer'
sday?
Thouartmorelovelyandmoretemperate."
[4](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.
2.Differenthistoricalallusion
Differentcountriespossessdifferenthistoryculture,whichmainlycomprisesallusion,myths,poems,ancientbooksandrecords,etc.Amongthem,allusionisthemostimportant;
itreflectsthenationalcharacteristic.Idiomsfromhistoryculturearethegemsofhumanculturalheritage.Itisworthwhileforustolearnthemwell.Therearelotsofidiomscomingfromthehistoricalallusion.Thestructuresoftheseidiomsareverysimplebuttheyhaveprofoundmeaning,sowecannottranslateandunderstandtheseidiomsfromtheliteralmeaning.ThedifferenthistoricalbackgroundsoftheEnglishandChinesepeoplehavetheirdifferentlegendsandanecdotesabouthistoricalfigureswhichhaveprovidedrichandvariedmaterialsfortheiridioms,andconsequentlygiveanationalcolortotheidiomsinthetwolanguages.ItisnecessaryforustolearnandunderstandtheEnglishallusionaswellastheChineseallusion.Itcanenlargeourscopeofknowledge,widenourfieldofvisionanditisusefultolearnabouttheoriginanddevelopmentofEnglishandChineselanguageandliterature.
2.1.Historicalevents
Inmost,ifnotall,languages,peopleembellishtheirspeechorwritingwithreferencestocharactersoreventsfromtheirhistory,thatistosay,idiomaticexpressionsarecloselyrelatedtoacountry'
shistory.Taketheaspectoflanguageforexample:
therearealotofidiomsintheChineselanguagewhichcannotfindanequivalentintheEnglishlanguagebecausethehistoryofthetwocountriesarequitedifferent.ManyChineseidiomsarefromtheirownhistoricaleventswhicharewell-knownbyChinesepeople.Forinstance,thefollowingidiomsarefromhistoricaleventsinAncientChina:
风声鹤唳,草木皆兵(beinanextremelynervousstateinwhichoneisfrightenedbytheslightestsound)isfromthedefeatofFuJian’s(苻坚)armyatFeishuiRiverduringtheEastJinDynasty;
卧薪尝胆(tosleeponbrushwoodandtastegall---toundergoself-imposedhardshipssoastostrengthenone'
sresolvetowipeoutanationalhumiliation)comesfromTheHistoricalRecords•Yue’sStateEmperorGouJian’sNobleFamily(《史记·
越王勾践
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