中西方文化差异之动物篇

MetaphorsandAssociationsanimalwords1.Differentculturalbackgroundspresentthesameorsimilarmeaningsofthesamewordsaboutanimals.2.Wordswithdifferentculturalloadsmayleadtodifferentassociations.3.Theconnotativemeaningsofawordmayexistinoneculture,butevaporateinanotherEnglishpeoplewouldsay,“Heisafox.”Similarly,Chinesepeoplecanunderstandthemeaningofthesentence“Heisafox.”inChinese“他是一只狐狸。”ThisexampleshowsthatinEnglish“fox”canbeusedtodescribesomebodywhoiscunninganddishonest.Thisexampleindicatesthatdifferentlanguagesandculturesendow“fox’’thesamemeanings.•Wolf(狼)isakindofgreedy,savageandcruelbeast,soinChinesethereexistsuchexpressions:“狼心狗肺”,“豺狼当道”,“如狼似虎”,“狼吞虎咽”,“狼狈为奸”,“狼子野心”.•Similarly,thegreedy,sinister险恶的,dishonestcharacterofwolfalsodisplaysvividlyandincisivelyinwesternculture,e.g.:•“awolfinasheep’sclothingorawolfinlamb’sskin”;•“wakeasleepingwolf”;•“holdawolfbytheears”;•“keepthewolffromthedoor”.披着羊皮的狼自找麻烦骑虎难下，进退两难勉强度日•“Ass(驴)”inEnglishandChinesehasthesameconnotationandfigurativemeaning“foolish,stupid”.InChinesetheexpression“笨驴”isusedtoindicateafooloranidiot.InEnglish,mostofthesetphrases,idiomsandproverbsincludingtheword“ass’’allimplythemeaningof“foolish”,e.g.•“assingrain(十足的大傻瓜)”;•“anassinalion’sskin(fromAesop’sFables,冒充聪明人的傻瓜)”;•“allasseswag摇动theirears(谚语：驴子摇耳朵，傻瓜装聪明)”;•“asses’bridge(笨人难过的桥)”;•“acttheass(做糊涂事)”;•“makeanassofoneself(做蠢事)”;•“sellyouass(口语：不要这样呆头呆脑)”.“dove”inChineseandEnglishsharesthesamemeaning,andsymbolizesforpeace.Weregardthedoveas“peacedove”.Insomegrandcelebrations,weoftenseethesceneoftakingthedovesaway,standingforcherisheddesireforpeaceworldofallofus.Thefollowingaresomeotherfamiliarexamples:•asfreeasabird(像鸟儿一样自由);•asuglyasatoad(像癞蛤蟆一样丑);•asbusyasabee(像蜜蜂一样忙碌);•asslowasanail(像蜗牛一样慢).Thiskindoftermswithsameorsimilarmeaningsshowthatindifferentculturestheredoesexistsomethingincommon,whichreflectsthecommonnessofdifferentnationalcultures.•英汉语中对猪的形象和喻义也基本一致，猪给人的印象是脏而丑陋，令人讨厌，其喻义是集“懒”、“馋”、“贪”和“笨”于一身。•汉语中“猪猡”、“猪头阿三”、“肥得像头猪”、“懒得像头猪”等粗俗的脏话都是以猪为形象的，•在英语中，apig意为agreedy,dirtyorbad-manneredperson(贪婪，肮脏或举止粗鲁之人)，因此常用以喻指贪婪，懒惰，肮脏的人。英语中有不少含有pig的习语短语，几乎都含有明显的贬义，如•eatlikeapig（喧闹而贪婪地大吃大喝），•makeapigofoneself（大吃大喝，狼吞虎咽），•pigsinclover（行为卑鄙或粗鲁的有钱人），•buyapiginapoke（未经过目而买下的上当之货）。Next1)Someanimalwordswithcommendatory(褒义)meaninginChinese,butwithderogatory（贬义）meaninginEnglish2)SomeanimalwordswithcommendatoryfigurativemeaninginEnglish,butwithderogatoryfigurativemeaninginChinese3)Differentanimalassociationvehiclesandsimilarfigurativemeanings•“dragon(龙)”iscompletelyoppositeinChineseandEnglish.“Dragon”isnotarealanimalbutanimaginaryone.•InChina,dragonisthesymboloftheChinesenation,especiallyintheancienttime,peopleworshipeddragontobegforrain.AndtheChinesefeudalemperorswereoftenreferredtoassonsofdragons(真龙天子),wearingclotheswithdesignsofdragons(龙袍).AndalsotheChineseallcallthemselvesdescendentsofthedragon（龙的传人）andareveryproudofbeingthedescendentsofthedragon.•However,inWesternpeople’sminds,thedragonissomeevilmonsterwithalargetailwithwingsandclaws,breathingoutfireandsmoke.Itsymbolizesevil.•Soifwewanttosay“望子成龙”inEnglish，wecan’tsaythat“Hisparentsexcepthimtobeadragon”,butwemustexplainitlikethat“Hisparentsexcepthimtobecomeanoutstandingpersonage”or“Hisparentsexcepthimtohaveabrightfuture”。wecan’tsay”亚洲四小龙”likethat“foursmalldragonsofAsia”butthat“foursmalltigersofAsia”。•“Monkey(猴子)”hasdifferentmeaninginChineseandEnglishlanguages.•InChinese,“monkey”isoftenlikenedtoasmartandagileperson,withcommendatorysense.TheChinesepeopleoftenjokinglycallcleverandcutechildren“littlemonkey”.•But,ifyoupraiseawesternchild“Youarelikealittlemonkey.”,hewillbeangry,thinkingthatyoucursehim.BecauseinEnglish,“littlemonkey,”means“atroublesomeplayfulchild”.And“monkey”isoftenlikenedtoapersonwithawholebagoftricks,e.g.“Themanisastrickyasamonkey.(那人诡计多端，极为狡猾。)”Therefore,inEnglish,expressionswith“monkey”havederogatorymeanings,e.g.•“monkeybusiness(捣鬼，骗人的勾当)”;“monkeyaround(闲荡，瞎弄)”;•“monkeymeat(美俚：劣等牛肉)”;•“suckthemonkey(英俚：酗酒)”.•“petrel(海燕)”.InEnglishthepetrelisconsideredasanomenofdisaster.TheLongmanDictionary（朗文词典）ofEnglish-Chineseoffersustheexplanations:“Astormypetrelisapersonwhosepresenceexcitesdiscontentment,quarrelling,etc.inasocialgroup.”Thereasonforsuchadislikeisthattheythinkpetrelisthesymbolfordisaster.•However,inChinatheword“petrel”isassociatedwithbravinghardshipandadversity,advancingwithperseveranceandcourage.ThespiritiswellreflectedinthepoempetrelwrittenbyGorky（高尔基）,afamousRussianwriter.•magpie(喜鹊)，ToEnglishpeople,ifamagpiefliesnearawindow,itisasymbolofbadluck.TherearetwoexplanationsinTheOxfordAdvancedLearner’s（牛津高阶）English-ChineseDictionary:(a)personwhocollectsorhoardsthings(爱收藏或贮藏东西的人),(b)personwhochattersalot(爱饶舌的人).Alltheseexplanationsarefigurativewithderogatorymeanings.•Onthecontrary,amagpieisasymbolofgoodluckinChina.Ifamagpiesingsinatreenearhouses,peoplewouldthinksomehappythingswouldhappen.SoChinesepeopleoftensaythat“Magpiesings,happythingcomes.”•“fish”hasquitedifferentmeaningsinEnglishandChinese.InEnglish“fish”hasderogatorymeaningthatreferstobadthingsandpersons,e.g.: