中西方文化差异之动物篇讲稿

1、关于中西方文化差异之动物篇第1页，共39页，2022年，5月20日，16点57分，星期四 1.Different cultural backgrounds present the same or similar meanings of the same words about animals. 2. Words with different cultural loads may lead to different associations.3. The connotative meanings of a word may exist in one culture, but evaporate

2、in another 第2页，共39页，2022年，5月20日，16点57分，星期四 English people would say, “He is a fox.” Similarly, Chinese people can understand the meaning of the sentence “He is a fox.” in Chinese “他是一只狐狸。” This example shows that in English “fox” can be used to describe somebody who is cunning and dishonest. This ex

3、ample indicates that different languages and cultures endow “fox the same meanings.第3页，共39页，2022年，5月20日，16点57分，星期四Wolf(狼) is a kind of greedy, savage and cruel beast, so in Chinese there exist such expressions:“狼心狗肺”,“豺狼当道”,“如狼似虎”, “狼吞虎咽”, “狼狈为奸”, “狼子野心”. 第4页，共39页，2022年，5月20日，16点57分，星期四Similarly, th

4、e greedy, sinister险恶的, dishonest character of wolf also displays vividly and incisively in western culture, e.g.:“a wolf in a sheeps clothing or a wolf in lambs skin ”; “wake a sleeping wolf”;“hold a wolf by the ears”;“keep the wolf from the door”. 披着羊皮的狼自找麻烦骑虎难下，进退两难勉强度日第5页，共39页，2022年，5月20日，16点57分，

5、星期四“Ass(驴)” in English and Chinese has the same connotation and figurative meaning “foolish, stupid”. In Chinese the expression “笨驴” is used to indicate a fool or an idiot. In English, most of the set phrases, idioms and proverbs including the word “ass all imply the meaning of “foolish”, e.g. “ass

6、in grain (十足的大傻瓜)”;“an ass in a lions skin (from Aesops Fables, 冒充聪明人的傻瓜)”;“all asses wag摇动 their ears (谚语：驴子摇耳朵，傻瓜装聪明)”; “asses bridge (笨人难过的桥)”;“act the ass (做糊涂事)”;“make an ass of oneself (做蠢事)”; “sell you ass (口语：不要这样呆头呆脑)”. 第6页，共39页，2022年，5月20日，16点57分，星期四 “dove” in Chinese and English shares th

7、e same meaning, and symbolizes for peace. We regard the dove as “peace dove”. In some grand celebrations, we often see the scene of taking the doves away, standing for cherished desire for peace world of all of us. 第7页，共39页，2022年，5月20日，16点57分，星期四The following are some other familiar examples: as fre

8、e as a bird (像鸟儿一样自由); as ugly as a toad (像癞蛤蟆一样丑); as busy as a bee (像蜜蜂一样忙碌); as slow as a nail (像蜗牛一样慢).第8页，共39页，2022年，5月20日，16点57分，星期四 This kind of terms with same or similar meanings show that in different cultures there does exist something in common, which reflects the commonness of different

9、 national cultures.第9页，共39页，2022年，5月20日，16点57分，星期四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，a pig意为a greedy, dirty or bad-mannered person(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eat like a pig（喧闹而贪婪地大吃大喝），make a

10、pig of oneself （大吃大喝，狼吞虎咽），pigs in clover（行为卑鄙或粗鲁的有钱人），buy a pig in a poke （未经过目而买下的上当之货）。Next第10页，共39页，2022年，5月20日，16点57分，星期四1)Some animal words with commendatory(褒义) meaning in Chinese, but with derogatory（贬义）meaning in English 2)Some animal words with commendatory figurative meaning in English, b

11、ut with derogatory figurative meaning in Chinese3)Different animal association vehicles and similar figurative meanings 第11页，共39页，2022年，5月20日，16点57分，星期四“dragon (龙)” is completely opposite in Chinese and English. “Dragon ”is not a real animal but an imaginary one. In China, dragon is the symbol of th

12、e Chinese nation, especially in the ancient time, people worshiped dragon to beg for rain. And the Chinese feudal emperors were often referred to as sons of dragons (真龙天子), wearing clothes with designs of dragons (龙袍). And also the Chinese all call themselves descendents of the dragon（龙的传人）and are v

13、ery proud of being the descendents of the dragon. 第12页，共39页，2022年，5月20日，16点57分，星期四However, in Western peoples minds, the dragon is some evil monster with a large tail with wings and claws, breathing out fire and smoke. It symbolizes evil.So if we want to say “望子成龙”in English，we cant say that “His pa

14、rents except him to be a dragon”, but we must explain it like that “His parents except him to become an outstanding personage” or “His parents except him to have a bright future” 。we cant say”亚洲四小龙”like that “four small dragons of Asia” but that “four small tigers of Asia”。第13页，共39页，2022年，5月20日，16点5

15、7分，星期四“Monkey (猴子)” has different meaning in Chinese and English languages. In Chinese, “monkey” is often likened to a smart and agile person, with commendatory sense. The Chinese people often jokingly call clever and cute children “little monkey”. But, if you praise a western child “You are like a

16、little monkey.”, he will be angry, thinking that you curse him. Because in English, “little monkey,” means “a troublesome playful child”. And “monkey” is often likened to a person with a whole bag of tricks, e.g. “The man is as tricky as a monkey. (那人诡计多端，极为狡猾。)” Therefore, in English, expressions w

17、ith “monkey” have derogatory meanings, e.g. “monkey business (捣鬼，骗人的勾当)”; “monkey around (闲荡，瞎弄)”;“monkey meat (美俚：劣等牛肉)”; “suck the monkey (英俚：酗酒)”. 第14页，共39页，2022年，5月20日，16点57分，星期四“petrel (海燕)”. In English the petrel is considered as an omen of disaster. The Longman Dictionary （朗文词典）of English-Chi

18、nese offers us the explanations: “A stormy petrel is a person whose presence excites discontentment, quarrelling, etc. in a social group.” The reason for such a dislike is that they think petrel is the symbol for disaster. However, in China the word “petrel” is associated with braving hardship and a

19、dversity, advancing with perseverance and courage. The spirit is well reflected in the poem petrel written by Gorky（高尔基）, a famous Russian writer.第15页，共39页，2022年，5月20日，16点57分，星期四magpie (喜鹊)， To English people, if a magpie flies near a window, it is a symbol of bad luck. There are two explanations in

20、 The Oxford Advanced Learners （牛津高阶）English-Chinese Dictionary: (a) person who collects or hoards things (爱收藏或贮藏东西的人), (b) person who chatters a lot (爱饶舌的人). All these explanations are figurative with derogatory meanings. On the contrary, a magpie is a symbol of good luck in China. If a magpie sings

21、 in a tree near houses, people would think some happy things would happen. So Chinese people often say that “Magpie sings, happy thing comes.”第16页，共39页，2022年，5月20日，16点57分，星期四“fish” has quite different meanings in English and Chinese. In English “fish” has derogatory meaning that refers to bad things

22、 and persons, e.g.: “a poor fish (可怜虫)”; “a loose fish (生活放荡的女人)”;“fish in the air (水中捞月)”. In Chinese the letter “鱼” and “余” are homophones. Therefore, in the important festivals such as Spring Festival, Chinese people would like to use “fish” as an indispensable dish to symbolize “abundance”. 第17页

23、，共39页，2022年，5月20日，16点57分，星期四“elephant (象)”， In China, “elephant” is a mascot（吉祥的东西）. Many places in China are named for the letter “象” such as “象山” in Zhejiang province, “象州”, “象鼻山” in Guangxi province,“象河” in Tibet, etc. “Elephant” also symbolizes status. For example, in remote antiquity古代, the nob

24、le ladies wore clothes with designs of elephants (象服); The emperors rode on elephants. The “elephant” is doted溺爱 by Chinese people because of the Buddhist legends佛教传说. It is said that the Buddhist patriarch创始人 was the reincarnation化身 of white elephant. 第18页，共39页，2022年，5月20日，16点57分，星期四On the contrary

25、, in English white elephant (白象) is likened to things that are useless and often expensive. The allusion is originated from a folk story that in Siam (now Thailand), the king would give a white elephant as a present to a subject that he did not like. The subject would have to spend all his money on

26、looking after the rare animal. Therefore, there exist such expressions in English, “elephantine (笨拙)”,“elephant humor (蹩脚的幽默)”,“elephant task (累赘的活儿)”. Next第19页，共39页，2022年，5月20日，16点57分，星期四“dog”. In the western, the dog is peoples best friend. Most of the “dog” expressions possess a commendatory sens

27、e or at least a neutral sense in English. such as “big dog (重要人物)”, “top dog (优胜者)”, “lucky dog (幸运儿)”, etc. in English. “To help a lame dog over the stile阶梯” means “to help someone in difficulty”. “To let sleeping dogs lie” means “to make no trouble” or “not to disturb people”. “Every dog has its d

28、ay,” means “every person will some day succeed or become fortunate.” 凡人皆有得意的意识时第20页，共39页，2022年，5月20日，16点57分，星期四But the word “dog” in most Chinese phrases is associated with some derogatory meanings, as is reflected in sayings like “狗胆包天、狗急跳墙、狗头军师、狗腿子、狗血喷头、狼心狗肺、狗眼看人低、丧家之犬、狗嘴吐不出象牙”, etc.Even though mo

29、st Chinese now think the dog is mans faithful friend. However, in some cases the word “dog” may have derogatory sense in English, as is shown in the following examples: “yellow dog (卑鄙之人)”, “dirty dog (龌龊之人)”, “sly dog (阴险之人)”,“dead dog (无用的人)”, and some vulgar languages :“son of bitch (狗杂种)”, “you

30、dog (狗东西)”, “that cur (小杂种狗)”, etc. 第21页，共39页，2022年，5月20日，16点57分，星期四“Owl (猫头鹰)” is very popular with the western. The Greeks use “owl” to stand for Athens雅典, which is famous for its many owls. And its said that Athena, the woman patron saint was given an owl as her mark. It symbolizes wisdom, calmne

31、ss, gravity and steadiness. In dispute among birds and beats, it is the owl that they go to for advice, and we can see such idiom “as wise as an owl”. If we use “owlish” to describe somebody, we want to say he is clever or serious, e.g. “Patrick peered owlishly at us through his glasses. (帕特里克透过他的眼镜

32、严肃而机智地审视着我们。) ” 第22页，共39页，2022年，5月20日，16点57分，星期四But in Chinese, the meaning of the word “owl” is quite different. “Owl” is described as the devil, ill omen征兆 and evil. People are afraid of seeing an owl, especially seeing its entering the house, so there are proverbs which go like these:“夜猫子进宅，无事不来”

33、;“夜猫子抖擞翅，大小有点事儿”. The mere sight of an owl or the sound of its hooting might cause people to draw back in fear. 第23页，共39页，2022年，5月20日，16点57分，星期四“bear”. To Chinese people “bear” means “cowardly and timid” or “stupid”, such as “笨熊”, “瞧那熊样”, etc. However, in English, people use “bear” to refer to those

34、 persons having special ability, for instance, “He is a bear at music. (他是音乐天才。) Next第24页，共39页，2022年，5月20日，16点57分，星期四agriculture is the foundation of Chinas economic development, so the cattle (牛) play a great role in Chinese culture. There are so many expressions which use “cattle” as association .

35、However, in the Middle Ages, horse was not only the inseparable part of Knights lives, but also the animal kept and used by the imperial families. So English people give horse many good meanings .第25页，共39页，2022年，5月20日，16点57分，星期四as strong as a horse work like a horsetalk horseeat like a horse力大如牛 老黄牛

36、精神吹牛食量大如牛第26页，共39页，2022年，5月20日，16点57分，星期四In English, there are many figurative expressions using the word “horse” as association vehicles, e.g.“change horse (换马)” is likened to “change groups or leaders (换班子或领导人)”; “from the horses mouth (第一手的)”etc.Similarly, Great Britain is an island country, so f

37、ishery is important. Therefore, there exists such figurative expression “to drink like a fish (牛饮)”. 第27页，共39页，2022年，5月20日，16点57分，星期四To Chinese people, “tiger” is referred to as the king of animals and stands for power, vigor and bravery. So there are many expressions with the letter “虎”:“英雄虎胆”,“龙争虎

38、斗”,“藏龙卧虎”,“如虎添翼”, “虎将”, etc. But in English “tiger” symbolizes cruelty. The western regards “lion” as the king of animals. We use “as bold as a lion” to describe a brave person. The lion enjoys high prestige. In addition, English people regard lion as the national emblem of Great Britain. “A literar

39、y lion” is referred to a famous person in the field of literature. 第28页，共39页，2022年，5月20日，16点57分，星期四 Different animal association with similar meanings can be also seen from such expressions:“as timid as a rabbit, chicken-hearted or pigeon-hearted (胆小如鼠)”;“like a cat on hot bricks (热锅上的蚂蚁)”;“as stubb

40、orn as a mule (犟得像头牛)”; “wet as a drowned rat (落汤鸡)”;“goose flesh (鸡皮疙瘩)”; etc.Other associations:add fuel to the flames 火上浇油a thunder of applause 雷鸣般的掌声burn ones boat (破釜沉舟) 。第29页，共39页，2022年，5月20日，16点57分，星期四比喻“着急”, 汉语用“热锅上的蚂蚁”, 英语却用like a cat on hot bricks (热砖上的猫)。比喻“顽固”, 英语用as stubborn as a mule (

41、顽固得像头骡子) , 而汉语通常说“犟得象头牛”。中文常用“猫哭老鼠”来形容虚伪和伪善, 英语中相似的表达法是shed crocodile tears (鳄鱼的眼泪)。形容一个人很饿时汉语中会描述为“像饿狼一样”，而在西方文化中会表示为“as a hungry as a bear”。形容人胆小怕事时，汉语用“胆小如鼠”来表示，而西方文化中则用兔子来表示胆小“as timid as a hare”。第30页，共39页，2022年，5月20日，16点57分，星期四Another：表示碎嘴的： Magpie(喜鹊) ， sparrow（麻雀）表示胆小的： Chicken(小鸡), rabbit(兔子

42、), pigeon (鸽子)，mouse（鼠）。 第31页，共39页，2022年，5月20日，16点57分，星期四Conclusion:喻体相同、喻义不同,如: pull ones leg 不等于“拖后腿”,英语中的pull ones leg 是“开某人玩笑”(to make a fool of sb /to make fun of sb. ) 的意思,而汉语的“拖后腿”意为“成为别人或事物前进的障碍”;喻义相同、喻体稍有差异,如: a rat in a bowl (瓮中之鳖) kill two birds with one stone (一箭双雕) ;喻义相同、喻体完全不同,如: cry u

43、p wine and sell vinegar (挂羊头,卖狗肉) , fish in the air (水中捞月) 等等。Next第32页，共39页，2022年，5月20日，16点57分，星期四In Western culture, whether cuckoo (布谷鸟) issued by itself or its sound has no specific meaning, it is just a normal bird. While the Chinese believe that hearing the cuckoo calls, dreary feeling arises s

44、pontaneously. Legend has it that a man called du Yu（杜宇） Emperor of ancient China, he lost their territory because of the defeat, death was very sad. Since then, his soul on du Yus grave a bird cries until Crows blood and died. Therefore, cuckoo, also known as “杜鹃”. 第33页，共39页，2022年，5月20日，16点57分，星期四silkworm(蚕) , made in China, is famous for its silk. The “Silk Road” has long been known, Chinese culture has a long history of si