论中英文中动物词汇的文化差异

.-.英语词汇学期末论文论中英文中动物词汇的文化差异TheCulturalDifferencesofAnimalWordsinEnglishandChineseABSTRACTLanguageisthecrystallizationofhumanculturaldevelopmentcontainsanation'ssocialconsciousness,history,culture,customsandothersocialcharacteristics.Differentculturalbackgroundsandculturaltraditions,makingthedifferentwayofthinking,values,codesofconduct,andlifestylebetweenChineseandEnglish.Thereismuchmoreobviousinanimalwords.Duetothedifferencesinculture,thetwolanguages,EnglishandChinese,theculturalconnotationandsignificancegiventhesamekindofanimalisgenerallydifferent.Fromalinguisticpointofview,bycontrastofAnimalWordsinEnglishandChinesetorevealtheculturaldifferences.KEYWORDS:culturaldifferences,language中文摘要语言是人类文化发展的结晶，蕴含着一个民族的社会意识、历史文化、风俗习惯等各方面的社会特征。不同的文化背景和文化传统，使中西方的思维方式、价值观念、行为准则和生活方式等方面也存有一定的文化差异，在中西方的动物词汇中体现得尤为明显。由于中西方文化的差异，英汉两种语言赋予同一种动物的文化内涵和意义一般是不同的。本文从语言学的角度，对比英汉语言中的动物词汇，以揭示文化差异。关键词：文化差异、语言ContentsIIntroduction5IITheCulturalMeaningofAnimalWordsinChineseandEnglish……52.1TheSameAnimalWordswithCommendatoryMeaninginChinesebutDerogatoryinEnglish…………….62.2TheSameAnimalWordswithMeaninginChinesebutCommendatoryMeaninginEnglish………………….6IIIReasonsforTheseDifferences63.1ReligiousInfluences…………………..73.2Fables…………………..73.3CustomsandLivingHabits…………..8IVConclusion………8IIntroductionAnimalsplayaveryimportantroleinthelivesofhumanbeings.Everykindofanimalhastheirowncharacteristics,whichendowthemwithmanyculturalmeanings.Languageisanessentialelementofoneconcretecultureofapeople,anditinfluencesculturedeeply.Animalwords,asanessentialaspectoflanguagealsoinfluenceculture.Atthesametime,culturealsoinfluenceslanguageandanimalwords.Alongwiththedevelopmentofhumansociety,animalsindifferentpeoplesowndifferentculturalmeaningsbydifferentprospectofviewsaccordingtotheircharacteristics,theirstories,andtheirrelationwithhumanbeings,etc.ThisphenomenoncanbefoundinChineseandEnglisheasily.China,whichhasalonghistoryof5000years,possessesrichculturewhichinfluencesChineselanguageandtheanimalwords.InChinese,manyanimalwordshavetheirownculturalmeaningsandthesemeaningsareusedfrequentlyinthelivesofChinesepeople.Whatwillreflectinpeople’smindassoonasmentioningoneconcreteanimalisnotonlytheimageofthatanimal,butalsoitsculturalmeaning.English,whichismostwidelyspokenintheworld,isalsoinfluencedbythecultureofEnglish-speakingcountries.SoanimalwordsalsoloadasrichculturalmeaningsinEnglishasthatinChinese.BecauseofthesedifferencesinChineseandEnglishculture,theculturalmeaningsinChineseandEnglishofanimalwordsaredifferent.IITheCulturalMeaningofAnimalWordsinChineseandEnglishTherearemanyanimalwordsaswellasanimalsintheworld.However,animalwordsindifferentculturemaynotnecessarilyhavethesamemeanings.Infact,theymightbequitedifferentinChineseandEnglish.SomeoftheanimalwordshavetotallydifferentculturalmeaningsinChineseandEnglish.TherearesomeanimalwordshavecommendatorymeaningsinChinesebutderogatorymeaningsinEnglish.WhilesomeotheranimalwordshavederogatorymeaninginChinesebutcommendatorymeaningsinEnglish.2.1TheSameAnimalWordswithCommendatoryMeaninginChinesebutDerogatoryinEnglishItisquitecommontofindthatmanyanimalwordshavecompletelyoppositemeaningsinChineseandEnglish.SomeoftheanimalsareappreciatedbytheChinesepeople,sothoseanimalwordsowncommendatorymeaningsinChinese.EveryChineseisquitefamiliarwithdragon,whichhasrichculturalmeaningsinChinese.ItisthesymbolizationofChinesenation.ToChinese,adragonissomethingscaredandhasbeenreferredtoastheancestoroftheChinesenation-that’swhytheChineseallcallthemselvesdescendentsofthedragon.Inancienttime,peoplethoughtdragonisamythicalwithgreatpower.Itsymbolizedthekinginfeudalsociety.Sothekingswerecalled“sonsofdragon”.DragonisscaredtoeveryChinese.However,inwesternpeople’sminds,dragonisalargeimaginaryanimalthathaswingsandalongtailandcanbreatheoutfire.Dragon,isawordthatgeneratedfromGreeceword“drakon”thatmeans“tosee”,“tolookout”,“towatch”and“toflash”.InEnglishspeakingcountriespeoplethinkadragonisdangerous,wingedmonsterthatkillsandeatspeople,livesincavesandbreathesfire.Therefore,inwestern,thedragoniswithderogatorymeaning.ItisthemosttypicalexampletoshowthedifferentmeaningsofanimalwordsinChineseandEnglish.2.2TheSameAnimalWordswithMeaninginChinesebutCommendatoryMeaninginEnglishTherearealsomanyanimalswhichareappreciatedbythepeopleinEnglish-speakingcountrieswhilerejectedinChina.ThoseanimalwordshavecompletelyoppositemeaningsinChineseandEnglishaswell.Owlisakindofusualanimal.ButitsculturalmeaningistotallydifferentisEnglishfrominChinese.ItsculturalmeaninginEnglishisquitepositivewhileinChineseitiscompletelynegative.InEnglishculture,owlsymbolizeswisdom.HoweveritistotallydistinctiveinChinese.ThereisasuperstitiousbeliefthatowlisanunluckybirdandisthesymbolofdisasteranddeathinChinesepeople’sminds.Theircrysymbolizesthatsomebadthingswouldhappeninashorttimeanditisalsorelatedtothecorpseandfuneral.ItisdifficultforEnglishtounderstandwhysowiseabirdisconsideredasbadluckinChinese.AndthesamedosetheChinese.IIIReasonsforTheseDifferencesTherearesomanydifferencesintheculturalmeaningofwordsinChineseandEnglish.WiththedevelopmentofcultureinChinaandEnglish-speakingcountries,thelanguagedevelopaswell.ThesedifferencesaremainlycausedbythedifferentcultureofChinaandEnglish-speakingcountries.Thereforedifferentculturalmeaningofanimalwordsarealsoresultedinbyculture.3.1ReligiousInfluencesReligionisanessentialelementofculture.Ithasgreatinfluencesonlanguageandanimalwords.Serpent,inEnglishmeanswisdom,subtlety,anddevil.InBible,Jesustellshisdisciplesto“bewiseanserpentsandinnocentasdoves.”InChinesethereisnophraseaboutserpentrelatedtowise.3.2FablesInbothChineseandEnglishculture,thesearemanyfables.Manyanimalsplaysomecharactersinthosefables.Theyhavespecialmeaningsinthesestories.Alongwiththedevelopmentofculture,themeaningsofanimalwordshavebeeninfluencedbyfablesInCanadathereisafableaboutalionandabeer.Thelionplaystheroleofthekingofanimal.Itiswiseandknowsthecharacteristicsofallanimalsandtheirgoodqualities.Itisalsoknowshowtomakefulluseoftheircharacteristics.SoinEnglishlionisjustassolemnasaking.InChinesethereisalsoafableaboutlion.Alionmeetsadog,anditwantstoeatthedog.Atfirstitischeatedbythedog.Butwhenitmeetsthedogagain,iteatsthedogwithoutanyhesitate.Inthisstory,thelionisfiercewithoutanyregal.SowhenChinesepeoplewanttoexpressthemeaningexpressedbylioninEnglish,theywouldchoosetiger.3.3CustomsandLivingHabitsAnimalsareinimportantpartofpeople’slives.ThecustomsandlivinghabitsofpeopleinChinaandEnglish-speakingcountriesinfluencetheculturalmeaningsofanimalwords.InEnglish-speakingcountries,peoplelikehavingadogastheirpet.Theytreattheirdogastheirfriendoreventheirfamilymember.SodogsareappreciatedbymostofthepeopleinEnglish-speakingcountries.ButinChinadogisnotthepetinafamily.Ifafamilykeepsadog,itmustbetreatedasaslave,whichisjustusedtowatchthegateofthehouse.IVConclusionAnimalsandhumanbeingsarecloselylinkedwitheachother.Animalshavegreatinfluenceonhumanlanguages.Culturalmeaningsthatcomefromsomecharactersofanimalsaredeepinimplosionandsymbolism.Aspartofthehugevocabularysystem,animalwordsembodyeachculturalcharacterofEnglishandChinese.Throughthecontrastofthese“culturally-loadedwords”,itisclearthatanimalphrasesinanylanguagearenottherepresentativesofanimalimageonly;culturaldifferencesimpressamarka=onanimalphraseswhichthereforehaveallkindsofabundantculturalcontents.Itisobviousthatculturaltendencyc