idioms and culture
Idioms and Culture - Chapter 1
crocodile tears
• crocodile tears
The expression comes from an ancient anecdote(轶事) that crocodiles weep in order to lure(诱惑 ) their prey.
What is idiom ?
• kick the bucket
A third theory suggests that the origin of the phrase comes from the Catholic( 罗 马 天 主 教 ) custom of holy-water buckets: After death, when a body had been laid out ... the holy-water bucket was brought from the church and put at the feet of the corpse. When friends came to pray... they would sprinkle（洒） the body with holy water ... it is easy to see how such a saying as "kicking the bucket " came about.
Why should we learn idioms?
“most English speakers utter about 10 million novel metaphors per lifetime and 20 million idioms per lifetime. This works out to about 3,000 novel metaphors per week and 7,000 idioms per week”
英语专业毕业论文选题参考
英语专业毕业论文可选题目参考一、翻译类毕业论文选题1．Study on Translation of Trade Marks and Culture 商标翻译与文化研究2．The Social and Cultural Factors in Translation Practice 影响翻译实践的社会和文化因素3．On the Translation of English Idioms论英语习语的翻译4．Study on Features and Translation of English Idioms 英语习语翻译特点研究5．The Comparison and Translation of Chinese and English Idioms中英习语翻译与比较6．Study on Loyalty in English-Chinese Translation 中英互译的忠实性研究7．Cultural Equivalence in Translation翻译中的文化对等性研究8．Literature Translation and the Important of it文学翻译与重要性研究9．On the Du Fu’s Poems Translation论杜甫的诗词翻译10．The Analysis of Techniques for Learning a ForeignLanguage Through Translation通过翻译学习外语的技巧分析11．Cultural Differences and Translation in Chinese and English Color words中英颜色词的文化差异及翻译12．An Cultural Perspective on Untranslatability翻译中不可译性的文化阐释13．Cultural Connotation and Translation in Chinese and English Animals浅论翻译中的译者主体性发挥的度14．On Degree of Translator's Subjectivity in Translation 修辞策略在广告英语中的效用探究15．A Probe of the Effect of Rhetorical Devices in English Advertisement16．Error Analysis of the English Translation of the Information about Scenic Spots in Wuhan武汉旅游景点资料的英译错误分析17．Semantic--Transliteration-the Most Favorable Method for Translating Foreign Words intoChinese音意兼译—外来词中译之首选方法18．A Tentative Study on the Cohesion and Coherence in Sun Zhili’s Chinese Translation of Prideand Prejudice浅论《傲慢与偏见》孙致礼中译本的衔接与连贯19．Chinese Translation of Attributive Clauses in English for Science and Technology科技英语中定语从句的汉译20．Film Titles and Their Translation——A cross-cultural perspective从跨文化角度分析电影片名及其翻译21．Translating Expressions on Public Signs from Chinese into English汉语公示语英译22．论文化差异与翻译Cultural differences and translation23．商标名的翻译原则与品牌文化The Translation Principle of Brand Names and Brand Culture24．英文电影片名的翻译策略与翻译方法研究On Translation of English Film Names25．意美、音美、形美--英文商标的汉译Beauty in Sense, Sound and Form--On Translation of English Trademarks into Chinese26．中文商标英译探On the Translation of Trademarks from Chinese into English二、文化类毕业论文选题27．国际商务谈判中的双赢语用策略The Win-Win Pragmatic Strategies in International Business Negotiation28．Grice 的合作原则在国际商务谈判中的应用The Application of Grice’s Cooperation Principle in International Business Negotiation29．An Analysis on Differences between Chinese and Western Ideas on Face中西文化面子观差异对比分析30．Differences between Chinese and Western Role Awareness of Women and the Effects on TheirCareer Development 中西文化中女性角色意识差异及其对职业发展影响31．Cultural Obstacles in English Learning英语学习中文化障碍32．Understand Chinese and English Cultural Differences through the Comparison betweenChinese and western Euphemism从中西委婉语的对比透视中西文化差异33．A Comparison between Chinese and English taboos中英禁忌语比较34．A Comparison between Chinese and Western Cultural Differences from the Aspect of Privacyright从隐私权看中西文化差异35．A Comparison Between Chinese and Western Social Conventions中西社会习俗比较36．Speech Act and its Application言语行为理论及其应用37．A Survey on the Students’ English Autonomous Learning in Hubei University of Economics湖北经济学院英语自主学习现状调查38．A Survey on Bilingual Courses’ Learning in Hubei University of Economics湖北经济学院双语课程学习现状调查39．The Cultural Connotation of English Etymology and the Teaching of English V ocabulary英语词源的文化内涵与词汇教学40．English idioms—A Mirror Reflecting British Culture 英语习语与英国文化反映41．On Values of Chinese from Perspective of Lexicon从词汇角度读中国人的价值观42．On Cultural Differences of Body Language between English and Chinese论中英体态语文化差异43．The Analysis on the Differences of Interpersonal Relationship between Eastern and WesternPeople东西方人际关系要素差异探析44．Approach to Cultural Differences in Sino-U.S. Business Negotiation and its Impacts中美商务谈判中的文化差异及其影响探析45．Asymmetrical Features of Politeness Principle in Cross-cultural Communication跨文化交际中的礼貌原则的非对称性研究46．English and Chinese Euphemisms: A Comparison between Their Cultural Implications从英汉委婉语对比中透析中西文化差异47．On the Cultural Differences of the Etiquette Norms in Chinese and English NonverbalCommunication 中英非语言交际礼俗规范的文化差异研究48．A Comparative Study on the Different Cultural Connotationsof Basic Chinese and EnglishColor Words英汉基本颜色词文化内涵对比研究49．Characteristic and Cultural Differences of the English and Chinese Idioms中英文习语的特点以及文化差异50．Chinese and Western Culture Values in Advertising Language从广告语中看中西方文化观51．The Differences of Family Values between China and American中国和美国家庭观差异52．The Comparison of Chinese and Western Interpersonal Relationships中西人际关系比较53．Cultural Difference Between Chinese and English on Politeness从中英文礼貌用语中看文化差异54．On Face Perception in Cross-cultural Communication 谈跨文化交际中的“面子”观55．The Application of Euphemism in Cross-cultural Communication委婉语在跨文化交际中的应用56．Differences and Similarities between Eastern and Western Cultures in Chinese and EnglishIdioms从英汉习语看东西方文化异同57．A Contrastive Study of Politeness in English and Chinese Cultures中英文化中的礼貌对比研究58．The Study of Pragmatic Failure: From the Perspective of Cultural Differences解析文化差异引起的语用失误59．On the Sexism in Chinese and English from the Cultural Perspective从文化角度论英汉语中的性别歧视60．Approach to Cultural Factors for the Sino-American Business Negotiation中美商务谈判中的文化因素探析61．A contrastive study of apologies in English and Chinese 英汉道歉语的对比研究62．跨文化交际中颜色词的运用Application of colors in intercultural communication63．英汉寒暄语的差异研究Some difference of small talks between Chinese and English 64．不同交际风格中恭维语及其回应的研究Compliment and its response with different communication styles65．英汉动物词汇文化内涵意义对比研究The cultural connotations of animals in Chinese and English 66．英语委婉语的功能与效果研究On functions and effects of euphemism in English67．中外幽默的跨文化对比A intercultural comparison between Chinese and foreign humor 68．英语副语言交际研究A survey on communication of paralanguage三、语言类毕业论文选题69．The function of context in discourse analysis语篇分析中的语境功能研究70．Discourse analysis in the application of teaching English reading语篇分析在英语阅读教学中的运用研究71．An analysis on the feature of English advertisement 英语广告语言特点分析72．Nov-verbal communication and gesture language 非语言交际与身势语研究73．About English euphemism英语委婉语研究74．On Puns in English Advertisements—from the Perspective of Relevance Theory从关联理论看英语广告双关语75．(My) Dialects and its Negative Effect upon English Pronunciation Learning(本人)方言及其对英语语音学习的负面影响76．A Comparative Study of Euphemisms in English and Chinese英汉委婉语对比研究77．A Study of Sexism in the English Language英语语言中的性别歧视研究78．Thematic Theory and Its implications to English Writing 主位理论及其对英语写作的启示79．Research on the Ways of Rejection in English英语拒绝方式研究80．On the Cultural Values in the Advertisements of China and US论中美广告中所反映的文化价值观81．Semantic Evolution of A Word or Phrase from the Perspective of History从历史文化的发展看某个英语词或短语的语义演变82．The Reflection of Social Inequality in American English 社会不平等现象在美国英语中的反映83．Language Features of English Financial Report 英语财经报道的语言特点四、英语教育类毕业论文选题84．Body Language in English Teaching英语教学中的身体语言研究85．The Diversification of English Language Teaching 英语教学多样性研究86．The Present Situation of Bilingual Education in China 中国双语教学现状研究87．Culture and English Teaching文化与英语教学88．Consideration on Bilingual Teaching双语教学的思考89．The English Teaching Based on Multimedia基于多媒体的英语教学90．Cultural Difference and English Teaching文化差异与英语教学91．Cross-cultural Communication and English Teaching 跨文化交际与英语教学92．Some Designs on English Learning in school中学英语教学设计93．The Contrast of Middle School Education between China & West中西方中学教育对比研究94．The Practice of English Class Teaching英语课堂教学实践95．English Classroom Teaching: Teacher-dominant or Student-centered英语课堂教学——教师主宰还是学生中心96．Personality Factors to the Success of Foreign Language Learning个性因素在外语学习中的作用98．The Application of Communicative Approach Techniques in English Learning交际法手段在英语学习中的运用99．On the Reading Strategies of English as a Foreign language 谈英语的阅读策略100．Cultural influence on English Reading论文化背景知识在英语阅读中的作用101．On basic qualities of a successful English teacher 论英语教师的基本素质102．On the principle of adhering to student-centred teaching 论以学生为中心的教学原则103. On the principle of combining restriction and utilization of native language in foreignlanguage teaching 论在外语教学中控制和利用母语的原则104. Applying the Communicative Approach in the middle school English teaching交际法在中学英语教学的运用105. Cultivating students’ reading skills in English text teaching in middle school在中学英语课文教学中培养学生的阅读技巧106. Analysis of Factors Influencing College Student on Autonomous English Learning影响大学生英语自主学习的因素分析107. Evaluation of Autonomous English Learning自主英语学习的质量评估108. Application of Internet and Multi-media in English Teaching网络多媒体在英语教学中的应用109. A Survey Research on Relevance between English vocabulary and reading ability词汇量与英语阅读能力的相关性调查研究110. A Survey of using College English Network Platform 大学英语网络学习平台使用情况调查研究111. The Effect of Conceptual Metaphor Theory on the English V ocabulary Acquisition of ChineseSenior High School Students 概念隐喻理论对中国高中生英语词汇习得的影响112. Negative Transfer of Native Language in Chinese Senior High School Students' EFL Writingand Its Implications to the English Language Teaching中国高中生英语写作中的母语负迁移及其对英语教学的启示113. On Developing Communicative Competence in Teaching English to Chinese High SchoolStudents 论中国中学英语教学中学生交际能力的培养114. An Investigation of V ocabulary Learning Strategies Taken by Chinese Senior High SchoolStudents 中国高中生英语词汇学习策略调查115. An Investigation of the English Learning Motivation of Three-year College Students and ItsImplications for English Language Teaching大专生英语学习动机调查研究及其对英语教学的启示116. A Survey on the Attitude towards Learner Autonomy of Non-English Majors in theUniversity of Economics经济院校非英语专业学生自主学习态度调查研究117. A Survey on the Use of Multimedia Learning CD by College Non-English Majors大学生使用英语多媒体学习光盘现状的调查研究118. On the Role and Functions of Teachers, Teaching Materials and Learners in theMultimedia-aided English Classroom论多媒体辅助英语教学环境下教师、教材和学生的角色与作用119. The Effect on English Listening Comprehension from Pragmatic Interference语用推理对英语听力理解的影响120. On the Cultivating of Learner’s Writing Competence in Teaching Reading论阅读理解教学中学习者写作能力的培养五、英语文学类毕业论文选题121. The Independent Spirit of Hester Brynne in The Scarlet Letter《红字》中海丝特。
English Idioms and Culture
一 、 习 语 的 民 族 性
这种“比喻意义相同或相似，比喻物体不 同”的情况是西域的民族性的典型表现，类似 的例子还有很多。如： 倔得像头牛as stubborn as a mule (倔得像头驴) 水底捞月to fish in the air(在空气中钓鱼) 喝水喝得多(汉语说“牛饮”) to drink like a fish (像鱼儿那样喝水) 形容陷入绝境，汉语是“山穷水尽” to be at the end of one’s rope(在绳子的末端)
二 、 习 语 的 民 间 性
铁匠们说：A good anvil does not fear the hammer. 鞋匠们说：The cobbler’s wife is the worst shod. 木匠们说：Such carpenters, such chips. 裁缝们说：Cut the coat according to the cloth. 农夫们说：As a man sows, so shall he reap. 渔民们说：The best fish swim near the bottom.
一 、 习 语 的 民 族 性
中国人和英国人共同的劳动经历也使这 两个民族产生一些相同的人生经验。 趁热打铁：strike while the iron is hot 欲速不达：more haste, less speed 熟能生巧：practice makes perfect 鱼目混珠：to pass fish eyes for pearls
二 、 习 语 的 民 间 性
例如：over head and ears in debt over head and ears in love over head and ears in work
English idioms
By motivation
Motivated idioms Demotivated idioms
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By rhetorical device
Simile metaphor
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By origin
From Bible From Greek and Rome myth and legends From the famous writers From the grass-root
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Characteristics of idioms
Idioms are usu. Semantically opaque, more metaphorical than literal. Sometimes, you may know every word of the idiom, but maybe you don’t know the whole meaning. That is why you must learn it as a unity.
LOGO
English Idioms
外语学院 徐红新
Contents
1 2 3 4 5
Introductory remarks
Definition of idioms
Characteristics of idioms
Classification of idioms
Translation of idioms
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Characteristics of idioms
Structural stability
The words in idiomatic expressions cannot , as a rule, be deleted, added to, replaced by synonymous words, or put in s different order, without affecting or destroying the meaning.
Idioms and Culture
Idioms and CultureIntroduction:According to the Oxford Advanced Learner's English-Chinese Dictionary, idiom means a group od words whose meaning is different from the meanings of the individual words. According to Longman Dictionary of English Idioms (Longman Group ltd.:1979). Strictly speaking, idioms are expressions that are not readily understandable from their literal meanings of the individual elements.It includes set phrases, proverbs, sayings and maxims. Every nation has its own idioms, and idioms are the crystallization that a nation undergoes a lot and finally accumulated. It has a strong nation color and distinctive cultural connotation. Thus, unique meanings of language come into being. In this paper, we will discuss the differences of Chinese and Western cultures in various aspects with some examples to see the different idioms in between English and Chinese.The main cultural constraints leading to the discrepancies of English and Chinese idioms include the following:1. Natural environment differencesNatural environment is the basic foundation for human being's survival and development,different natural environment cultivate the different nation cultures. To some extend, China is an landlocked agricultural country since ancient time, the earth is the most important to people, so there are a great deal of idioms describe the lakes, rivers ,mountains, seasons and agricultures such as: 五谷丰登(a bumper grain harvest); 斩草除根(Cut the weeds and dig up the roots.); 种瓜得瓜,种豆得豆（As you sow,so you must reap.); 上无片瓦,下无寸土(As poor as a church mouse);人不亏地,地不亏人(The master's footsteps fatten the soil.);瓜熟蒂落(Things will be easily settled when conditions are ripe.); 瑞雪兆丰年(A timely snow promises a good harvest) .Britain is an seagirt island country with dense rivers and long coastlines. Such natural environment give the Britain quite rich fish resources and ocean resources. Therefore, a lot of idioms in English are about sailing and fishing. For instance, "as close as an oyster"(守口如瓶);"at sea"(茫然); like a fish out of water which means feel uncomfortable in the unfamiliar environment，"drink like a fish "(豪饮) ; "to miss the boat" (错失良机); "tower one's sail"(甘拜下风); "to trim one's sail to the wind " (见风使舵);"never offer to teach fish to swim" (不要班门弄斧) .2. Cultural background differences2.1 Different religious beliefEvery nation has its own religious belief and religious culture, it makes a big differences on the formation of people's views of value and life styles. China has been living in Buddhism and Taoism for thousands of years, so there are many idioms about Buddhism and Taoism. For some examples, 五体投地（to throw oneself down at somebody's feet in admiration）、临时抱佛脚（make effort at the lastmoment）、放下屠刀，立地成佛(A butcher becomes a Buddha the moment he drops his cleaver---a wrongdoer achieves salvation as soon as he gives up evil)and so on. These are words derived from the activities of Buddhism in China. In some western countries like Britain, Christianity is the most powerful ruler. God is incomparable in western people's mind, he is considered to be the strongest man in the world. There are many idioms related to the God such as "God helps those who help themselves." (天助自助者); "Man proposes, God disposes." People often say "God damn you" when cursing a man. And "Thank God " or "God bless you" are always be used after dangers and troubles have been over come. It is just like this, God is the most powerful strength in western countries. However, in China, heaven represents the supreme ruler of the world. For examples: Man proposes, heaven disposes; Food is the necessity of the people.; Heaven will not tolerate injustice.2.2 Different historical allusions and eventsDifferent countries possess different history culture, which mainly comprises allusion, myths, poems, ancient books and records, etc. Among them, allusion is the most important; it reflects the national characteristic and national essence. For instance,"castle in the air" is originates from the myth legend; "cross the Rubicon" roots in the Roman historical story while "hang by a thread" which is from the Greece story. Actually there are a lot of idioms in the Chinese language which cannot find an equivalent in the English language because the history of the two countries are quite different. Many Chinese idioms are from their own historical events which are well-known by Chinese people. For instance, the following idioms are from historical events in Ancient China:风声鹤唳,草木皆兵(be in an extremely nervous state in which one is frightened by the slightest sound) ;卧薪尝胆(to sleep on brushwood and taste gall---to undergo self-imposed hardships so as to strengthen one's resolve to wipe out a national humiliation.)2.3 Different traditions and customsCustom differences is an important aspect of culture dissimilarities between Britain and China. Take the animal's position in each family of these two countries for example, the typical is dog. Dog is a kind of humble animal in Chinese people's mind (traditional Chinese) which could be seen from the idioms related to dogs. For example: "Even a worm will turn"(狗急跳墙);"A dog's mouth emits no ivory."(狗嘴里吐不出象牙);"A pack of rogues."(狐朋狗党);"hired thug"(狗腿子);"be damned snobbish"(狗眼看人低)；"top dog"(重要的人) and so on. However dogs are regard as a member of the family who is the most faithful friend of people. It could be proved through the English idioms such as lucky dog; Love me，love my dog; Every dog has his day. However, the dog to western people is what cat to Chinese people. So such kind of idioms come up like : A cat has nine lives.(吉人自有天相) To the contrary, cats often represent the vicious woman like: Cats hide their claws.（知人知面不知心）The customer dissimilarities also reveal in the color. It is not hard to know that white represents holy and pure in western countries, because the angles and the God all wear white cloth. Thus white areoften used in idioms to describe the fine thing, like "days marked with a white stone" which means a happy life. "a white lie " means a kind-hearted lie. "Great white hope" means someone who is expected to be a great success. However, in Chinese language, white always symbolize the unlucky and sorrowful. The typical example is that in the funeral, white appears everywhere.3.ConclusionCulture is a complicated body, it includes the material object, knowledge, belief, art, moral, customer and what you get in general life. A nation's views of value, social customs and ways of thinking are all get incisively and vividly embodiment. English and Chinese have a long history and including a lot of idioms, they are humor, implicit, elegant, vivid and interesting with conscience words and comprehensive meanings. However ,due to the living habits, religious belief, national history and geographical environment differences, idioms upholds each national culture information and culture features. Thus, result from the culture dissimilarities, idioms are really wonderful. So as an English learner, it is useful and helpful to understand and learn about the cultural differences between English idioms and Chinese idioms. The analysis of origins causing different idiomatic expressions and cultural differences in this article can provide a way for us to understand idioms correctly and use them in cross-cultural communication precisely and accurately.References:[1] Maili Lei. Cultural Similarities and Differences between English Idioms and Chinese Ones[J]. US-China Foreign Language,2006,4(7).[2] Summer P. Longman Dictionary of English Language and Culture[M]. Longman Press,1998:657[3] Sally,Wehmeier, Advanced Leaner's English-Chinese Dictionary, Trans: ShiXiaoshu. HK: Oxford University Press,1997.[4] Chen Xinren, English Lexicology: A Practical Coursebook. Su Zhou: Su Zhou University Press,2009.[5] Fernando, C, Idiom and Idiomicity, Shang Hai：Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press,2000[6] Wang Hui, "View about Translation of English and Chinese Idiom from Cultural Difference", 陕西理工学院报，2011[7] 徐麟. 从习语看中西文化的差异[J]. 上海交通大学学报，2002（2）.[8] 罗红中西文化差异对英汉习语的影响[J].琼州学院学报17.4（2010）：102[9] Wang Shanshan "Idiom and its culture between China and the West." Overseas English(2011): 390-93[10] 李娅玲.英语成语中色彩词汇的文化特征[J].怀化师专学报，1999（12).。
Cultural Differences and Idioms Translation
Different Cultural Perspectives
love and sex e.g. "All is fair in love and war." money e.g. "Money talks." pragmatism e.g. "No money, no honey."
Methods of Idiom Translation
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The Definition of Idioms
“idiom" --- “ a phrase or sentence whose meaning is not clear from the meaning of its individual words and which must be learnt as a whole unit” --- Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary of Current English “idiom”--- an accepted phrase, construction, or expression contrary to the patterns of the language or having a meaning different from the language or having a meaning different from the literal --- Webster’s New World Dictionary of the American Language
Cultural Differences and Idiom Translation
By Andy Nov.4th, 2010
初一下册语文书第一课笔记
初一下册语文书第一课笔记The first lesson in the Chinese textbook for the first year of junior high school is about using idiomatic expressions. 这本初中一年级的语文课本的第一课是关于使用成语的。
Idioms are an important part of the Chinese language and culture, and they often convey deeper meanings. 成语是中国语言和文化的重要组成部分，它们通常传达着更深层的含义。
In this lesson, students are introduced to several common idioms and are taught how to use them accurately in their writing and speaking. 在这节课上，学生们被介绍了一些常见的成语，并被教导如何在写作和演讲中准确地使用它们。
This is an essential skill for students to master as they continue to advance in their Chinese language studies. 这是学生在继续深入学习中文时必须掌握的重要技能。
Learning idioms can be challenging for students, especially those who are not familiar with the cultural and historical context behind the expressions. 对于学生来说，学习成语可能会很具有挑战性，特别是对那些对这些表达背后的文化和历史背景不太熟悉的学生来说。
英语专业毕业论文可选题目参考
英语专业毕业论文可选题目参考一、翻译类毕业论文选题1．Study on Translation of Trade Marks and Culture商标翻译与文化研究2．The Social and Cultural Factors in Translation Practice影响翻译实践的社会和文化因素3．On the Translation of English Idioms论英语习语的翻译4．Study on Features and Translation of English Idioms英语习语翻译特点研究5．The Comparison and Translation of Chinese and English Idioms中英习语翻译与比较6．Study on Loyalty in English-Chinese Translation中英互译的忠实性研究7．Cultural Equivalence in Translation翻译中的文化对等性研究8．Literature Translation and the Important of it文学翻译与重要性研究9．On the Du Fu’s Poems Translation论杜甫的诗词翻译10．The Analysis of Techniques for Learning a Foreign Language Through Translation通过翻译学习外语的技巧分析11．中英颜色词的文化差异及翻译Cultural Differences and Translation in Chinese and English Color words翻译中不可译性的文化阐释12．An Cultural Perspective on Untranslatability中英动物文化内涵的不同及翻译13．Cultural Connotation and Translation in Chinese and English Animals浅论翻译中的译者主体性发挥的度14．On Degree of Translator's Subjectivity in Translation修辞策略在广告英语中的效用探究15．A Probe of the Effect of Rhetorical Devices in English Advertisement16．Error Analysis of the English Translation of the Information about Scenic Spots in Wuhan武汉旅游景点资料的英译错误分析17．Semantic--Transliteration-the Most Favorable Method for Translating Foreign Words into Chines e音意兼译—外来词中译之首选方法Chinese Translation of Pride 18．A Tentative Study on the Cohesion and Coherence in Sun Zhili’sand Prejudice浅论《傲慢与偏见》孙致礼中译本的衔接与连贯19．Chinese Translation of Attributive Clauses in English for Science and Technology科技英语中定语从句的汉译20．Film Titles and Their Translation——A cross-cultural perspective从跨文化角度分析电影片名及其翻译21．Translating Expressions on Public Signs from Chinese into English汉语公示语英译22．论文化差异与翻译Cultural differences and translation23．商标名的翻译原则与品牌文化The Translation Principle of Brand Names and Brand Culture24．英文电影片名的翻译策略与翻译方法研究On Translation of English Film Names25．意美、音美、形美--英文商标的汉译Beauty in Sense, Sound and Form--On Translation of English Trademarks into Chinese26．中文商标英译探On the Translation of Trademarks from Chinese into English二、文化类毕业论文选题27．国际商务谈判中的双赢语用策略The Win-Win Pragmatic Strategies in International Business Negotiation28．Grice 的合作原则在国际商务谈判中的应用Cooperation Principle in International Business NegotiationThe Application of Grice’s29．中西文化面子观差异对比分析An Analysis on Differences between Chinese and Western Ideas on Face30．中西文化中女性角色意识差异及其对职业发展影响Differences between Chinese and Western Role Awareness of Women and the Effects on Their Ca reer Development31．英语学习中文化障碍Cultural Obstacles in English Learning32．从中西委婉语的对比透视中西文化差异Understand Chinese and English Cultural Differences through the Comparison between Chinese an d western Euphenism33．中英禁忌语比较A Comparison between Chinese and English taboos34．从隐私权看中西文化差异A Comparison between Chinese and Western Cultural Differences from the Aspect of Privacy right 35．中西社会习俗比较A Comparison Between Chinese and Western Social Conventions36．言语行为理论及其应用Speech Act and its Application37．湖北经济学院英语自主学习现状调查English Autonomous Learning in Hubei University of EconomicsA Survey on the Students’ 38．湖北经济学院双语课程学习现状调查A Survey on Bilingual Courses’ Learning in Hubei University of Economics39．1The Cultural Connotation of English Etymology and the Teaching of English Vocabulary英语词源的文化内涵与词汇教学40．English idioms—A Mirror Reflecting British Culture英语习语与英国文化反映41．On Values of Chinese from Perspective of Lexicon从词汇角度读中国人的价值观42．On Cultural Differences of Body Language between English and Chinese论中英体态语文化差异43．The Analysis on the Differences of Interpersonal Relationship between Eastern and Western P eople东西方人际关系要素差异探析44．Approach to Cultural Differences in Sino-U.S. Business Negotiation and its Impacts中美商务谈判中的文化差异及其影响探析45．Asymmetrical Features of Politeness Principle in Cross-cultural Communication跨文化交际中的礼貌原则的非对称性研究46．English and Chinese Euphemisms: A Comparison between Their Cultural Implications从英汉委婉语对比中透析中西文化差异47．On the Cultural Differences of the Etiquette Norms in Chinese and English Nonverbal Commun ication中英非语言交际礼俗规范的文化差异研究48．A Comparative Study on the Different Cultural Connotations of Basic Chinese and English Colo r Words英汉基本颜色词文化内涵对比研究49．Characteristic and Cultural Differences of the English and Chinese Idioms中英文习语的特点以及文化差异50．Chinese and Western Culture Values in Advertising Language从广告语中看中西方文化观51．The Differences of Family Values between China and American中国和美国家庭观差异52．The Comparison of Chinese and Western Interpersonal Relationships中西人际关系比较53．Cultural Difference Between Chinese and English on Politeness从中英文礼貌用语中看文化差异54．谈跨文化交际中的“面子”观On Face Perception in Cross-cultural Communication55．委婉语在跨文化交际中的应用The Application of Euphemism in Cross-cultural Communication56．从英汉习语看东西方文化异同Differences and Similarities between Eastern and Western Cultures in Chinese and English Idioms 57．中英文化中的礼貌对比研究A Contrastive Study of Politeness in English and Chinese Cultures58．解析文化差异引起的语用失误The Study of Pragmatic Failure: From the Perspective of Cultural Differences59．从文化角度论英汉语中的性别歧视On the Sexism in Chinese and English from the Cultural Perspective60．中美商务谈判中的文化因素探析Approach to Cultural Factors for the Sino-American Business Negotiation61．英汉道歉语的对比研究A contrastive study of apologies in English and Chinese62．跨文化交际中颜色词的运用Application of colors in intercultural communication63．英汉寒暄语的差异研究Some difference of small talks between Chinese and English64．不同交际风格中恭维语及其回应的研究Compliment and its response with different communication styles65．英汉动物词汇文化内涵意义对比研究The cultural connotations of animals in Chinese and English66．英语委婉语的功能与效果研究On functions and effects of euphemism in English67．中外幽默的跨文化对比A intercultural comparison between Chinese and foreign humor68．英语副语言交际研究A survey on communication of paralanguage三、语言类毕业论文选题69．语篇分析中的语境功能研究The function of context in discourse analysis70．语篇分析在英语阅读教学中的运用研究Discourse analysis in the application of teaching English reading71．英语广告语言特点分析An analysis on the feature of English advertisement72．非语言交际与身势语研究Nov-verbal communication and gesture language73．英语委婉语研究About English euphemism74．On Puns in English Advertisements—from the Perspective of Relevance Theory 从关联理论看英语广告双关语75．(My) Dialects and its Negative Effect upon English Pronunciation Learning(本人)方言及其对英语语音学习的负面影响76．A Comparative Study of Euphemisms in English and Chinese英汉委婉语对比研究77．A Study of Sexism in the English Language英语语言中的性别歧视研究78．Thematic Theory and Its implications to English Writing主位理论及其对英语写作的启示79．英语拒绝方式研究Research on the Ways of Rejection in English80．论中美广告中所反映的文化价值观On the Cultural Values in the Advertisements of China and US81．从历史文化的发展看某个英语词或短语的语义演变Semantic Evolution of A Word or Phrase from the Perspective of History82．社会不平等现象在美国英语中的反映The Reflection of Social Inequality in American English83．英语财经报道的语言特点Language Features of English Financial Report四、英语教育类毕业论文选题84．Body Language in English Teaching英语教学中的身体语言研究85．The Diversification of English Language Teaching英语教学多样性研究86．The Present Situation of Bilingual Education in China中国双语教学现状研究87．Culture and English Teaching文化与英语教学88．Consideration on Bilingual Teaching双语教学的思考89．The English Teaching Based on Multimedia基于多媒体的英语教学90．Cultural Difference and English Teaching文化差异与英语教学91．Cross-cultural Communication and English Teaching跨文化交际与英语教学92．Some Designs on English Learning in school93．中学英语教学设计The Contrast of Middle School Education between China & West94．中西方中学教育对比研究The Practice of English Class Teaching95．英语课堂教学实践96．English Classroom Teaching: Teacher-dominant or Student-centered英语课堂教学——教师主宰还是学生中心97．Personality Factors to the Success of Foreign Language Learning个性因素在外语学习中的作用98．The Application of Communicative Approach Techniques in English Learning交际法手段在英语学习中的运用99．On the Reading Strategies of English as a Foreign language谈英语的阅读策略100．Cultural influence on English Reading论文化背景知识在英语阅读中的作用101．On basic qualities of a successful English teacher论英语教师的基本素质102．On the principle of adhering to student-centred teaching论以学生为中心的教学原则103. On the principle of combining restriction and utilization of native language in foreign languag e teaching论在外语教学中控制和利用母语的原则104. Applying the Communicative Approach in the middle school English teaching交际法在中学英语教学的运用reading skills in English text teaching in middle school105. Cultivating students’ 在中学英语课文教学中培养学生的阅读技巧106. Analysis of Factors Influencing College Student on Autonomous English Learning影响大学生英语自主学习的因素分析107. Evaluation of Autonomous English Learning自主英语学习的质量评估108. Application of Internet and Multi-media in English Teaching网络多媒体在英语教学中的应用109. A Survey Research on Relevance between English vocabulary and reading ability词汇量与英语阅读能力的相关性调查研究110. A Survey of using College English Network Platform大学英语网络学习平台使用情况调查研究111. The Effect of Conceptual Metaphor Theory on the English Vocabulary Acquisition of Chinese Senior High School Students概念隐喻理论对中国高中生英语词汇习得的影响112. Negative Transfer of Native Language in Chinese Senior High School Students' EFL Writing a nd Its Implications to the English Language Teaching中国高中生英语写作中的母语负迁移及其对英语教学的启示113. On Developing Communicative Competence in Teaching English to Chinese High School Stud ents论中国中学英语教学中学生交际能力的培养114. An Investigation of Vocabulary Learning Strategies Taken by Chinese Senior High School Stu dents中国高中生英语词汇学习策略调查115. An Investigation of the English Learning Motivation of Three-year College Students and Its I mplications for English Language Teaching大专生英语学习动机调查研究及其对英语教学的启示116. 经济院校非英语专业学生自主学习态度调查研究A Survey on the Attitude towards Learner Autonomy of Non-English Majors in the University of Ec onomics117. 大学生使用英语多媒体学习光盘现状的调查研究A Survey on the Use of Multimedia Learning CD by College Non-English Majors118. 论多媒体辅助英语教学环境下教师、教材和学生的角色与作用On the Role and Functions of Teachers, Teaching Materials and Learners in the Multimedia-aided English Classroom119. 语用推理对英语听力理解的影响The Effect on English Listening Comprehension from Pragmatic Interference120. 论阅读理解教学中学习者写作能力的培养Writing Competence in Teaching ReadingOn the Culti vating of Learner’s五、英语文学类毕业论文选题121. The Independent Spirit of Hester Brynne in The Scarlet Letter《红字》中海丝特。
Idioms
David Brown April, 2008
Idioms
What is an idiom? From the Greek “idio” - a unique signature A phrase which makes no sense when translated into another language
Rat/Mouse
Look like a drowned rat A pack rat A rat race Smell a rat
Rat/Mouse
Are you a man or a mouse? A cat and mouse game Mickey Mouse
Ox
Strong as an ox
Tiger
Have a tiger by the tail
Rabbit/Hare
Pull a rabbit out of the hat
Snake
A snake in the grass Snake oil A snake-oil salesman
Idioms A - E
According to Hoyle Ace in the hole Achilles heel Act of God Ad hoc Ad hominem Ad nauseum
Rooster
No spring chicken A chicken and egg situation Chicken feed Chicken-hearted Chickens come home to roost Don’t count your chickens (before they’re hatched). Like a headless chicken
Cultural Differences Reflected in English and Chinese Idioms
Cultural Differences Reflected in English and ChineseIdiomsabstract：idioms can reflect a nation just like a mirror. as a special form of language, idioms carry a large amount of cultural information such as history, geography, religion, custom, nationality, psychology, etc., and therefore idioms are closely related to culture. thus people can know much about culture by studying idioms and in turn get better understanding of idioms by learning the cultural background behind idioms. in order to communicate with each other fluently, the study of the relationship between the idiom and culture is significant and urgent. this paper analyzes the main causes of cultural differences in english and chinese idioms and illustrates the manifestations of cultural differences. the aim of this thesis is to enhance language learners’ intercultural awareness of comprehending and utilizing idioms from different cultures precisely and accurately.key words: idioms; origin; cultural; differencesi. introductionidioms can be considered as items of specialcollocation.famous linguist carter describes idioms as “restricted collocation which cannot normally be understood from the literal meaning of the words which make them up”. furthermore, longman dictionary of contemporary english defines idioms as “a fixed group of words with special meaning which is different from the meanings of the individual words”. despite their differences, there is one thing in common: a great number of idioms have a figurative sense that cannot be derived from the understanding of component parts. unlike literal language, it is impossible to explain the idiom from the literal meaning of the separate words. it is an established form that has been accepted by traditional usage. as such, the component words, word order and meaning of each idiom should be learned as a whole.ii. the history and the origins of idiomsi. from customsone nation’s custom is formed through a long history and firmly rooted in people’s mind. it plays an important source of idioms. in different countries customs drastically differ in various aspects, so a lot of idioms turn out with different features.take food habits for example, cake has been a common food in english, so it is understandable that they use “a piece of cake” denoting an easy-done task. however, in china, cake cannot be seen until the last one hundred years, so it is impossible for the same idiom to appear in chinese. on the other hand, dishes are very common in china, therefore a similar idiom “小菜一碟” turned out in chinese to express the same meaning.another example is related to the habitual way of working in the field. chinese people were habituated to use the bull to plough the field before modernized agriculture was developed, while english people use a horse to plough. consequently chinese say “力大如牛” to describe someone with great strength while english use “as strong as a horse” to describe it.ii. from historic affairsthere are lots of idioms coming from historic affairs. the structure of them is very simple but they have profound meaning, so people cannot translate and understand the idioms from the literal meaning. it is necessary for people to learn and understand the english allusion as well as the chineseone. here are some examples as follows:in 49 b.c. the roman emperor caesar sent the order of burning out all his boats after his army passed lupigen river, showing the determination to take an all-out war. that is the origin of the english idiom ‘burns one’s boat’. incidentally, in 208 b.c. general xiangyu (项羽) in china sent the similar order to smash all the boats after the army passed river zhang in attempt to show his determination of winning the war, which produce the chinese idiom “破釜沉舟”. the two idioms are almost the same in form and meaning. another example is “meet one’s waterloo”. waterloo is a place where napoleon was ultimately beaten by wellington and blucher in 1815. the idiom means: be finally and crushingly defeated in a contest, especially after a period of success.iii. from religionreligion exists in every country and affects much in people’s belief and lives. numerous idioms were generated from the fountain of religion. therefore some differences in idioms between chinese and english can be traced back to the origin of religion.buddhism has been transmitted to china for more than onethousand years. people believe that there is a “buddha” who can dominate the world and decide everybody’s destiny. for example, the idiom “道高一尺, 魔高一丈” is originally the warning in buddhism to warn buddhist disciples, and remind them of the hard prospect to overcome all difficulties. now it is used to tell there is always at least one power stronger than the other.in western countries，especially in britain，people believe in christianity. they think that god is omnipotent and sacred just like the buddhism in china. for example, the idiom “judas’s kiss” means a deceitful act of courtesy. (judas betrayed his master with a kiss.)ⅲ. cultural differences between english and chinese idioms both china and britain have a long history, which fertilized their wonderful cultures. the common experience and mutual interaction in various aspects through long-time communication between the two countries lead a lot of common points in culture. for example, the chinese idiom “以眼还眼, 以牙还牙”was borrowed from the english idiom, while the english idioms “to lose one’s face” and “to save one’s face” are borrowed from the chinese ones.although chinese culture and english culture have much in common as showed above, they have more in discrepancy owing to their different geographical environment, history, religion, etc. the difference is a common phenomenon which appears in varied forms, one of which is idiom. the following part would analyze three cultural differences between english and chinese idioms.i. idioms based on geographical features appear different geographical condition plays an important role in shaping one country’s culture and human beings have no choices and capacities to change the geography. thus idioms based on geographical features appear different.britain is an island country，which once led the world with its navigation．so lots of english idioms have something to do with navigation and fishing．while the chinese live on asian continent, and their lives can not go on without land．such idioms as “spend money like water” in english means splashing money on something, whereas in chinese it is translated as “挥金如土”.so, different living surroundings may produce different idioms. if people want to master this kind of idioms, theymust have aquatinted with the background information of other countries to get a better understanding in cross-cultural communication.ⅱ. as to religious viewpoint, chinese culture evolves from confucian and taoist school while the western culture believes in christianitythe majorities of the english people believe in christianity and regard the bible as one of the most important classical works in their life. many idioms are originated from it, such as the idiom “to make one’s hair stand on end”, it use to describe thrilling horror caused by something. another example “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth”indicates revenge in the same way. besides, the idiom “as poor as a church mouse” also is somewhat influenced by religion. in christian church, there is no devoted food, which is different in chinese temples. so, this idiom is used to indicate people whose condition is like the mice in the church, can be said as poor.being different from britain, chinese culture evolved from confucian school and taoist school. although buddhist culture is originated from other country, it has been absorbed inchinese culture. in language, a large number of chinese idioms can be traced back to buddhist school. for example, “一尘不染” is a buddhist term. buddhist school calls sex, sound, smell, flavor, touch and rule as “六尘” and buddhist disciples should not be affected by the above six. now this idiom evolved to describe a person who is pure and honest or a thing which is clean and in order.ⅲ. idioms involving value differ from the eastern and western countriesseeing from people’s working and living experience of one country, people can find that different value conception has been formed. because of different experience between countries, values also turn out to be totally different. idioms related to value also differ from each other greatly. for instance, modesty is valued in chinese culture .there are many chinese idioms showing the virtue to be modest, such as“满招损, 谦受益”, “虚心使人进步, 骄傲使人落后” , etc. however, people in britain usually emphasize individual behaviors, achievement and value. their value conception in this aspect appears opposite to chinese. they have idioms showing the uselessness to be modest such as “modest dogsmiss much meat”, “where there is fear there is modesty”, etc.ⅳ. conclusionidioms are frequently used by people. for one thing, idioms are full of wit and humor; they make speech more expressive and interesting. for other, they sound pleasant with the use of alliteration, repetition and rhythm.as idioms take an important position in the use of language, an adequate use of idioms is not only helpful but essential in cross-cultural communication. with special point of view and through the sharp contrast between english and chinese idioms，this paper tries its best to focus on the role to explore cultural differences between english and chinese idioms so as to find out a correct new way to understand the western culture.today, the type of figurative language is highly used in western countries. it is necessary for us to have such knowledge of how to comprehend. the ability to understand idioms is important to successful communication. failure to grasp the meanings of idioms can affect an individual’s understanding of language in society, academy, etc. in orderto communicate with each other fluently, the study of the relationship between the idiom and culture is significant and promising.bibliography:1. newmark, peter. approaches to translation [m]. shanghai: shanghai foreign language education press, 20012. snell-hornby, mary. translation studies [m]. shanghai: shanghai foreign language education press, 20013. 孙致礼. 新编英汉翻译教程 [m]. 上海：上海外语教育出版社, 20034. 陈宏薇. 新实用汉译英教程 [m]，武汉：湖北教育出版社, 19975. 章振邦. 新编英语语法教程 [m]. 上海：上海外语教育出版社, 20006. 张韵斐. 现代英语词汇学概论[m]. 北京：北京师范大学出版社, 20047. 顾成华. 最新大学英语多用词汇手册[m]. 安徽：安徽大学出版社, 20008. 平洪, 张国扬. 英汉习语与英美文化 [m]. 北京: 外语教学与研究出版社,20009. 王治奎. 大学英语翻译教程［m］山东：山东大学出版社, 2001。
从文化角度看英汉习语翻译IdiomsTranslationfromCulturalPerspecti
从文化角度看英汉习语翻译Idioms Translation from Cultural PerspectivesAbstractAlong with the development of the communications between the East and the West, translation becomes more and more important, of which idiom translation takes a great position. Idioms are the fruits of human culture, which reflect the culture in return. It is a big concept, which contains set phrases, sayings, proverbs, slangs, colloquialisms and enigmatic folk similes. Idioms come from various sources, such as from history, religion, poetry, literary quotations, daily life, etc. It is the point that idiom covers a rich information of its society and culture that makes the translation much more difficult than that of others, for it requires a better grasp of both the techniques of translation and the knowledge of the background of its target language, including its culture, history, religion, society, etc.With a view to having a better master of idioms translation, in this thesis I will talk about the techniques of idiom translation from the cultural perspective by the means of comparing the Chinese and English images.This thesis indicates the significance and the present situation of idioms translation, gives a brief introduction of idiom, including the definitions, formations, categories and the significance, makes a contrast between Chinese and English idioms’ images, introduces the techniques of idioms translation on the basis of the comparison, andconcludes the whole thesis and points out the limitation of this thesis and gives several suggestions for further studies.Key words: idioms; idiom translation; culture; technique摘要随着中西方文化交流的深化和进展，两边语言翻译变的愈来愈重要了，而其中习语的翻译更是占了一个相当大的比重，有着举足轻重的作用。
英语专业翻译类毕业论文选题题目参考_毕业论文选题_
英语专业翻译类毕业论文选题题目参考翻译类选题1.study on translation of trade marks and culture商标翻译与文化研究2.the social and cultural factors in translation practice影响翻译实践的社会和文化因素3.on the translation of english idioms论英语习语的翻译4.study on features and translation of english idioms英语习语翻译特点研究5.the comparison and translation of chinese and english idioms中英习语翻译与比较6.study on loyalty in english-chinese translation中英互译的忠实性研究7.cultural equivalence in translation翻译中的文化对等性研究8.literature translation and the important of it文学翻译与重要性研究9.on the du fu’s poems translation论杜甫的翻译10.the analysis of techniques for learning a foreign language through translation通过翻译学习外语的技巧分析11.中英颜色词的文化差异及翻译cultural differences and translation in chinese and english color words翻译中不可译性的文化阐释12.an cultural perspective on untranslatability中英动物文化内涵的不同及翻译13.cultural connotation and translation in chinese and english animals浅论翻译中的译者主体性发挥的度14.on degree of translator's subjectivity in translation修辞策略在广告英语中的效用探究15.a probe of the effect of rhetorical devices in english advertisement16.error analysis of the english translation of the information about scenic spots in wuhan武汉旅游景点资料的英译错误分析17.semantic--transliteration-the most favorable method for translating foreign words into chinese音意兼译—外来词中译之首选方法18.a tentative study on the cohesion and coherence in sun zhili’s chinese translation of pride and prejudice浅论《傲慢与偏见》孙致礼中译本的衔接与连贯19.chinese translation of attributive clauses in english for science and technology科技英语中定语从句的汉译20.film titles and their translation——a cross-cultural perspective从跨文化角度分析电影片名及其翻译21.translating expressions on public signs from chinese into english汉语公示语英译22.论文化差异与翻译cultural differences and translation23.商标名的翻译原则与品牌文化the translation principle of brand names and brand culture24.英文电影片名的翻译策略与翻译方法研究on translation of english film names25.意美、音美、形美--英文商标的汉译beauty in sense, sound and form--on translation of english trademarks into chinese26.中文商标英译探on the translation of trademarks from chinese into english。
cultural differences in chinese and english idioms
套译法——套用译语读者所熟悉的形象进行 翻译
1. Fools rush in where angels fear to tread.初生牛 犊不怕虎。 2. Every potter praises his own pot .老王卖瓜,自卖 自夸。 3. Strike while the iron is hot. 趁热打铁 4. To fish in troubled water浑水摸鱼 5. To add fuel to the fire火上浇油 6. Misfortunes never come single.祸不单行
历史典故差异
• 汉– 名落孙山； 情人眼里出西施； 东施效颦等 • 英– Pandora’s box; Achilles’ heel; meet one’s waterloo;
How to translate idioms
• Since the culture between China and foreign countries are so different, and idioms are so closely related to local culture, how can we manage to translate them? • 直译法——保留原文的文化意象。 • 意译法——用译入语中的文化意象取代原文里的 文化意象 。 • 直译兼意译法 ——前者表达字意，后者表达寓意 • 套译法——套用译语读者所熟悉的形象进行翻译
语言与文化的关系
Reach a legally binding and enforceable 语言是文化的载体，习语是语言的精髓。 treaty.
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语言和文化具有不可分割性。 2
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语言是一种行为，在不同的社会及不同 的历史时期有不同的语言规范和语言个性。
学习中国成语英语作文
学习中国成语英语作文(中英文版)Learning Chinese Idioms: An English CompositionStudying Chinese idioms is not only an intriguing way to delve into the profoundness of Chinese culture, but also an essential aspect of mastering the Chinese language.These four-character phrases, brimming with historical significance and philosophical insights, are like gems scattered throughout the rich tapestry of Chinese literature and daily conversations.学习成语不仅是深入了解中国文化的有趣途径，而且掌握这些四字短语对于精通汉语至关重要。
这些成语蕴含着丰富的历史意义和哲学智慧，就像散落在中华文学和日常对话丰富织锦中的宝石。
Each idiom often encapsulates a vivid story or historical event, serving as a浓缩of Chinese history and culture.For instance, "狐假虎威" (hújiǎhǔwēi), meaning "a crafty person who abuses another"s power," originates from a fable that illustrates how a cunning fox exploited a tiger"s might to intimidate other animals.每个成语通常都蕴含着生动的故事或历史事件，它们是中国历史文化的精炼。
The Cultural Connotations of English Idioms and Their Translation 英语习语的文化内涵及其翻译
英语习语的文化内涵及其翻译The Cultural Connotations of English Idioms andTheir Translation摘要论文以习语来源分析文化对成语的影响，并对英语习语的翻译进行了分析和阐述。
习语是语言的艺术，是语言的一种特殊表达方式。
首先，习语是文化的特征，表现形式多种多样，并且富含各种修辞，习语本身也是一种修辞：除了持久的生命力，习语还有着语义整体性和结构稳定性的特征。
从他的来源来看，习语与文化有着紧密的联系，有的习语来源于人们的生活，风俗习惯和地理环境，另外一些习语来源于宗教信仰，历史，寓言和神话故事，或文学作品，有的习语甚至来源于外来语的借用。
蕴含着丰富文化特质的习语给翻译工作带来很大的挑战。
在阅读了大量的有关习语的翻译作品后，作者在论文中对习语不同的翻译方法进行了深入的分析和探讨。
习语不是由组成它的词语的单个意义的简单相加，一些习语的语言不符合语法逻辑，不能按常理来理解他。
不同的文化背景的人对同一句话有不同的理解，因为他们对目标文化了解的很少。
所以，学习中国和西方国家文化的不同是必要的。
这本论文中，作者以文化的一部分--习语作为例子来探讨英语的翻译。
除了这些，作者介绍了两种和四种英语成语的翻译方法。
译者应该根据具体的语境来采用不同的方法。
关键词：成语来源文化翻译The Cultural Connotations of English Idiom and Its Translation Abstract: On the basis of analysis of source of idiom,this thesis mainly probes into the translation of English idiom.idiom is a special kind of expressing way of language,or a kind of art of human language.the first,as well as most important feature of idiom is that it is a mirror of culture.the second is that English are rich in figures,which have plentiful varied expressing styles,and idiom itself is a kind of figure too.the semantic unity and structural stability are the third and forth features of English idioms;the final one is long-lasting vitality.Idiom are very close with culture,which can be testified by its origins,some idioms are originated form people's lives,custom and environment while other idioms are originated from religious belief,history,allegoric and mythical story,or literal works,still others originated from the foreign borrowing.From the origins of English idioms,we know idiom,the culture-specific item,would like to challenge the translator's proficiency owing to the rich cultural connotation of idiom,there are always some difficulties to make a sensible translation.after reading numerous translation works of English idiom,the thesis goes deep into the different translation versions of English idiom,and explores the problems occurring in the existing translation works.idiom's meaning is not a simple combination of that of each constituent word.some idioms are not logical grammatically,cannot be understood by common sense.People from different cultures may have different understandings of the same sentence because they know little about the target cultures. Thus, it is necessary for us to study the cultural differences between China and Western countries. In this thesis, the author takes idiom—a part of culture as an example to study English translation.Besides, the author introduces two methods and four skills of English idiom translation. Translators should adopt different methods and skills according to specific conditions.Key words: Idiom, Origin,Culture,TranslationIntroductionTranslation is not only one kind of simple correspondence switching process between two languages, but is one kind of cultural exchange and transmission.Therefore, translating idioms is a concrete operating process.The translators must fully understand the intrinsic meaning of the Chinese idioms and they should utilize several different translation methods,this thesis analyse the definition of idiom and his region of idiom,let the reader know more about the idiom and his relationship with culture.Beside those,author introducte some methods and skills to leach how to translate English idiom.reader get a deep understanding with the help of some examples.it is useful for the English learner.Chapter 1 Definition of Idiom1.1.Idiom is originated form Greek;it means a special kind of expressing way of human language ,or a kind of art of human language.its form can be a few words,phrase,clause or short sentence.Oxford advanced learner's English-Chinese dictionary defines idiom as:phrase or sentence whose meaning is not clear from the meaning if its individual word and which must be learnt as a whole unit,such as"give way,a change of heart"etc.Thus,we can define that:English idiom is a set of phrases or one sentence,whose meaning is not obvious through knowledge of the individual meaning of the constituent words,but must be learnt as a whole.it is a social phenomenon,which appeared during the long history of language development,in a broad sense,it includes idiom,proverb,allusion,allegorical saying,maxim and colloquialism.1.2.For instance, “to fall out” means “to quarrel”, but neither “fall” nor “out” has a sense of quarrel. Another example is “a feather in one‘s cap”, which means “an honor or a success, of which one can be proud”. The meaning of this idiom is metaphorical. “Under the rose” is also very difficult to understand from the literal meanings of its component words. Its true meaning is “secretly”. “To have a bee in one‘s bonnet” means “to have a strange fixed idea about something”. “To kick the bucket or to bite the dust” means “to die”. The figurative interpretation of “shoot the breeze” is “to talk without purpose”. Unlike literal language, it is impossible to explain idiom s from the literal meaning of the individual words because they are a combination of two or more words, which function as a unit of meaning. Thus, English idioms are difficult to understand and acquire.1.3.For we Chinese students, English idioms are a stumbling block. It is very possible that theyoften not only feel at a loss in understanding conversations because of a key idiom but also misuse idioms. In this paper, the author is going to make a study of the relationship between idioms and culture and how to translate English idioms.As we all know, language is closely related to culture and can be said as a part of culture. From a dynamic view, language and culture interact with each other and shape each other. Language is the carrier of culture which in turn is the content of language. We can dig out cultural features from language and explain language phenomena with culture.Idioms as a special form of language exist in both of them and carry a large amount of cultural information such as history, geography, religion, custom, nationality psychology, thought pattern and etc, and therefore are closely related to culture. They are the heritage of history and product of cultural evolvement. Consequently, we can know much about culture through studying idioms and in turn get better understanding of idioms by learning the cultural background behind them.Chapter2. The origins of the idiomAfter we know the definition of idiom, it is better to talk about the origin of the idiom.Getting to the roots of idioms, we can find that they originated from literary masterpieces, the Bible, Greek and Roman mythologies, ancient fables, historic events, anecdotes, customs, seafaring, agriculture, daily life, animal habitual behaviors, etc, which involved every aspect of life. That is why idioms are hard to understand.The essential point of studying idioms well is to learn them through the background of the traditional culture, thought pattern, geography, religion, and custom.2.1. Literary masterpiecesMany popular western literary masterpieces have the classic words, phrases and sentences that attract people greatly. They are shaped to evolve the hidden meaning. For example:Screw up one’s courage: to overcome one’s fear; to stop oneself from being afraid.Man Friday: a faithful and willing attendant, ready to turn his hand to anything. The young savage found by Robinson Crusoe on a Friday, and kept as his servant and companion on the desert island.To the manner born means ‘be born to do’. HamletPound of flesh: fair but unreasonable request. The Merchant of VeniceIf we do not read literary masterpieces, it is difficult for us to get the meaning of them. Guess is not a way to know them, reading more books is a best and only way to deal with the problem of understanding English idiom.2.2. The BibleIt is a firm concept of western people that God created people. They think that God is omnipotent and sacred. God, Christ, devil, Adam and some educational segments of the stories in the Bible are passed down because of people’s favor or even some historical and political causes. For example: Judas’s kiss: a deceitful act of courtesy. Judas betrayed his Master with a kiss. Matt.xxvi, 49 Much cry and little wool: a proverbial saying expressive of contempt or derision for one who promises great things but never fulfils the promises. Originally the proverb ran,” Great cry and little wool, as the Devil said when he sheared the hogs”; and it appears in this form in the ancient mystery of David and Abigail, in which Nabal is represented as shearing his sleep, and the Devil imitates the act by “shearing a hog”.Turn the other cheek: to take no action against the person who has hurt or harmed one, esp. to allow him to do it again. Do not resist one who is evil. But if any one strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also…——New Testamente.g.: The murders have made me change my mind about capital punishment. We should bring back hanging. It is time to stop turning the other cheek.The widow’s cruse: a small supply of anything that, by good management, is made to go a long way and to be apparently inexhaustible. In allusion to the miracle of the cruse of oil in 2 kings,ⅳSo when we learn idioms from Bible, we can read Bible, which will increase our knowledge and help us to be familiar with the features of western culture and have a clear understanding of the hidden meanings of idioms.2.3. Greek and Roman mythologiesMythologies are ancient stories that are based on popular beliefs or that explains natural or historical events because the people of the primeval society were scared of the nature and longed for the nice future.Midas touch: the excellent skill of making money. Midas is a legendary king of Phrygia who requested of the gods that everything he touched might be turned into gold. His request was granted, but as his food became gold the moment he touched it, he prayed the gods to take their favor back. He was then ordered to bathe in the Pacto´lus, and the river ever after rolled over golden sands.Pandora ’s Box: a prolific source of troubles. In Greek mythology a box containing all the evils of mankind and given by Zeus to the mythological Pandora, who opened it against the command of Zeus, thus, all the evils flew forth and they have ever since continued to afflict the world, only Hope remained in the bottom; something that produces many unforeseen difficultiesSphinx’s riddle means ‘the difficult riddle’ Sphinx is a monster of ancient mytholog y; The Grecian Sphinx was generally said to be a daughter of Typhon and Chimaera; she infested Thebes, setting the inhabitants a riddle and devouring all those who could not solve it. The riddle was——What goes on four feet, on two feet, and three. But the more feet it goes on the weaker it be?and it was at length solved with the answer that it was a man, who as an infant crawls uponall-fours, in manhood goes erect on his two feet, and in old age supports his tottering legs with a staff. On hearing this correct answer the Sphinx slew herself, and Thebes was delivered.2.4. Ancient fablesthough short and refined, ancient fable stories teach people many philosophic and educational theories while being narrated. They are also parts of preliminary education of Chinese children. It is obvious that they are popular even among Chinese people. They, especially Aesop‘s Fables are the favorites of Chinese people. For example, naked truth means the plain, unvarnished truth or the truth without trimmings. The fable says that Truth and Falsehood went bathing; Falsehood came first out of the water, and dressed herself in Truth’s garments. Truth, unwilling to take those of Falsehood, went naked.Sour grapes, disparage something that is beyond one’s reach. The allusion is to Aesop’swell-known fable of the fox, which tried in vain to get at some grapes, but when he found they were beyond his reach, he went away saying, “I see they are sour.”Bell the cat: risk one’s own life to do something dangerous. The allusion is to the fable of a cunning old mouse, who suggested that they should hang a bell on the cat’s neck to give notice to all mice of her approach.Cat’s paw: the tool of another, the medium of doing another’s dirty work. The allusion is to the fable of the monkey who wanted to get some roasted chestnuts from the fire, and used the paw of his friend, the cat, for the purpose.The lion’s share: the largest part: all or nearly all. In Aesop’s Fables, several beasts joined the lion in a hunt; but, when the spoil was divided, the lion claimed one quarter in right of his prerogative, one for his superior courage, one for his dam and cubs, “and as for the fourth, let who will dispute it with me.” Awed by his frown, the other beasts yielded and silently withdrew.2.5. Historic affairsIn most languages, people embellish their speech or writing with references to characters or events from their history, that is to say, idiomatic expressions are closely related to a country’s history.A lot of English idioms cannot find Chinese equivalents because the histories of the two countries are quite different. Many idioms are from their own history. The English language has much less idioms from historical events than the Chinese language because English just has a history of more than one thousand years during which less important historical events happened. For example, “to meet one’s Waterloo” is from the defeat of Napoleon at Waterloo in 1815, which means to be completely defeated.2.6. AnecdotesMan for all seasons: the person who is erudite and adaptable.Mickey Mouse: small, insignificant, or worthless person. From the name of a mouse-like cartoon character created by Walt Disney 1901-1966, US cartoonist2.7 CustomsIndian File: one after the other, singly. The American Indians, when they go on an expedition, march one by one. The one behind carefully steps in the footprints of the one before,and the last man of the file is supposed to obliterate the footprints. Thus, neither the track nor the number of invaders can be traced.A feather in one’s cap: an honor; something to be proud of. The allusion is to the very general custom in Asia and among the American Indians of adding a feather to the headgear for every enemy slain.Nest egg: money laid by. The allusion is to the custom o f placing an egg in a hen’s nest to induce her to lay her eggs there. If a person has saved a little money, it serves as an inducement to him to increase his store.The skeleton at the feast: the thing or person that acts as a reminder that there are troubles as well as pleasures in life. Plutarch says in his Moralia that the Egyptians always had a skeleton placed in a prominent position at their banquets.2.8. The animals’ habitual behaviorsAs wide as owls: very clever. The owl was given to Minerva as her symbolNo spring chicken: the woman who is no longer young.Swan’s song: the last work of a poet, composer, etc. The song fabled to be sung by swans at the point of death.Bury one’s head in the sand: refuse to take any notice of a difficulty; refuse to admit that something is a problem and hope that it will get better by itself.2.9. SeafaringKeep one’s head above water: avoid bankruptcy. The allusion is to swimming; so long as one’s head is above water one’s life remains, but bad swimmers find it hard to keep their heads above water.On the rocks: “stony broke,” having no money.A phrase from seafaring; a ship that is on the rocks will very quickly go to pieces unless she can be got off; so will a man.(All) at sea: wide of the mark; quite wrong; As we all know, if a person is in the open ocean without compass or chart, he will get lost.With colors nailed to the mast: to the bitter end. If the colors are nailed to the mast, they cannot be lowered to express submission.e.g.: If they catch you at disadvantage, the miners for your life in the word; and so we fight them with our colors nailed to the mast. ——Scott: The Pirate, ch. XxiTo sail under false colors: to act hypocritically; to try to attain one’s object byappearing to be other than you are. The term is a nautical one, and refers to the practice of pirates approaching their unsuspecting prey with false colors at the mast.2.10. AgricultureTo hold out the olive branch: to make overtures for peace. In allusion to the olive being an ancient symbol of peace. In some of Numa’s medals the king is represented holding an olive twig, indicative of a peaceful reign.To nip in the bud: to destroy before it has had time to develop; usually said of bad habits, tendency to sin, etc. Shakespeare has——The third day comes a frost, a killing frost; And, when he thinks, good easy man, full surely His greatness is a-ripening, nips his root, And then he falls, as I do. HenryⅧ,ⅲ, 2.As cool as a cucumber: perfectly composed; not in the least angry or agitated.cucumber-time: the dull season in the tailoring tradeThe last straw: the only hope left; the last penny; an addition to a set of troubles, which makes them at last too much to bear. The allusion is to the old proverb, “It is the last straw that breaks the camel’s back.” In weighing articles, as salt, tea, sugar, etc., it is the last pinch which turns the scale; and there is an ultimate point of endurance beyond which calamity breaks a man down. Turn on a new leaf: to begin a new course of improved behavior, habit, etc.To beat the bush: to allow another to profit by one’s exertions. The illusion is to beaters, whose business is to beat the bushes and start the game for a shooting party.2.11. Daily lifeA dark horse: a person who keeps his true capabilities to himself till he can produce them to the best advantage. a horse whose merits as a racer are not known to the general publicSee how the cat jumps: like “see which way the wind blows”; which of the two alternatives is likely to be the successful one before you give any opinion of its merit or adhesion to it, either moral or otherwise. The allusion is either to the game called “tip-cat”, in which befo re you strike you must observe which way the “cat” has jumped up, or to the cruel sport mentioned above.Idioms are the essence of a language, which have strong national colors and distinctive cultural connotations. So it is necessary for Chinese readers to understand English idioms thoroughly and learn the translation methods.Chapter 3.The difficulties in the translation of English idiomsIn the 1950’s the American writer Hackett put forward the concept “random holes in patterns”which means “the accidental gap” in conservation when contrasting two languages. There must be information drains in any course of conservation and the absolute equity is never possible. The goal of translation is conservation in maximum to enable the foreign readers understand the source culture. There are two reasons as follows. Firstly, the formation and solidification of English idioms are in relationship with the different histories, environments and cultural backgrounds. It contains certain national culture characteristics and information. Furthermore, Chinese and English live in different regions, so their living environments and experiences are different, especially in their ways to observe the world, understand the world and transform the world. Their culture atmospheres are unique. Secondly, Chinese belongs to the Sino-Tibetan language family while English belongs to the Indo-European language family, so their language structures are different. All mentioned above enrich the idioms and make them more complex.3.1 The development of translation principleThe principle of translation between English and Chinese has developed for a long time. For translation standards, translators from home and abroad put forward different opinions. From Yan Fu’s “faithfulness, expressiveness, elegance” to Mr. Zhang Peiji’s “faithfulness and smoothness”;from Fu Lei’s “approximation in spirit” to the American famous translation theoretician Eugene Nida’s “functional equivalence” or “dynamic equivalence”, we may see that these positions affect each other, supplement each other although their emphases are different. However, the focus is to translate the source text faithfully, meanwhile, to keep the original taste as much as possible.The quality of idioms translation has the direct influence on the entire article. In order to be loyal to the original text, the translation must not only maintain its original taste and flavor, but also conform to the demand of writing in the target language. However, the idiom translation is difficult to meet these two standards at the same time. It is extremely important to translate idioms faithfully, and translators must pay attention to the following three points:3.1.1.Idioms are heavily culture-loaded; they have manifested different national flavors. Therefore, the translation of idioms must try to keep the original taste and not to use those target words that have strong national characteristics.3.1.2. Chinese idioms stress to the rhythm and structure. So it is necessary to augment or readjust the original language structure when translating English idioms.3.1.3. Do one’s best to translate the original images, metaphoric meaning and rhetoric of the source language.Chapter4. Translation Methods of English Idioms4.1 Two main translation methods of English idiomsDomestication and foreignization are two main methods of translation. The US translation theoretician Venuti defines the two methods as follow:Domestication adopts the national center principle, enables the source language text to satisfy the value of target language and culture, and leads the source language readers into the target culture, while foreignization means to accept the differences between foreign language culture and target language culture to take target language readers to see the foreign scene. From the definitions, we can see both of them hold different metodes toward the cultural differences. But the author believes that domestication is the best way to enrich the expression of target language. Adopting domestication in maximum can enable the target language readers emerge the same or the similar association as the source language readers.4.2 Four concrete translation skills of English idiomsThere are some concrete translation skills between English and Chinese, which are cited as follows:4.1.Literal translation4.2. Free translation4.3. Borrowing4.4. Literal translation with annotation4.5. Literal translationLiteral translation can fairly retain the English idioms’ analogy, image, national and local flavors, in the position of not violating the standard of translation or causing the readers to misunderstand. This way of translation can not only retain the original intention, but also enrich Chinese language. It can be seen clearly in the following examples:An apple of discord comes from Greek mythology. The story is like this : a goddess named discord is angry and never forgives King Paris and his wife because they don’t invite her to participate in their wedding banquet. In order to give vent to the hate, she abandons a golden apple on the table of the wedding banquet, declaring that this apple is given to the most beautiful lady in this wedding banquet. There are three goddesses who want to obtain this golden apple. And then it causes a wrangle in a mess. From then on, the meaning of “an apple of discord” spreads. It becomes the synonym of “the cause of disaster” and “the source of the disagreement”.These are the Greek gifts for you. The literal translation of this idiom is 希腊人的礼物, which comes from the well-known epic poem “Odyssey”. When the Greek had left Troy, they left behind a big wooden horse outside the Troy city. Priest Laocoon tried his best to persuade his king not to accept the thing that the Greek stayed behind. He said that, “I fear the Greek, even when bringing gifts.” But what a pity, the king and the people did not listen to his advice. They pulled the big wooden horse into their city. Actually, in the wooden horse there hid the most excellent Greek soldiers. At that night, they killed the Trojan and fired the city. This wooden horse brought disaster to the Troy. In English Greek gifts is equal to the proverb: When the fox preaches, take care of your geese. The similar Chinese idiom is黄鼠狼给鸡拜年―不安好心(the yellow weasel goes to his respects to the hen-----with the best of intention)4.6.Other examples are：Achilles' heel which means the only weakness, or strategic point;Cut the Gordian knot means taking the drastic measures;The sword of Damocles, the sword hanging above Damocles’ head is compared to the worrying mentality.Furthermore, we should never neglect the following facts. Make a general survey of the history of translation, we are not difficult to see many literal translations are temporary means to meet emergency. The most remarkable represent is transliterations. However,going through a long time, transliteration stands firmly and slowly and is gradually accepted by Chinese. In the end they become our everyday terms. Like “humor, sofa, hamburger” and so on. And we should realize another two ways of translation: one is imitating the original text that is more or less a little nondescript, and the other is explaining the original text clearly, but it would be lengthy. Translating the allusion in English idioms is the same.Here is a typical example on transliteration. Right now the Chinese are probably familiar with these two words: science and democracy. But in fact, they are not locally born. On the early 20th century, the translations of these two words were rather strange to us. The former is transliterated into 赛因斯or shortened as Mr. Sai(赛先生), while the latter is 德谟克拉西or shortened as Mr. De（德先生）. Afterwards they are changed into 科学and 民主. Even Mr. Lu Xun also has made the very interesting attempt in this aspect. He translated English word “fair play” into 费尔泼赖which was accepted by the Chinese at that time. Actually, either “science” or “fair play”is just a temporary ideal approach of translation in the situation that had no equivalents in Chinese.There is another example. In the 1960’s there was a large quantity of young men called “the decadents” in America. They were discontented with the social situation, hated anything, held the resistance to the traditional value, did anything new and different in order to be out of ordinary, kept the long hair, wore the outlandish clothes, and advocated intercourse freely. They were called “hippies” in English. How to translate it into Chinese? Since in Chinese glossary, no ready-made word can express the above section of speeches, s ummarizing the word as “the men to counter tradition” or “people dissatisfying the reality” unavoidably lose the cultural meaning. So transliterating “hippies” into 嬉皮士can well solve this problem.4.6.1.Free translationFree translation is similar to domestication. It refers to such a translation method: when the translators are confined by the cultural differences; they have to discard the cultural message to keep the original content and its communicative function. Free translation is an incorporating explanation to deal with cultural differences. Obviously free translation in the process of dealing with cultural difference is very important. Regarding the readers who never get in touch with “Mongolia and Peacey” which is translated into 达蒙和皮西阿斯, they do not have any ideas of this idiom even if the translation looks so faithful. Even more, the source information losescompletely.Both literal translation and free translation are loyal to the original text. In fact, here is a dialectical unification. Because the traditional translation is too subjective, Nida proposed functional equivalence viewpoint that is more objective. It means to request the target language readers to have the same or similar response with the source language readers. The majority of target language readers do not understand the source language and culture exactly. They grow in totally different environments; their thinking modes are different. So the translators have to seek some kind of language that contains the same cultural information of the source language. However, functional equivalence theory has its limitation. Stating from preceding translation methods, Nada’s theory indeed gains great achievement in translating idioms. It has abandoned the form to focus on the content, put aside the language difference to focus on the readers’ response, compared with the translation theory before; it can be rated as one kind of innovation. Therefore, the functional equivalence doubles the translation favor, and was once fashionable all over China in 1980s. Until now, the influence of functional equivalence is still extensive. But someone points out that Nida raised his viewpoint when he studied the translation strategy of “Holy Bible”. So it is more suitable for the missionary idioms that are in religious ancient books, myths and fables in the western culture.For example:A Juda’s kiss comes from “Holy Bible”; as wise as Solomon is from Greek and Roman myth. Although this kind of structure of idioms is simple, its significance is profound, and its cultural characteristics are strong. Therefore, they often cannot be understood or translated from the semantic level. It must be transplanted directly from the source language culture to the target language culture. This method is called “cultural facsimile”. Venutt proposed his “Resistance translation” as a kind of solution for translation between Chinese and English. He thought translation itself undertook the cultural exchange and the readers have the ability to understand the external culture completely. What is more, foreignness will play an important role in enriching the target language in future.Just like one hundred years ago, “All roads lead to Rome” was translated into殊途同归(reaching the same goal or conclusion from different approaches) . But today it is translated into条条大路通罗马(each strip path passes to the Rome) because the Chinese have accepted the word Rome. Perhaps certain years later, the Chinese can also accept the idio m “Mongolia and Peacey”. Besides this change, there is another situation in the interior change of the source language. For example, in the period of pre-liberation and at the beginning of liberation the peasants stood for those men who were short of education; they are ignorant, backward and poor because of the low productive。
成语寓意深刻英语作文
成语寓意深刻英语作文Title: The Profound Meaning of Chinese Idioms。
Chinese idioms, also known as chengyu, encapsulate centuries of wisdom, culture, and history within a few characters. They serve as valuable treasures in the realm of language, conveying profound meanings and offering insights into life, society, and human nature. In this essay, we will delve into the rich tapestry of Chinese idioms and explore their deep significance.First and foremost, Chinese idioms are like condensed capsules of cultural heritage. Take, for example, the idiom "一步登天" (yī bù dēng tiān), which literally means "to ascend to heaven in a single step." This phrase originated from ancient Chinese folklore and reflects the Chinese aspiration for rapid success and advancement. It embodies the cultural values of diligence, ambition, and the pursuit of excellence.Moreover, Chinese idioms often contain moral lessonsand ethical principles. Consider the idiom "言传身教" (yán chuán shēn jiào), which means "to teach through wordsand deeds." This phrase underscores the importance of leading by example and highlights the power of moral influence. It emphasizes the significance of integrity, sincerity, and ethical conduct in shaping one's character and guiding others.Furthermore, Chinese idioms frequently draw inspiration from nature and natural phenomena. Take, for instance, the idiom "画龙点睛" (huà lóng diǎn jīng), which translates to "adding the eyes to the dragon." This expression originated from the ancient art of Chinese painting and signifies the crucial finishing touch that brings a masterpiece to life. It symbolizes the importance of attention to detail and the significance of the final embellishment in achieving perfection.Additionally, Chinese idioms often convey timelesstruths about human relationships and interpersonal dynamics. For example, the idiom "守株待兔" (shǒu zhū dài tù),which means "to guard a tree stump, waiting for rabbits," warns against passivity and unrealistic expectations. It serves as a cautionary tale about the folly of relyingsolely on luck or chance without taking proactive measures. This idiom underscores the importance of initiative, effort, and strategic planning in achieving success.In conclusion, Chinese idioms are not merely linguistic expressions but profound reflections of Chinese culture, wisdom, and values. They offer valuable insights into the human condition, society, and the complexities of life. By studying and understanding Chinese idioms, we gain not only linguistic proficiency but also a deeper appreciation for the rich tapestry of human experience. As the Chinese proverb goes, "学而不厌，诲人不倦" (xué ér bù yàn, huì rén bù juàn), which means "never tire of learning and teaching others." Thus, let us continue to explore the depths of Chinese idioms and unlock their timeless wisdom.。
英语习语idiom
be extra nice to someone (usually for selfish reasons)
bad egg carrot top
a person who is often in trouble
person with red or orange hair
you always want what you don't have
grey area, gray area
something without a clear rule or answer
black and blue
golden opportunity
tickled pink
bruised and beaten
In other words, one person might like something very much while another person might hate the same thing.
sb bring home the bacon(腌肉).
That means someone makes enough money to support family.
there is no use crying over spilled milk.
That means you should not get angry when something bad happens and cannot be changed.
one man’s meat is another man’s poison.
help someone a lot, with possible bad consequences for oneself
English Idioms
2352018年47期总第435期ENGLISH ON CAMPUSEnglish Idioms文/张丽然【Abstract】 The idiom is a kind of special speech form in meaning, grammatical structure and usage. Languageclosely relates to culture and can be said as a part of the culture. There’s no language without culture. As a special form of the language, the idiom exists in both language and culture and carries a large amount of cultural information of histories, geography, religions, customs, etc. This article first discusses the definitions of idioms and culture, theorigin of idioms, the characteristics of idioms.【Key words】Idiom; Culture; Origin; Characteristics.【作者简介】张丽然，安徽体育运动职业技术学院。
the idioms, we can find that they originated from literarymasterpieces, the Bible, Greek and Roman mythologies, ancient fables, historical events, anecdotes, customs, seafaring, daily life and so on, which involve every aspect of life.(庄和诚，2002：185) That’s why idioms are hard to understand. The essential of studying idioms is grasping idioms through the background of the traditional culture, thought patterns, geographies, religions and the customs.Idioms originate from many aspects. They originate fromancient fables, historical affairs, anecdotes, customs,animals’ habitual behaviors, people’s daily life and so on.From the sources of the idioms, we can see that idiom originates from western cultural background.Observing the hidden meaning of the idioms, we can feel the national value.4. ConclusionIdiom is a special form of the language exists in both language and culture and carries the cultural information,such as histories and the customs etc. Idiom is a part of theculture. As such, it cannot but serve and reflect culture needs. Idiom closely relates to the culture. Idiom today is highly used in the daily life. It’s necessary for us to have such knowledge of idiom and the western culture. Idiomatic expressions are difficult to understand. Idioms originate from literary masterpieces, the Bible, Greek and Roman mythologies, customs and so on. From their sources, we can see idiom passed down in a certain western culture background. Idiom is an important part of western culture itself and reflects the richcultural and plays an active role in people’s life.References：[1]Kamsch Claire,Culture in Language Learning:A view from the United States[J].Philodephia:John Benjamines Publishing Compa-ny,1991:175.[2]平洪,张国扬.英语习语与英美文化[M].北京外语教学与研究出版社,2000:85,255.[3]汪榕培,卢晓娟.英语词汇学教程[M].上海外语教育出版社,1997: 372-373;375-376.[4]庄和诚.英语习语探源[M].上海外语教育出版社,2000:185.1. IntroductionAs we all know, language is closely related to culture. Every language is part of a culture. Idioms as a special form of language exist in both language and culture and carry a large amount of cultural information such as histories, geography, religions, customs, nationality psychology, thought pattern etc, and therefore are closely related to culture.2. The characteristics of idiomsAn idiom is a fixed group of words with a special differentmeaning from the meanings of the separate words. Idioms consist of set phrases and short sentences, they are expressions that are not readily understandable from their literal meaning of individual elements. The practicality of idioms is the longtime vitality of idioms. According to the linguists, the number of the English idioms is about 50000. In modern English, there are about 4000 used often. And there are about 5000 idioms more often used. That is why English idiom is an indispensable partof English lexis. We can say that English idioms are used more widely and often than Chinese idioms.The unitary meaning of idioms means that we must seethe idioms as a unit. The meaning of idioms isn’t the simple mixture of the each word’s meaning, but it has its own new meaning.(汪榕培， 卢晓娟， 1997：373) And if you break up each word that form the idiom, though you can see the meaning of each word, you can’t see the meaning of this idiom. For example, I’m under the weather. “Under the weather” means unwell and unhappy.(Claire, 1991:175) If you see the meaning from each word, it’s meaningless.The syntactic frozenness of the idioms means that we can’tadd or reduce one word of the idioms, because it may change itsoriginal meaning. (汪榕培， 卢晓娟，1997：375) For instance, we can’t change “under the weather” into “below theweather”. We can’t change “to have an axe to grind” into“to have a chopper to grind” or “to have a hatchet to grind”.3. The origin of idiomsAmerican and Britain are the countries that haveChristianity and Hebraism as their cultural background. Most idioms produced in this background carry rich religious elements.(平洪，张国扬，2000：85)Getting to the roots ofCopyright©博看网 . All Rights Reserved.。
关于idiom的的英语作文
关于idiom的的英语作文Idiom culture is the crystallization of Chinese wisdom, is an important carrier of Chinese culture, idioms are the essence of Chinese, with a strong expression. Idioms contain valuable cultural wealth, from which we can appreciate the glory of Chinese ancient material civilization, understand the Chinese ancient education thought, traditional Chinese virtue and so on.Idioms and production. There is an old saying itl China: Practice makes perfect. Practice is a means and perfect isa goal. Only when you do more practice can you make things perfect. This is true not only in our learning but also in other walks of life. Take the study of English for example. Practice enables us to spell words correctly and master the rules of grammar quickly and practice also makes us hecome fluent in speaking and writing. It is ahnost impossible for a person to speakEnglish fluently and accurately without a lot of practice. Another case in point is cooking.A good cook can prepare a delicious meah But you will not be surprised at his performance if you know how much time he has spent practising. Through practice,he then becomes an expert at cooking. It goes without saying that practice makes perfect. Only through practice can one be good at doing things. Since we have realized the importance of practice, why not out it into practice?。
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Idioms and culture
Idioms are, in essence, often colloquial metaphors—terms which require some foundational knowledge, information, or experience, to use only within a culture where parties must have common reference and as such are not considered an official part of the language, but rather a part of the culture. As cultures are typically localized, idioms are more often not useful for communication outside of that local context. However some idioms can be more universally used than others, and they can be easily translated, or their metaphorical meaning can be more easily deduced.The most common idioms can have deep roots, traceable across many languages. To have blood on one's hands is a familiar example, whose meaning is relatively obvious, although the context within English literature(see Macbeth and Pontius Pilate) may not be. Many have translations in other languages, and tend to become international.
While many idioms are clearly based in conceptual metaphors such as "time as a substance", "time as a path", "love as war" or "up is more", the idioms themselves are often not particularly essential, even when the metaphors themselves are. For example, "spend time", "battle of the sexes", and "back in the day" are idiomatic and based in essential metaphors, but one can
communicate perfectly well with or without them. These "deep metaphors" and their relationship to human cognition are discussed by George Lakoff and Mark Johnson in their 1980 book Metaphors We Live By.
In forms like "profits are up", the metaphor is carried by "up" itself. The phrase "profits are up" is not itself an idiom. Practically anything measurable can be used in place of "profits": "crime is up", "satisfaction is up", "complaints are up" etc. Truly essential idioms generally involve prepositions, for example "out of" or "turn into".
Interestingly, many Chinese characters are likewise idiomatic constructs, as their meanings are more often not traceable to a literal (i.e. pictographic) meaning of their assembled parts, or radicals. Because all characters are composed from a relatively small base of about 214 radicals, their assembled meanings follow several different modes of interpretation - from the pictographic to the metaphorical to those whose original meaning has been lost in history. It may be a feature that helps everyday life.。