语言学导论课程论文

外国语学院

语言学导论

课程论文

课题名称：英文题目

Cultural Differences in English and Chinese Idioms

中文题目

英汉习语中的语言文化差异

学生姓名：褚宏川

学号：10131140134

专业：英语

班级：2010级1班

授课教师：韩泽亭

2012年12月

Cultural Differences in English and Chinese Idioms Abstract: Language is the main carrier of culture. Idioms are the essence of a language, and also the quintessence of a nat ion’s culture and wisdom. English and Chinese idioms carry the different national cultural characteristics and cultural information. Among these idioms, a large number of them are connected with geography，customs, historical allusion, and religion.In order to understand these idioms clearly, this paper will analyze cultural differences from four aspects of geography, customs, historical allusion, and religion.

摘要：语言是文化的主要载体。习语是语言的本质,也是一个国家文化和智慧的精髓。英汉习语携带不同的民族文化特色和文化信息。在这些习语中有很大一部分都与地理、风俗、历史典故、和宗教有关。为了更加清晰的理解这些习语,本文将从地理、风俗、历史典故、和宗教四个方面分析文化差异。

Key words：English and Chinese idioms，cultural comparison,cultural differences;

关键词：英汉习语;文化比较；文化差异

I. Introduction

Idiom is a fixed group of words or a single word, or even a sentence with a special meaning that cannot be guessed from the literal meaning of its components. “Language is the carrier container of culture, and is strongly influenced and shaped by culture.” So in order to learn English idioms, one cannot ignore the importance of the cultural meanings they contain. As the essence of languages,idioms have two features: semantic unity and structural stability. On its broad sense, idioms including set phrases, proverbs, sayings, colloquialisms, allusions and so on are an important part of the language and culture.

Human’s li fe is closely related to geography, customs, historical allusion, and religion, and there are an increasing number of English and Chinese idioms about them which are concise, readable and vivid. And with the development of economy and science, globalization is a more and more obvious phenomenon. The relationship between countries is becoming closer and closer. In order to understand these idioms more clearly and make the international communication more effectively, it is useful and necessary to compare such idioms.

Ⅱ. Reasons causing cultural differences

Culture is an extremely complex concept and an enormous subject. Culture consists of all the shared products of human society. This means not only material things such as cities, organizations and schools, but also non-material things such as ideas, customs, family patterns, languages.In short, culture refers to the entire way of a society, or the way of people.

2.1 Different geography

Geographic environment is the foundation of humans’ existence and development, so different geographic environments have different influences on the formation and development of the nations’ culture . China is located in Eastern Asia, the west coast of Pacific Ocean. China is always a country which agriculture plays an important role since ancient time, so a large number of idioms related to agriculture have been in use.

e.g. (1)槁木死灰——withered wood or cold ashes

(2)骨瘦如柴——be lean as a rake

(3)脚踩两只船——sit on the fence

The UK is located in the Western Hemisphere. Living on an island, the English are keen on sailing and traveling, the English language abounds in idioms connected with