Contents
目录
Contents 1
Chinese Abstract 2
English Abstract 3
1 The Relationship Between Language and Culture 4
2 English Idioms and Chinese Idioms 4
21 Chinese Idioms 4
22 English Idioms 5
3 The Correspondence Between English and Chinese Idioms 6
31 The Basic Corresponding English and Chinese Idioms 6
32 Semibasic Corresponding English and Chinese Idioms 7
33 Noncorresponding English and Chinese Idioms 8
4 Geographical Environment Affecting Factors 9
41 Different Terrains 9
42 Different Climates 9
43 Different Mode of Productions 10
44 Different Meaning of Directions 11
45 Different Natural Resources 11
5 Conclusion 12
References 13
试析理环境影响中英成语文化差异
摘
英语汉语两种语言中含丰富成语成语语言文化高度凝练突出反映民族文化特点汉语成语英语成语产生理环境源民族文化结构风格意义等方面差巨
文选择富文化涵英汉成语通分析产生理环境探析中文化差异英汉成语特点应关系入手着重分析理环境影响素中形势气候条件生产方式方意义然资源五方面异总结出理环境影响英汉成语文化差异便读者解中英成语文化深层含义
关键词：理环境成语文化差异
An Analysis of Cultural Differences Between Chinese and English Idioms under the Influence of Geographical Environment
Abstract
There are ample idioms in both English and Chinese Idioms are highly condensed in language and culture which highlight the characteristics of national culture Chinese and English idioms originate from various geographical environments and national cultures so they differ greatly in structure style and meaning
This paper selects English and Chinese idioms with rich cultural connotations and explores the cultural differences between them through the comparative analysis of different geographical environments Starting from the characteristics of English and Chinese idioms and their corresponding relations this paper focuses on the analysis of the five factors affecting the geographical environment topography climatic condition mode of production meaning of direction and natural resources subsequently sums up the cultural differences between Chinese and English idioms under the influence of diverse geographic environment so that readers can understand the deep meaning of the two idioms
Key words geographical environment idioms cultural differences
1 The Relationship Between Language and Culture
Edward Burnett Tylor defines culture in his Primitive Culture (1871) Culture is a complex whole including knowledge beliefs art morals customs and any other abilities and habits acquired by human beings as members of society Language as an essential part of culture is also a prerequisite for the formation and development of culture On the other hand cultural development also promotes linguistic richness and perfection It can be said that language indicates the characteristics of a country for the reason that it includes not only the historical and cultural background of the country but also the way of life and thinking of the nation Language and culture bear each other and they are inseparably The development of language and culture promotes and influences each other they do not restrict each other on the contrary they influence and integrate each other in parallel development
The natural geographical environment influences the formation of culture and creates specific cultures and expressions Due to the different geographical conditions the terrain climate and economic production methods in various regions are also distinct from each other therefore the language vocabulary and its connotative meaning generated on this basis will also differ in expression
Idioms are the condensation and crystallization of language Learning idioms which is considered a very essential part of learning and using language (Sridhar & Karunakaran 2013) What’s more they are an indispensable part of language which reflecting the national culture These idioms reflect the cultural characteristics living habits customs of the nation from all aspects Chinese and English national culture is deeply influenced by their respective history geography and customs The degree of this influence is also engraved in the language so a large number of idioms have rich cultural characteristics
2 English Idioms and Chinese Idioms
21 Chinese Idioms
What is a Chinese idiom The New Modern Chinese Dictionary defines idioms as phrases or short sentences that have been used by people for a long time with simple forms and brilliant meanings (罗琦周丽萍2003) It can be seen that the structure of idioms has been relatively fixed up to now most of which are fourcharacter idioms
Chinese idioms are mostly derived from ancient classics famous historical stories people’s oral or myths and fables (陈玉霞 2001) They have brilliant meanings which are often implied in literal meaning Instead of simple addition of constituent meanings they have integrated meanings It has a tight structure and generally cannot change the word order arbitrarily replace or increase or decrease its components It is not a simple combination of words but a stereotyped phrase with special meaning rich in grammatical functions and profound cultural connotations Chinese idioms are short concise and rich in content and often have a strong emotional color
There are many idioms derived from historical stories for example 指鹿马 (in Chinese Pinyin it is pronounced as zhi lu wei ma which means intentionally confuse right and wrong) from the Historical Records of the First Emperor Qin Shihuang by Sima Qian of the Western Han Dynasty In addition to the history of Zhao Gao pointing at the deer as a horse and murdering a minister it also uses metaphor to intentionally reverse black and white and confuse right and wrong 梅止渴 (in Chinese Pinyin it is pronounced as wang mei zhi ke which means wish cannot be realized comfort oneself with dreams) is from the Southern Dynasties Liu Yiqing’s New Words of the World False Treachery It is about Cao Cao’s story of stimulating morale and deceiving a plum tree in front of soldiers As a result morale increased greatly Later it compared metaphorically to wish and comforted oneself with dreams
Idioms derived from fable stories 东施效颦 (in Chinese Pinyin it is pronounced as dong shi xiao pin which means impersonate others) is a parable in Chuang Tzu Fortune which tells the story of Dongshi’s failure to imitate Xishi and spurned by others It is now used to ridicule impersonal behavior and advise people not to imitate blindly 守株兔 (in Chinese Pinyin it is pronounced as shou zhu dai tu which means hold on to a narrow experience and won’t change) is a parable from Han Feizi Five Kinds of Evils about an ancient peasant who saw a rabbit slammed into the root of a tree and died Since then he put down his hoe and waited for the rabbit to be killed by the tree every day It is now used to ridicule those who want to succeed without effort
天衣缝 (in Chinese Pinyin it is pronounced as tian yi wu feng which means things are wellrounded and flawless) is a mythical story from Ghost Record · Guo Han It originally refers to the heavenly dress worn by the fairy in the myth which is not made by needlework and not sewn Now metaphorical things are perfect and natural without any traces or flaws 开天辟 (in Chinese Pinyin it is pronounced as kai tian pi di which means unprecedented) is a legend from The Historical Records of the Emperor in the Middle and late Primitive Society which tells the story of Pangu created heaven and earth in ancient times The latter is often used as a metaphor for an unprecedented phenomenon that has not occurred since ancient times
22 English Idioms
The definition of idiom in the Oxford Advanced Learner’s EnglishChinese Dictionary isa group of words whose meaning is different from the meanings of the individual words (赵翠莲邹晓玲2016) Longman English Dictionary defines idiom as a group of words that has a special meaning that is different from the ordinary meaning of each separate word (Net 1) In Cambridge Advanced English Idioms idiom is a kind of stylized language which is a fixed combination of words Its meaning is not only the sum of the meanings of words (O’Dell &McCarthy 2014) To sum up idioms are usually semantically opaque metaphorical rather than literal (Ren Chi & Yu Hao 2013 78)
There are also many idioms in English that originate from ancient myths historical allusions religious classics and literary works For example in Achilles heel Achilles is a hero in ancient Greek mythology and heel is his only weakness The sword of Damocles is derived from a historical story of ancient Greece In the fourth century BC Dionysius I the ruler of Syracuse on Sicily let Damocles sit on the throne When he looked up and saw a sword hanging with his hair on his head it would fall down at any time and scared him to leave People use the The sword of Damocles to describe the murderous opportunities and dangers behind peace and tranquility (樊艳萍 2010)
There are also English idioms in the classic Christian Bible For example Forbidden Fruit is the fruit of the tree of good and evil in the Garden of Eden and was eaten by Adam and Eve in violation of God’s will People have accepted many famous quotations in literary works such as George Orwell’s Big Brother in 1984
3 The Correspondence Between English and Chinese Idiom
31 The Basic Corresponding English and Chinese Idioms
Basic correspondence means that English idioms and Chinese idioms are basically the same in meaning material selection structure and usage (岳鹏 2016) This is only because there are similar natural living environment or similar things between the two cultures people’s cognition of things is almost the same (Shi Wenjuan 2015) This similarity reflects certain commonality in language
For example the meaning of Chinese idiom 殊途 (in Chinese Pinyin it is pronounced as shu tu tong gui which means take different approaches to get the same result) is to obtain the same result by taking different methods All roads lead to Rome in English means going from different roads to the same destination Therefore the two idioms are very similar in image and meaning Kill the goose that lays the golden egg corresponds to 杀鸡取卵 (in Chinese Pinyin it is pronounced as sha ji qu luan which mean covet the immediate interests and disregard the longterm interests) while 鸡 in Chinese corresponds to goose in English (郭倩倩 2015) Although the reference of animals is different the meaning is the same That means the practice is urgent flash in the pan corresponds to 昙花现 (in Chinese Pinyin it is pronounced as tan hua yi xian which means good things appear for a short time) Chinese 昙花 corresponds to flash Although the objects are not the same the opening time of the flower is as short as a flash of fire
The basic corresponding idioms are as follows
Seeing is believing眼见实 (in Chinese Pinyin it is pronounced as yan jian wei shi)
An eye for eye and a tooth for a tooth 牙牙眼眼 (in Chinese Pinyin it is pronounced as yi ya huan ya yi yan huan yan)
as light as a feather轻鸿毛 (in Chinese Pinyin it is pronounced as qing ru hong mao)
Love me love my dog爱屋乌 (in Chinese Pinyin it is pronounced as ai wu ji wu)
Constant dropping wears stone 水滴石穿 (in Chinese Pinyin it is pronounced as shui di shi chuan)
to pour oil on the flame火浇油 (in Chinese Pinyin it is pronounced as huo shang jiao you)
A slow sparrow should make an early start笨鸟先飞 (in Chinese Pinyin it is pronounced as ben niao xian fei)
Chinese and English have different social and cultural backgrounds but due to the similarity of human mindset and cognitive ability there are many identical aspects in human social life which will inevitably make language have commonality Therefore many idioms have the same or analogous meaning and image
32 Semibasic Corresponding English and Chinese Idioms
The different origins of Chinese and English idioms affect the language forms The proportion of complete correspondence between Chinese and English idioms is very small because most of them are partially or inappropriately corresponding Partial correspondence refers to Chinese and English idioms that are not completely unified in meaning or usage and have common connotations (郭倩倩 2015) Some idioms with similar literal meaning may have different connotations while some idioms with similar practical usage and meaning may have different expressions
For example 半斤八两 (in Chinese Pinyin it is pronounced as ban jin ba liang which means the same as each other) and six of one and half a dozen of the other are partial correspondences Although Six of one and half a dozen of the other is similar to the image and metaphor of 半斤八两 its usage in Chinese emphasizes its derogatory meaning and English idioms are more neutral 题做 (in Chinese Pinyin it is pronounced as xiao ti da zuo which means improperly treat small things as big things) is a metaphor for treating small things as if they were impossiblewhich means that you don’t have to work hard to do it Make a mountain out of a molehill has the meaning of regarding small things as big events including exaggeration exaggeration of difficulties or obstacles It also means to be worried or excited about minor matters The first two meanings of this idiom are similar to 题做 but the third meaning is different
The Semibasic corresponding idioms like the above are
birds of one feather丘貉 (in Chinese Pinyin it is pronounced as yi qiu zhi he)
like a duck to water 鱼水 (in Chinese Pinyin it is pronounced as ru yu de shui)
spend money like water 挥金土 (in Chinese Pinyin it is pronounced as hui jin ru tu)
Like a rat in a hole瓮中鳖 (in Chinese Pinyin it is pronounced as weng zhong zhi bie)
Diamond cut diamond棋逢手 (in Chinese Pinyin it is pronounced as qi feng dui shou)
to eat like a horse狼吞虎咽 (in Chinese Pinyin it is pronounced as lang tun hu yan)
No smoke without fire风起浪 (in Chinese Pinyin it is pronounced as wu feng bu qi lang)
Due to the differences in structure cultural traditions natural environment historical background and production methods between Chinese and English the cultural implications that are reflected in many phrases are inconsistent or only partial As can be seen from the previous examples although some parts of English and Chinese are interrelated their cultural and emotional meanings are different
33 Noncorresponding English and Chinese Idioms
Idioms come from culture and reflect culture but they are also restricted by it As the cultural origins of Chinese and English are different they exhibit their unique cultural connotation emotional colors and linguistic characteristics It is often used in Chinese culture but there is no corresponding expression in English It means the same in Chinese culture but it may be different or the opposite in English culture
For example the structural meaning of 翻天覆 (in Chinese Pinyin it is pronounced as fan tian fu di which means huge and radical change) and move heaven and earth’ exactly corresponds to each other but the actual meaning of them is far from each other 翻天覆 describes the change is amazing And move heaven and earth comes from French which means to achieve the goal by all means It’s easy to make mistakes from it’s literal meaning when understanding move heaven and earth (郭倩倩 2015) 舟济 (in Chinese Pinyin it is pronounced as tong zhou gong ji which means work together to overcome difficulties) and in the same boat have the same image in the literal sense but their practical meanings are far from each other The Chinese idiom 舟济 means that when encountering difficulties everyone will work together to overcome them Chinese idioms emphasize unity while English in the same boat emphasizes the same situation
There are many noncorresponding English and Chinese idioms for example
触发 (The situation has reached a very tense stage and it will erupt immediately with a push) touch and go (In danger must act immediately)
患难交 (Friends who have experienced hardship together) a friend in need (Someone who helps others when they need it)
脚踏实 (Do things steadily and conscientiously) put one’s foot down (Stand firmly against what someone wants to do)
浑水摸鱼 (Seizing illegitimate interests at a time of confusion) fish in the troubled water (To harm others when they are in danger)
蛇咬十年怕井绳 (Fear of similar things once hurt) Once bitten twice shy (Draw lessons from practical experience)
Chinese and English idioms are constrained and influenced by cultural factors so the literal meaning and actual connotation of many words are not consistent When the meanings of Chinese idioms and English idioms are not equal crosscultural communicators are required to understand their respective implications and carefully screen the words
4 Geographical Environment Affecting Factors
41 Different Terrains
China is located in the east of the Eurasian continent The terrain is dominated by mountains hills and plateaus and the terrain is high in the west and low in the east The vast land area and complex landform contribute to the unique attribute of rich and diverse national culture and wide distribution of cultural elements (张晨霞2018) The highlands to the west and the lowlands to the east of China create a river flow from the west to the east which also influences the expression of Chinese idioms For example 江东 (in Chinese Pinyin it is pronounced as tong zhou gong ji) is used to describe the development of history 付诸东流 (in Chinese Pinyin it is pronounced as fu zhu dong liu) is a metaphor of hope lost achievement lost and previous achievements lost as if washed away with the running water Since China is a mountainous country many idioms about mountains were born For example 山高路远 (in Chinese Pinyin it is pronounced as shan gao lu yuan) is used to describe the journey is difficult and distant 绿水青山 (in Chinese Pinyin it is pronounced as lv shui qing shan) refers to beautiful mountains and rivers
Britain is an island country composed of the northeast of Ireland island and its affiliated islands and Great Britain Island Due to long coastline and the lack of land resources people’s daily life is closely related to the sea and water which makes English idioms often related to the sea Such as a drop in the ocean means a very small amount comparison to the much large amount that is needed between the devil and the deep blue sea is in a situation where you have to choose between two things that are equally dad
42 Different Climates
The geographical differences between the two countries have resulted in climate differences that have led to huge differences when describing the same season
Most parts of China are located in temperate and subtropical areas The temperature characteristics of the four seasons are more clear compared with the average temperature of the same latitude in the world The temperature in summer is relatively high and in spring is appropriate Therefore in Chinese summer is often associated with hot summer There are some idioms that describe the hot summer like 酷暑难耐 (in Chinese Pinyin it is pronounced as ku shu nan nai)夏日炎炎 (in Chinese Pinyin it is pronounced as xia ri yan yan) Spring is often praised by people It often symbolizes joy hope and future etc For example 春回 (in Chinese Pinyin it is pronounced as chun hui da di) 春暖花开 (in Chinese Pinyin it is pronounced as chun nuan hua kai) and so on
Britain lies on the east coast of the Atlantic Ocean in the Western Hemisphere It has a marine climate in the north temperate zone Its summer is a warm and pleasant season People often describe it as beautiful lovely and gentle Shakespeare likened his lover to summer in one of his sonnetsShall I compare thee to a summer’s day Thou art more lovely and more temperate (王莉 2009)
43 Different Mode of Productions
Since ancient times China has always been a large agricultural production country Agricultural production is the foundation of national economy People’s production activities are closely related to land and many idioms related to land have been produced For example 寸土 (in Chinese Pinyin it is pronounced as chun tu bu rang) 挥金土 (in Chinese Pinyin it is pronounced as hui jin ru tu) Cattle play an important role in the history of agricultural production in China Since ancient times it has a great relationship with people’s clothing food housing and transportation Many of the working habits of cattle are widely praised because they are the same as the traditional virtues of the Chinese nation They are given the cultural connotation of hard work and selfless dedication There are a lot of idioms about cattle such as气壮牛 (in Chinese Pinyin it is pronounced as qi zhuang ru niu)牛高马 (in Chinese Pinyin it is pronounced as niu gao ma da)九牛二虎 (in Chinese Pinyin it is pronounced as jiu niu er hu) and so on
Britain’s developed marine fishery culture benefits from its unique geographical environment and the historical position of the maritime overlord so its language also fully demonstrates the characteristics of marine culture There are a large number of words related to fish ships and sea transportation in English whose meaning goes far beyond the word itself For example idioms related to shipsbe in the same boatsail close to the wind idioms related to the seaall at sea hold water The British fishing industry has also left a lot of fishingrelated words in its language Such asfish for compliments have other fish to fry a fish out of water
Before the appearance of steam engine horse was always an important means of transportation and closely related to people’s daily life so many idioms related to horse Such as a dark horse eat like a horse a hobby horse
44 Different Meaning of Directions
In Chinese the East has special cultural connotations The East is where the sun rises where the new day begins and where it brings light to people There are mountains in the west of China and the sea in the east so when the east wind blows it brings warmth to people Therefore the east wind is a synonym for warmth and there are idioms such as 万事俱备欠东风 (in Chinese Pinyin it is pronounced as wan shi ju bei zhi qian dong feng) 东风浩荡 (in Chinese Pinyin it is pronounced as dong feng hao dang) And China＇s temperate continental climate makes the west wind mean cold and desolate in Chinese Such as 西风落叶 (in Chinese Pinyin it is pronounced as xi feng lou ye) It means that people or things have declined Ma Zhiyuan wrote in Tianjingsha Qiusi 古道西风瘦马 夕阳西 断肠天涯 (in Chinese Pinyin it is pronounced as gu dao xi feng shou ma xi yang xi xia duan chang ren zai tian ya) In this sentence the west wind is endowed with a sad meaning
On the contrary in English the east wind is a symbol of cold and unpleasant Britain is an island country with a mild maritime climate There is no severe cold in winter and extreme heat in summer The east wind is very cold from the northern part of continental Europe while the west wind is blown by the Atlantic Ocean which is warm and pleasant The British like the west wind Shelley an English poet highly praised the west wind in his poem Ode to the West Wind Oh the west wind if winter comes can spring be far behind which expressed his vision and firm belief for the future
45 Different Natural Resources
From the perspective of geographical resources both China and Britain have abundant natural resources However due to the differences in resources between the two countries and the use and preference of varied natural resources by the people there are also variance in the vocabulary between Chinese and English
China is the hometown of plum blossom whose flower language represents strong will Therefore many scholars will praise the indomitable spirit of plum in their works In the early days of England there was no plum blossom so there was a shortage of vocabulary about plum blossom Tea in Chinese is also an example There are many hills and mountains in China which is good for the growth of tea trees There are rich tea cultures in China There are many expressions about tea in Chinese such as people walking in the cool tea after tea The humid climate in Britain is not suitable for tea planting Even tea is is borrowed from foreign language
Due to the unique geographical conditions China is rich in bamboo and people’s life is closely related to bamboo Therefore there are many idioms related to bamboo in Chinese such as胸成竹 (in Chinese Pinyin it is pronounced as xiong you cheng zhu) 破竹势 (in Chinese Pinyin it is pronounced as po zhu zhi shi) While the geographical environment of Britain and the United States does not produce bamboo Even the word bamboo is borrowed from foreign languages so there are almost no idioms related to bamboo in English and bamboo has no special cultural connotation (刘姝宇 2012)
5 Conclusion
Language is a manifestation of the characteristics of thinking reflecting the civilization of various nationalities around the world but also restricted by national culture and geographical environment As a product of the geographical environment historical culture customs and religion idioms embody human civilization and national characteristics Idioms have typical cultural characteristics in various regions so they often become communication barriers for nonnative speakers in crosscultural communication In order to solve this problem intercultural communicators should better understand the cultural differences and similarities between Chinese and English idioms Therefore the study of English and Chinese idioms from the perspective of geographical differences is of great help to readers
There are numerous colorful idioms in Chinese and English Chinese and English idioms are the epitome of national culture and the crystallization of human knowledge and wisdom Chinese and English idioms reflect the historical civilization of different countries and the accumulation of long national history The use of Chinese and English idioms has a long history forming a fixed structure and usage
Based on the study of the differences in geographical environment between Chinese and English idioms this paper expounds the differences in topography climatic condition mode of production meaning of directions and natural resources Then use comparative analysis to analyze and compare a large number of Chinese and English idioms after that sort out the expressions and cultural differences of Chinese and English idioms affected by geographical environment
Through the understanding of the origin structural features corresponding relations and geographical environment of English and Chinese idioms it is easier for crosscultural communicators to understand the similarities and differences between the two languages and cultures so as to overcome the obstacles of intercultural communication
References
[1]O’Dell Felicity & McCarthy Michael 剑桥高级英语语[M] 北京外语教学研究出版社 2014
[2]Ren Chi & Yu Hao Translation of English Idioms From the Perspective of Cultural Context[J] CrossCultural Communication 2013(5) 7881
[3]Shi Wenjuan Comparison and Contrast Between English and Chinese Idioms From Cultural Connotation Perspective[J] Studies in Literature and Language 2015(1)102113
[4]Sridhar M & Karunakaran T Idioms and importance of teaching idioms to ESL Students A Study on Teacher Beliefs[J] Asian Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences (AJHSS) 2013(1) 110122
[5]Tylor E Primitive culture[M] London J Murray Albemark Street 1871
[6]陈玉霞 英汉成语文化差异探析[J] 池州师专学报 2001(2)4243
[7]樊艳萍 英语成语文化背景[J] 学月刊 2010(6)4142
[8]郭倩倩 汉英成语文化差异翻译应方法探究[D] 苏州学 2015 5
[9]刘姝宇 汉英成语文化差异分析[D] 黑龙江学 2012 4
[10]罗琦 周丽萍 新编现代汉语词典21世纪推荐版[M] 吉林吉林学出版社 2003
[11]王莉 理环境差异引起英汉词汇差异[J] 山西师学报(社会科学版)研究生文专刊 2009(11) 8789
[12]岳鹏 英汉成语文化涵差异浅议英汉成语翻译[J] 甘肃政法成教育学院学报 2016(2) 111112
[13]赵翠莲 邹晓玲等 牛津高阶英汉双解词典第8版[Z] 北京商务印书馆 2016
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Contents
目录
Contents 1
Chinese Abstract 2
English Abstract 3
1 The Relationship Between Language and Culture 4
2 English Idioms and Chinese Idioms 4
21 Chinese Idioms 4
22 English Idioms 5
3 The Correspondence Between English and Chinese Idioms 6
31 The Basic Corresponding English and Chinese Idioms 6
32 Semibasic Corresponding English and Chinese Idioms 7
33 Noncorresponding English and Chinese Idioms 8
4 Geographical Environment Affecting Factors 9
41 Different Terrains 9
42 Different Climates 9
43 Different Mode of Productions 10
44 Different Meaning of Directions 11
45 Different Natural Resources 11
5 Conclusion 12
References 13
试析理环境影响中英成语文化差异
摘
英语汉语两种语言中含丰富成语成语语言文化高度凝练突出反映民族文化特点汉语成语英语成语产生理环境源民族文化结构风格意义等方面差巨
文选择富文化涵英汉成语通分析产生理环境探析中文化差异英汉成语特点应关系入手着重分析理环境影响素中形势气候条件生产方式方意义然资源五方面异总结出理环境影响英汉成语文化差异便读者解中英成语文化深层含义
关键词：理环境成语文化差异
An Analysis of Cultural Differences Between Chinese and English Idioms under the Influence of Geographical Environment
Abstract
There are ample idioms in both English and Chinese Idioms are highly condensed in language and culture which highlight the characteristics of national culture Chinese and English idioms originate from various geographical environments and national cultures so they differ greatly in structure style and meaning
This paper selects English and Chinese idioms with rich cultural connotations and explores the cultural differences between them through the comparative analysis of different geographical environments Starting from the characteristics of English and Chinese idioms and their corresponding relations this paper focuses on the analysis of the five factors affecting the geographical environment topography climatic condition mode of production meaning of direction and natural resources subsequently sums up the cultural differences between Chinese and English idioms under the influence of diverse geographic environment so that readers can understand the deep meaning of the two idioms
Key words geographical environment idioms cultural differences
1 The Relationship Between Language and Culture
Edward Burnett Tylor defines culture in his Primitive Culture (1871) Culture is a complex whole including knowledge beliefs art morals customs and any other abilities and habits acquired by human beings as members of society Language as an essential part of culture is also a prerequisite for the formation and development of culture On the other hand cultural development also promotes linguistic richness and perfection It can be said that language indicates the characteristics of a country for the reason that it includes not only the historical and cultural background of the country but also the way of life and thinking of the nation Language and culture bear each other and they are inseparably The development of language and culture promotes and influences each other they do not restrict each other on the contrary they influence and integrate each other in parallel development
The natural geographical environment influences the formation of culture and creates specific cultures and expressions Due to the different geographical conditions the terrain climate and economic production methods in various regions are also distinct from each other therefore the language vocabulary and its connotative meaning generated on this basis will also differ in expression
Idioms are the condensation and crystallization of language Learning idioms which is considered a very essential part of learning and using language (Sridhar & Karunakaran 2013) What’s more they are an indispensable part of language which reflecting the national culture These idioms reflect the cultural characteristics living habits customs of the nation from all aspects Chinese and English national culture is deeply influenced by their respective history geography and customs The degree of this influence is also engraved in the language so a large number of idioms have rich cultural characteristics
2 English Idioms and Chinese Idioms
21 Chinese Idioms
What is a Chinese idiom The New Modern Chinese Dictionary defines idioms as phrases or short sentences that have been used by people for a long time with simple forms and brilliant meanings (罗琦周丽萍2003) It can be seen that the structure of idioms has been relatively fixed up to now most of which are fourcharacter idioms
Chinese idioms are mostly derived from ancient classics famous historical stories people’s oral or myths and fables (陈玉霞 2001) They have brilliant meanings which are often implied in literal meaning Instead of simple addition of constituent meanings they have integrated meanings It has a tight structure and generally cannot change the word order arbitrarily replace or increase or decrease its components It is not a simple combination of words but a stereotyped phrase with special meaning rich in grammatical functions and profound cultural connotations Chinese idioms are short concise and rich in content and often have a strong emotional color
There are many idioms derived from historical stories for example 指鹿马 (in Chinese Pinyin it is pronounced as zhi lu wei ma which means intentionally confuse right and wrong) from the Historical Records of the First Emperor Qin Shihuang by Sima Qian of the Western Han Dynasty In addition to the history of Zhao Gao pointing at the deer as a horse and murdering a minister it also uses metaphor to intentionally reverse black and white and confuse right and wrong 梅止渴 (in Chinese Pinyin it is pronounced as wang mei zhi ke which means wish cannot be realized comfort oneself with dreams) is from the Southern Dynasties Liu Yiqing’s New Words of the World False Treachery It is about Cao Cao’s story of stimulating morale and deceiving a plum tree in front of soldiers As a result morale increased greatly Later it compared metaphorically to wish and comforted oneself with dreams
Idioms derived from fable stories 东施效颦 (in Chinese Pinyin it is pronounced as dong shi xiao pin which means impersonate others) is a parable in Chuang Tzu Fortune which tells the story of Dongshi’s failure to imitate Xishi and spurned by others It is now used to ridicule impersonal behavior and advise people not to imitate blindly 守株兔 (in Chinese Pinyin it is pronounced as shou zhu dai tu which means hold on to a narrow experience and won’t change) is a parable from Han Feizi Five Kinds of Evils about an ancient peasant who saw a rabbit slammed into the root of a tree and died Since then he put down his hoe and waited for the rabbit to be killed by the tree every day It is now used to ridicule those who want to succeed without effort
天衣缝 (in Chinese Pinyin it is pronounced as tian yi wu feng which means things are wellrounded and flawless) is a mythical story from Ghost Record · Guo Han It originally refers to the heavenly dress worn by the fairy in the myth which is not made by needlework and not sewn Now metaphorical things are perfect and natural without any traces or flaws 开天辟 (in Chinese Pinyin it is pronounced as kai tian pi di which means unprecedented) is a legend from The Historical Records of the Emperor in the Middle and late Primitive Society which tells the story of Pangu created heaven and earth in ancient times The latter is often used as a metaphor for an unprecedented phenomenon that has not occurred since ancient times
22 English Idioms
The definition of idiom in the Oxford Advanced Learner’s EnglishChinese Dictionary isa group of words whose meaning is different from the meanings of the individual words (赵翠莲邹晓玲2016) Longman English Dictionary defines idiom as a group of words that has a special meaning that is different from the ordinary meaning of each separate word (Net 1) In Cambridge Advanced English Idioms idiom is a kind of stylized language which is a fixed combination of words Its meaning is not only the sum of the meanings of words (O’Dell &McCarthy 2014) To sum up idioms are usually semantically opaque metaphorical rather than literal (Ren Chi & Yu Hao 2013 78)
There are also many idioms in English that originate from ancient myths historical allusions religious classics and literary works For example in Achilles heel Achilles is a hero in ancient Greek mythology and heel is his only weakness The sword of Damocles is derived from a historical story of ancient Greece In the fourth century BC Dionysius I the ruler of Syracuse on Sicily let Damocles sit on the throne When he looked up and saw a sword hanging with his hair on his head it would fall down at any time and scared him to leave People use the The sword of Damocles to describe the murderous opportunities and dangers behind peace and tranquility (樊艳萍 2010)
There are also English idioms in the classic Christian Bible For example Forbidden Fruit is the fruit of the tree of good and evil in the Garden of Eden and was eaten by Adam and Eve in violation of God’s will People have accepted many famous quotations in literary works such as George Orwell’s Big Brother in 1984
3 The Correspondence Between English and Chinese Idiom
31 The Basic Corresponding English and Chinese Idioms
Basic correspondence means that English idioms and Chinese idioms are basically the same in meaning material selection structure and usage (岳鹏 2016) This is only because there are similar natural living environment or similar things between the two cultures people’s cognition of things is almost the same (Shi Wenjuan 2015) This similarity reflects certain commonality in language
For example the meaning of Chinese idiom 殊途 (in Chinese Pinyin it is pronounced as shu tu tong gui which means take different approaches to get the same result) is to obtain the same result by taking different methods All roads lead to Rome in English means going from different roads to the same destination Therefore the two idioms are very similar in image and meaning Kill the goose that lays the golden egg corresponds to 杀鸡取卵 (in Chinese Pinyin it is pronounced as sha ji qu luan which mean covet the immediate interests and disregard the longterm interests) while 鸡 in Chinese corresponds to goose in English (郭倩倩 2015) Although the reference of animals is different the meaning is the same That means the practice is urgent flash in the pan corresponds to 昙花现 (in Chinese Pinyin it is pronounced as tan hua yi xian which means good things appear for a short time) Chinese 昙花 corresponds to flash Although the objects are not the same the opening time of the flower is as short as a flash of fire
The basic corresponding idioms are as follows
Seeing is believing眼见实 (in Chinese Pinyin it is pronounced as yan jian wei shi)
An eye for eye and a tooth for a tooth 牙牙眼眼 (in Chinese Pinyin it is pronounced as yi ya huan ya yi yan huan yan)
as light as a feather轻鸿毛 (in Chinese Pinyin it is pronounced as qing ru hong mao)
Love me love my dog爱屋乌 (in Chinese Pinyin it is pronounced as ai wu ji wu)
Constant dropping wears stone 水滴石穿 (in Chinese Pinyin it is pronounced as shui di shi chuan)
to pour oil on the flame火浇油 (in Chinese Pinyin it is pronounced as huo shang jiao you)
A slow sparrow should make an early start笨鸟先飞 (in Chinese Pinyin it is pronounced as ben niao xian fei)
Chinese and English have different social and cultural backgrounds but due to the similarity of human mindset and cognitive ability there are many identical aspects in human social life which will inevitably make language have commonality Therefore many idioms have the same or analogous meaning and image
32 Semibasic Corresponding English and Chinese Idioms
The different origins of Chinese and English idioms affect the language forms The proportion of complete correspondence between Chinese and English idioms is very small because most of them are partially or inappropriately corresponding Partial correspondence refers to Chinese and English idioms that are not completely unified in meaning or usage and have common connotations (郭倩倩 2015) Some idioms with similar literal meaning may have different connotations while some idioms with similar practical usage and meaning may have different expressions
For example 半斤八两 (in Chinese Pinyin it is pronounced as ban jin ba liang which means the same as each other) and six of one and half a dozen of the other are partial correspondences Although Six of one and half a dozen of the other is similar to the image and metaphor of 半斤八两 its usage in Chinese emphasizes its derogatory meaning and English idioms are more neutral 题做 (in Chinese Pinyin it is pronounced as xiao ti da zuo which means improperly treat small things as big things) is a metaphor for treating small things as if they were impossiblewhich means that you don’t have to work hard to do it Make a mountain out of a molehill has the meaning of regarding small things as big events including exaggeration exaggeration of difficulties or obstacles It also means to be worried or excited about minor matters The first two meanings of this idiom are similar to 题做 but the third meaning is different
The Semibasic corresponding idioms like the above are
birds of one feather丘貉 (in Chinese Pinyin it is pronounced as yi qiu zhi he)
like a duck to water 鱼水 (in Chinese Pinyin it is pronounced as ru yu de shui)
spend money like water 挥金土 (in Chinese Pinyin it is pronounced as hui jin ru tu)
Like a rat in a hole瓮中鳖 (in Chinese Pinyin it is pronounced as weng zhong zhi bie)
Diamond cut diamond棋逢手 (in Chinese Pinyin it is pronounced as qi feng dui shou)
to eat like a horse狼吞虎咽 (in Chinese Pinyin it is pronounced as lang tun hu yan)
No smoke without fire风起浪 (in Chinese Pinyin it is pronounced as wu feng bu qi lang)
Due to the differences in structure cultural traditions natural environment historical background and production methods between Chinese and English the cultural implications that are reflected in many phrases are inconsistent or only partial As can be seen from the previous examples although some parts of English and Chinese are interrelated their cultural and emotional meanings are different
33 Noncorresponding English and Chinese Idioms
Idioms come from culture and reflect culture but they are also restricted by it As the cultural origins of Chinese and English are different they exhibit their unique cultural connotation emotional colors and linguistic characteristics It is often used in Chinese culture but there is no corresponding expression in English It means the same in Chinese culture but it may be different or the opposite in English culture
For example the structural meaning of 翻天覆 (in Chinese Pinyin it is pronounced as fan tian fu di which means huge and radical change) and move heaven and earth’ exactly corresponds to each other but the actual meaning of them is far from each other 翻天覆 describes the change is amazing And move heaven and earth comes from French which means to achieve the goal by all means It’s easy to make mistakes from it’s literal meaning when understanding move heaven and earth (郭倩倩 2015) 舟济 (in Chinese Pinyin it is pronounced as tong zhou gong ji which means work together to overcome difficulties) and in the same boat have the same image in the literal sense but their practical meanings are far from each other The Chinese idiom 舟济 means that when encountering difficulties everyone will work together to overcome them Chinese idioms emphasize unity while English in the same boat emphasizes the same situation
There are many noncorresponding English and Chinese idioms for example
触发 (The situation has reached a very tense stage and it will erupt immediately with a push) touch and go (In danger must act immediately)
患难交 (Friends who have experienced hardship together) a friend in need (Someone who helps others when they need it)
脚踏实 (Do things steadily and conscientiously) put one’s foot down (Stand firmly against what someone wants to do)
浑水摸鱼 (Seizing illegitimate interests at a time of confusion) fish in the troubled water (To harm others when they are in danger)
蛇咬十年怕井绳 (Fear of similar things once hurt) Once bitten twice shy (Draw lessons from practical experience)
Chinese and English idioms are constrained and influenced by cultural factors so the literal meaning and actual connotation of many words are not consistent When the meanings of Chinese idioms and English idioms are not equal crosscultural communicators are required to understand their respective implications and carefully screen the words
4 Geographical Environment Affecting Factors
41 Different Terrains
China is located in the east of the Eurasian continent The terrain is dominated by mountains hills and plateaus and the terrain is high in the west and low in the east The vast land area and complex landform contribute to the unique attribute of rich and diverse national culture and wide distribution of cultural elements (张晨霞2018) The highlands to the west and the lowlands to the east of China create a river flow from the west to the east which also influences the expression of Chinese idioms For example 江东 (in Chinese Pinyin it is pronounced as tong zhou gong ji) is used to describe the development of history 付诸东流 (in Chinese Pinyin it is pronounced as fu zhu dong liu) is a metaphor of hope lost achievement lost and previous achievements lost as if washed away with the running water Since China is a mountainous country many idioms about mountains were born For example 山高路远 (in Chinese Pinyin it is pronounced as shan gao lu yuan) is used to describe the journey is difficult and distant 绿水青山 (in Chinese Pinyin it is pronounced as lv shui qing shan) refers to beautiful mountains and rivers
Britain is an island country composed of the northeast of Ireland island and its affiliated islands and Great Britain Island Due to long coastline and the lack of land resources people’s daily life is closely related to the sea and water which makes English idioms often related to the sea Such as a drop in the ocean means a very small amount comparison to the much large amount that is needed between the devil and the deep blue sea is in a situation where you have to choose between two things that are equally dad
42 Different Climates
The geographical differences between the two countries have resulted in climate differences that have led to huge differences when describing the same season
Most parts of China are located in temperate and subtropical areas The temperature characteristics of the four seasons are more clear compared with the average temperature of the same latitude in the world The temperature in summer is relatively high and in spring is appropriate Therefore in Chinese summer is often associated with hot summer There are some idioms that describe the hot summer like 酷暑难耐 (in Chinese Pinyin it is pronounced as ku shu nan nai)夏日炎炎 (in Chinese Pinyin it is pronounced as xia ri yan yan) Spring is often praised by people It often symbolizes joy hope and future etc For example 春回 (in Chinese Pinyin it is pronounced as chun hui da di) 春暖花开 (in Chinese Pinyin it is pronounced as chun nuan hua kai) and so on
Britain lies on the east coast of the Atlantic Ocean in the Western Hemisphere It has a marine climate in the north temperate zone Its summer is a warm and pleasant season People often describe it as beautiful lovely and gentle Shakespeare likened his lover to summer in one of his sonnetsShall I compare thee to a summer’s day Thou art more lovely and more temperate (王莉 2009)
43 Different Mode of Productions
Since ancient times China has always been a large agricultural production country Agricultural production is the foundation of national economy People’s production activities are closely related to land and many idioms related to land have been produced For example 寸土 (in Chinese Pinyin it is pronounced as chun tu bu rang) 挥金土 (in Chinese Pinyin it is pronounced as hui jin ru tu) Cattle play an important role in the history of agricultural production in China Since ancient times it has a great relationship with people’s clothing food housing and transportation Many of the working habits of cattle are widely praised because they are the same as the traditional virtues of the Chinese nation They are given the cultural connotation of hard work and selfless dedication There are a lot of idioms about cattle such as气壮牛 (in Chinese Pinyin it is pronounced as qi zhuang ru niu)牛高马 (in Chinese Pinyin it is pronounced as niu gao ma da)九牛二虎 (in Chinese Pinyin it is pronounced as jiu niu er hu) and so on
Britain’s developed marine fishery culture benefits from its unique geographical environment and the historical position of the maritime overlord so its language also fully demonstrates the characteristics of marine culture There are a large number of words related to fish ships and sea transportation in English whose meaning goes far beyond the word itself For example idioms related to shipsbe in the same boatsail close to the wind idioms related to the seaall at sea hold water The British fishing industry has also left a lot of fishingrelated words in its language Such asfish for compliments have other fish to fry a fish out of water
Before the appearance of steam engine horse was always an important means of transportation and closely related to people’s daily life so many idioms related to horse Such as a dark horse eat like a horse a hobby horse
44 Different Meaning of Directions
In Chinese the East has special cultural connotations The East is where the sun rises where the new day begins and where it brings light to people There are mountains in the west of China and the sea in the east so when the east wind blows it brings warmth to people Therefore the east wind is a synonym for warmth and there are idioms such as 万事俱备欠东风 (in Chinese Pinyin it is pronounced as wan shi ju bei zhi qian dong feng) 东风浩荡 (in Chinese Pinyin it is pronounced as dong feng hao dang) And China＇s temperate continental climate makes the west wind mean cold and desolate in Chinese Such as 西风落叶 (in Chinese Pinyin it is pronounced as xi feng lou ye) It means that people or things have declined Ma Zhiyuan wrote in Tianjingsha Qiusi 古道西风瘦马 夕阳西 断肠天涯 (in Chinese Pinyin it is pronounced as gu dao xi feng shou ma xi yang xi xia duan chang ren zai tian ya) In this sentence the west wind is endowed with a sad meaning
On the contrary in English the east wind is a symbol of cold and unpleasant Britain is an island country with a mild maritime climate There is no severe cold in winter and extreme heat in summer The east wind is very cold from the northern part of continental Europe while the west wind is blown by the Atlantic Ocean which is warm and pleasant The British like the west wind Shelley an English poet highly praised the west wind in his poem Ode to the West Wind Oh the west wind if winter comes can spring be far behind which expressed his vision and firm belief for the future
45 Different Natural Resources
From the perspective of geographical resources both China and Britain have abundant natural resources However due to the differences in resources between the two countries and the use and preference of varied natural resources by the people there are also variance in the vocabulary between Chinese and English
China is the hometown of plum blossom whose flower language represents strong will Therefore many scholars will praise the indomitable spirit of plum in their works In the early days of England there was no plum blossom so there was a shortage of vocabulary about plum blossom Tea in Chinese is also an example There are many hills and mountains in China which is good for the growth of tea trees There are rich tea cultures in China There are many expressions about tea in Chinese such as people walking in the cool tea after tea The humid climate in Britain is not suitable for tea planting Even tea is is borrowed from foreign language
Due to the unique geographical conditions China is rich in bamboo and people’s life is closely related to bamboo Therefore there are many idioms related to bamboo in Chinese such as胸成竹 (in Chinese Pinyin it is pronounced as xiong you cheng zhu) 破竹势 (in Chinese Pinyin it is pronounced as po zhu zhi shi) While the geographical environment of Britain and the United States does not produce bamboo Even the word bamboo is borrowed from foreign languages so there are almost no idioms related to bamboo in English and bamboo has no special cultural connotation (刘姝宇 2012)
5 Conclusion
Language is a manifestation of the characteristics of thinking reflecting the civilization of various nationalities around the world but also restricted by national culture and geographical environment As a product of the geographical environment historical culture customs and religion idioms embody human civilization and national characteristics Idioms have typical cultural characteristics in various regions so they often become communication barriers for nonnative speakers in crosscultural communication In order to solve this problem intercultural communicators should better understand the cultural differences and similarities between Chinese and English idioms Therefore the study of English and Chinese idioms from the perspective of geographical differences is of great help to readers
There are numerous colorful idioms in Chinese and English Chinese and English idioms are the epitome of national culture and the crystallization of human knowledge and wisdom Chinese and English idioms reflect the historical civilization of different countries and the accumulation of long national history The use of Chinese and English idioms has a long history forming a fixed structure and usage
Based on the study of the differences in geographical environment between Chinese and English idioms this paper expounds the differences in topography climatic condition mode of production meaning of directions and natural resources Then use comparative analysis to analyze and compare a large number of Chinese and English idioms after that sort out the expressions and cultural differences of Chinese and English idioms affected by geographical environment
Through the understanding of the origin structural features corresponding relations and geographical environment of English and Chinese idioms it is easier for crosscultural communicators to understand the similarities and differences between the two languages and cultures so as to overcome the obstacles of intercultural communication
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