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摘要： The idiom, an important component in language and culture through long -term of using, has close relation with the geographic environment, traditional custom, religious belief and historical allusion, and it reflects people's life truly. The cultural information of the English and Chinese idioms is very abundant, some are correspondent completely, some are partly correspond, and some others have no corresponding relationship.
关键词：English and Chinese idioms; cultural difference; cultural information
中图分类号：H31文献标识码：A 文章编号：1009-0118（2011）-01-0-02
1. Introduction
Language is the carrier and form of culture; it is also an important way of spreading and inheriting culture. Each nation has its own distinctive history, culture, religions belief, living style, convention and custom, moral and civil thinking and thought. All these concerned about culture are displayed in language, expressed and spread through language. Form the aspect of anthropology of culture, there are cultures of broad sense and narrow sense, and they play an important role in understanding and studying idioms. Idiom has a wide range, and it generally includes set phrases, proverbs, sayings, colloquialisms, allusions, slang and so on. They are the essence of language.
2. The features of English and Chinese Idioms
2.1Idioms Show Cultural Features Strongly
2.1.1 The Language is Impressive and Lively
There are many expressive and lively idioms in the English and Chinese
Language, by using of these idioms, we can express our thinking and feeling, and make the content more lively and impressive, and can have much imagination. In the English like "drink like a fish", Chinese people all familiar with cow while British like fish, so in Chinese it is "牛饮".
2.1.2 The Phonology is Beautiful and Harmonious
Most idioms are precise, short, and have rhythm, through the methods of alliteration, repetition symmetry, and so on.
Alliteration, the initial consonants are identical. Like "as cool as cucumber(泰然自若)" implies very calm, different things refer to same meaning;
Repetition, there are many idioms formed by using of repetition. For example, "step by step", "neck and neck";
Symmetry, for example, "far and near", "more or less";
2.1.3 The Meaning is Independent and Completed
The idiom is independent and integrated component of language. Generally speaking, idioms have completed meaning. Like "under the weather", (feel not good), "to bring down the house", (won much praise).
3. The meanings' differences in Chinese and English Idioms
Idioms show abundant cultural information, they are national and popular. Most of them have meanings beyond the words and news beside the words. Idioms show the cultural characteristics of language. English and Chinese are partly corresponding occasionally, they are seldom fully corresponding.
3.1 Corresponding
Idioms were formed in the history, and they were created during the social practice. There are similarities between practice of human beings and human being's comprehension, so as the Chinese and English nations. Some of the comprehension was sediment among language, and then they became the famous and popular idioms gradually as the time passing by. The idioms can find their equivalence in Chinese.for examples: heart and soul (全心全意)
3.2 Semi-corresponding
The fully correspondent English and Chinese idioms are few, most of them are partly correspondent, that is cultural overlap; they cannot be translated literal completely. for examples: as strong as a horse （壮得像牛）
3.3 Non-corresponding
"Two cultures which speak different languages will not have same opinions to the world", differences between English and Chinese are absolute and necessary, and they have something same or similar relatively and occasionally. Especially those historical and popular idioms, they have complete and special meanings, and convey the typical cultural meaning of a nation, so many of the idioms translated are seldom correspondent with the source language; some even have nothing to do with each other. for examples:pull one's leg （愚弄人）
4. The Causes of Differences of English and Chinese Idioms
4.1 Different Geographic Environment
In the aspect of geographic, Britain is an island country. The numerous rivers and the long coast line around the island are filled with abundant fishery resources. The fishery plays an important part in Britain economy. So there are many idioms about the oceans, fishing and navigation in English language, for example: "to raise the wind", "it indicates find money, things cannot be tone without money".
China is an agricultural country since ancient time. We have vast land and wide cost line, but the origin of Chinese nation is in the yellow river basin, it was far from of the ocean. "sea" mainly has the meaning of mystery, remote and unbelievable, such as "海底捞月"，"天涯海角". The idioms are rich experiences and crystal of the agricultural production accumulated through the productive working.
4.2 Myths, Fairy Tales and Parables
English and Chinese cultures have long history and tradition. In the aspect of language, there are many idioms came from ancient myths, legends, fables, historical incidents and literary allusion. They all show distinct cultural features, and contain special cultural background, the figural meaning are profound and cannot easily understand by literal meaning.
4.3 Different Religious Belief
In the polytypical world, because of the different social system, belief, sense of aesthetics, moral sense and sense of every nation, people would have different opinions and understanding toward same thing and vocabulary. Britain and china have their own religious beliefs. Religious culture is mixed within two languages silently, the influence is invisible. Thus, there are idioms reflecting religious culture. Chinese nation is mainly influenced by Buddhism culture. Chinese people believe in the Buddha. In western culture, especially in countries like Britain and American, the thing that influences people most is Christianity, so many English idioms are concerned with "God", "devil", "hell", and "church" and so on. For example, "god helps those who help themselves"；"he that serves God for money will serve the devil for better wages" etc.
4.4 Different Value Sense
From the idioms it can be seen that there are big differences between Chinese and westerners in value sense. Westerners are open-minded, active, frank and fond of taking risks, while the Chinese are implicit, reserved, mild and roundabout and conservative. These features are fully displayed in English and Chinese idioms. Such as "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush", "All is fair in love and war".
5. Conclusion
English and Chinese idioms have very rich cultural information reflecting cultures of the two nations. They are the essence of long history and development of human society. Idioms show cultural features strongly, both the English and Chinese idioms have impressive meaning and implied connotation. The language is lively and impressive, the phonology is beautiful and harmonious, the structure and collocation are relatively stable, and the meaning is independent and complete; they have differences in geographic environment, tradition and customs, religious beliefs, historical allusions etc. People of English and Chinese share same world history, opinions and thoughts about life experience and social development may same to some extent, so they have similarities displayed in language, they have cultural overlap. Through the analysis of cultural differences in idioms, we can have a deep understanding about the importance of culture in idioms, and readers can understand and apply idioms freely, thus many incorrect ways of idiom using and misunderstanding of the source language can be avoided during our teaching in the future.
References：
[1]刘永红.从汉英语言的差异看中西文化的不同[J].英语学习,2000.
[2]江瑞.从文化视角看英汉习语的差异[J].山西教育学院学报,2000.
[3]刘颖,全红.英汉习语异同比较[J].南昌高专学报,2004.
[4]张伯权.看美国广告学英语[M].远方出版社,2001.
[5]杨荣崎,陈玉红.英文广告体与欣赏[M].中华理工大学出版社,1995.
[6]杨茜.喻体的选择与文化背景[M].安徽大学出版社,2001.
[7]Nida,E.A.Language,Culture and Translating[M].Shanghai:Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press,1993.
[8]赵刚.望文生义汉英词典释义之大忌[J].外语教学,1999.
关键词：English and Chinese idioms; cultural difference; cultural information
中图分类号：H31文献标识码：A 文章编号：1009-0118（2011）-01-0-02
1. Introduction
Language is the carrier and form of culture; it is also an important way of spreading and inheriting culture. Each nation has its own distinctive history, culture, religions belief, living style, convention and custom, moral and civil thinking and thought. All these concerned about culture are displayed in language, expressed and spread through language. Form the aspect of anthropology of culture, there are cultures of broad sense and narrow sense, and they play an important role in understanding and studying idioms. Idiom has a wide range, and it generally includes set phrases, proverbs, sayings, colloquialisms, allusions, slang and so on. They are the essence of language.
2. The features of English and Chinese Idioms
2.1Idioms Show Cultural Features Strongly
2.1.1 The Language is Impressive and Lively
There are many expressive and lively idioms in the English and Chinese
Language, by using of these idioms, we can express our thinking and feeling, and make the content more lively and impressive, and can have much imagination. In the English like "drink like a fish", Chinese people all familiar with cow while British like fish, so in Chinese it is "牛饮".
2.1.2 The Phonology is Beautiful and Harmonious
Most idioms are precise, short, and have rhythm, through the methods of alliteration, repetition symmetry, and so on.
Alliteration, the initial consonants are identical. Like "as cool as cucumber(泰然自若)" implies very calm, different things refer to same meaning;
Repetition, there are many idioms formed by using of repetition. For example, "step by step", "neck and neck";
Symmetry, for example, "far and near", "more or less";
2.1.3 The Meaning is Independent and Completed
The idiom is independent and integrated component of language. Generally speaking, idioms have completed meaning. Like "under the weather", (feel not good), "to bring down the house", (won much praise).
3. The meanings' differences in Chinese and English Idioms
Idioms show abundant cultural information, they are national and popular. Most of them have meanings beyond the words and news beside the words. Idioms show the cultural characteristics of language. English and Chinese are partly corresponding occasionally, they are seldom fully corresponding.
3.1 Corresponding
Idioms were formed in the history, and they were created during the social practice. There are similarities between practice of human beings and human being's comprehension, so as the Chinese and English nations. Some of the comprehension was sediment among language, and then they became the famous and popular idioms gradually as the time passing by. The idioms can find their equivalence in Chinese.for examples: heart and soul (全心全意)
3.2 Semi-corresponding
The fully correspondent English and Chinese idioms are few, most of them are partly correspondent, that is cultural overlap; they cannot be translated literal completely. for examples: as strong as a horse （壮得像牛）
3.3 Non-corresponding
"Two cultures which speak different languages will not have same opinions to the world", differences between English and Chinese are absolute and necessary, and they have something same or similar relatively and occasionally. Especially those historical and popular idioms, they have complete and special meanings, and convey the typical cultural meaning of a nation, so many of the idioms translated are seldom correspondent with the source language; some even have nothing to do with each other. for examples:pull one's leg （愚弄人）
4. The Causes of Differences of English and Chinese Idioms
4.1 Different Geographic Environment
In the aspect of geographic, Britain is an island country. The numerous rivers and the long coast line around the island are filled with abundant fishery resources. The fishery plays an important part in Britain economy. So there are many idioms about the oceans, fishing and navigation in English language, for example: "to raise the wind", "it indicates find money, things cannot be tone without money".
China is an agricultural country since ancient time. We have vast land and wide cost line, but the origin of Chinese nation is in the yellow river basin, it was far from of the ocean. "sea" mainly has the meaning of mystery, remote and unbelievable, such as "海底捞月"，"天涯海角". The idioms are rich experiences and crystal of the agricultural production accumulated through the productive working.
4.2 Myths, Fairy Tales and Parables
English and Chinese cultures have long history and tradition. In the aspect of language, there are many idioms came from ancient myths, legends, fables, historical incidents and literary allusion. They all show distinct cultural features, and contain special cultural background, the figural meaning are profound and cannot easily understand by literal meaning.
4.3 Different Religious Belief
In the polytypical world, because of the different social system, belief, sense of aesthetics, moral sense and sense of every nation, people would have different opinions and understanding toward same thing and vocabulary. Britain and china have their own religious beliefs. Religious culture is mixed within two languages silently, the influence is invisible. Thus, there are idioms reflecting religious culture. Chinese nation is mainly influenced by Buddhism culture. Chinese people believe in the Buddha. In western culture, especially in countries like Britain and American, the thing that influences people most is Christianity, so many English idioms are concerned with "God", "devil", "hell", and "church" and so on. For example, "god helps those who help themselves"；"he that serves God for money will serve the devil for better wages" etc.
4.4 Different Value Sense
From the idioms it can be seen that there are big differences between Chinese and westerners in value sense. Westerners are open-minded, active, frank and fond of taking risks, while the Chinese are implicit, reserved, mild and roundabout and conservative. These features are fully displayed in English and Chinese idioms. Such as "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush", "All is fair in love and war".
5. Conclusion
English and Chinese idioms have very rich cultural information reflecting cultures of the two nations. They are the essence of long history and development of human society. Idioms show cultural features strongly, both the English and Chinese idioms have impressive meaning and implied connotation. The language is lively and impressive, the phonology is beautiful and harmonious, the structure and collocation are relatively stable, and the meaning is independent and complete; they have differences in geographic environment, tradition and customs, religious beliefs, historical allusions etc. People of English and Chinese share same world history, opinions and thoughts about life experience and social development may same to some extent, so they have similarities displayed in language, they have cultural overlap. Through the analysis of cultural differences in idioms, we can have a deep understanding about the importance of culture in idioms, and readers can understand and apply idioms freely, thus many incorrect ways of idiom using and misunderstanding of the source language can be avoided during our teaching in the future.
References：
[1]刘永红.从汉英语言的差异看中西文化的不同[J].英语学习,2000.
[2]江瑞.从文化视角看英汉习语的差异[J].山西教育学院学报,2000.
[3]刘颖,全红.英汉习语异同比较[J].南昌高专学报,2004.
[4]张伯权.看美国广告学英语[M].远方出版社,2001.
[5]杨荣崎,陈玉红.英文广告体与欣赏[M].中华理工大学出版社,1995.
[6]杨茜.喻体的选择与文化背景[M].安徽大学出版社,2001.
[7]Nida,E.A.Language,Culture and Translating[M].Shanghai:Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press,1993.
[8]赵刚.望文生义汉英词典释义之大忌[J].外语教学,1999.