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1、Comparison between Chinese and English Idioms Abstract: Idioms exist in both Chinese and English, and they have been used frequently for a long time. Furthermore, idioms are fixed phrases extracted from language over long time of usage. Although they are formed in short phrases, for example idioms k
2、nown as “成语” in Chinese, which has only four or eight letters, their meanings are exuberant and connotative. Therefore, the analysis of the idioms usage and the cultural differences it reflects is significant to every language learner and translator. Key words: idiom; culture; comparison; difference
3、s1 Theoretical Foundation of the Idiom1.1 Definitions of Chinese IdiomsAccording to “Modern Chinese Dictionary”, “Cheng yu” is fixed phrases or short sentences which are concise, having been accepted by common people through years of usage.According to “Cihai”, “Shuyu” (Idiom) is fixed phrases or se
4、ntences of a language, which cannot be modified arbitrarily. It must be interpreted as a semantic unit. It includes set phrases, proverbs, maxims, locutions and two-part allegorical sayings, etc.1.2 Definitions of English Idioms“Longman Dictionary of English Language and Culture” has two definitions
5、 of idiom: (1) a phrase which means something different from the meaning of the separate words from which it is formed; (2) the way of expression typical of a person or a group in their use of language (Summers P., 1998: 657).“The New Oxford English Dictionary” defines that idiom is:(1) a group of w
6、ords established by usage as having a meaning not deducible from those of the individual words; (2) a form of expression natural to a language, person, or a group of people (Pearsall J, 2001:908). 1.3 The Rhetoric of IdiomsIdiom is the distillate of the nation language abstracted by people during a
7、long practice. There are three main features of idiom rhetoric: abundant comparisons, vivid words and lively contrasts.First, simile is a direct comparison, in which subject, reference and indicator of resemblance are all present. Such as the Chinese idiom “轻如鸿毛” and the English idiom “as light as a
8、 feather”.Second, metaphoruse of a word or phrase to indicate something different from the literal meaning. For example, the Chinese idiom “口若悬河”，it doesnt mean the river hang on the mouth, but means someone who speaks eloquently and volubly.Third, metonymymeans correspondence or partial similarity
9、between two things that are compared. For instance, “犬马之劳” means to sever somebody faithfully like the dog or the horse. “be in the pipeline” means that if a plan is in the pipeline, it is being developed and will happen in the future.Fourth, analogy is to compare two things or people so that differ
10、ences are made clear. “口蜜腹剑” literally means someone is honey-mouthed but dagger-hearted. That is to say the person is treacherous and hypocritical. “To bite the hand that feeds one” also uses the contrast. It means to treat someone badly who has helped you in some way.Fifth, exaggeration such as “垂
11、涎三尺” exaggerated means a drool with great envy. “A stream of tears” means someone is really heart-broken.1.4 Comprehension of Idioms1.4.1 The Comprehensive Difficulties to the Language LearnersIdioms have the strong idiomaticity, that is to say, the idiom is a phrase or sentence whose meaning is not
12、 clear from the meaning of its individual words and must be learnt as a whole unit. (Nida Eugene, 2000:105)Therefore, sometimes idiom is hard to understand by language learners, especially for those second language learners. Its not very difficult for language learners to understand the idiom which
13、is composed by simile. Such as the Chinese idiom “轻如鸿毛” and the English idiom “as light as a feather”, they are composed by simile. Its easy for us to associate the feather with the light thing. But if the idiom is composed by metaphor or other kinds of rhetoric, there will be some difficulties for
14、us to learn. Such as the Chinese idiom“青梅竹马”, the literal meaning is green plums and bamboo horse, and it seems that they have none relations. Actually, this idiom is used to describe the most matching couple. The green plums stand for the period when boys and girls play together and the bamboo hors
15、e stands for the childhood games they played. So as the second language learners, if they dont know the deep meaning of this idiom, they must be hard to image what the idiom stands for.As an English poet, Alfred Lord Tennyson said, “Words, like nature, half reveal and half conceal the soul within.”
16、(Alfred Lord Tennyson, 2001:569)The “half concealed” is just the connotative meaning of words may be more important than what is revealed, like the denotative meaning of words, especially for those culturally-loaded words like idioms. Idioms have a close relationship with the culture to which it is attached that they truly reflect the values and philosophy of life of the people in that culture and are rich in cultural connotations.1.4.2
