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1、The Comparative Study on Animal Terms between English and Chinese from the Perspective of Culture英汉动物词汇的文化比较研究ABSTRACT Culture and language are inseparably interwoven. Language is a vehicle that helps record and interpret culture; its through language that pieces of abstract impressions and concepti
2、ons in mans mind can be reconstructed in concrete words. Only when words and phrases in a certain language are combined with some cultural elements could they cease to be dead symbols of meaning as what they are in the dictionary. Culture becomes alive by means of language. On the other hand, cultur
3、e is more than the interrelationships and behavior patterns of mankind, in other words, culture is not only unique to human, but also something concerning animals. Humankind is not separate beings, for animals came before us, now surround us and will help us along into the future. They facilitate an
4、d add spice to human life. Animal terms, as one group of the most frequently used lexicons, carry some extended meanings more than what they denote on the surface, since with the elapse of time, human beings have tied these words with their habits, customs and society. This article will analyze seve
5、ral animal terms and the relevant expressions in terms of the Chinese and English cultures, histories, thinking models etc., and explore the possible reasons which can account for these differences. Keywords：animal terms comparative analysis extended meaning culture摘 要文化与语言密不可分。语言是种有助于记录和阐释文化的媒介，正是通
6、过语言，人脑中零碎的印象和概念才得以以具体的文字方式重组。一种特定语言中的词汇，除非包涵了文化元素，否则只是字典中毫无生命力的符号。文化因语言而得以活灵活现。另一方面，文化不仅仅是人类自身的相互关系和行为方式，即文化不只关乎到人类本身，还关系到动物。人类不是孑然一身的，因为无论过去，现在，将来，动物都相伴其间。它们使人类的生活变得便利，并为其增添乐趣。动物词汇应用频繁，除了本身所指的动物外，还包含一些引申义。本文拟从中英文化，历史，思维模式等方面对一些动物词汇及相关词句进行分析，并探究造成这些差异的可能原因。关键词：动物词汇 比较分析 引申义 文化IICONTENTSAbstractI摘要II
7、 1 Introduction 12 The Comparative Analysis of Some Animal Terms . 22.1 Dragon.22.2 Cat .22.3 Goat (Sheep) .32.4 Rat (Mouse) .52.5 Elephant.62.6 Raven (Crow) .73 The Causes of Cultural Differences.93.1 Language Determinism93.2 Lexical Gap and Cultural Gap.93.3Different Histories,Geographic Features
8、and Mode of Production. . 103.4 Mythology, Religions and Customs.113.5 Different Thinking Models and Aesthetic Judgements.123.6 Associative Meaning and Semantic Change.134 The Significance of the Study. .155 Conclusion. 16References. 17Acknowledgements19 1 IntroductionLanguage is regarded as a mirro
9、r of society, through which we can understand the social activities and culture of a certain society better. Vocabulary, as one of the most important parts of a language, will surely reflect the multi-dimensional image of a society. Countries of different cultures attach various associative meanings
10、 to their vocabulary, which is especially obvious in animal terms. Since animals play an important role in our daily life, animal terms may epitomize the essence and the value system of society, which reflect the distinctive history and culture of a certain nation. As a result, animal terms are bond
11、ed with natural phenomena, social activities, some abstract concepts and concrete instances.We usually use animal terms to express “extra” meanings beyond what they denote because they help reveal certain cultural factors. The comparative analysis of animal terms in Chinese and English from a cultur
12、e perspective will help find out the difference between two cultures, histories, cognitive systems and language evolutions. And this study will also be of great importance to cross-cultural communication, foreign language teaching and learning.2 The Comparative Analysis of Some Animal Terms2.1 Drago
13、nDragon in western culture enjoys a low cultural rank, but in China, it is a spiritual and cultural symbol representing prosperity and good luck.The word “dragon” is taken from Greek word “drakon” which means “to see”, “to look at”. According to Oxford Advanced Learner s Dictionary of Current Englis
14、h, dragon is a “fabulous creature like a crocodile or snake, often with wings and claws, able to breath out fire, often guarding a treasure; (colloq) fierce person”. And according to Brewers Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, the word “dragon” was used “by ecclesiastics of the Middle Ages as the symbol of sin in general and paganism in particular.” Taken as similar to snakes, dragon is seen as the symbol of evil, which should be wiped out. A case in point is the heroic deeds of a Scandinavian hero, Beowulf, who fought against the mon
