中西文化差异pptAsapartofculture,languageisthecarrier,theaccumulation,andreflectionofcultureinthemeantime.Languageandtheculturalinformationitcontainedshowpeoplethenation’sculturebackground.ItcanwellbeperceivedbythecomparativestudyoftheAnimalSigns’culturalconnotationinChineseandEnglish.•Introduction•IntroductionSameanimalwords,differentconnotationsinChineseandEnglishCulturesSinceChineseandEnglishfocusondifferentaspectsofthecharacteristicsoftheanimal,theconnotationsofanimalwordsinthetwoculturesarenotalwaysthesame.Inanotherwords,sometimesthemeaningsarequitedifferent.•鼠&mouse•鼠&mouse•InChina,therearemanyfolksabouthowthemousebecametheleaderoftheTwelveAnimalSigns.ThemostpopularfolkisthattheGodheldarunningraceandtheonewhofirstreachedthefinishinglinewouldbetheleader.Ontheway,themousepersuadedtheoxtolethimonitsbackbytricks.Whentheoxwasabouttoreachthefinishingline,themouseslidfromtheox’snoseandhebecamethewinner.•MouseisthefirstanimalintheTwelveAnimalSigns.•MouseisthefirstanimalintheTwelveAnimalSigns.老鼠过街，人人喊打•Whenaratrunsacrossthestreeteverybodycries,"killit!"•Fromthefolk,wecanseehowshrewdthemouseisinhumanbeings’mind.Ontheotherhand,mouselivesinobscurecornertosecretlyeatpeople’sfood.Sothewordmouseisalwaysassociatedwithderogatorysense,suchastimid,suspicious,andnarrow-minded.InEnglish,thewordmousedoesn’thavesomanynegativemeaningsastheChinesecharacter鼠does.Attheverybeginning,itwasthesymboloftimidandweakness,whichhasthesameculturalconnotationwiththatinChinese.Inmoderncartoonfilms,mouseisthebravefightertodefeatthecat.•Therefore,themousenowsharestheimageofbravery,smart,loveliness,suchasMickeyMouseinMickeyandDonaldDuck,JerryinTomandJerry,andStuartLittle.•龙&DragonDragonsharestheimageofauthorityandinviolabilityinChineseculture.Infeudalsociety,theemperorsalwaysdeclaredthemselvestobethesonsofdragons.Allthethingstheyusedwerewiththedesignsofdragonsandwerenamedwithdragon。Buttothewesterners,associationswithdragonareallnegative.Itisthepersonificationofmonsterthathasawfulappearance.Itissaidthatthedragonisahugelizardwhichhavewingsandsquamae,anditcanbreatheoutfire.Dragonisthesymbolofvilenessinthatitmaydoharmtothepeoplebyburninganddelugingpeople’shousesaswellaseatingpeopleandotheranimals.•狗&dog•狗&dogTomostChinese,dogisconsideredasanunpleasantanimalthathasderogatoryconnotation.NoChinesewouldliketobecalledadog.Sowhentoadmiresomeonetheexpressionyouarealuckydogshouldbechangedintoyouaresolucky.•狗咬吕洞宾,不识好人心•Don'tbitethehandthatfeedsyou•狗头军师•ineptadviser•狗急跳墙•evenawormwillturn•AmandriventodesperationcandoanythingHowever,dogsaredifferentlytreatedinEnglish-speakingcountries.Theyareman’sbestfriends,InEnglishfamily,dogisregardedasafamilymemberthathasitsownkennel,food,graveandsoon.Loveme,lovemydog.爱屋及乌Everydoghashisday.凡人皆有得意日lovemelovemydog爱屋及乌cleverdog聪明的人likeadogwithtwotails无比高兴luckydog幸运儿bulldog硬汉子topdog优胜者luckydog幸运儿Languagereflectsculture,andthesimilarityoflanguageisdeterminedbygeneralcharacterofculture.WeChinesepeopleandwesternersliveinthesameglobe,andwemusthave,moreorless,somethingincommon,suchasgeography,attitudestowardsnaturalphenomenon,evenfeelingstowardssomeanimals,sowehavesimilarassociationsofsomeanimalswiththewesterners.•猪&Pig•猪&PigAccordingtoChineselegend,inthecontestwhichdecidedthesequenceofthetwelveanimalsintheTwelveAnimalSigns,thepigendeduplastbecauseofitslaziness.Pigisregardedasadirty,ugly,lazy,greedyandclumsyanimalinChineseeyes.ZhuBajie,whoisafamouspigimageinJourneytotheWestputsthesecharacteristicsintofullplay.Also,ZhuBajieisalwaysusedtoderogatepersonwhoiseagertoeat.pig-headed刚愎自用tobeapigaboutsomething贪婪tomakeapigofoneself大吃大喝toteachapigtoplayonaflute对牛弹琴•牛&Horse•牛&Horseoxisconsideredashard-workinganimaltotheChinese.Phrasescontainedoxhavepositiveassociations,suchas老黄牛，猛牛，壮牛.InChina,peoplearewillingtocomparethemselvesto牛,justasLuXunsaid“俯首甘为孺子牛”.Inwesterners’mind,thehorseisasymbolofstrengthandstamina,whichisjustlike牛inChinese.Therefore,insomecases,theword牛inChineseareusuallytranslatedtohorseinEnglish.talkhorse吹牛horsepower力大如牛worklikeahorse像牛一样踏实肯干Youcanpullahorsetoariver,butyoucannotmakehimdrink.牛不喝水强按头
