摘要早在人类出现之前，动物就已经在地球上繁衍生息。人类在远古时代生活所需只能依靠自然的恩赐，因此，狩猎成为其谋生的最重要途径。他们竭尽所能地改进工具以追捕更多的动物。从那时起人类就与动物有了最直接和密切的关系。随着人类文明的发展，许多与动物有关的词语应运而生，动物文化也随之被人类记载。无论是在生产生活方面，还是在精神文化方面，动物与人类的生活都戚戚相关。不同的民族赋予动物不同的象征意义，即使是相同的动物，在不同的国家里意义也可能是大相径庭。例如：“龙”对于中国人是一种权力、尊严的象征。但在西方它却是邪恶与残酷的象征。本文从东西方动物文化差异入手，通过具体实例来探讨动物隐喻在东西方文化中的差异，进而论述了东西方文化的迥异，正是这种差异性才使得人类的各种文化如此丰富多彩。关键词：动物；象征意义；中国文化；西方文化；文化差异AbstractBeforetheappearanceofearlyhumans,animalshadbeenbloomingandlivingonEarth.Humanbeingsinancienttimeshavetorelyonthenecessitieswhichwerebestowedbynaturetolive.Therefore,huntinghasbecomethemostimportantwaystomakealiving.Theydoeverythingpossibletoimprovethetoolstohuntformoreanimals.Sincethen,humansandanimalshavethemostdirectandcloserelationship.Withthedevelopmentofhumancivilization,alotofanimals’wordswerecreatedbymankind.Animalculturealsowouldberecordedbyhumans.Bothinproductionandlifeorinthespiritoftheculture,animalscannotbeseparatedfromhumanlife.Differentnationsgiveanimalsadifferentsymbolicmeaning.Evenifthesameanimalsindifferentcountriesmaybehavethedifferentmeaning.Forinstance,"Dragon"fortheChinesepeopleisasymbolofpoweranddignity.However,intheWestitisasymbolofevilandcruel.Startingfromthedifferencesofanimals’culturebetweenChinaandtheWest,weapproachthemetaphorofanimalsindifferentculturefromChinaandtheWestthroughconcreteexamples,andthendiscusstheculturedifferencesofChinaandtheWesternworld.KeyWords:animal;symbolicsignificance;Chineseculture;Westernculture;culturedifferenceContents摘要.............................................................................................................................................iAbstract.......................................................................................................................................iiContents.....................................................................................................................................iii1Introduction..........................................................................................................................12TheSymbolofFictionalAnimals...........................................................................................22.1TheDragon.....................................................................................................................22.1.1“Loong”inChina................................................................................................22.1.2TheDragoninWest............................................................................................32.2ThePhoenix...................................................................................................................42.2.1ThePhoenixinChina.........................................................................................42.2.2ThePhoenixinWest...........................................................................................53TheSymbolofRealAnimals..............................................................................
