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ThesimilaritiesanddifferencesbetweenChineseandWesterncultureinthemeaningofanimalwords外国语学院英语国际贸易系09级2班李欣Abstract:Asweallknow,animalsarehumanbeing’sfriends.Inthelonghistoryofhumanbeing’sdevelopment,animalsprovidetheessentialbasisforhumanbeing.Sothereexistmanyanimalwordsinhuman’slanguage.Asanobjection,animalsshouldbethesametoeverynation.ButduetothedifferenttraditionalcultureinChineseandWestern,peoplegetsomanyvaryingfeelingaboutanimalthatanimalwordshavediverseassociativemeaning.Therefore,therearealwayscommunicationalobstacleswhenwecommunicatewithforeigners.Thus,itisnecessarytoworkouttheculturaldifferenceofanimalwordsbetweenChineseandEnglish.Itnotonlycansmoothourtransculturalcommunication,butalsocanmakethetranslationeasier.Thisthesissummersupsomeculturalsimilaritiesanddifferencesofanimalwordsintranslation.Keywords:animalculturetranslationThesimilaritiesanddifferencesbetweenChineseandWesterncultureinthemeaningofanimalwordsSameorsimilarculturalmeaningofanimalwordsinChineseandEnglishDifferentcultureoftenhasmoreorlesscommonwithothers;nomatterhowenormousthedistinctionsare,justlikeeasterncultureandwesternculture,whichhavegreatdifferences.Becausefromthestructureofhuman’sbodyviewpoint,whoeveritis,ChineseorWesterner,theorganwhichperceptsobjectiveworldisthesame——brain;otherwise,fromthelifecircumstanceviewpoint,botheasternerandwesternerliveonthesameplanet,facingtheroughlysameenvironment.Duringtheprocessofconqueringandchangingthenature,itisimpossibletonotformbasicsamelifeexperiences.TheseexperiencesnaturallymakethelanguagegetalmostidenticalassociativemeaningsbothinChineseandEnglish.Somealmostidenticalassociativemeaningsreflectinanimalwords.Samewords,samemeaningThereareafewanimalwordsinChineseandEnglishwhichhavethesameorsimilarassociativemeaning.Forexample,Dovemakespeopleassociatewith“peace”.Swanmeans“nobleness”and“purity”.Cuckooisregardedas“heraldofspring”.Beerepresents“busyness”.Someexpression,AsslyasafoxAsstupidasanassToparrotwhatotherssayAsblackasacrowAwolfinsheep’sclothingAsfreeasabirdAsslowasanailDifferentwords,sameorsimilarmeaningHowever,mostanimalwordsconveyideasthatdifferfromthemeaningoftheothernationallanguage,whichalwaysconfusespeopleduringcommunicationortranslation,especiallywhentwodifferentanimalwordsinChineseandEnglishhavethesameorsimilarmeaning.Translatorsorspeakerswhoareinfluencedbytheirownnationalcultureeasilymisunderstandthefigurativemeaningofanimalwords.DuringtheChineseandEnglishtranslation,wemustmakethesentenceaccordwithidiomaticexpressionoftargetlanguage.Forinstance,InChinese&InEnglishChickfleshgoosefleshKillthechickthatlaygoldeneggskillthegoosethatlaygoldeneggsAsstupidasapigasstupidasagoose,asstupidasdonkeyAhorsethatharmthemanadaablacksheepBringthewolfhomesetafoxtokeepone’sgeeseSlipperyasaloachslipperyasaneelAdrownedchickadrownedratAsindustriousasabeeasindustriousasanantAstimidasamouseastimidasarabbitAstalkativeasasparrowastalkativeasamagpieStrongasacowstrongasahorseAsbraveasatigerasbraveasalionAtigerinthewayalioninthewayDifferentculturalmeaningofanimalwordsinChineseandEnglishHumanbeing’sculturenotonlyhascommon,butalsohasindividuality.Becauseofdifferentgeographyenvironment,differenthistoricalelement,differentregionaleffect,animalwordsindifferentlanguagehaveitsownindividualandspecialculturalmeaning.Samewords,differentmeaningSometimes,thesamekindanimalcanhavevariousmeaninginChineseandEnglish,eventotallyreversalmeaning.TherearegreatdistinctionwiththeculturalmeaningoftheanimalwordsbelowbetweenChineseandEnglish.PhoenixinChineseoriginallegendisthekingofallkindsofbirds.Thereisanoldsaying“hundredbirdspayreligioushomagetophoenix”.Inorigin,peoplebelievethatthephoenixshowinguppredictstheworldispeaceful.So,latergenerationsborrowthedragontometaphorizeemperor,thephoenixempress.Themarriageofemperorandempresscalled“dragonandphoenixbringingauspiciousness”.However,inEnglishphoenixisjustakindofbirdinlegendwhichlivesinArabianDesertforfiveorsixhundredyearsandincineratesitselfandthenfinishreliving.SoinEnglishphoenixmeans“relive”and“resurge”.ThereisanexamplesentenceinCollinsCOBUILDEnglishLanguageDictionary“Religion,likeaphoenix,hasbeenresurrectedfromtheashesoftherevolution.”RabbitinChineseculturemeans“abrupt”“quick”.InChinesethereisasaying“movinglikeafleeingrabbit”.ButinEnglishrabbitrepresents“timid”,suchas“astimidasarabbit”.MouseinChineseisusedtodescribepeoplewhoarecowardly.InChinesethereisasaying“ascowardlyasmouse”.ButinWesternculturetimidmousemeans“quiet”,suchas“asquietasamouse”.DragoninChineseculturesymbolizes“right”“power”“auspiciousness”.Chinesepaysovereignrespecttodragon.DragonisviewedasthetotemofChinesenation.Chinesecallthemselvesthegenerationofdragon.Incontrast,dragoninwesterncountriesisenormouslyandterriblystrangemonster.Itcansprayfirethroughhismouthanditisviolentandcruel.Itmeansevilandwickedness.Westernnationsthinkdragonshouldbewipedout.SosomeChineseidiomslike“toexpectone’ssontobeadragon”shouldbetranslateas“toexpectone’ssontobecomeanoutstandingpersonage”.Meanwhile,inChinese“foursmalldragonsofAsia”shouldbe“foursmal