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·AComparativeStudyoftheTwelveAnimalSigns’CulturalConnotationinChineseandEnglishAsapartofculture,languageisthecarrier,theaccumulation,andreflectionofcultureinthemeantime.Languageandtheculturalinformationitcontainedshowpeoplethenation’sculturebackground.ItcanwellbeperceivedbythecomparativestudyoftheAnimalSigns’culturalconnotationinChineseandEnglish.Sameanimalwords,differentconnotationsinChineseandEnglishCulturesSinceChineseandEnglishfocusondifferentaspectsofthecharacteristicsoftheanimal,theconnotationsofanimalwordsinthetwoculturesarenotalwaysthesame.Inanotherwords,sometimesthemeaningsarequitedifferent.InChina,therearemanyfolksabouthowthemousebecametheleaderoftheTwelveAnimalSigns.ThemostpopularfolkisthattheGodheldarunningraceandtheonewhofirstreachedthefinishinglinewouldbetheleader.Ontheway,themousepersuadedtheoxtolethimonitsbackbytricks.Whentheoxwasabouttoreachthefinishingline,themouseslidfromtheox’snoseandhebecamethewinner.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.DragonsharestheimageofauthorityandinviolabilityinChineseculture.Infeudalsociety,theemperorsalwaysdeclaredthemselvestobethesonsofdragons.Allthethingstheyusedwerewiththedesignsofdragonsandwerenamedwithdragon。Buttothewesterners,associationswithdragonareallnegative.Itisthepersonificationofmonsterthathasawfulappearance.Itissaidthatthedragonisahugelizardwhichhavewingsandsquamae,anditcanbreatheoutfire.Dragonisthesymbolofvilenessinthatitmaydoharmtothepeoplebyburninganddelugingpeople’shousesaswellaseatingpeopleandotheranimals.TomostChinese,dogisconsideredasanunpleasantanimalthathasderogatoryconnotation.NoChinesewouldliketobecalledadog.Sowhentoadmiresomeonetheexpressionyouarealuckydogshouldbechangedintoyouaresolucky.狗咬吕洞宾,不识好人心Don'tbitethehandthatfeedsyou狗头军师ineptadviser狗急跳墙evenawormwillturnAmandriventodesperationcandoanythingHowever,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.AccordingtoChineselegend,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oxisconsideredashard-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•inChinese,therearemanyidiomsconcerningwolf,suchas狼心狗肺，狼狈为奸.InEnglishculture,therearemanyexpressions,suchas“ascruelasawolf(像狼一样凶残);wolfdown(饿狼扑食);wolfinsheep’sclothing(披着羊皮的狼).”Therefore,inbothChineseandEnglish,wolfsharesthesimilarassociations.Itisassociatedwithferocityandvoracity.