An Analysis of Cultural Distinctions Present in Chinese and English Idioms

An Analysis of Cultural Distinctions Present

in Chinese and English Idiom

Abstract: Language reflects culture, and any form of language has its cultural connotation. Nowadays, cultural linguistics has become an important subject in the study of linguistics; intercultural communication has also become a hotspot in our English learning. To communicate with foreigners in their native language, to avoid all kinds of misunderstandings and barriers, we not only have to understand their language, also have to understand their culture. This article analyzes the distinctions present in Chinese and English culture from the perspective of idioms.

Key Words：idioms; culture; distinction

Idioms, also named locutions, are fixed with words, phrases or sentences derived from language, which has been using for a long-term. All the language with a comparative history in the world contains a large number of idioms. Idioms contain the rich cultural information, massive cultural characteristics and cultural background, have the distinct characteristics of image and metaphor, distinctive ethnic features and regional features. Idiom, as a mirror, reflects the characteristics of a nation or a culture. According to the analysis of different cultures, which English and Chinese idioms carrying, we will have a better understanding of the idioms semantic, pragmatic value and its origin in English and Chinese. It will provide certain reference and the investigational direction for us in the study of English and Chinese idioms, now and the future , and the correct use of idioms in Chinese and western cultural exchange.

1 Introduction

1.1 Idioms

Idiom is a “block language”, which is made up of case-hardened phrase or sentence. If vocabulary is the bricks of a thinking-building, idiom can be said to be a kind of special precast slab of it. The “block language” is usually fixed and spread gradually after a long time of being used; it focuses both humanity's common life and national culture with deep accumulation characteristic, and has the characteristics of

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human common and national personality. They will not be changed any of their component parts when being used no matter Chinese idioms or English idioms.

Idioms include mottos, proverbs and quotations, etc. As Chinese words said, “人们往往可以从一句好的习语中领悟到一种做人之道、办事之理。”1 The west has such a description: What flowers to gardens, spices to food, gems to a garment and stars to heaven, such are idioms interwoven in speech. (习语美化语言,就像鲜花之于庭园、香料之于食品、宝石之于锦绣、繁星之于天宇)2。As Bacon said “Idioms are the reflection of a nation’s genius, wit, and spirit.” 3Different nationalities gave birth to the unique culture in the long historical process. Chinese idioms and English idioms have the same points and the different points. The concept of “idiom” in Chinese does not completely corresponding to the “idiom” in English. The range of the concept of “idiom” in English is wider than that in Chinese. The “idiom” in Chinese is more oral popular than the “proverb” in English. Maxim is similar with idiom, but it pays more attention to educational value.

1.2 Culture

The meaning of “culture” is very wide, there are as many as hundreds of its definition. Modern Chinese dictionary (1996) 4defines the “culture” as “Culture is the total sum of material wealth and spiritual wealth, which created by human in the process of social and historical development. Culture is especially refers to the spiritual wealth, such as literature, art, education, science, etc.” This definition includes two aspects of content. On the one hand it makes a general reference to the sum of human material wealth and spiritual wealth; on the other hand it in particular refers to literature, art, science, and so on. The meanings of culture have broad sense and narrow sense. Generalized cultural phenomenon is equivalent to social phenomenon; special cultural phenomenon is a spiritual phenomenon, not including objective phenomenon and physical phenomenon. From the perspective of cultural

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楚风.中国谚语集萃[M]北京:中国纺织出版社, 2000. 楚风.中国谚语集萃[M]北京:中国纺织出版社, 2000.

王德春等著.汉英谚语与文化[M]上海:上海外语教育出版社, 2003 《现代汉语词典（第3版）》商务印书馆 1996.

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studies, we generally take the narrow sense of culture, because the narrow sense of culture is the strictly culture, namely human spiritual phenomenon and spiritual products.

From the perspective of human culture, the culture can be divided into two classes: one is formal culture, including social science like literature and art, philosophy and other results of natural science, which reflects the human spirit civilization and material civilization. Another kind is common culture, including communication habits, social customs, living practice, which reflects a series of different characteristics in the human life.

The following paragraph is from Ruth Benedict's Patterns of Culture , It simply summarizes the cultural influence on every one of us “The surroundings and custom will affect one’s experience and behavior since he bored. When he began to say something, he has become a creature of his culture. Until he grew up, to be able to participate in social activities, the specific cultural habits will became his habits, its unique ideas into his ideas, the taboo becomes his taboo.”5

1.3 The relationships between idioms and culture

The relationship between idioms and culture is inseparable with that of language and culture. As we know, language and culture have a close relationship. From the original point of view, language and culture happened at the same time. From a development point of view, language and culture are mutually conditional, and promote each other. Language is the carrier of culture, while culture is the inside information of language. We can observe the cultural characteristic of a nation from its language, and can explain language phenomena from its culture. Idioms, as a component of language, have a close relationship with culture as well. Idiom is the historical heritage of language, the result of historical and cultural accumulation, and has a very close relationship with the nation's cultural traditions. It is closely related with the occurrence and development of the social reality, thus its content is multifarious, all-encompassing. Society, history, psychology, folklore and other kinds

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Ruth Benedict.< Patterns of Culture>1934

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of social phenomena can be reflected in idioms, so it is called as a \national culture. Therefore, through the idioms we learn history, culture and customs of a nation; in turn, through the cultural background, we can better understand the rich and profound connotation contained in idioms.

Anthropologists Bloomfield said in his book Language “Language is a base, speakers of a language is to belong to a race or several races, that is to say they belong to a group, which possesses certain characteristics and on the body, but different from other groups.”6 Chinese linguists Ddeng Yanchang and Liu Runqing describe language as“语言是文化的一部分,并对文化起重要作用??可以说,语言反映一个民族的特征,它不仅包含着该民族的历史和文化背景,而且蕴涵着民族对人生的看法、生活方式和思维方式.??应该指出,语言和文化互相影响,互相作用;理解语言必须了解文化,理解文化必须了解语言。”7

2. Cultural Distinctions Present in Chinese and English Idioms

A certain culture, as the soul of a certain language, is based on a certain linguistic structure. The relationship between language and culture is inseparable, so it is no exaggeration to say that without culture factors, we can hardly correctly grasp a comprehensive national language, which is particularly important to a foreign language learner. The eastern and western societies form and develop based on different foundations, so they represent different cultures, have many differences in expressions and thoughts. Following I will show several distinctions present in Chinese and English idioms:

2.1 Distinctions present in Geographical Environment

China is an agricultural country, so there is a most of the farmer's proverb, full of rustic breath. For example，“揠苗助长”、“顺藤摸瓜”、“瓜熟蒂落”、“捡了芝麻，丢了西瓜”、“百业农为本，民以食为天”、“田要深耕，土要细碎”、“瑞雪兆丰年”、

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（美）Bloomfield. Language 外语教学与研究出版社

耿龙明,江文崎. 中国文化与世界[M]上海:上海外语教育出版社, 1993.

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“春天起得早，秋后吃得饱”and so on. Britain is a seagirt island country, belonging to temperate maritime climate, whose humid climate, and good vegetation are suitable for navigation and herding. So there are a large number of idioms, proverbs related to the sailing, such as:

half seas over 饮酒过多 all at sea 茫然不知所措 plain sailing 一帆风顺 clean the deck 扫除障碍 on the rocks 手头拮据 trim the sails to the wind 顺着大势前进 any port in a storm 风暴到来不择港 sink or swim 孤注一掷 turn adrift 随波逐流 to go with the stream 随波逐流

A small leak will sink a great ship. 微小的裂隙能使一艘巨轮沉没。 A smooth sea never makes a skillful mariner. 平静的大海孕育不出优秀的水手。

Being on sea, sail; being on land, settle. 在海上就航行,在陆上就安居。 (Note: similar to the Chinese proverb \随遇而安\) 。

2.2 Distinctions present in Values

Value is the directivity consideration and evaluation to what is desirable and what is not desirable.

1. The theme of the British and American values is individualism, advocating the autonomy of individual. They highlight some personal thing, and have a weak sense of family. Such as:

Don’t put your finger in the pie. 不要多管闲事。

Don’t quarrel with your bread and butter. 不要做违背自己利益的情。 Eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we may die. 及时行乐。

Everyone for himself and let the devil take the hindmost. 每人都为自己争得利

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