英语动物词汇文化与汉语的比较分析 第2页
2 The Comparative Analysis of Some Animal Terms
2.1 Dragon
Dragon in western culture enjoys a low cultural rank, but in China, it is a spiritual and cultural symbol representing prosperity and good luck.
The word “dragon” is taken from Greek word “drakon” which means “to see”, “to look at”. According to Oxford Advanced Learner’ s Dictionary of Current English, dragon is a “fabulous creature like a crocodile or snake, often with wings and claws, able to breath out fire, often guarding a treasure; (colloq) fierce person”. And according to Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, the word “dragon” was used “by ecclesiastics of the Middle Ages as the symbol of sin in general and paganism in particular.” Taken as similar to snakes, dragon is seen as the symbol of evil, which should be wiped out. A case in point is the heroic deeds of a Scandinavian hero, Beowulf, who fought against the monster Grendel, his原文请找腾讯752018766优,文'论~文^网
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We Chinese have been holding for a long time that we are the “descendants of dragon”. This, however, does not necessarily means that we own the blood and flesh the same as that of “dragon”. Dragons have major spiritual significance in our religions and cultures. Chinese people pay peculiar homage to dragon because in Chinese history dragon is an unfathomable divinity having supernatural power. It makes precipitation, brings auspiciousness and harvest to people. It is so sacred and respectable that even the Chinese emperors deem it as the symbol of them. Therefore, instead of the derogatory meanings in English, “dragon” embodies those laudatory ones like “power”, “strength”, “auspiciousness” and “wisdom” in Chinese. In addition to this, people in China not only worship dragon but also associate it with daily articles, prospects, and good fortunes. For example, “望子成龙”(to hope one’s children will have a bright future), “亚洲四小龙”(the four tigers of Asia), “龙眼”(longan), “龙虾”(lobster). (牛新生，2003)
2.2 Cat
Cat is one of the most common domestic pets, whether in foreign countries or China. For Chinese culture, cats are mostly cute and amenable thanks to their agile and tame appearance. Although they are thought to be less loyal than dogs, people usually link them with lovely things, such as“馋猫”（the nick name for those greedy people）and“招财猫”（Maneki Neko, a cat statue is believed to bring good luck to the owner）. Nevertheless, there are also some negative views about cats. For instance, in his article Dogs, Cats and Mice, Lu Xun mentioned that he had a hearty dislike to cats. There are several reasons that contribute to this: firstly, cats are like schadenfreudes, they fiddle with their games for the mere merrymaking instead of swallowing them immediately; and secondly, even though cats, tigers and lions are all felines, cats are more of coquetry; in addition to this, the mews of cats and the incident of his pet blesmol eaten by a cat all left Lu a bad impression on cats.（鲁迅，1932）
In the western and several ancient religions, cats are believed to be exalted souls, companions or guides for humans, they are all-knowing but mute so they cannot influence decisions made by humans（Geyer, Georgie Anne, 2004) . According to British, “a cat has nine lives” because they think cats are full of vitality.
Cats are also called “puss” or “kitty”, which bears the meaning of “a very amiable, likable person” and “jug or vessel” respectively. “Cat” is also an informal term for “a youth or man”. Moreover, a “fat cat” connotes a wealthy contributor to a political campaign fund and a “cool cat” a hipster. “Be the cat’s whiskers/pajamas” means “to be the best thing, person, idea, etc”. In Hamlet, Shakespeare wrote “Let Hercules himself do what he may, the cat will mew and dog will have his day,” which means “let it be”.
Apart from the good impressions about cat, many cultures, including English, have negative superstitions about cats. A case in point would be the belief that a black cat “crossing your path” leads to bad luck. In some cartoons like Tom and Jerry or Cinderella, cats are portrayed to be cunning and wickedly. That’s why “hell cat” is used to describe witches or a spiteful woman gossip. The expression “Velvet paws hide sharp claws”(口蜜腹剑), is derived from La Fontaine’s fable, The Monkey and the Cat, referring to one used unwittingly by another to accomplish his own purposes; “grin like a Cheshire cat” means to grin broadly, which was first used by the pseudonymous British satirist Peter Pindar (John Wolcot) in the late 18th century, but we know better the phrase because of Lewis Carroll’s Alice’ s Adventures in Wonderland, (published 1865). (The Phrase Finder)
2.3 Goat (sheep)
Goat and sheep are both indispensable animals to the daily life of human beings. As one of the oldest domesticated species, they are raised for meat, pelts, milk, and scientific tests. In the twentieth century they also gained in popularity as pets.
Influenced by religions and Greek and Roman mythology, apart form the original meaning, the word “ goat” has several other meanings, among which includes “licentious man” (Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary). Such phrases as “to get someone’s goat” (to irritate someone; to annoy and arouse someone to anger), “to ride the goat” (to join an institution secretly), and “to act/play the goat” (to behave in a silly way, sometimes in order to make people laugh) are all cases of extended meanings springing from its original meaning.
The extended meanings of “goat” come from some mythological stories and religious beliefs. Several mythological hybrid creatures are believed to consist of parts of the goat, including the Chimera, Capricorn, faun and satyr. It was also acceptable for some kinds of sacrifices. On Yom Kippur, the festival of the Day of Atonement, two goats were chosen and lots were drawn for them. 原文请找腾讯752018766优,文'论~文^网http://www.youerw.com with some evil image. According to Christianity, the depiction of the Devil was that of a goat-like face with horns and small beard. And the goat has had a lingering connection with Satanism and pagan religions, even into modern times.
As regards sheep, the English usually associate it with “a timid defenseless simpleton who is readily preyed upon” or “a docile and vulnerable person who would rather follow than make an independent decision”. Being a key animal in the history of farming, sheep have a deeply entrenched place in human culture, finding representation in many languages and literary works, such as the mythology Golden Fleece. Sheep are used as sacrificial animals, too. Joan of Arc, the national heroine of France who led the French army to several important victories during the Hundred Years’ War, was likened to a white sheep to indicate her sanctity.
Sheep also enters some sayings and idioms frequently with such phrases as “black sheep”. To call an individual a “black sheep” implies that he or she is an odd or disreputable member of a group. This usage derives from the recessive trait that causes an occasional black lamb to be born in to an entirely white flock. These black sheep were considered undesirable by shepherds, as black wool is not as commercially viable as white wool. If people behave “like sheep”, they all do what the others are doing, without thinking for themselves.（American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms）And when distinguishing good people from bad people, we usually say “ to sort out/separate the sheep from the goats”.
The English culture attaches so much significance to sheep and goats as a result of the religious and historical factors. For a long time, husbandry had caught great weight in the UK’s agricultural economy, and wool had been the major export product and the lifeline of the nation’s wealth. Sheepskin is likewise used for making clothes, footwear, rugs, and other products. Byproducts from the slaughter of sheep are also of great value (Wikipedia). The importance of sheep farming is illustrated by the case of enclosure movement, the process through which farmland shared in common for communal grazing and agriculture or marginal land such as fens and moors were fenced off for private use, typically pasturage for wool production.
In Chinese culture, few associations are attached to goat and sheep, and people take them as just one of the most common domesticated animals. But in Sima Qian's 上一页 [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] 下一页
英语动物词汇文化与汉语的比较分析 第2页下载如图片无法显示或论文不完整，请联系qq752018766
