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2. Literature Review
At the end of 1980s, with the rapid development of opening-up policy, studies on comparison between English and Chinese idioms were further developed. Idioms were learned from transverse direction and longitudinal direction. The main study on transverse direction is phrase. However, longitudinal direction stressed the key point on grammar, semantics and pragmatic features of English and Chinese idioms. Moreover, scholars also have conducted researches on idioms from psychology, sociology, history, geography and other aspects. So the comparison between English and Chinese idioms has become colorful.
Many domestic and foreign linguists have taken animal idioms seriously. At home, Yu Fumin and Guo Shanlian (1999) made victorious efforts in comparing studies on English and Chinese idioms to demonstrate the writer’s relevant points. Jiang Lei have studied animal idioms, making an investigation of contrastive researches of English and Chinese idioms, which indicates the long history and culture features. Furthermore, Smith (1925) published Words and Idioms, which turned to be the representative of the early studies of idioms. Strassler (2004) made a practical analysis of the function of idioms, laying the foundation of future theoretical studies on idioms.
3. Relationship between Culture Differences and Idioms
3.1 Definition of Idioms and Animal Idioms
Idioms usually include proverbs, mottoes, slangs, allusion and so on. They are mostly elegant, concise, comprehensive and vivid, which are full of wit and humor, giving people a kind of beauty. Meanwhile, due to these features, it is convenient for idioms to spread.
Idioms are short sentences or fixed phrases originated from long-term use of languages. They include affluent information, culture backgrounds and culture features. They have characteristic images and cryptic analogies, showing the distinctive national features.（Bao Huinan 148)
The short sentences and fixed phrases in English and Chinese are called “idioms”. Idioms, fixed in their structure, have been used for expressing the full meaning for a long time. Such phrases and sentences are gradually shaped in the development of languages, so they cannot be recombined. (Jiang Lei 49)
Animal idioms, as the name suggests, are one kind of idioms which are united with animal words. The vivid images of animal idioms can help us learn idioms easily.
3.2 Relationship between Culture Differences and Idioms
Language is the precondition of the form and development of culture. Language is like a mirror that reflects the culture value. As the most active factors of languages, vocabulary and idioms are the windows that we can know the spirits of a nation. It is generally appreciated that idioms are the core of any language. They make the geography, history, social systems and social attitudes of a nation known adequately, implying rich culture information. Idioms are provided with distinctive national features and regional colors. In the reflection of culture differences, idioms are more typical and representative than other components of a language.
With the increasing development of cross-cultural communication, people have paid more attention to idioms for better understanding the culture of a nation.
Idioms and culture are closely interrelated. Culture can be shown by idioms. At the same time, idioms are affected by culture obviously. Effective communication relies on deep understanding of its cultural background. Hence, understanding the culture differences through idioms plays a very important role in culture communication.