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摘 要

习语是人类在进行生产生活的过程中以及对这个世界的认识中产生的结果，它是语言的精华。习语反映了我们的实际生活，而动物作为地球生物中一个极其重要的部分，被用到我们的语言中使得我们的语言更加生动而形象。深入研究动物习语具有很重要的意义。它不仅激发了我们对学习语言和习语的兴趣，而且帮助我们对英汉两种语言有了更深入的了解，并且能更准确的使用习语。

本文深入探究并对比了英汉动物习语的涵义，经对比发现,由于其强烈的民族文化色彩，可以将英汉动物习语分为四类：概念意义相同，内涵意义基本相同；概念意义相同，内涵意义大相径庭；概念意义不同，内涵意义相同或相似；概念意义相同，内涵意义为一语独有。作者并从更为准确及系统的角度来研究英汉动物习语的翻译，将帮助读者对这两种语言中的动物习语有一个更加全面而清楚的认识，以达到更准确使用习语的目的。

关键词：动物习语；对比；翻译；中英文

Contents

1. Introduction 1

2. Literature Review 2

2.1 Definition of Idioms 2

2.2 Previous Studies on Animal Idioms 3

3. Comparison of English and Chinese Animal Idioms 4

3.1 Animal Idioms with Same Conceptual Meaning and Same Connotative Meaning in two Languages 4

3.2 Animal Idioms with Same Conceptual Meaning but Different Connotative Meaning in two Languages 5

3.3 Animal Idioms with Different Conceptual Meanings but the Same or Similar Connotative Meanings in two Languages 6

3.4 Animal Idioms with Same Conceptual Meaning but Vacant Connotative Meaning in one Language 7

4. Translation of English and Chinese Animal Idioms 8

4.1 Keeping the Original Animal Image through Foreignization 9

4.2 Changing the Original Animal Image through Domestication 10

4.3 Deleting the Original Animal Image through Domestication 11

5. Conclusion 12

Work Cited 13

1. Introduction

Idioms can reflect culture like a mirror. There are plenty of colorful-specific idioms both in Chinese and English, and they are widely used in our daily life. Animals have an intimate relationship with our daily life. We do a large number of things to animals: we kill them, eat them, hunt them, train them and so on. The study of idioms has been proceeding well since the 1970s in China, where Chen Wenbo, Yang zijian and Yu Fumin are viewed as the forerunners in this field. Dictionaries, such as A Chinese-English Dictionary of Idioms (1982), An English—Chinese Dictionary of Idioms (1993) and A Dictionary of Current Idiomatic English (1999), are the most influential of all the monographs on this subject available domestically. However, the contrastive study of English and Chinese animal idioms is yet to be further unexplored. With the deepening of intercultural communication between Chinese and English, more and more people realize that animal idioms are likely to cause misunderstanding in intercultural communication due to the diversities of their cultural connotations. Therefore, this thesis emphasizes on the similarities and differences of connotative meanings of English and Chinese animal idioms , and aims to explore effective methods or strategies for translating them in a proper way.

This thesis is constructed in the following structure. Chapter One is the literature review. Firstly, it introduces the definitions of idioms, and then it reviews the previous studies on animal idioms. Only when the present research result has been attained，can the further study be carried on. From the past researches on idioms in the West and at home, readers will get a rough acquaintance of the study on the idioms. In the next chapter, the author makes a comparison of English and Chinese animal idioms from four perspectives. To help English learners use animal idioms correctly, the author introduces two translation methods: foreignization and domestication. After the systematic study on animal idioms, the readers will definitely have a scientific and specific understanding of them and have a better intercultural communication.

2. Literature Review

2.1 Definition of Idioms

2.1.1 Definitions of English Idioms

Many versions of definitions have been assigned to the terminology idiom. According to the commonly accepted one, idioms are linguistic expressions, consisting of two or more words，whose overall meaning cannot be predicted from the constituent parts (Kovecses 1996:326).

Oxford Advanced Learners’ Dictionary of Current English (1989:428) defines an idiom as: (1) language of a people or country; specific character of this, (2) (gram.) succession of words whose meaning is not obvious through knowledge of the individual meaning of the constituent words but must be learned as a whole.

According to Webster’s New World Dictionary of the American Language (1999：521), idiom means an accepted phrase, construction, or expression contrary to the usage patterns of the language or having a meaning different from the language or having a meaning different from the literal.”

From the above definitions of idioms we may draw the conclusion that an idiom is a fixed group of words or a single word, even a sentence, with a special meaning that cannot be guessed from its structure. English idioms include idiomatic phrases, proverbial sayings and a number of slang expressions．

2.1.2 Definitions of Chinese Idioms

According to the Chinese dictionaries: Modern Chinese Dictionary (1983: 1348) (《现代汉语词典》) and A Handbook of Modern Chinese (1999: 738) (《现代汉语小词典》), the definition of “习语” in Chinese is the same: “经常使用的语言” (habitually used words). And according to Chinese-English Dictionary (1985: 738) (《汉英词典》)，“习语” is translated as ‘‘idioms”. And in The English—Chinese Word-Ocean (1990：2585) (《英汉辞海》), Wang Tongyi translates “idiom” into “成语、习语”. Therefore, from the above definitions and translations of “习语”, we can infer that “习语” can be roughly divided into “成语” (set phrases), “俗语” (common sayings), “谚语” (proverbs)，and “歇后语” (a two-part allegorical sayings).

2.2 Previous Studies on Animal Idioms

In both English and Chinese, there are a multitude of animal idioms. Most of them employ the characteristic and vivid animal images to describe human beings or things, usually taking on heavy national color, rhetorical particularities and profound historical stories or mythologies. (李婷 7)

At abroad, Hocket (1958) and Makkai (1972) considered the meaning of idioms by giving account of the structure of them. They thought the meaning of idiom is conventional, which cannot be unpacked and analyzed by their composed elements. Some researchers have carried out the contrast analysis of pragmatic implication between Chinese animal idioms and English ones so as to find out the major obstacle that blocked the cross-cultural communication. Nunberg (1994) thought the elements composing idioms play a great part in the understanding of idioms.（陈群团 8） Jamshidian, E. amp; Mohammadi, R(2012) elucidated some of the similarities and differences of the animal connotations in the proverbs, idioms, and , sayings between the two cultures of Persian and English. In order to reveal the procedures applied by the translator in translating such culture-bounded terms, they investigated cultural correspondence between the cultures. And the strategies applied in translating the culture-bounded terms were examined as well. The results of the study revealed that the similarities arise from the issue of the universality of concepts among languages and the linkage between the two cultures, and the differences rooted in the historical, religious, and environmental diversities.

Chinese animal idioms are unlike English ones in light of rhymes, structure, embodied culture and idiomatic expressions. Wan Weiwei (2009) asserts that the cultural diversity and different features in Chinese and English animal idioms has resulted in limited translatability. Liu Miqing (1999) puts forward the reasons for the limits of translatability and puts them into four categories: (1) the differences in sentence structures; (2) the differences in idiomatic expressions; (3) the differences in semantic expressions; (4) the differences in cultures.（李婷 7）

Huang Junfeng and Huang Fang (2001) point it out that the same animal image may express similar or different or even contrasting extensive meaning while the same connotation may be transferred by different animal images in varied cultural environments. It is a must of being equipped with highly sensitive cultural consciousness to clarify the real connotations in animal images.

3. Comparison of English and Chinese Animal Idioms

It’s well-known that animals are friends of human beings. During observing and keeping animals, human beings associate feelings and emotions with different kinds of them. Gradually, animal words got their established connotations in all languages. Many animals have become a kind of symbolism in people’s thinking, and this symbolism is reflected in the language. Since all human beings live on the same planet with similar life experience, each culture has common points. However, each nation has its unique concrete environment, such as geography, history, culture, religion and so on. The culture of each nation has unique character, thus creating different ethnic cultures. To get a better understanding of English and Chinese animal idioms, this thesis categorizes them into the following types.

3.1 Animal Idioms with Same Conceptual Meaning and Same Connotative Meaning in two Languages

Names of animals are frequently used metaphorically and figuratively in language. Since human being lives on the same planet, different nations have some common cultural accumulations, which lead to the same or similar connotative meanings. For example, both in Chinese and English “fox” is associated with being cunning and tricky, so we have the idiom “狐假虎威” (bully people by flaunting one’s powerful connections)，“狐疑” (suspicion)，“狐狸尾巴” (gives away the evil intention of somebody)，“狐群狗党” (a pack of rogue) in Chinese and “as cunning as a fox”(像狐狸一样狡猾) “play the fox” (耍滑头), “When the fox preaches, then beware of your geese” (狐狸说教时, 当心你的鹅) in English. “ass” is related to being stupid and “snail” is related to slowness. Other examples of animal idioms, which have the same conceptual meaning and similar connotative meanings in both English and Chinese, are listed below:

3.2 Animal Idioms with Same Conceptual Meaning but Different Connotative Meaning in two Languages

An idiom carries strong ethnic characteristics and striking culture features. Resulting from cultural diversities in different nations, we have different explanations and understandings of the same thing or concept. One image, when put in different languages and cultures, will be most likely associated with different objects or concepts.

Let’s take “dog” for example. Dog has very close relation with people in both English and Chinese cultures. This is reflected in sayings like “Love me, love my dog” in English and “打狗看主人” in Chinese. In British culture, there is almost no ill feeling against dogs. Dog has enjoyed the fame of “man’s best friend” in England for a very long time. In English, “To help a lame dog over the stile means “to help someone in difficulty”. “Every dog has its day” means “every person will some day succeed or become fortunate”. Such usage does not contain derogatory connotation. However, the dog is detested and is despised, and is often connected with vile associations in Chinese culture. In Chinese we have idioms like “狗仗人势” (like a dog threatening people on the strength of its master’s power--to be bully under the protection of a powerful person), “狗嘴里吐不出象牙” (a dog’s mouth emits no ivory—a filthy mouth can’t utter decent language)，“狗急跳墙” (a cornered beast will do something desperate), etc. The main reason for this abominated figure is that Chinese feed the dog to look after the house, the relationship between people and the dog is master and servant. So the position of the dog is low and obsequious, the merits of the dog are taken for granted and the demerits are unbearable and detested. (朱砚 27)

Another example is the understanding of “dragon”. Dragon in Chinese is auspicious, representing rights, power and status. In Chinese ancient legend, our ancestors revered dragon and treated emperor as a dragon. We have a lot of animal idioms with “dragon”, such as “望子成龙”，“龙飞凤舞”，“画龙点睛”，“攀龙附凤”，“龙马精神”，“龙腾虎跃”，“龙凤呈祥”，etc. We have still called ourselves the descendants of dragon to this day. However, in western culture, dragon is treated as a symbol of disaster and evil. A dragon is a kind of monster and it is often killed by a hero after a horrible fight in western literature.

3.3 Animal Idioms with Different Conceptual Meanings but the Same or Similar Connotative Meanings in two Languages

Though the two nations use different animals in idioms, in many cases, different Chinese and English animal images have similar connotative meanings. For example, “Lion” in English and “tiger” in Chinese both symbolize power and courage. “Horse” in English and “cattle” in Chinese both symbolize strength. Because of geographical reasons, the British people think a lion is the most powerful animal. In their minds, a lion is the king of beasts. It represents bravery, power and majesty. However, a lion doesn’t have such rich connotations in Chinese. In China, a tiger is the most powerful animal. “tiger” always appears in the idioms referring to power, such as “山中无老虎，猴子称大王”（When the cat is away, the mice will play.) In English and Chinese idioms, we often use different animals to express the same metaphorical meaning. Examples are as follows,

3.4 Animal Idioms with Same Conceptual Meaning but Vacant Connotative Meaning in one Language

Language does not exist independently. It is closely linked with ethnic culture and reflects unique custom. Different cultures in different nations not only have common features, but also have different unique characteristics. Due to several reasons，a kind of animals may have rich connotative meanings in one language but don’t have such a connotative meaning in another one, or in another country there is no such kind of animals at all. Take crane (仙鹤) for example, a crane in Chinese is often associated with longevity. It is a very common symbol and is depicted frequently on Chinese paintings. The Chinese crane is often associated with old age and also with good luck, especially the white crane. Therefore, in Chinese we have “松鹤延年”, “龟年鹤寿”, “鹤发童颜” etc. However in English except for the meaning of “stretch one’s neck” or “chain block” because of its long neck, the crane has no other connotative meaning.

Another example is the Chinese Mandarin duck(鸳鸯). In Chinese, Mandarin ducks are the unique symbol of love and marriage. The famous Chinese poet Lu Zhaoling used to write in his poem Interest and Charm of Chang An （《长安古意》）：“成得比目何辞死，愿作鸳鸯不羡仙。”But in English there is no connotative meaning of this kind.

In English，there are some other animals in idioms to express metaphorical meanings which rarely appear in Chinese，such as “butterfly”，“flea”，“fly”，‘‘spider”，‘‘leech’’，‘‘ostrich’’，‘‘albatross’’， “beetle”， “bee”，‘‘elephant’’，‘‘turkey”，etc．

The idioms with these animals are “to have butterflies in my stomach (very nervous)”，“break a butterfly on a wheel (use unnecessary tool to deal with a small problem)”，“a flea in one’s ear (uncomfortable words)”，“die like flies (die in a large pile)”，“a cuckoo in the nest (a unwelcome person)”，‘‘cold turkey (say something straightly)’’, ‘‘an elephant’s memory (have good memory”，“The leopard can never change its spots (one cannot change its personality)”，‘‘a crab (a disgusting person)’’，‘‘a dab (a clever person)’’，‘‘as slippery as an eel (unreliable)”, etc. (何玉玲 45)

To sum up, although English and Chinese animal idioms have much in common, they vary from each other in many aspects. The comparison of Chinese and English animal idioms will be a great help not only in understanding the similarities and differences between the culture of the two nations, but also in translating animal idioms from a more accurate perspective.

4. Translation of English and Chinese Animal Idioms

Animal idioms are vivid and inspire direct images in our readers’ minds, thus further triggering association of inner meanings. It is really significant to study and translate these idioms so that we may grasp more nations’ cultures and customs and enrich the target language with more vivid expressions in our daily expression. In accordance with the culture in target language and linguistic habit, we should employ different ways to translate animal idioms appropriately. In the thesis, the author employs two fundamental translation strategies: domestication and foreignization.

4.1 Keeping the Original Animal Image through Foreignization

Foreignization is believed to be able to help the construction of national culture and enrich the language of a nation by adopting some foreign expressions. By taking foreignization in translation practice, the original flavors of the source language can be better retained in the translated version.

4.1.1 Literal Translation

The Chinese and English languages are very different in forms and ways of expression on the one hand, and are similar in many aspects on the other. To preserve the national character, literal translation is used. In English and Chinese, there are some animals conveying the same or similar metaphorical meanings. In this case, the metaphors used in animal idioms can be translated directly into the target language. For example, in English and Chinese, there happened to be the same meaning. Therefore, “ fish in troubled water ” is translated directly in to Chinese “浑水摸鱼”. See the other following examples:

In the Webster"s New World Dictionary of the American Language, crocodile’s tears are paraphrased as follows: insincere tears or a hypocritical show of grief. This connotation is familiar to the Chinese readers，so “鳄鱼的眼泪” embodies the rhetoric aim of the writer in the source language perfectly. (朱砚 44)

4.1.2 Literal Translation with Annotation

Mr．Lu Xun once talked about translation and said translators should attach great importance to preserving its alien characteristics. However, how we can do this? The way is to translate the idioms literally and to add its inner meaning at the same time，as direct translation sometimes can preserve the vivid image of its original text, enrich the target language, and make the translated language more fresh and energetic. At the same time, the added meaning can show the metaphorical meaning completely, for example “Lame duck” is “跛鸭” (the official who will step down from his position but fails to succeed his position).

4.2 Changing the Original Animal Image through Domestication

Domestication is a kind of translation principle, which converts the exotic elements of one culture into the familiar counterparts of another culture．It pays little or no attention to the original form of image, focusing mainly on the original meaning or associative meaning.

The text of domestication is easy to be understood and accepted by target text readers, which results in the loss of chance that target text readers appreciate and acquire the exotic culture．Thus，we can conclude that the free translation is based on

domestication．

We know that many Chinese and English animal idioms express the identical meaning. However, as the products of distinctively different environments and life experience, they take very different forms. When the animals are different in two languages with the same connotative meaning, we need to replace the original animal image to make cultural information pass between the two cultural backgrounds.

For example, “力大如牛” in Chinese has the corresponding animal in English--horse，so it is translated into “as strong as a horse” in English. In Chinese minds, cattle are a symbol of power. However, in the UK, cattle are normally used to produce milk and to be eaten. On the other hand, a horse is a tool to plough land, carry goods and to be ridden. So we need to substitute the original image with the image in the target language. “拦路虎” (“虎”in Chinese is a tiger) is translated to “a lion in the way” because the geographical reason which has been analyzed in the above chapter．The similar ones are “lion’s mouth”—“虎口”，“a cat on hot bricks”—“热锅上的蚂蚁”，“a drowned rat”—“落汤鸡” etc．

4.3 Deleting the Original Animal Image through Domestication

As we know, animal idioms have rich metaphorical meanings, which results in some obstacles to translation. The complete equity between English idiom and Chinese idiom is very rare. Most of the animal idioms in the two languages are correspondent partly or totally non-corresponding at all, therefore we still need to use appropriate translation methods according to its actual meaning. When it fails to employ literal translation methods and there’s no substitute in the target language, we have to drop the original images. For example, the sentence “He took the lion"s share, and by the time he had finished there was nothing left for the rest of us except for a few crumbs.” is translated into“最大最好的一份他独吞了，除了一点面包屑，其他什么也没给我们留下。”“Lion’s share” is from Aesop’s Fables. The story goes like this：Lion goes hunting with other animals. When it comes to the distribution, lion insists that he should get three fourth of all the captures and the rest belong to those who dare to argue with him. Fearing the ferocity of the lion, other animals have no choice but to give up the food. So the connotative meaning of this idiom is “the biggest or the best share”. (朱砚 49) If we translate the idiom directly into“狮子那一份”, Chinese readers may feel puzzled. “as poor as a church mouse” is translated into “一贫如洗”in Chinese. Chinese people are not familiar with the meaning of ‘‘a church mouse”, so it can not be translated directly. Other examples such as “a bull in a china shop” is “闯祸的人” in Chinese, “kiss the hare’s foot” is “姗姗来迟” in Chinese, “play ducks and drakes” is “挥霍无度” in Chinese etc．

Some animals have negative meanings in Chinese culture because of our special relation between animals and human beings. However, such animals may have positive metaphorical meanings in English. Take an example, “He is as wise as an owl” cannot be translated into “他像猫头鹰一样聪明”.We should translate it into “他很聪明”without an “owl”. An owl is wise in English literature but does not have this meaning in Chinese. Chinese people think that owl’s scream is weird and once they hear the voice of an owl, something unlucky may happen. Therefore the translator should explore the deep meaning to avoid the cultural barrier．

5. Conclusion

After studying of English and Chinese animal idioms，some findings are obtained as follows：

There are four kinds of English and Chinese animal idioms：

The first group is “animal idioms with same conceptual meaning and same connotative meaning in two language”; the second is “animal idioms with same conceptual meaning but different connotative meaning in two languages”; the third is “animal idioms with different conceptual meanings but the same or similar connotative meanings in two languages”;and the fourth is “animal idioms with same conceptual meaning but vacant connotative meaning in one language”.

Translating animal idioms, as a certain form of cultural negotiation, obviously takes an important part in the contact and communication between different cultures. In the author’s opinion,to translate animal idioms, the translator should adopt the foreignization approach whenever possible so as to keep the original sense and flavor of the source images, but employ domestication only when the exotic essence cannot be properly understood or absorbed by the TL readers.

From the above findings, we can see that animal idioms contain rich connotations through human’s perception of the world. Though different nations live in different places, with similar cultural accumulations, English and Chinese cultures can communicate．

Works Cited

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Li Yuping. English Idioms and Their Cultural Origin. Tianjin: Nankai University Press, 2008.

Nida, Eugene A. Language and Culture. Shanghai: Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press, 2000.

A. P. Cowie. Oxford Advanced Learners’ Dictionary of Current English (4m ed). London: Oxford University Press, 1989.

陈群团.《概念整合理论视角下汉语动物成语英译研究》（硕士学位论文）.西南大学，2013.

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郭建中.《文化与翻译》.北京：中国对外翻译出版公司，1999.

甘晓莉.《中国英语学习者对英语动物词习语的理解--一项基于文化内涵的实证研究》（硕士学位论文）.重庆大学，2008.

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