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1、A Comparative Study of English and Chinese Idioms【关键词】定义；相似点；不同点 .IntroductionThe English language contains many common quotes, saying, aphorisms and other idiomatic expressions of different sorts. In the Chinese language such expressions are referred to as idioms,“ready phrases”. These idioms are o
2、ften written in classical Chinese grammar and usually consist of four characters. The Chinese language is rich in vocabulary, phases, and idioms. As a form of set phrases, Chinese idioms are in wide use and occupy an important place in the language as a whole. Concise yet meaningful, they give certa
3、in specific facts, carry certain moral teachings or suggest certain particular images, thus constituting an only characteristic of the Chinese language. This paper gives a compare between English and Chinese idioms to show difference between each culture.II. The English and Chinese IdiomsA. The Defi
4、nition of Idioms1. Definition of IdiomsWhat is an idiom? And how do we judge whether an expression is an idiom or not?First let us look at how the term“idiom” is defined by some authorized English dictionaries:It defines an idiom as“ language of a people or country; specific character of this, succe
5、ssion of words whose meaning is not obvious through knowledge of the individual meaning of the constituent words but must be learnt as a whole.” 1.And it defines an idiom as:“ the language or dialect of a people, region, class, etc. the usual way in which the words of a particular language are joine
6、d together to express thought, a phrase, construction or expression that is recognized as a unit in the usage of a given language and either differs from the usual syntactic patterns or has a meaning that differs from the literal meaning of its parts taken together, the style of expression character
7、istic of an individual, a characteristic style, as in art or music.” 2.From the above dictionaries,andmost suits the purpose of the discussion. The idiom means a kind of set phrases or sentences, which like a stock expression, are often quoted by the common people. In a broad sense, they include idi
8、omatic phrases, proverbial sayings and a number of slang expressions. We can extract two basic criteria by which to judge whether an expression is an idiom or not.2. Definition of习语 in ChineseAccording to the Chinese dictionaries: Modern Chinese Dictionary 3 and A Handbook of Modern Chinese 4, the d
9、efinition of习语 is“经常使用的语言”（ habitually used words）. And according to Modern Chinese Dictionary成语is defined as“人们长期以来使用的，简洁精辟的定型词组或短句，一般由四个字组成。”（well established, concise, fixed phrases or short sentences consisting of four characters）;俗语 as“通俗并广泛流行的定型的语句，简练而形象化，大多数是劳动人民创造出来的，反映人民的生活经验和愿望”（widely spr
10、ead, concise, vivid and fixed phrases or sentences created by common people reflecting their wishes and experiences）; and谚语 as“在群众中间流传的固定语句，用简单通俗的话反映出深刻的道理”（widely-spread, concise, fixed phrases or sentences in which a profound truth is implied.）From the above definitions,成语（set phrases）,俗语（common s
11、aying）,and谚语（proverbs）just like English idioms, are characterized by habitual use, fixed pattern and implied meaning, so Chinese idioms can be roughly divided into: set phrases(成语)，common saying(俗语)，proverbs(谚语)， and two-part allegorical saying(歇后语).B. Characteristics of Idioms1 The Characteristics
12、of English IdiomsThe basic characteristics of English idioms are convention, stability, integration and succinctness. Convention expresses that idioms are widely and permanently used in almost every circle in English speaking countries, both colloquial and literary. Stability means that the structur
13、e is fixed, that is, none of the constituents of the idiom can be deleted or replaced by any other element; nor can one add another element, or change the word order of the idiom. For instance, the expression have that to have something to do with what is more important or“ other fish profitable”, h
14、owever, we could not say“have other salmon to fry” or“ the other fish is to be fried”. The process of substitution is not allowed and passive constructions cannot be formed. Integration indicates the undivided unity in both form and literal meaning. Succinctness shows that idioms are short and meani
15、ngful, pithy and expressive.In addition, idioms are in many cases transformationally defective structures. But idioms vary a great deal on how metaphorical and invariable they are. In other words, idiomaticity is a matter of degree or scale.(e.g. the expression to bite the dust can be put into the p
16、ast tense, as in he bit the dust, but it cannot be expressed in passive voice, we cannot say that“ the dust was bitten”).2. Characteristics of Chinese IdiomsThe characteristics of idioms can be viewed from the perspective of prevalent use in society, historical traits, and cultural traits. Prevalent
17、 Use in societyBoth time and space have to be considered here. With regard to time, the existence of idioms is not limited to a specific era. It has no time domain, usually being handed down from generation to generation. Unlike the dialect, which is spoken in a certain area, idioms are generally dy
18、namic, being widely used and shared by people nationwide. Historical Traits Material SelectionSome components are usually based on contemporaneous incidents, such as负荆请罪：to offer a humble apology守株待兔：stand by a tree stump waiting for a hare to kill itself bycrashing into it Historical StructuresIdio
19、ms preserve many of the critical usages which belong to classical Chinese, but do not exist in modern Chinese. Above all, the preservation of the classical language is the most prominent phenomenon. This aspect is well shown in its composite lexemes, Mono-morphemes and classical syntax.C. The Classi
20、fication of Idioms1. The Classification of English IdiomsIn English grammar, the idioms are distinguished from the clause; it is composed of a group of two or more associated words, not containing a subject and predicate. The difficulty in using idioms lies first in the difficulty of grasping the el
21、usive and figurative meaning. The structure of English idioms is very complicated, so we cannot make exhaustive analysis and classification. However, it is possible to do a research on their structure and give English idioms reasonable classifications. Generally speaking, there are five methods of c
22、lassifications, that is, etymological category, morphological category, syntactic category, semantic category and special property category, in which morphological category, syntactic category and semantic category are common methods.2 The Classification of Chinese IdiomsChinese idioms are different
23、 from English idioms. They can be either the counterpart of an English phrase or a short sentence. Fixed FormA Chinese idiom is different from a common saying, proverb, maxim or adage, primarily because of its distinctive fixed form. The fixed form has two aspects. The first one concerns semantics.
24、Its meaning comes from the whole unit no matter what the meanings of the individual constituent may be. For instance,“脍炙人口”：does not signify“ minced meat suits everyone taste”. But instead means“ as appealing to most people”. The second aspect concerns the structure. Just as put your eggs into one b
25、asket“ risk all your money on one thing”, the idioms such as high as a kite“ in an excited state”, and metonymical idioms such as run the Gauntlet“ be attacked or criticized by many people at the same time” are all classified into this category. Fusional IdiomsThis kind of idioms is an undivided uni
26、ty in semantics. We cannot infer its connation from the meaning of words. That is because the words have lost their original meaning in this kind of idioms. Why its meaning has undergone so many changes? The reasons are not traceable any more. Maybe it is because that some historical events have bee
27、n forgotten, the social practice has changed, the context in which the idiom existed has been omitted, or some old saying is included. According to the historical linguists, we can sometimes find clues to expound and reveal the theoretical basis of these idioms; however, it is not so easy. Fusional
28、idioms exist in almost every language. Generally speaking, the longer the history of this language is, the richer this of idioms is. According to its peculiarity, fusional idioms cannot be literally translated into another language.The Similarities between English and Chinese IdiomsThere are various
29、 origins of idioms, but the chief sources are speech of the common people, classical works, ancient legends and fables, historical events, and foreign languages. Let us examine these sources in turn:A. Idioms from Speech of the Common PeopleMost idioms come from the colloquial speech of the common p
30、eople, for through their practical work people have created a great number of idioms. Every idiom is the result of a personal innovation at a particular point in time. These idioms are terse, colloquial, analogous vivid and full of life, and before long they acquire a wide application to situations
31、in everyday life. The most vivid and most useful of these idioms made their way from little by litter, popular speech into the standard language, and finally came to be commonly understood. The personal creation may happen in different, fields, forming different sources of idioms. For example:(1).Ho
32、me lifeTo bring home to the bacon: to succeed; achieve ones aim, to supply the needs of onesfamilyTo keep ones shirt on: keep calm, dont get exited or angry添油加醋：add color and emphasis to a narration; add highly colored details to a story茶余饭后：over a cup of tea or after dinner; at ones leisure(2).Farm
33、ing lifeTo go to seed: to deteriorate in ones habits and appearance, to become shabbyTo lead someone up the garden path: to deceive, mislead someone瓜熟蒂落: when a melon is ripe it falls off its stem-things are easily settled once condition are ripe斩草除根: cut the weeds and dig up the roots-stamp out the
34、 source of trouble(3).Nautical and fishing lifeIn the same boat: to suffer the same predicament as somebody elseTo rise to the bait: to respond to a hint, temptation or provocation in the way hoped for. The reference is to fish which rise to the surface of the water for food见风使舵: trim ones sails浑水摸鱼
35、: fish in troubled waters(4).Military lifeTo cross swords with: to fight or quarrel withTo fight a losing battle: to engage in a struggle which one cannot hope to win偃旗息鼓: lower the banners and muffle the drums-cease all activities一鼓作气: press on to the finish without letup; get something done in one
36、 sustained effort(5).Student lifeA closed book：a subject about which one knows nothing, a mysteryTo turn over a new leaf: to repent ones way of life and make a fresh start;to reform名列前茅: be among the best of the successful candidates品学兼优: be a good student of good character; be a student of good cha
37、racter and fine scholarship(6).Business lifeTo make an honest penny: to make an honest living through hard workMind your own business: attend to your own affairs and dont concern yourself with mine三句话不离老本行: can hardly open ones mouth without talking shop talk shop all the time利欲熏心: be obsessed with
38、the desire for gain; be blinded by greed(7).Sport and huntingTo have the ball at ones feet: to have the initiative, to have the opportunity one has been waiting forTo kill two birds with one stone: to achieve two results with the same means棋逢对手：meet ones match in a game of chess-be well-matched in a
39、 contest一箭双雕：hit two hawks with one arrow; kill two birds with one stone(8).Many idioms include parts of the body, animals, and colors. For example:To keep someone at arms length: to keep someone at distanceTo be tickled pink: to be very much amused, to relish a comical situation眉飞色舞：with dancing ey
40、ebrows and radiant face-enraptured; exultant万紫千红：a riot blaze of colorsB. Idioms from Classical WorksClassical works are also one of the main sources from which idioms are derived. For example:To turn the other cheek: to submit to violence, not to resist the blows of ones oppressor.“Resist not evil.
41、 Whoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also”. 5To tilt at windmills: to fight imaginary enemies, hence to squander ones attacked windmills, in the mistaken belief that they were giants who had imprisoned innocent girls;Catch-22 situation: a dilemma from which it is impos
42、sible to escape. 6In ancient China, there have been lots of classical works and beautiful lines that enjoy great popularity. And they contributed many idioms to us. For example:举足轻重：means one who holds an important position and whose decision may produce a great influence on the whole situation. It
43、is from The History of the Later Han Dynasty. 7.司马昭之心路人皆知：a plot or a covetous desire known to all The History of the Three Kingdoms. 8.口蜜腹剑:which means a person who is both insidious and deadly Comprehensive Mirror 9C. Idioms from Fables, Myths, and LegendsMany idioms come from fables, myths, or le
44、gends, such as:The lions share: much more than ones fair share, almost everything, taken from Aesops FablesTo play Cupid: to play the match-maker. Cupid, son of Venus, was the god of love. He is represented in fable as a boy of great beauty, with wings, carrying a bow and arrowsChinese ancient myths
45、 and fables are also reflected in the following idioms:开天辟地：the creation of heaven and earth the beginning of history自相矛盾：contradict oneself; be self-contradictoryD. Idioms from Historical EventsSometimes an idiom may summarize a historical event. For example:To cross the Rubicon: to do some thing i
46、rrevocable. In ancient Rome, generals were guilty of treason if they failed to disband their armies before crossing the Rubicon. Caesar took the decision to cross the Rubicon with his army to seize powerTo meet ones Waterloo: to suffer a final, decisive defeat. The phrase comes from Napoleons defeat
47、 by Wellington and Blucher at the Battle of Waterloo. It is usually applied to an unexpected defeat after a string of successes项庄舞剑意在沛公：Xiangzhuang performed the sword dance as a cover for his attempt on LiuBangs life-act with a hidden motive司马昭之心路人皆知：Sima Zhaos ill intent is known to all-the villai
48、ns design is obviousE. Idioms from Foreign LanguagesEnglish owes many of its useful idioms to importations from foreign tongues, among which French, Latin and Greek are three main sources. There are borrowed idioms in Chinese too. Through translation we have absorbed a large number of foreign idioms
49、 into Chinese:特洛伊木马 Trojan horse酸葡萄 sour grapes诺亚方舟 Noahs ark象牙之塔 an ivory tower以眼还眼以牙还牙 An eye for an eye, a tooth for a toothThe abundance and variety of idioms in English and Chinese may be to a great extent accounted for by the historical development of languages. A study of the sources of idioms will help us to comprehend and remember them, and suppl
