论中西方文化中动物象征意义的差异

　　论中西方文化中动物象征意义的差异
　　1Introductionldquo；Languageandculture，intrinsicallydependentoneachother，haveevolvedtogetherthroughthehistory。rdquo；（ClaireKramsch，1998）ldquo；Ononehand，languageasanintegralpartofhumanbEing，permeateshisthinkingandwayofviewingtheworld，languagebothexpressesandembodiesculturalreality。Ontheother，language，asaproductofculture，helpspermeatetheculture，andthechangesinlanguageusesreflecttheculturalchangesinreturnrdquo；。（ClaireKramsch，1998）Languageisthebaseofentireculture，anditisonlyinlanguagethatculturecanbewellpresentedandhandeddownfromgenerationtogeneration。Ontheotherhand，languageisinfluencedandshapedbyculture；itreflectslanguage。Languagereflectscharacteristicsofcultureandpredictsthedevelopingorientationofculture。2ComparisonoftheSymbolicMeaningsofAnimalsinChineseandWesternCultures2。1SimilarSymbolicMeaningsofAnimalsAstheecologicalenvironmentsofhumanlifeareroughlysimilar，peopleinChinaandtheWestwillnaturallyproducethesameorsimilarassociation，givingthesamesignificanceoftheanimalwordswhentheyunderstandanimalsfromthebasicattributesoftheanimals。Forexample，inChinese，foxisthesynonymforcunningandcraftiness。Whenpeopleusesuchphraseslikeascunningasldquo；afoxrdquo；，ldquo；oldfoxrdquo；todescribeaperson，theyoftenconsiderhimorherslyandtactful。InEnglishspeakingcountries，foxisalsoassociatedwiththiskindofmeaning。2。2DifferentSymbolicMeaningsofAnimalsAfewofanimalshavethesameorsimilarsymbolicmeaningsbothinChinaandtheWest，butitiswellknownthatthemajorityofanimalsaredifferentinthesymbolicmeaningsbecauseofthedifferentculturalbackgrounds。Now，Irsquo；llgiveseveralpeculiaranimalstotestifymyview。2。2。1DragonandPhoenixDragonhascometoberegardedasthesymbolofChinaandtheChinese，andChinaiscalledhugedragonofEast。InChina，thetraditionalsymbolsofroyaltyarethedragonandphoenix。Thedragonstandsfortheemperorandthephoenixforthequeen。Besides，asanauspiciouscreaturethatsupposedlybringsgoodluck，thedragongaverisetothesayingthatparentsldquo；wangzichenglongrdquo；mdash；longtoseeonersquo；ssonbecomeadragon，thatis，tobesuccessful。ToWesterners，however，thedragonisoftenasymbolofevil。Theyregardthedragonasafiercemonsterthatdestroyssomeotherthings；therefore，inthEiropinion，itmustbedestroyed。2。2。2BatToChinese，theldquo；batrdquo；isasymbolofgoodfortune，wellbeing，andhappinessallpositivequalities。Thereasonforsuchassociationsisprobablythatthenameofthecreatureispronouncedthesameasthewordldquo；furdquo；。ThusthetraditionaldesignshowsthebatandthedeertogetherisverypopularinChina，becausethewordspronouncedisthesameasldquo；fulurdquo；mdash；goodfortune，happiness，wealthandposition。IntheWesterncountries，thebatisusuallyassociatedwithnegativequalities。ldquo；Asblindasabatrdquo；，ldquo；carryasabatrdquo；，ldquo；Hersquo；sabitbattyrdquo；typicalexpressionsofthenegativeassociations。Theymaybeevenworse。Mentionofthebatoftenevokestheimageofanugly，sinister，bloodsuckingcreature。Thismaybecausedbytheldquo；vampirebatrdquo；。3FactorsLeadingtotheDifferentSymbolicMeaningsofAnimalsTherearemanyfactorsaffectingculturaldifferences，whichwouldcausedifferentsymbolicmeaningsofanimalsbetweenChinaandtheWest。Suchfactorsareasfollows：3。1DiversityinSpiritualCulture3。1。1BeliefSystemsIntheWesterntraditionpeoplebelievetheuniverseiscreatedandcontrolledbyapinepower。Manandtheuniverseareseparateentities。Andtherefore，therearelawsofnaturethatmustbefollowed。Withsuchaviewoftheuniverse，peopleintheWestdevelopedadualisticworldview。Theirgoaloflifeistobemoreobjectiveandrational。Changisconsideredprogress。Thescientificmethodisusuallytheirapproachtoproblemsinlife。Peopleareconsideredasequaltooneanother。However，peopleinChinaregardtheuniverseasaharmoniouslyselfoperatingorganisminwhicheachpartisrelatedtootherpartsinasystemofhierarchy。Withthisviewoftheuniverse，Chinesedevelopedaholisticworldview。Theyholdmanandnatureareinterrelated；manisapartofnatureandmanrsquo；sgoaloflifeistokeepharmonywithnature。Stabilityishighlyvalued。Therefore，theirattitudetowardlifetendstobemoresubjective。Fromthepatternofthinking，ChinesepatternofthinkingisnotthesameastheWestern。Chinesepatternofthinkingisthethreedimensionaltype，whiletheWesternpatternofthinkingisstreamlined。3。1。3ValueSystemsMostWesterncountriesvalueinpidualismandpeoplestrivehardtoachieveinpidualidentityintermsofpossessionsandachievementintheirprofessions。Chinaplacehighvalueonthecollective。Sogroupharmonyandcooperationarepreferred，ratherthancompetition。3。2DiversityinBehaviorCulture3。2。1SocialRitualsChinesepeoplealwaysliketoaskthepersonrsquo；sname，age，unitandearnings，whoheorshemeets。WhileWesternersquitehatethiskindofpeoplewholiketoasktheotherrsquo；sage，income，andotherpersonalprivatematter。WhenChinesepeoplerecEivegifts，theyoftenletthemontheedge，anddonrsquo；tgazeatthegifts（forfearothersayingtheyrsquo；regreedy）。Onthecontrary，Westernerswillopenthegiftsinthefrontoftheguestsandexpresstheirsatisfactionwhentheyreceivegifts。HospitalityisakindofChinesequality。3。2。2CustomsandHabitsInwesterncountries，manypeoplelikepets。Englishpeopleviewdogsashumanbeingrsquo；sbestfriends。ManyEnglishexpressionswiththedogcanbefound，suchas：aluckydog，acleverdog，atopdog；everydoghashisday；Loveme，lovemydog；Heworkslikeadog。ToChinesepeople，however，thedogisderogatoryterm。Peoplehavenegativeattitudestotheanimaldog，suchasrubbish，henchman。WesterncustomsandhabitsaredifferentfromChineseonesinmanyaspects。ItishardforEnglishspeakerstounderstandwhyservilefollowerisapejorativeterminChinese。3。3DiversityinHistoryBackgroundChinesehistorydiffersfromBritishandAmericanhistory。Theyhavetheirownhistoricalcultures，whichreflectthenationalcharacteristic。Chinaisanancientcountrywith5000yearsrsquo；agriculturalcultivation。Inancienttime，agricultureisthefundamentaltrade，sopeopleareallfamiliarwithfarmingandtheyhavelotsofvocabulariesaboutfarming。Besides，theanimalcattlearethemainfarmlabor，whichdomuchfarmworkforpeople。Consequently，Chinesepeoplecherishadeepaffectionforthecattle。Asisknowntoall，theEnglishpeople，traditionally，isanomadicnation。Theywanderedfromplacetoplace，lookingforpastureforitsanimalsandhadnofixedplace。Theylikehorsesandtheyaregoodatriding。HorsesplaymoreimportantrolesthancattleinEngland。Theyarenotonlyasthemainentertainments，butalsoasthemaintransportationsfortheirlives。4ConclusionAccordingtounderstandingthedifferencesofthesymbolicmeaningsofanimalsinChineseandWesterncultures，languagelearnerscanusetheanimalexpressionsinanappropriateandcorrectway，alsotheycanavoidmisunderstandingincommunicationandreading，andreducemistakesintranslation。Whatrsquo；smore，languagelearnerscanunderstandclearlythereasonswhydifferentcountrieshavedifferentculturesfromtheaspectofthesymbolicmeaningsofanimals。Butthispaperdoesnotcompletelyrevealthewholereasons，Englishlearnersshouldinsistonreadingalotofbooksandpublicationstoachievethetask。Asforeignlanguagelearners，thisstudyishelpfulforlanguagestudyandculturecommunication。