A Contrastive Study of Cultural Connotation between English

A Contrastive Study of Cultural Connotation between English and

Chinese Numerical Idioms

摘要

众所周知，习语是语言中文化积淀最深厚的部分，集中了语言和语言使用者的历史和文化，是语言的精华，是达到语言学习目的的重点和难点（张镇华，2007）。习语是人类文化的结晶，是民族文化的核心与精华，具有强烈的文化特征。数字是人类社会发展进程中起着重要作用的一个因素，因此语言中存在大量与数字相关的习语。由于英汉文化的共通性和思维方式的相似性，人们会对同一数字产生相同或相似的联想，但是，由于英汉民族在自然环境、社会制度、风俗习惯、宗教信仰及思维方式等方面又存在差异，形成了各具特色的民族文化。文化的差异导致人们对同一数字赋予不同的情感和联想，而不同的数字可能产生相同或相似的联想。

本文着眼于英汉民族对数字的不同喜好，探析数字习语的文化内涵及意义的差异。首先，本文从文化、数字和语言三者的比较出发，分析其内在联系，其次，英汉数字习语的文化内涵都与民族心理、神话宗教有着十分密切的关系，因此本文从这些方面详细分析阐述英汉数字习语不同的文化内涵及意义。 关键词: 数字习语;文化内涵;数字;文化

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Abstract

As we all know, idioms，considered as the elite of that language，are the most culture-accumulated part of a language, conveying the history and culture of the language and the it’s users. (Zhang Zhenhua, 2007:1). Idioms，tinged with unique national colors， are crystallizations of human culture as well as the essence of language. Numbers play a vital role in the development of human society. Therefore，numerous idioms related to numbers have emerged. Due to the similarities between English and Chinese as well as universal modes of thinking, the same numbers may evoke the same or similar feelings or associations among people from both cultures. Because of different historical and cultural settings, the connotations of numbers in one language do not always coincide with those in another. However, on other occasions they may give different connotations to the same number.

Based upon the two nations’ different likes and dislikes towards numerals，this thesis explores and analyzes the different cultural connotation and meaning of English and Chinese numerical idioms and makes a contrastive study of the similarities and differences between English and Chinese numerical idioms.

Key words: numerical idioms; cultural connotation; numeral; culture

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Table of Contents

1. Introduction ................................................................................... 错误！未定义书签。 2. Numbers, language and culture ................................................... 错误！未定义书签。 2.1 The relationship between culture and language ............................ 错误！未定义书签。 2.2 The roles played by numbers in both languages.............................................................. 1 3. A brief analysis of English and Chinese numerical idioms .......................................... 2 3.1 The definition of idiom in both languages..................................... 错误！未定义书签。 3.2 The pattern of idiom in both languages ........................................................................... 2 4. Contrastive study of cultural connotation between English and Chinese numerical idioms .................................................................................................................................... 3 4.1 The cultural connotation of numeral idioms related to psychology ................................ 3 4.1.1The cultural connotation of Chinese numerical idioms in psychology ......................... 4 4.1.2 The cultural connotation of English numerical idioms in psychology ......................... 5 4.2 The cultural connotation of numeral idioms related to mythology ................................. 5 4.2.1 The cultural connotation of Chinese numerical idioms in mythology ......................... 5 4.2.2 The cultural connotation of English numerical idioms in mythology .......................... 6 4.3 The cultural connotation of numeral idioms related to religion ...................................... 6 4.3.1The cultural connotation of Chinese numerical idioms in religion ............................... 7 4.3.2The cultural connotation of English numerical idioms in religion ................................ 7 5. Conclusion ...................................................................................... 错误！未定义书签。 Bibliography ....................................................................................... 错误！未定义书签。

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1. Introduction

As an important part of the English and Chinese idioms, numerical idioms reflect the psychological bases, the traditions and characteristics of both cultures. A good understanding of the cultural connotations of the numerical words is the basis for the proper use of English and Chinese numerical idioms. It will help us with language teaching and learning as well cross-culture communication if we have a proper understanding of the difference between the English and Chinese numerical idioms. (Chang Runfang, 2008.)

So far, many scholars have made systematic comparison between English and Chinese idioms. Numerical culture has attracted scholars’ attention at home and abroad in recent decades, especially in China. As the globalization of the world is speeding up day after day, and Chinese numerals carry such rich cultural messages, it is necessary to introduce the rich Chinese numerical culture to foreign countries and vice versa.

This thesis discusses the different cultural connotations of basic numerals in both English and Chinese from the perspective of psychology, mythology and religion. It contains five chapters.

2. Numbers, language and culture

2.1 The relationship between culture and language

In a broad sense, culture refers to the totality of material and spiritual products created by human beings in their practice. Specifically speaking, it can be divided into material culture, institutional culture and psychological culture. In a narrow sense, culture refers merely to spiritual products including language, literature, art, social ideology, etc. Definition of culture has varied a great deal since the emergence of anthropology in the 19th century and no unanimity has been reached yet. (Wangzhikui,2001:23 )

Language and culture are inseparable from each other. Language, on one hand, is the carrier of culture, on the other hand, a necessary part of it. Any culture must be expressed in a certain language.

2.2 The roles played by numbers in both languages

When human thought developed to a certain degree, numbers came on the sense to meet the need of the social activities with the help of signs. Numbers are used for counting ,comparing amounts，performing calculations, determining order, making measurements, representing value, setting limits, abstracting quantities, coding information, and transmitting data. Every nation has necessity to use numbers in their counting systems. Numbers is an organic part of language.

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Numerical words with their unique connotations and functions play a very important role in human's cultural communication and development. Because of the similarities between English and Chinese cultures and modes of thinking, the same number may evoke the same or similar feelings or associations among people. However, due to different historical and cultural settings, the connotations of numbers in one language do not always coincide with those in another. In some cases people may use different numbers to express the same feelings or figurative meanings, while on other occasions they may give different feelings or figurative meanings to the same number.

3. A brief analysis of English and Chinese numerical idioms 3.1 The definition of idiom in both languages

It’s by no means easy to give a clear-cut definition of idioms. The definitions can differ from person to person (experts and scholars) and from dictionary to dictionary.

According to Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, (2004:971) an idiom is a group of words with a meaning of its own that is different from the meanings of each separate word put together. For example ―under the weather‖ is an idiom meaning ―ill‖.

Dictionaries offer very different opinions, so do experts and scholars. To quote only two of them as example: Ammer (1997) defines an idiom as a set phrase of two or more words that means something different from the literal meaning of the individual words; and according to the Chinese scholar Luo Shiping, an idiom is a set phrase particular to a language or people, whose meaning is often different from the meaning of the words that it is made up of and must be learnt as a whole. (2005:4)

In spite of the differences in definition of an idiom, the common characters are summed up by Luo Shiping (2005:13)，―when determine whether an expression is an idiom, three points may be taken into consideration: first, there have to be two or more than two words in an idiom; second, the structure is relatively fixed and its parts cannot be replaced arbitrarily; third, the meaning cannot be derived by adding up the meaning of every constituent of the expressions.‖ For instance, ―to spill the beans‖ has nothing to do with ―bean‖; in fact, it means ―to tell something that is secret‖. 3.2 The pattern of idiom in both languages

English idioms contain set phrases (set phrases are those idioms whose form is set and many of them are rather rigid and cannot appear in its variants.); proverbs (proverb is an embodiment and miniature of a nation’s language and culture, hails from ordinary people and roots in common life, mirroring wisdom, thought and sensation of the masses.); allusions (allusion is a direct or indirect reference with the character or event in history,

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