从习语中看中美文化差异.pdf

On Cultural Differences between Chinese Idioms and English Idioms Abstract Language, as part of culture, also as its major carrier, lays the basic foundation for culture while giving human beings access to what was thought and experienced in the past, as well as passing new information on to future generations. When this language link is broken, then a culture is lost to us forever. On the other side, culture exerts its impacts on language, in which cultural connotations can be thoroughly traced. A nation’s characteristics, not only its history and cultural background, also its people’s outlooks on life, lifestyles, and ways of thinking, all of which, can be found in all documents from the perspective of language. Since language and culture are closely related, having impacts on each other, so, in order to master language well, we must put it into a cultural context. Besides, a good understanding of culture discrepancies can aid us to get a grasp of its language. Idioms, refined from the process of people’ cognition and practice of the world, are fruits of culture. It includes set phrases, colloquialisms, proverbs, and slang expressions, etc. As Language mirrors culture, so, by comparing and analyzing idioms the core of language, between Chinese and English, this article, attempts to reveal some inner cultural differences from the perspectives of religion, ways of thinking, value orientation, and customs. It aims to help English learners more appreciate culture differences existing between native and foreign languages, and use these two languages more correctly and appropriately. Key words: language, idiom, cultural discrepancies I On Cultural Differences between Chin