论中西方文化中动物象征意义的差异.docVIP

论中西方文化中动物象征意义的差异 　　摘要：在人类历史发展的漫长进程中，动物一直与人类保持着密切联系并对人类的生存、发展有着深刻的影响。这种亲密无间的关系使得人类对动物产生喜爱、同情、厌恶、恐惧等错综复杂的情感，人们也常常借动物来寄托和表达人的感情，所以在中西两种文化中都有许许多多与动物相关的表达方式。本文主要阐述的是语言中的词汇表达方式反映了文化发展的差异，研究了导致文化差异的原因是由于受历史、习俗、价值观念、宗教信仰等诸方面文化因素的影响，希望可以帮助语言学习者在翻译、研读中外著作、写作等方面能更好的了解并掌握中英两种语言赋予动物词汇以各自特定的文化内涵。 　　关键词：中国文化；西方文化；动物象征意义；文化差异；因素 　　1 Introduction 　　“Language and culture，intrinsically dependent on each other，have evolved together through the history.”（Claire Kramsch，1998）“On one hand，language as an integral part of human being，permeates his thinking and way of viewing the world，language both expresses and embodies cultural reality. On the other，language，as a product of culture，helps permeate the culture，and the changes in language uses reflect the cultural changes in return”.（Claire Kramsch，1998）Language is the base of entire culture，and it is only in language that culture can be wellpresented and handed down from generation to generation. On the other hand，language is influenced and shaped by culture；it reflects language. Language reflects characteristics of culture and predicts the developing orientation of culture. 　　2 Comparison of the Symbolic Meanings of Animals in Chinese and Western Cultures 　　2.1 Similar Symbolic Meanings of Animals 　　As the ecological environments of human life are roughly similar，people in China and the West will naturally produce the same or similar association，giving the same significance of the animal words when they understand animals from the basic attributes of the animals. For example，in Chinese，fox is the synonym for cunning and craftiness. When people use such phrases like as cunning as “a fox”，“old fox” to describe a person，they often consider him or her sly and tactful. In English speaking countries，fox is also associated with this kind of meaning. 　　2.2 Different Symbolic Meanings of Animals 　　A few of animals have the same or similar symbolic meanings both in China and the West，but it is well known that the majority of animals are