The Similarity and Discrepancy between English Idioms and Chinese Idioms

1. The Similarity and Discrepancy between English Idioms and Chinese Idioms

2. Reference Books • 1.A Comparative Study of English and Chinese Idioms 郁福敏 著 上海交通大学出版社 1999.6 • 2.英汉习语的文化观照与对比 蒋磊 著 武汉大学出版社 2000年12月 • 3.英汉习语对比 陈新颜 南阳师范学院学报 2005年7月 • 4.英汉数字习语的文化根源及对比翻译探析 常润芳 河南大学学报 2008年1月 • 5.英语习语中常用对比法的研究 杨兰兰 怀化学院学报 2006年11月 • 6.英汉常用习语的对比研究 周熹 和田师范专科学院学报 2006年27期

3. Introduction • Without idioms, it may still be a long way before a language becomes the treasury of a culture or even a nation. Just as the distiled water is of purer quality, the distiled product of a language---idioms, are of finer features. • In fact, idioms are by all means the crystallization of a language due to its long history and also, the telling demonstration of wisdom of a nation. • Wisdom, as it is, takes many forms, so it is quite a good idea to discuss the similarity and discrepancy of the wisdom between English idioms and Chinese idioms. • In terms of similarity, the article will deal with the beauty of language itself, contents, forms and the rhetoric devices. The discrepancy will be foucused on how culture has rendered distinctive features to idioms of this two nations.

4. Similarity • First, both the English and Chinese idioms are descriptive in their aim to convey meanings. • For instances, in English idioms, there are “drink like a fish”, “as busy as a bee”, “eat like a horse”. • In the same manner, Chinese idioms are also known for their hit-the-point magic. Some idioms go like: “热锅上的蚂蚁”，“火上加油”etc. These idioms, though in different language, do an excellent job in adding vivid images and stir further imagination from readers.

5. Senond, both the E&C idioms reflect the very beauty of its language. • Firstly, the use of alliteration is pervasive. E.g “nothing venture, nothing have”, “in for a penny, in for a pound”, “as cool as cucumber”; “澎湃”，“玲珑”etc. • Its counterparts are also of frequent usage: “fair and square”，“A friend in need is a friend indeed”, “East and west, home is the best”, “wealth is better than health”; “仓皇”，“逍遥”. • Secondly, superposition重叠 is frequently emplyed. “step by step”, “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth”; “恶狠狠”，“气冲冲”etc. • The idioms bearing the upper features sound more rththmic and feels much briefer, giving a full display of the beauty of both English and Chinese.

6. Corresponding • One gifted scholar once said that between two languages, generally, chances are against it that there is a equivalence of phrases and sentences, only a few exceptions. Idioms are just one of those One of the reasons to this are that huaman beings live on the same planet, confined to the same objective restrictions. • E.g: “to strike while the iron is hot—趁热打铁”; “Like father, like son—有其父必有其子”; “Birds of a feather flock together—物以类聚，人以群分;” “the onlookers see most of the games—旁观者清”. • From these, it can be learned that there is a common bond in the sameness of the thoughts and emotions in human being of defferent parts in the world.

7. Rhetoric Devices • The rhetoric devices in E&C idioms tell the same story and achieve the effecs all the same. • personification. E.g: “a walking dictionary”, “riches serve a wise man but command a fool.” , “walls have ears” In chinese, there are “桃李天下”, “人为刀俎，我为鱼肉”,etc. • Contrast. E.g “Art is long, Life is short”, “An optimist sees an opportunity in every calamity; A pessimist sees a calamity in every opportunity”. ;“大材小用”, “凶多吉少”. The use of contrast make the difference or opposition seem sharper and clearer.

8. Hyperbole. Idioms are rich in hyperbolic expressions full of emotional saturation which achieve the effect that is not real, yet better than reality. E.g “Cowards die many times before their deaths”, “An unfortunate man would be drowned in a tea-cup.” ;“一失足成千古恨” , “翻天覆地”. • Rhetoric devices used in the idioms add lust to the beauty of language, besides, they reveal to us that as far as literature is concerned, there are no boundary in idioms from different nations.

9. Discrepancy • Language is a carrier of the culture in each nation. Fundamentally, the descrepancy between E&C idioms is the result of cultural reasons. • Chinese Culture emphasize on argriculture which has raised generation after generation and is what our welfare is attached to. • Growing up in this land-foucused notion, chinese people have long been dedicated to their hometown, add to the fact that the weather is also land-friendly, they are able to feed themselves, as a result, the thoutht of expansion and invasion of other nations is never of their concern.

10. Whereas the western history started when the ancestors discover and fight for their habitat by sailing in the sea, western people have a complex of marine culture. • During those tough periods of the struggle on and off the sea, western people formed their strong sense of controlness and invasion by force to expand their territory. Thus the western culture is marked by their appreciation for competition and enterprise. • The above differences leads to the cultural differences. They are geographic position, individual values, social mentality, ways of communication and expression.

11. Geographic Position. Most idioms bear the characteristic of its surrounding environment. Take Britain for example, because it is an island country, British people are fond of sailing by and off the sea, which is well expressed by many idioms like “take some down a peg”压制, “steer clear of”绕开. • Whereas in an argricultural country like China, many of our idioms has the flavour of land. “树大招风”，“五谷丰登”,etc. • Biological Environment breeds differece in idioms. As to the expression which means things that pop up everywhere, English use “mushroom” as in the “spring up like mushroom”, while Chinese refer them to “Bamboo” as in the “雨后春笋”. Both are vivid descriptions under each biological features.

12. Honesty Vs.Aggressiveness • Simplicity and Honesty have always been an innate temperament of chinese people. They worship politeness and sincerity and are ashamed by doing any wrongness to others, even they have good reasons. As a result, they regeard golden means as the highest cause. So there are idioms like “礼仪之邦”，“知足常乐”，etc. • Aggressiveness shaped westerners′ idea of pragmatism. They believe, beyond doubt that they are entitled to achieve goal by all means. There are idioms like “All is fair in love and war”, “A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush”.

13. Symmetry • Because Chinese people have long placed emphasis on “man proposes, god disposes”, and they seek for the notion “man in nature and nature in man” which unfold our ideal that antithesis and wholeness are the inner features of every creature. • Therefore, it goes the idea that nothing is perfect without being present in paris. E.g “阳奉阴违”，“十年树木，百年树人”. • In contrast, western culture prefers to break through symmetry. Their poems are more in modern style—without strict observance to requirement of rhythm and number of characters. • Of course, there are some exceptions, such as “ups and downs”, “ more haste, less speed”, but these are minor compared with those majority free forms.

14. Number • Considering “yin” and “yang” that make up everything in chinese culture, one area of idioms that cannot be mentioned more is the number. Because of the “yin” and “yang” theory, the even numbers are the chinese people′s favourite. They are firmly convinced that even numbers bear auspicious meaning and will bring them foutune and falware. • Chinese people have common wish that good fortune oneday will come in pairs as in “好事成双”. Youngsters often wish that everything will be ok by saying “六六大顺”；Businessmen commuting from place to place have “四通八达” on their lips to wish for a smooth journey.; Also, when the elders are darn proud of “四世同堂”, they take pride that they offsprings are all over the world.

15. However, in western world, people are expecially fond of odd numbers, resulting from they belief that the world is composed of three parts: sea, land and sky, while the nature are composed of animals, plants and minerals. Even in human, it is the trinity of body, soul and spirit. In addition to their beloved number 3, number 1 and 7 also have sth to commend themselves. • Westerns tend to add 1 to big numbers, for example, “a thousand and one job”, “one thousand and one thanks”, 1 here indicates more, deeper, and stronger in degree. • Number 7 is westerners′ another favourite child, for the simple reason that it takes God 7 days to creat their world. Idioms like “seven virtues”, “A man may lose more in an hour than he can get in seven.”

16. Colour • Idioms are colourful. Their targeted meaning has also been affected by the surrounding tradions, mentality, religion, and values. • Despite the fact that a single colour can trigger diversified associations in peoples mind, one thing is certain, the primary colours in the two nations are generally the same. • They are: “red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet.(赤橙黄绿青蓝紫). But this sameness is only at the superfacial level, exploring deep, we can find the whole truth. The following graph is just one brief glimpse of the most palpable distinctions.

17. Black in both languages indicates illegalness and sadness. Black list 黑名单 • white in English indicates innocence and honesty while in Chinese, it means voidness and nothing. White hands“白手” • Though green in both languages indicates freshness, only English use it to modify memory : To keep one′s memory green记忆犹新

18. Red in Chinese bear commentory meanings such as auspicion,foutune,vigor,revolution,etc. whereas in Enlish, it often indicates aggression,cruelty,jeopardy and wrath • Red flag/ red hands/ in the red/ see red 开战旗/血腥之手/亏损/发怒.

19. Chinese people associate white with death and funeral；Englishmen see sincerity,solemn and purity in white. White lies善意的谎言 • Monarch in China wears in yellow, while their counterparts in English wears in purple. Born in the purple生于贵族或皇室之家

20. Green in Chinese is associated with spring,hope and birth. In English, it means inexperienced and jealousy. Green hand, green-eyed, be green at生手/妒忌/对…..不熟悉

21. Conclusion • The discrepancy between English and Chinese idioms lies deep in the cultural difference. This article should be an enlightment to us all that when learning English idioms, we are supposed to bear the cultural background in mind so as to acquire better learning. • Moreover, the study of both E/C idioms shed lights for our studying of the thinking mode of both languages, which is of central essence for our learning purpose. 2008年12月 赵玲颖