Could you try these ones?
• 牛饮 • Drink like a fish • 对牛弹琴 • Cast pearls before swine猪 • 落汤鸡 • A drowned rat • 狐假虎威
• An ass in lion’s skin
Could you try these ones?
• • • • 英汉动物喻体相同、喻义相似 英汉动物喻体相异、喻义相似 英汉动物喻体相同、喻义相异 英语动物词汇的象征意义
英汉动物喻体相同、喻义相似
Sometimes Chinese and English share connotative meanings: “狐狸” and “fox” Cunning 狡猾的 “猴子” and “monkey” Mischief恶作剧 “狼” and “wolf” Savageness残忍
勤劳，吃苦耐劳
a willing horse
• 汉文化：牛（俯首甘为孺子牛，老黄牛） • 英语文化：马 (work like a horse 任劳任怨)
• as strong as a horse 健壮 • horse power 力大
羊
• 英国牧羊业发达 To separate sheep from goats • Sheep: 能力强，成绩突出者 • Goats: 能力弱，业绩平平者 • Black sheep (There is a ~ in every flock.) 害群之马 • 长黑毛的绵羊比较少，魔鬼的标志
• The life of the wolf is the death of the lamb. 狼的生就是羔羊的死。 • Wake not a sleeping wolf. 莫惹是生非Don’t wake a sleeping ~. • See a wolf 吓得张口结舌，说不出话来 • To lead a wolf into the house 引狼入室 greedy as a wolf 贪得无厌
PIG：肮脏、贪婪、懒惰……
Other Examples:
• He doesn’t have an idea of his own. He just parrots what others say. 他没有自己的观点，只是鹦鹉学舌罢了。 • As slow as a snail/at a snail’s pace 像蜗牛一样缓慢 • A lion at home, a mouse abroad. 在家如狮，在外如鼠。 • A rat crossing the street is chased by all. 老鼠过街，人人喊打。
• 汉文化：鼠（胆小如鼠） • 英语文化：兔子 (as timid as a hare)
胆小
• “兔”在汉文化中是敏捷、迅速的象征： “静如处子，动若脱兔” • “鼠”在英语文化中是安静的象征：as quiet as a mouse • as timid as a rabbit, chicken-livered, pigeon-hearted
• 汉语言中用“虎”比喻勇猛、威武，例如 “虎将”brave general、“虎劲”、“虎 威”。 • 老虎不仅具备西方狮子的正面形象，还有 “凶狠、残忍”的反面形象，如孔子的“ 苛政猛于虎”。Tyranny is fiercer than a tiger • Beard the lion in his den 虎口拔牙 • An ass in lion’s skin 狐假虎威 • 英语民族也常用“狮子”来形容处于主宰 地位的人。 Jack was married and had a lioness at home.
• In Chinese most phrases and idioms with 狗 contain derogatory senses贬义: 走狗，癞皮 狗，狗仗人势，狼心狗肺，狗胆包天…… • In English “dog” is thought to be the most faithful friend of human beings, most phrases and idioms containing the word “dog” have neutral or commendatory implications: top dog, lucky dog, clever dog, help a lame dog over a stile雪中送炭, Every dog has its day… • China Daily “China’s Watchdog Finds Fake Investors”中国监管机构发现假冒投资 者”
• 英国历史上查里一世(King Richard)因 其勇武善战被誉为the lion-hearted king（狮心王） • 英国著名诗人雪莱(Shelley)在一首诗中 号召被压迫者像狮子醒来： “Rise like lions after slumber” • 在学术界有威风的人被称为a literary lion，有如汉语“泰斗，执牛耳”。
FOX：伶俐、诡诈、狡猾
• The clever fox escaped the hunter. • 伶俐的狐狸逃过了猎人的追捕。 • He is as sly as a fox. You’ve got to watch him. 他狡猾如狐狸，你可要小心点。 • You can never fox me. 你绝对骗不了我。
• 英国人自豪地以狮子作为国家标志，英 国国徽的中心图案是Lion,因此英国又被 称为The British Lion，所以to twist the lion’s tail意为“向英国挑战”。Lion and Unicorn（雄狮代表英格兰，独角兽代表 苏格兰）是英国王室纹章上（即英国国 徽）的动物。
Serpent/Snake
• a snake in the grass 潜伏的危险，暗藏的敌人 • a 仇报的人，背信弃义的人 • serpent eye 如蛇般阴险的眼光
• He’d been a pig about money. 他对钱贪得无厌。 • Make a pig of oneself 大吃大喝，狼吞虎咽 • Pigs in clover（三叶草） 暴发户；行为粗鲁的有钱人 in clover: 生活富裕 • Buy a pig in a poke 未经过目而买下的上当货；冲动购买的东西
Serpent：阴险、毒辣、狡诈
• Bible: Satan searches for Eve and is delighted to find her alone. In the form of a serpent, he talks to Eve and compliments her on her beauty and godliness…
• 蠢得像头猪 • As stupid as a goose • 如鱼得水 • Like a duck to water • 养虎遗患 • Cherish a snake in one’s bosom • 狗改不了吃屎。 • You can not make a crab螃蟹 walk straight.
The Gospel of Matthew 7:15, New
WOLF
Testament
Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. 在《新约· 马太福音》第七章：耶稣在加利利一带传道布 教，收了很多信徒。有一天，他对门徒说: “你们要防
备假先知。他们到你们这里来，外面披着羊皮，里面 却是残暴的狼。” Aesop’s Fables 《伊索寓言》
“A wolf in sheep’s clothing” 披着羊皮的狼 表面温顺友善，实则凶残的伪君子 • Mrs. Martin trusted the lawyer until she realized that he was a wolf in sheep's clothing. 马丁太太原来很信任那个律师， 后来才认清他是个披着羊皮的狼。 •
英汉动物喻体相异、喻义相似
• 文化的差异导致同样的喻义在此文化中 用这种喻体，在彼文化中可能使用一个 完全不同的喻体。
“百兽之王” 汉文化：虎 英语文化：狮子
LION
• Webster’s Third New International Dictionary of the English Language: “a person felt to be like a lion especially in courage, ferocity凶猛, dignity or dominance统治” • Collins COBUILD English Language Dictionary: “a person or a country that is considered to be strong and powerful, and which other people respect or fear”
Implication of Animal Terms
Implication of Animal Terms
Talking about cultural connotations, one will first think of images represented by animals…
Implication of Animal Terms
龙 and “Dragon”
• 汉文化：“龙的传人” descendents of the dragon, “真龙天子” true sons of the dragon from heaven • 《中国成语大辞典》lists 115 entries with the character 龙, most of which are of commendatory sense. • The connotation of the word “dragon”: Sometimes a person who presents himself as kind and gentle can in private turn out to be a dragon who breathes fire.