The meanings of a word extend and develop through usage, thus acquiring extended meaning; such as shifted meanings or metaphorical meanings is important.

Translate the following sentences in English. 门开了，一个人走了进来。 我是人，你是人，大家都是人。 我生是你的人，死是你的鬼。 做人难，做女人尤其难，做名女人更难。
house---residence fire---flame anger---indignation sleep---slumber kill---slaughter question---interrogate
Conclusion: The English synonyms demonstrate less significant differences than their Chinese counterparts, and the differences are mainly causes by the word origins.
Try to translate the following sentences.

天高皇帝远。 No help is within reach.
？Heaven is high and emperor is far away.

苍天在上。 Above is the upholder of justice.
Things unique to a culture How do you translate the following Chinese phrases into English?



The four treasures of the study (writing brush, 文房四宝： inkstick, inkstone, and paper) 戒尺： teacher’s ruler for beating students carved columnar inscription 碣： Fortune telling be analyzing the component parts of 测字： the Chinese character 状元： Candidate who won the first place in the highest
天网恢恢，疏而不漏：
The mills of God grind slowly, but they grind exceedingly small.

谋事在人，成事在天：
Man proposes, God disposes.
Different extended meanings

What is extended meaning?




天：sky, weather, heaven, god 蓝天白云： white clouds in the blue sky 天际： the horizon 天下： (in) the whole country 天涯何处无芳草： everywhere in the world 天地良心： The one’s soul of souls 天地玄黄： the series of number 无法无天： devoid of justice 天官： facial featured 天桥：


Words of basically the same or similar meanings in different languages may have different meanings on the part of the listener, called “evoked meaning”.
Lecture 5 (II)
Conception and Nomenclature
Differences among synonyms (近义词)

Synonyms are a clan in order to express and describe minute, subtle or delicate differences and variations in meanings, including degrees and levels, tones, registers, styles, and commendation or derogation.
眼镜---目镜 脚球---足球 写---书 听---闻 偷---窃 眼前---目前 红小豆---赤小豆 看---观 见---视 走---行 输---负 死---亡 放---置


Synonyms in English




leg---limb building---edifice belly---stomach read---peruse spit---expectorate sweat---perspireExamples
Tea: tea leaves, tea juice, drink tea



black tea, green tea, tea store a cup of tea, tea shop tea ceremony

茶

有茶吗？（茶汤） 茶农，茶场（茶叶） 茶道（喝茶）
Examples
imperial examination in Ming and Qing dynasties Tanghulu, a sugar-coated fruit on the stick, 糖葫芦： which is a kind of children’s favorite food in winter
Examples 花 --- flower
这件衣服很花。
我的眼睛有点花。
the flower of the country’s youth
in the flower of one’s youth
袖子口上都磨花了。 His genius as a painter flowered very early.

Do you understand the following English words? Are there corresponding Chinese words for them?
Babycham:
英国一种甜味汽酒，小瓶装出售，深受女士喜爱 （杯杯香）




cabal: 一小群人士的秘密集会 hush puppy: 美国南方的一种油炸玉米球，一般和鱼一起吃。 最初是狗食，用于安抚狗让其不要闹腾。 techno: 一种声音响节奏快的音乐 hotdog: 热狗
？Heaven is above.

天理不容。 Heaven’s law forbid.
？Heaven forbid.
Different reference meanings

Corresponding words in any two languages do not have exactly the same meaning. They correspond only in certain scopes of meaning. There are gaps between the meanings of the so-called corresponding words. Corresponding words may have different ranges or scopes of reference.
overpass


听天由命： to submit to the will of God 天从人愿： God grants man’s wishes 天之骄子： God’s favored one 天地不容：


a towering crime or sinner that neither God nor man can forgive 天经地义：The principles of Heaven
Examples 狗 --- dog
痛打落水狗。
狗眼看人低。
狼心狗肺
狗屁不通
狗急跳墙
狐群狗党
狗嘴里吐不出象牙。 狗仗人势
走狗，狗腿子
Different directions of meanings

up/down (上/下) in/out (内/外) come/go (来/去) attack/defend (攻/守) doubt/suspect Bring/take
after/before (前/后) east/west (东/西) give/receive (舍/得) eat/vomit (吃进/吐出) borrow/lend


This cloth wears well. This cloth does not wear.
Exercise

Analyze the following words and figure out the meaning of 买 in each word. 采买，零卖，赎买，收买，强买
Exercise

Try to explain the Chinese word 玉如意.
Semantic gap

Different reference meanings Different extended meanings


Different directions of meanings