Therefore, "cat" and "mouse", as metaphors, play a very positive role in idioms and proverbs in the East and the West. These colorful expressions are often used to describe human beings and their activities, and are endowed with their own ethnic historical documents and national psychological characteristics, which further expands the meaning and connotation of idioms and makes Chinese and English languages more colorful.
This year coincides with the Year of the Rat. Let's talk about the different meanings and symbols of "cat" and "mouse" in Chinese and western cultures.
In Chinese, there are few idioms or proverbs about cats. However, there are countless idioms about "rat" in Chinese, and most of them have derogatory meanings. For example, "deer's head and mouse's eyes" are used to describe "ugly and cunning people"
In English, there are too many idioms and allusions involving "cat" and "mouse", which have a specific cultural background and make people have mixed feelings. For example, in English slang, cat means "a malicious or disgusting woman" (a heartless or disgusting woman); On the other hand, Mouse can refer to girl & Woman (girl, woman) and rat (older than mouse) can be used as substitutes for newborn in American slang. Of course, cat can sometimes contain neutral feelings, that is, jazz fans; Rat can also refer to rogue, informer, traitor (nuisance, informer, traitor) and so on.
Below, the author collects some common idioms and proverbs, and briefly introduces their context and historical and cultural background, aiming to help English learners understand western culture, understand and use English idioms and improve their language expression ability.
(A) "cat" discourse
1. Worry kills the cat.
[Cultural Traceability] The comedy Much Trouble by British playwright Shakespeare, Act V, scene/kloc-0. Benedick had to challenge his good friend Keraudy O to avenge his marriage with his lover Beatrice's cousin. When Claudio saw Benedick depressed and pale, he said to him, "Hey, take heart, friend! Although sadness can hurt people, you are a hero and will drive it away. " (what! Courage, man! What killed a cat through a nurse? In a hurry, their generosity was enough to kill the nurse. In the eyes of the British, cats are the most vital animals, but they will die of sadness, which shows that "sadness can kill people; Trouble hurts the body. "
[Example] Don't worry so much about such meaningless things; You know, worry kills cats. Don't worry about such meaningless things, you should know that sadness is harmful to the body.
2. A lucky man has his own face.
[Cultural Origin] Code out English customs. Among many animals, cats are isolated from the world because of their agility and lightness. They are good at jumping. Because it has thick and soft fleshy toes on the soles of its feet, it will not be hurt at all even if it falls from a height. Even if a drug is used to kill most animals, cats can miraculously survive. In the past, the British were superstitious about the tenacious vitality of cats, so some cats had nine lives. Proverbs are also written: nine-life cats. Later, this proverb was translated into "energetic people".
[example]
The baby fell off the roof, but he was all right. His parents call him a nine-life cat. The child fell from the roof and didn't break. His parents say his life is really big.
One of the most striking differences between cats and lies is that cats only have nine lives. One of the most striking differences between cats and lies is that cats only have nine lives.
3. Cat's paw
[Cultural Traceability] originated from such an Aesop fable. The story says: A cunning and clever monkey wanted to eat chestnuts in the fire, but he was afraid of burning himself, so he tricked him into taking chestnuts out of the ashes of the fire and promised to share them equally. As a result, the cat took out the chestnuts, but its claws were burnt to powder. When it's the turn to share chestnuts, the monkey has eaten all the chestnuts, so this idiom is used to mean "a person who is used as a tool by others" or "a person who is used and fooled by others".
That stupid guy never realized that he was just a cat's paw in the hands of the enemy. The fool never realized that he was just a tool in the hands of the enemy.
You have been pawed by that woman; She just wants you to help her integrate into the local society. You were used by that woman. She just wanted you to help her get into the local society.
Enough to make the cat talk.
[Cultural Traceability] originated from the novel Nicholas Nickelby by British writer Charles Dickens. The novel satirizes and castigates the cruel school system and rigid teachers at that time. There is a sentence in the article: "Just look at the way she looks up, even the cat can speak French grammar." It means that the way the heroine looks up is amazing, and this language comes from it. Nowadays, enough to make a cat talk is often used to describe things "different;" Surprising; Very surprising. "
The plot of this novel is enough to make the cat talk. The plot of this novel is unexpected.
Grinning like Cheshire cat.
[Cultural Traceability] originated from Alice in Wonderland written by British writer lewis carroll. The sixth chapter of the book contains the following contents: When Alice saw a smiling cat at the Duke's house, she asked the Duchess why the cat kept grinning inexplicably. The lady told her that it was a "Cheshire cat", which gave birth to this phrase. Later generations used it to mean "grinning like Cheshire cat".
I wish you would stop smirking and try to be serious. I wish you would stop smirking and be serious.
6. There is no room for manoeuvre
[Cultural Traceability] There are different opinions about the origin of this idiom. One theory originated from an ancient sports game. People put a live cat in a cloth bag or purse and hang it on a tree as an arrow target. The cat struggled in the bag, and the bag wobbled. A shooter needs to stand at a certain distance to shoot an arrow. Second, it originated from the flogging prevalent in the old British navy. This whip consists of nine leather ropes and is called "nine-tailed cat". It takes some space to hit people with such a whip. No matter what kind of statement it comes from, there is no room for manoeuvre. "The space is extremely narrow; There is no room for activity. "
In London, I was trapped in a dirty house, and there was no place to turn around. In London, I was locked in a dirty house, too narrow to turn around.
Attached:
English proverbs related to "cats";
(1) Cassidy their claws. Know people, know faces, but don't know hearts.
All cats are gray in the dark. All cats are gray in the dark. People look the same when they are not famous. )
A cat with gloves can't catch mice. A gloved cat catches no mice. People who don't want to suffer hardships can't achieve great things. )
When a weasel marries a cat, it is a very bad omen. It is not a good thing for a weasel to marry a cat.
The cat closes its eyes when it steals cream. Cats always close their eyes when they steal cream. (Stealing ringtones)
There are many ways to kill a cat besides chopping it with butter. There are many ways to kill cats. There are many ways to achieve your goal. )
What about "East-West cooperation"? The East includes many countries, and I think the most representative here is China culture with a history of 5,000 years. Even Japanese cultures, which are far apart, are different from China, but as a whole, they are very different from the West. This is their * * *.
Western culture started relatively late compared with eastern culture, but there are also differences between them, such as southern Europe and northern Europe, western Europe and eastern Europe, and even Britain and Germany. However, it is undoubtedly the cultural differences between the East and the West that reflect the essential differences. The papers on this site are collected and sorted by China Paper Alliance. Please indicate the source of China Paper Alliance for reprinting.
Dragon and Phoenix In China, the dragon is a totem image. After the further sanctification of totem development, a comprehensive totem image with many animal characteristics such as dragons and phoenixes has been formed. In the ancient legends of China, the dragon is an animal that can walk in clouds and rain. So in China, dragons and phoenixes refer to talented people, while dragons and tigers are compared to heroes and lofty ideals. "Dragon" is also widely used in idioms, such as "Dragon and Phoenix Dance, Hidden Dragon Crouching Tiger" and so on. Han people have always called themselves "descendants of the dragon" and are proud of it. According to the legend of China, the phoenix is a magical animal, which is called the Four Spirits together with the dragon, tortoise and unicorn. Phoenix also refers to a beautiful woman in China. It also means peace and prosperity. In ancient times, the phoenix was also a sacred virtue. "Rare" means precious and rare, which is used to describe a virtuous person.
In the west, dragon and phoenix don't mean this at all. In the west, the dragon is the representative of evil and evil, while in the west, the phoenix means rebirth and resurrection. In western legends and myths, dragons are giant lizards with wings, scales and long tails, which can breathe fire from their mouths. In the Middle Ages, the dragon became a symbol of evil, or diablo, the devil in Diablo (a famous computer game in the West), a monster that looked like a dragon. In English, the association caused by dragon is completely different from that caused by the word "dragon" in Chinese. If you praise westerners, never use dragons and phoenixes.
The Chinese nation is a nation that longs for stability and peace, so it is a kind of gospel to imagine the dragon and phoenix coming together. Culturally, the West has long been influenced by religion, while China has long been ruled by feudal thoughts. Westerners believe in God and it is wrong and evil to oppose God. And our people believe in heaven and Buddhism, praying that heaven can bring us good luck. God descended the dragon as his representative, which is the supreme symbol.
The conflict between eastern and western ways of thinking
Teacher Lu Qiutian, who has worked and lived in Europe for 26 years and is now China's ambassador to Germany, said, Before a German and a Frenchman died, you asked the French what your greatest wish was before you died. The French answer is, I want to drink the best champagne. Ask the Germans again, what are your wishes before you die? He said that if I still have the strength, I want to make another report. This is a German. He likes giving lectures. I think this may be a difference in thinking, which only exists in the west. When it comes to the differences between East and West, I think they are even bigger.
There are four main characteristics of thinking mode: First, the universality of thinking. I once read an article in which an American wrote a letter to China. China people were angry when they read it, because Americans put their demands at the beginning of the letter, and then made some pleasantries. In order to keep a psychological balance, people in China read letters from Americans first. On the other hand, Americans become more and more confused when reading China's letters. They don't know what the other party wants to explain. At the end of the letter, there were only a few words he wanted to say, and what he said in front was all polite and so on. Americans read letters from China in the opposite way. This different writing reflects different ways of thinking.
Second, after the formation of the national way of thinking, it has relative stability. A person, whether oriental or western, is relatively stable after forming a kind of thinking. A German, a Japanese, a China, three people went to Paris by train from Frankfurt, Germany. These three people are sitting in a carriage. Suddenly a guest came, because there were four seats in the carriage. The guest brought a fish tank and put it on the empty seat. The Germans began to ask the man who brought the fish tank. What happened? Sheath cutting defect? Tired? Remonstrance? Hey? Do you think it's too cute to feed? Heart man ┨ Ke Yu? Stealing pu? It's too hasty to chop it up and put it on an empty seat. Germans began to ask people who served fish tanks. What happened? Sheath cutting defect? Tired? Remonstrance? Hey? Do you think it's too cute to feed? Heart man ┨ Ke Yu? Stealing pu? This is a question that a German asked this guest. After listening to the German, the Japanese asked, "Do you want to accept overseas Chinese felt moxibustion?" ? Oysters retreat? Once? Leftovers? What happened? The question is over. It's China's turn to ask. Why do you say "Qiaozhuan" is a good friend? Trade destroys contradictions, showing the characteristics of three different cultures and ways of thinking. In my humble opinion, this is also a different reflection of society.
Third, the way of thinking is not static, but constantly developing. The same is true of the ideological changes of our younger generation. Our ideas are quite different from those of the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s.
Fourth, the difference in thinking mode can sometimes be felt, but it is difficult to say clearly and give feedback to each other.
Differences between eastern and western cultures
First, the relationship between justice and benefit. Generally speaking, westerners value profit over righteousness, while orientals value righteousness over profit or both. The consciousness of orientals is righteousness first, and Guan Yu in ancient times was not an out-and-out loyal hero. Also deeply appreciated by people at that time. I think this is also a kind of cultural consciousness caused by various ancient ideas. Five thousand years of culture is also a cause that cannot be ignored. Relatively speaking, western short culture pays more attention to interests, which is precisely the performance of realism. Their consciousness can be seen from the war of aggression against China to all life in the west. Of course, this is only for the vast majority of the East. In the life of orientals, such as China, modesty is a virtue, but westerners don't know what to do. Westerners can sacrifice their righteousness for the benefit most of the time.
Second, it is a question of wholeness and individuality. Orientals emphasize wholeness and comprehensiveness, while westerners value individuality. For example, Chinese medicine and western medicine emphasize the whole, which is different from western medicine. Anatomically, it attaches importance to parts of the whole. The difference between holistic thinking and individual thinking is also manifested in communication. For example, in many reports, when a China person went to a western family for dinner, when the host asked whether to eat Chinese food or western food today, the guest politely said, "Whatever." "It's up to the guests." It is difficult for westerners to understand such an answer. They said that when they heard the word "headache", they "hmm", and they didn't know how to fix it, so it was not easy to operate. In the depths of our way of thinking, we think that being a guest with our host is a sign of courtesy and respect for our host, but westerners don't think so. This is the difference. On the other hand, if a European comes to China and you ask him what he is doing today, he will definitely not say "whatever", but he will definitely make his wishes clear. Today, we can eat western food or Chinese food, but China people seldom express their personal wishes. Our delegation visited, and the foreign party received our delegation. The other party asked, What would you like to drink? If the colonel says tea, the people below may also say tea. People wonder why a person says tea, only tea, and all tea is swallowed.
Third, the issue of seeking common ground while reserving differences. We in China have always emphasized "harmony is the most important" and "harmony between man and nature", while the west pays attention to the innovation of various theories. When we thank each other for their reception, we often say things like: Your country is beautiful, your people are friendly, your reception is thoughtful, and so on. They think that Wan Li is all the way from east to west. Isn't there anything different? Why do they always say these three words? Later, when a delegation left, except for three sentences, he said, I want to make some suggestions now. These people listened carefully at once and wanted to hear the delegation's suggestions before leaving. First suggestion, I hope your introduction materials can be translated into Chinese. The second is whether you can boil this beef, because blood is intolerable. Thirdly, I hope you can know something about the history and culture of China. They felt particularly good after listening and heard different opinions. They said, we will do what we can, and we know what you like, if we can't.
Fourthly, it is the difference of emotional expression between the East and the West. Differences between China and the West on many issues Yes, I bet Westerners can't understand butterfly lovers. The biggest problem here is the cultural difference between China and the West, which leads to two different ways of expression: the subtle feelings of China people and the direct expression of Westerners. China's ancient ladies must have no western imagination, not to mention China's ancient concept of "men are superior to women" and ancient family law.
Fifth, we often have intentions in our way of thinking. They are intuitive. For example, some of our articles like to use hints from life or compare the past with the present. This hint needs you to understand. The so-called silence is better than sound here, which is different from the intuition of westerners. For example, Mr. Qian Zhongshu's Comparison between Western Culture and China Culture talks about the advantages of China's poetry. Although there are only a few crosses, its expression is more artistic than western long poems. But for westerners, it is very profound and difficult to understand.
That gray song
Fuzzy connection and then accurate.
This is the characteristic of China's poems that ordinary western readers think. Keats famously said: The music you can hear is really beautiful, but the music you can't hear is more beautiful. I often use questions to answer, ask questions to answer, ask questions without answering, so that you have unlimited vision and imagination for the following.
The educational differences caused.
Two different cultures have created two different educational systems. The sharp contrast reflects the children living in two different cultural backgrounds. First, western education is almost complete from system to policy implementation. Groups of children received higher education well. The only drawback is that in this case, some students have developed a lot of arrogant habits, which has also affected them to some extent. But I have to admit the fact that their educational environment is better than that of China, and their main task is to cultivate children's self-ability and quality, which I appreciate. Exercise their living ability since childhood. In the international summer camp, it is obvious that their children are much better than us. I think this also has certain environmental factors.
In contrast, quality education in China is always imperfect. Apart from environmental factors, I think the most important reason is that China's cultural heritage is so deep that it is difficult to change this tradition. In addition, China's quality education overemphasizes the cultivation of test-taking ability, often ignoring the cultivation of test-taking ability and the improvement of self-ability, which fundamentally leads to the high level of China students in international competitions, but their lives are far worse than others. Many students in China are dissatisfied with education, which also reflects two levels from one side.
In my opinion, two different education systems can't explain which is good and which is not. It is only the product of two cultures and social systems. They have their own advantages and disadvantages. We should learn from each other's good aspects, so that education in different regions can develop better.
Reasons for cultural differences
Teacher Zhou said: "China is a land civilization, and the west is a marine civilization." That makes sense. One is that the social development paths of the East and the West are different. China's long-term agricultural society and small-scale peasant economy have caused the national psychology of our mainland culture. This psychological feature emphasizes a kind of local friendship and a kind of neighborhood friendship to a great extent. Didn't you say that there are four happy events in life? After a long drought, I met an old friend in a foreign country and spent the night in a bridal chamber. At that time, I was in to beno. 1. It must be very cold to meet an old friend in a foreign country. If they meet a fellow countryman abroad, they won't be very excited. However, overseas Chinese have many hometown associations outside, while westerners generally have no hometown associations. We often talk about our homeland, and even talk about one side's soil and water to support one side's people, and so on. These have a lot to do with our long-term agricultural society. There is also the concept of falling leaves returning to their roots, which has a strong feeling, and the factors of this feeling are just very weak in the West.
Another is that China is a multi-ethnic country with a history of 5,000 years. The historical origin of China's traditional culture is Confucian culture and a culture in which a hundred schools of thought contend. One of the characteristics of this traditional culture is that it emphasizes the overall qualitative thinking mode, which is very different from the western culture's emphasis on individual and local empirical thinking mode. The west is mainly Christian culture. Confucian philosophy system emphasizes self-cultivation, keeping the family in order, governing the country and leveling the world. The first is to cultivate one's morality first, that is, to pay attention to moral cultivation; Western philosophy emphasizes analysis, which leads to the difference of focusing on overall thinking or individual thinking respectively.
There are many differences between Chinese and western cultures, and there are also many differences, many of which also produce many jokes. However, the similarity between different cultures is that these are all the processes of human cultural development. These differences between eastern and western cultures cannot be said to be good or bad, but they are objectively formed. Their existence will inevitably lead to the continued development of human culture. In today's world, no nation or country can lose or get rid of its traditional culture. Therefore, external imposition or internal betrayal is not conducive to national development and social progress.
Let's work together to safeguard the development of various cultures and the stability of the country. Eastern and Western cultures can promote and learn from each other. In this way, I believe that the cultural course of mankind will go better.