【文章內(nèi)容簡介】 nd English convey the same conceptual meaning, but their cultural meanings are quite different in English and Chinese cultures. From the examples above, it is easy to realize that people in china and Englishspeaking countries have totally different views towards dog.It is known that bear is one kind of charmingly naive animal. However, you can not imagine how many differences there are in bear’s cultural meanings between English and Chinese. In oral English, people often use“bear” to describe someone with a special talent, for example“He is a bear at math” meaning,“He is talented in math”. But in Chinese, the cultural meaning is pletely different. When people talk about the meaning of bear, people always associate them with someone who is stupid, cowardly and timid。 for example,“真熊”(hopelessly stupid),“瞧他那熊子”(coward), etc. It is difficult for people to find any positive meaning of bear in Chinese.The literal meanings of animal words in Chinese and English are the same, but their cultural meanings are pletely different. Therefore it is difficult for the people in China and Englishspeaking countries to understand each other when they are using the cultural meanings in their expressions.B. Different Animal Words with the Same Cultural Meanings in Chinese and EnglishBesides those animal words which have different cultural meanings in Chinese and English, different animal words with the same cultural meaning in Chinese and English could also be found easily.To most of the English, lion is considered to be the king of the animal world. In their mind lion is solemn, regal and majestic. So Englishmen consider lion as the symbol of their nation. But to the Chinese, they think lion is just a kind of animal which is strong and violent, but not solemn. However, another animal takes the place of lion’s in Chinese people’s mind. That is tiger. So English people say“as brave as a lion”, while Chinese people say“勇猛如虎”. Englishmen use“a lion in the way” to describe difficulties while Chinese people use the expression“攔路虎”. English people describe a dangerous situation using the expression“put one’s head in the lion’s mouth”, while Chinese people would say“羊入虎口” to express the same meaning. To describe the people who rely on others who are more powerful, English use the expression“l(fā)ike the donkey in a lion’s hide”. Lion stands for power in this expression. While in Chinese there is an expression that shares the same meaning. That is“狐假虎威”. Tiger stands for power here. Englishmen use the expression“beard the lion in his den” to show someone who goes to the dangerous place. While Chinese people would use the expression“深入虎穴” to describe the same meaning. When people want to warn the others of not doing any dangerous things, in English people would say“one should not twist the lion’s tail” while in Chinese, people would say“老虎的屁股摸不得”. In these expressions“tiger” in Chinese and“l(fā)ion” in English stand for the same image. Their cultural meanings are the same.To mean“boast”, in Chinese, people would say“吹牛”.But in English, people like using“talk horse”. In western countries, horses are beasts of burden, while oxen are raised for milk and beef. Horses have more opportunities to demonstrate their strength than oxen which are strong domestic animals, too. So even though“strong as an ox” can be heard in English,“strong as a horse” is used more frequently. In China, however, oxen are the major beasts of burden in rural areas. No wonder there are such idiomatic expressions as“力大如?！?“壯得如?！眎n Chinese. But no Chinese would say“力大如馬”,“壯得像頭馬”. Similarly, in English people say“he is really a willing horse.” to show someone who works hard. While in Chinese people would say“他真是條老黃?！? People in Englishspeaking countries like using“horse” to describe the meaning which“cattle” describes in Chinese.To mean drinking a large amount of water quickly, in Chinese people say that is“牛飲”. In English people will say“drink like a fish”. Cattle and fish share the same meaning here.When people want to describe“a person out of favor, someone oddly different”, in English people would say he is“the black sheep”. While Chinese people would say“害群之馬”. 3 Sheep and horse are used to describe this kind of person in English and Chinese.Chinese people usually like to use“雞”as a vehicle, such as“雞皮疙瘩”, and in English people would use goose, so English people would say“goose flesh”.4 Chinese people say“殺雞取卵”, but English people give such idiom“to kill the goose that lays the golden egg”. Chicken and goose have the same cultural meanings In Chinese people’s mind pig is the most stupid animal in the world, but Englishmen think that goose in the most stupid. So when Chinese people say“蠢得像豬”, English people would say“as stupid as goose”. 6 It is quite difficult for Chinese to understand that goose is stupid.To refer to“urgent”, Chinese people would say“熱鍋上的螞蟻”.But the English people would prefer to say,“l(fā)ike a cat on hot bricks(熱磚上的貓)”. Ant and cat are used to express the same cultural meaning in Chinese and English.To mean someone is wet through, Chinese people would say“像只落湯雞”. In English, people would say“l(fā)ike a drowned rat”.7 Here chicken and rat have the same cultural meaning.To mean someone is quiet with frightening, Chinese people would say“噤若寒蟬”. While in English, people would say“as mute as fish”.8 Quite different two kinds of animals have the same meaning in these two languages.To mean a person who can not escape, Chinese people would use the expression“甕中之鱉”. While in English people would say“a rat in a hole”.9 Rat and turtle share the same cultural meaning here.From the examples above it is easy to find that people in china and Engli