【正文】
lings in language, so the typical numerals without exception in many language cases wherever in the excellent poem or ordinary words in China.In Chinese, there are many words and numeral idioms to vividly describe something at that moment. Just as the following specific examples: 一元復(fù)始 (unary restart。 at the beginning of the new year.), 一帆風(fēng)順 (as right as rain。 roses all the way。 plain sailing)。 雙喜臨門 (good things e in pairs。 two happy events e at the same time。 have simultaneously two happy events in a family.), 二度梅開 (the winter sweet has the second chance to open.)。 三陽開泰 (three sheep bring bless.), 三思而行 (look before you leap。 second thoughts are best.)。 四通八達(dá) (extend in all directions。 boundary on all sides.), 四海為家 (home today and gone tomorrow, cosmopolitans .)。 五世其昌 (may the family prosper five generations running.), 五官端正 (have regular features。 wellfeatured.)。 六根清凈 (this is a Buddhist term means that the six roots of sensations are pure and clean or free from human desires and passions.), 六畜興旺 (the domestic animals are all thriving.)。 七級浮屠 (Seven Circles of Hell。 a sevenstory high pagoda.), 七尺之軀 (a manly body 。 a body of seven feet in height 。 the human adult body.)。 八面玲瓏 (be smooth and slick in establishing social relations。 capable of dealing with all men.), 八面威風(fēng) (an aweinspiring reputation extending in every direction。 make a magnificent appearance.)。 九霄云外 (be flung to the four winds。 be land of nowhere。 throw to the winds.), 九轉(zhuǎn)金丹 (nine turn then the golden pill.)。 十拿九穩(wěn) (it’s dollars to buttons。 as sure as hell。 practically certain.), 十全十美 (the peak of perfection。 perfect and beauideal.).”(Zhang Dexing, 1994). Numeral is the unique miracle in the literary garden in China. From ancient to modern times in China, many writers show special preference to use numerals as a means of writing in literary works. Moreover, there are many words closely associated with numerals in daily life, which makes literary works more incisive and vivid, and makes people feel more interesting in ordinary life. Here is listing and examples of numbers with their interesting words. For instance, in “A Dream of the Red Mansion”, written by Cao Xueqin, there is such sentence: even if Mrs. Liu had nine lives, she’d never dare offend you.(Yang Xiaojun amp。 Yang Zhuying, 1992) In Tang Dynasty, the prominent poet Wang Wei wrote a poem “Thinking of My Brothers on Mountain Climbing Day” in Chinese “九月九日憶山東兄弟”, which means that he recalled his brothers on Double Ninth Festival. Li Bai, another famous poet in the same Dynasty with Wang Wei, wrote this classic sentence “it is torrent dashes down three thousand feet from high, as if the Silver River fell down from azure sky.” in Chinese “飛流直下三千尺,疑是銀河落九天”(Xu Yuanchong, 1995). What’s more, there are a great deal of numeral idioms and poems in Chinese. For instance: 曇花一現(xiàn) (a nine days wonder)。 一針及時省糾正 (a stitch in time saves nine)。 貓有九命 (a cat has nine lives)。 十有八九 (ten to one or six to one )etc. (Zeng Yufang, 2008). All of the exact use of numeral nine is different from western culture. The numeral nine has rich implicit connotations in Chinese culture. Numerals and English AestheticsWhile in English they are quiet different from above listed in Chinese. It is obviously that not all Chinese numeral idioms have the equal English explanation. Actually English language also has the similar idioms about ten numerals and they have different literary meaning and origins(Wang Hongqi, 2002). However, it is quiet difficult for foreigners to understand their meaning only from the literal point of view. Only by understanding these origins of the numeral idioms clearly can we actually capture the deep meaning behind various cultural factors. (1). one horse town — country town. This phrase originated in the United States and indicates that the town has only one horse.(2). two of abrades never agree something — walking together is light. This is an old proverb.(3). three sheets in the wind — drunkenness. Sheet is the meaning of “the angle under sail bowline”on the metal ring. If there is no buckle bowline, sailship can be arbitrary wind blows. So the crew called it the wind as colloquial English. Three sheets in the wind is naturally called “wasted drunk”.(4). the four letter words — vulgar language.(5). at fifth column — a traitor or a spy infiltrating into the important sectors to work for the enemy. It is literally translated as the fifth column. This words phrase is derived from a person called the King of the general during the Spanish Civil War period. He said he have four columns surrounded the Spanish capital Madrid, on the other hand, the fifth column is in the city. Now it refers to send spies and dirty agents to the enemy. (6). be at sixes and sevens — it indicates things are in a big mess.(7). the seventh son of the seventh son — a prominent offspring. The numeral “seven” was thought to be mysterious and sacred in the middle age of the Hebrews. According to the Bible, the god created everything in the world in seven days, seven days every week, there are seven kinds of virtue etc. Moreover, the multiples of seven are also regarded as sacred. Therefore, this words phrase is considered to be extremely prominent offspring.(8). behind the eight ball ― be in a dilemma or struggling situation. It es from billiard Kelly Pool. One of way to play this game is like this: all of the marbles must be according to certain order to shoot down the bag, only except a black marbles, then a square of the marble play in the front of the other marbles and show the billiard one party in a dangerous position. (9). dressed up to the nines ― dressed, dressing is very gorgeous.(10). of the upper ten ― the aristocracy。 polite society.Nowadays, due to customs differences between Chinese and western culture, the accurate use of the most words associated with numerals is the paraphrase method. Here are examples in such cases. He as on cloud nine after winning