四川师范大学文理学院本科毕业论文Cultural Differences between English andChinese Proverbs浅谈中西方谚语的文化差异作者：罗玲院系：外语系年级：2007 级专业班级：英语师范3班学号：200714015316指导教师：谷一明(讲师)答辩日期：2011年4月9日浅谈中西方谚语的文化差异学生：罗玲指导老师：谷一明（讲师）摘要：谚语是语言文化的瑰宝，它以其深刻、简练的语言浓缩了各民族的历史文化，反映了劳动人民的生活实践经验。
透过谚语的窗口来窥探中西方文化中的风俗习惯、宗教文化及思维方式的差异，令人更深刻的感悟到谚语传递的文化蕴含。
本文着重通过从谚语折射出的生存环境、风俗习惯、宗教信仰和道德观念四个方面来探讨中西方文化的差异。
通过对中西方谚语的对比研究折射出的文化差异，展现中西方文化差异带来的异域风情。
关键词：谚语；中西方；文化差异Cultural Differences between English and Chinese ProverbsAbstract:Proverbs are a treasure of language culture, with its profound and concise language condensing history and culture of various nationalities. Most reflect the practical experience of working people’s life. Through the proverbial window to spy the differences of social customs, habits religion, and ways of thinking in west and east, people come to perceive more profound cultural implication passed on by proverbs. This article focuses on the living environment, customs, religious beliefs and moral concepts these four aspects reflected by the proverbs to explore differences between English and Chinese culture. This paper aims to demonstrate not only the complementarities of western and Chinese culture, but also the exotic differences of western and Chinese culture through the comparative study of English and Chinese proverbs.Key words: proverbs; west and east; cultural differencesContentsIntroduction (1)Part I The Definition, Functions and Features of Proverb (2)1.1 The definition of proverb (2)1.2 The functions of proverb (2)1.2.1 The phatic communication (2)1.2.2 Cultivation of mind and formation of behavior (3)1.2.3 Perception of the weather (3)1.2.4 Summary of the life experience (4)1.3 The features of proverb (4)1.3.1T he use of rhetorical technique (4)1.3.2 The particular syntactic structure (5)Part II The Classifications of Proverb (7)2.1 Proverbs of weather (7)2.2 Proverbs of agriculture (7)2.3 Proverbs of social communication (7)2.4 Proverbs of study (8)2.5 Proverbs of ethic (8)2.6 Proverbs of animals (8)Part III Cultural Differences between English and Chinese Proverbs (9)3.1 Different ways of life (9)3.1.1 English proverbs about sailing and fishing (10)3.1.2 Chinese proverbs about agricultural development (10)3.2 Different customs .......................................................................................3.2.1 Different cultures of animals (11)3.2.2 Different concepts of social communication (12)3.3 Different religious beliefs (12)3.3.1 Belief of Christian in the western countries (13)3.3.2 Beliefs of Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism in China (13)3.4 Different moral concepts (14)3.4.1 Different values of the public reputation (14)3.4.2 Different concept of filial piety (15)3.4.3 Different status of women (15)Conclusion (17)Bibliography (18)IntroductionProverb is considered as a precious treasure both in china and western countries. It is used to express people’s thoughts and ideas in condensed phrases and it is easy for people to understand the meaning of the proverbs. Because it is summarized by the life and working experience as they grow up and so do they feel like taking advantage of using the proverbs to convey their experience and emotions. At the same time, the proverb is a kind of idiomatic phrase and it has something in common with the allegory, allusion. The flexibility in the use of rhetorical devices makes the proverbs more refined, clear and accurate, which express the full emotions.The paper concentrates on the cultural differences between Chinese and western proverbs. Through presenting the differences embodied by the proverbs, we can precisely perceive the different culture of China and western counties. And proverbs are the valuable portal to spy the essence of the culture both in china and western countries, meanwhile people can deeply get to know more about the history and life patterns in different countries. On one hand, we can take their experience as a mirror to guide our behaviors and on the other hand we can to some extend summarize our flaws and defect spots in order to attain our future goals. Firstly, this paper will briefly talk about the definition, classifications and features of the proverbs. Secondly it will focus on the functions of the proverbs. In this chapter, by stating the functions it also paves the way to reveal the experience and life patterns of the ancestors. Thirdly, it will get to the last one but not the least one the cultural differences between Chinese and western proverbs. This is the most important chapter, which elaborates the geography, religious belief, concepts and customs to embody the cultural differences. Through the contrast, we can get close to perceive the cultural differences between Chinese and western countries.Part I The Definition, Classifications and Features of Proverb 1.1 The definition of proverbProverb is a kind of sayings. It prevails in the community with concise words. Most proverbs reflect the practical experience of working people's life and are generally passed down orally.(Available: /view/23790.htm，2010)It is mostly spoken in the colloquial form of phrases or rhymes easy to understand. And proverbs are to some extent similar to idioms, twisters, common sayings, and aphorism.1.2 The functions of proverbThe functions of proverbs are that they express some rules of conduct and quite often convey some advice or counsel. In other words, most proverbs possess philosophic depth or instructive function. For thousands of years they have been instructing and inspiring people, so they have been regarded as the guideline of people’s thoughts and deeds, which means people are thinking or doing things by following the direction of their proverbs either consciously or unconsciously. Proverbs have become important sources of inspiration just because they contain truth, wisdom, counsel, rule of conduct, etc. Following will mention two functions of proverbs.1.2.1 The phatic communicationThe phatic function of proverb is the most basic function of language. People use the phatic proverbs to create an atmosphere of greeting or maintain social contact rather than exchange of information. It is to ease the atmosphere of the conversation, at the same time get the talkers satisfied psychologically.1.2.2 Cultivation of mind and formation of behaviorSome proverbs are intended to persuade and teach people. To persuade is to praise justice, to fight against the bully. To teach is to guide people to adopt a correct attitude towards life, to take a proper way to get along well with others. For example, better die with honor than live with shame; don’t have cloak to make when it begins to rain. Such proverbs sound very firm and resolute and they can strengthen people conviction and awaken people consciousness of life or better their thinking methods. They are very helpful for people to make distinction between right and wrong, to be clear about what to love and what to hate. Because they are good for people’s self-cultivation and they can call for deep thought, many people take these proverbs as their life motto.Some other proverbs reveal and criticize the dark side of the ages or society. They attack the dirty practices of the society so as to remind people to keep conscious and maintain sharp warning. For example, the fox changes his skin, but not his habit; a leopard cannot change its spots. People tend to recite such proverbs when they are disclosing the evil in the society or when they are reminding others to keep alert.1.2.3 Perception of the weatherThe proverbs concerning weather refer to a long history, vast regions, and rich content. Many of them can be used to make long, medium and short-term weather forecasts. Our ancestors have accumulated rich experience in the struggle with the nature of the observed changes in the weather. As early as three thousand years ago, the Yin Ruins in Oracle, there are many account of weather. Weather proverbs are the accumulated knowledge of the natural experience generated in the production of working people living in long-term practice, which one side is the use of natural, another side is the struggle with nature. And after years of practice in the test and temper, proverbs are summarized into conciseness, pleasant to listen to, easy to understand, easy to remember, and widely circulate among the masses.1.2.4 Summary of the life experienceMany proverbs summarize knowledge of people’s daily life such as the best wine comes out of an old vessel; Soft fire makes sweet malt.As people’s daily life is co mplicated and extremely trifling, such proverbs are numerous. They summarize people’s knowledge in their life and they tell people what to do and how to do it. They are just like an encyclopedia to guide people’s daily life. From them, people may broaden t heir knowledge and outlook so as to avoid making mistakes. Some proverbs of this type are concerned with a particular field, like farmer proverbs and meteorological proverbs. Peasants of different ages, in their over years’ work, practice and prove the far ming experience and productive rules. From generation to generation, they sum up their experience and the farming rules into some vivid, concise and lively sentences. These sentences are farmer proverbs and they are practiced and testified year after year and they have been proved true and accurate. They reflect the peasants’ farming experience and agricultural law and show the working people’s wisdom. Farmer proverbs are a precious and valuable part of agricultural data. Peasants of different ages have some of them as guide in their farming. And meteorological proverbs, which summarize the fundamental meteorological knowledge of generations, are also a big help in people life. For example, April showers bring forth May flowers; A cold May and a windy makes a full barn and a finny; Dry August and warm does harvest no harm; A fair day in winter is the mother of a storm; A misty morning may have a fine day; Cloudy mornings turn to clear evenings（/books/sep4ubr.shtml，2011）.1.3 The features of proverbThe long-term use of proverb is of great value. The flexibility in the use of rhetorical devices makes the proverbs more refined, clear and accurate, which express the full emotions. In general, proverbs conventionally use the rhetorical devices such as contrast, metaphors, personification, allusion, inversion, parallelism and rhyme etc.1.3.1The use of rhetorical technique1.3.1.1ContrastExtensive use of antonyms in the proverbs reflects the paradox existing in the objective things. Such as acute and slow, true and false, survival and death and so on, which Intends to highlight the semantic, and strengthen expression. For example,Be swift to hear, be slow to speak. (敏于听，而缓与言)；United we stand, divided we fall.(团结则存，分裂则亡).1.3.1.2 AnalogyAnalogy is to relate what want to explain with other things similar in mood and sense through rich associations, in order to express its intention. For example,Books are ships that pass though the vast sea of time(时光好比汪洋,书籍好比航船).1.3.1.3 Personification gimmicksPersonification gimmicks to compare the inanimate objects or animals to human beings, which endow them the Spirituality and increase the sense of vivid and expressive force. For example,An uncut gem doesn’t sparkle(玉不琢，不成器).1.3.1.4 AllusionMany proverbs derived from a historical event or famous sayings. For example,The on-lookers see the best game(当局者迷，旁观者清).1.3.2 The particular syntactic structure1.3.2.1 Inverted sentencesBecause the language itself, or the needs of highlighting the proverbs, the inverted sentences are used sometimes. For example,Nothing venture, nothing gain(不入虎穴焉得虎子).1.3.2.2 Elliptical sentenceProverbs pay attention to concise, refined sentences. Using the elliptical sentence makes the proverb concise and read fluently. For example,One boy is a boy, two boys half boy, three boys no boys. (一个和尚挑水喝，两个和尚抬水喝，三个和尚没水喝).1.3.2.3 AntithesisThe equal word number, the same structure, and the symmetrical phrases or sentences in meaning which express two relative or close meaning For example,A bird is known by its note and a man by his talk.（听音识鸟，闻言识人）1.3.2.4 RepetitionThe repeated word or idea has a reinforcing effect. With the repetition of the same word in close succession, we may notice that the main point of the sentence becomes clear. It can also be used to express strong emotion and give us an aesthetic feeling and a sense of logical progression of ideas. For example,Sound in body, sound in mind.(有健康的身体才有健康的精神)Part II The Classifications of ProverbProverbs are the fixed statement prevailed orally prevailing among people. The appropriate uses of proverb enable the language to be lively and enhance the expressiveness of the article.Starting from the content, the proverb can be roughly divided into the following seven categories.2.1Proverbs of weatherThis is generated from the long-term production practice, experience learned from meteorological observation. So weather proverb is a valuable cultural wealth. But in the old days, weather proverbs are only considered as the country slang. While nowadays in the era of scientific farming, the weather forecast has gone deeply into the rural parts. For example, 蚂蚁搬家蛇过道,明日必有大雨到；雷公先唱歌，有雨也不大；有雨山戴帽，无雨云拦腰（温端政，2004：174）; Red clouds in the east, rain the next day.2.2 Proverbs of agricultureIt is farming experience summed up in the production practice. The brave and hard working people, naturally gifted continue creating a large number of weather proverbs in the long term of agriculture labor along with the agriculture proverbs. It inspires the people to create a large amount of material wealth, and it will be further promoted and their specific colloquial proverbs are as follows: 庄稼一枝花,全靠肥当家（温端政，2004：153）, there is no fertilizer in the ancient; Manure is used to irrigate the soil. So the crops growing well necessarily rely on the manure (/books/sep4ubr.shtml, 2011)2.3 Proverbs of social communicationThese proverbs implicate how to behave in the social daily life, which praise the intelligent people's worldly personality, and belittle those selfish villains. Meanwhile they reveal the ugly phenomenon of interpersonal communication in the ancient Tibetan tribes. For example, 黑暗使太阳更明亮，夜晚使星星更光明，诬蔑使英雄更荣耀，诽谤使勇士更显明（汪福祥，2001：68）;I cannot be your friend and your flatterer too.2.4 Proverbs of studyIt’s mainly about the summary of learning experience, which motivating people to strenuously study. For example, a fall into a pit, a gain in your wit, which means that undergoing a setback, increases the experience. Live and learn, learning is for idea and stability when at youth; Learning is for complement and the supplement empty soul when at the middle age; learning is a kind of mood, taste slowly and delights you; 博学使人谦逊，无知使人骄傲.2.5 Proverbs of ethicTerms of ethical proverbs mainly teaches people to be kind, united, and in harmony in family. Condemn the hypocrisy and castigate the evils. For example, 父亲心中想儿子，儿心冷若水中石;Frugality is the mother of liberality.2.6 Proverbs of animalsThere are many proverbs about animals, the element of animals added in English and Chinese proverbs makes the proverbs even more close to the life of people, and also makes a more vivid image of the proverb. However zodiac in English and Chinese proverbs is quite different in expression and understanding. Such as dog and dragon have quite different meanings in English and Chinese proverbs. For example, 落地凤凰不如鸡;A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.Part III Cultural Difference between English and ChineseProverbsProverbs are originated from life experience and culture and they are summarized in several types. According to the classification, we can vividly perceive the different culture reflected by proverbs and we can find out that different nations in different historical processes gave birth to the unique characteristic culture. Overall, the main line of Anglo-American is the doctrine of individualism, while Chinese culture believes collectivism as the main line. In addition, the Anglo-American culture is deeply influenced by religion, and Confucianism in Chinese culture has left deep scars. China's long feudal obviously have a great influence on Chinese culture.Proverbs and culture are inseparable. Language is influenced by our culture and reflects the culture. Proverbs are the essence of language; its contents are brilliant, deep in meaning, and have a broad appeal to the masses. As Bacon said "Proverbs are genius and the embodiments of wit and spirit.” Proverb is the summary of the daily life throughout the whole nation, as well as the summary of work experience. It also reflects a country and its rich cultural connotations. As a language, the unique charm of proverb lies in its mysterious essence of the national culture, which not only reflects a common national culture but also reflects their personality. Moreover proverbs reflect the cultural differences through the living environment, customs, religious beliefs and moral values and other factors, which give us a total prospect of the different culture in the west and China.3.1 Different ways of lifeGeography determines the way of life. Chinese people live in semi-enclosed continental geography, where the climate mild. Its own self-sufficient peasant economy can meet the needs of people's life, so people believe that the harvest can not do without the natural gifts, and pay attention to the unity of heaven and humanity. While Greece is the birthplace of Western culture, where the geographical environment is Open Ocean, people need to do long-term struggle with the harsh nature. So people in the West develop a scientific tradition of conquering the nature and exploring the nature. The open geographical environment enables more contacts with the outside world, resulting in the developed industry and commerce.Proverbs are closely related with people's work and life, while the proverbs are produced though different geographical environments as the Labor production activities. The proverb not only shows the different life of the people's labor productivity in different regions, but also reveals the unique geographical environment at the time, and geographical environment constrains and impacts their lifestyle.3.1.1 English proverbs about sailing and fishingEurope is on the verge Atlantic Ocean of high-latitude. Due to board on the Atlantic side, the terrain is too flat and low-lying, and more close to the Arctic. The cold air down from the poles can wipe out most of Europe, which is very bad for the development of required agricultural civilization. Under the natural geography environment in which the West vigorously develops the maritime industry through the maritime transport, sea fishing and maritime trade, which opens up a sea route to promote economic development.Britain is an island, is well developed in the history of seafaring. Therefore, when we take the cost of money without constrains as a metaphor, the English expression is spend money like water, while the Chinese are挥金如土.There are also some proverbs which use the ship to express a warning. For example, a small leak will sink a great ship. While the Chinese proverb,小洞勿补，大洞吃苦; There is analogy that only in the severe test can show who is the strong, the English proverb is a smooth sea never made a skillful mariner, while the Chinese proverb is疾风劲草.3.1.2 Chinese proverbs about agricultural developmentChina is a monsoon climate, which is suitable for agricultural production. The large number of mountains and lands determines china to be an agricultural society. However the marine transportation is not well-developed. People can not live without land. Therefore, there exist a lot of proverbs related with agricultural production. The proverbs reflect the braveness and hard-working of the working people. The long-term labor in the production generates a large amount of agricultural proverbs, which is a strong impetus to agricultural productions. For example, 种瓜得瓜种豆得豆（汪福祥，2001：122），which means what you plant will decide what you harvest. It is a metaphor that what you do will decide the results you get. How mucheffort you have paid, the equal result will come to you.Geographical environment also affect the properties. In China, after a spring rain, the bamboo shoots spring to the ground, which indicates the proliferation of new things.3.2 Different customsCustoms is the Long-established combination of understanding, habit and tradition. The same objective things and different customs give rise to different associations which have different connotations.China and Britain is far from each other, the behaviors and traditions vary a lot. The understanding of same things and the psychology of likes and dislikes are quite different, which are reflected and inherited in the language. And to some extent, it reproduces the mood of the nation's interest.3.2.1 Different cultures of animalsParticularly in English and Chinese proverbs, both use the proverb to describe the different people. However, a number of people from different countries hold different emotion towards animals, even some hold the opposite.The word dog is In particular to talk about. For a long time, China has flooded with the disgusting feelings to dogs. Although the status of dogs in family now in China is constantly improved, people’s thinking towards dogs is still not completely changed. This is the accumulated crystals of Chinese culture during thousands of years. Proverbs are full of dissatisfaction with dogs. For example, 狗拿耗子，多管闲事；狗咬吕洞宾，不识好人心；While The British people are dog lovers, they consider dogs as loyal friends of mankind, rather than simply animals. Therefore, there are many English proverbs, represented by the dog. For example, every dog has his day; you are a lucky dog and so on.Dragon in the eyes of the Chinese people occupies a lofty position, proverbs about "dragon" are at a large quantity, and contain a compliment. For example, 龙马精神；龙眉凤目.In a foreign language, there are a few proverbs to praise the dragon with derogatory. "Dragon" means a violent person, a hard man, a strict guardian of ferocious, or vicious old woman. For example, the dragon’s teeth this means the root of fighting each other; or the old dragon which means the evil.3.2.2 Different concepts of social communicationIn traditional Chinese culture, especially in Confucianism, the self-interest compared with the interests of nation, collectivity, family and friends is a small interest. Self-interest is to meet other interests, spontaneously meet the interests of its own kind, and even in order to promote the national and collective interests while sacrifice the personal interest. In this culture, the friendship is more important than personal interests which are regarded as the important moral concept. The gentlemen are willing to do anything they can to help their friends out of trouble. Therefore, there exist such proverbs as 海内存知己，天涯若比邻,it can be described that good friends will not be alienated from the distance. 人生得一知己足矣，斯世当以同怀视之, Among the hardships, the deep in the soul bonds firmly together, help each other. Take the confidant as one’s own brothers and love them as love one.While in western society, personal interests are always more important than any other interest, friends are secondary, even inconvenient. In the English proverbs friends seemingly have the negative meanings as well as some negative proverbs to describe the friends. While they are saying that, a man without a friend is only half a man; friendships multiply joys and divide grieves. However when the conflicts between the friends and the personal interests arise, there are some new statement. For example,love your friend, but look after yourself; Friends are thieves of time. It is obvious that from the positive and negative perspective on the pros and cons of friends, there is a dialectical flavor. In western moral systems, personal, and self is always the first. Western concept of friendship under the impact of in the worship of money and the utilitarianism, friendship is a synonym for mutual benefit, covered with a thick layer of utilitarian. He that has a full purse never wants a friend; hunger knows no friend.3.3 Different religious beliefsReligious belief is an important aspect of people's mental activity, which has a major impact on the national culture. As nations in history, geography, politics, economic aspects have their own characteristics, resulting in a unique national culture. The similarities and differences in Ethnical culture are often reflected in the national language, especially reflected in the cultural significance of the proverbs. So studying the different Chinese and English religious thought and ideas in proverbs can help us gain a deeper understanding the diversity of western and Chinese language culture.3.3.1 Belief of Christian in the western countriesChristianity is the monotheistic religion, with the Bible of the Old and New Testaments, which is in the belief of the original sin of human and believe Jesus is the Son of God crucified to cleanse the human original sin and the save the humanity . Christianity originates in Judaism, and is called the world’s three major rel igions together with the Buddhism and Islam. There is only one Christian church in the earliest, but in the historical process of Christianity, it differentiates into many factions, mainly three factions Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant, and some other smaller factions.Christianity is polytheism. Christianity recognizes only one God and regards god as the whole world, including the founder and master of the human .People absolutely obey God. God is omniscient and omnipotent. For example, heaven is above all; truth is the daughter of God; the tree that God plants no wind hurts it; The Lord is crowned supreme god by the Christianity, in a sense it suggests Christians believe in religious piety.Everyone is equal and the obsession of hierarchy is strict. Christian views that only the people have faith in god enjoying the equal rights and obligations. Faith makes all people equal. This equality under the cover of Emmanuel theology has two meanings. So many English proverbs reflect the equal relationship. For example, we are all Adam’s Children; human blood is all of a color.Under the concept of equality, the people in English-speaking countries surly will defy the imperial power. For example, a king without teaming is but a crowned ass; a cat may look at a king（. /lunwen/xfwh/a/5904/785904.html，2011）3.3.2 Beliefs of Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism in ChinaBuddhism originated in India and was introduced into China during the Han and Tang Dynasties. Buddhists believe that all things are born for fate in the world. There is no essential difference between living beings and the Buddha. Human has the Buddha nature, but the persistently delusional barrier prevents it appear.Only people abandon the evil from the good can they have the fruition of Buddha hood and be immortal.For example, the Chinese proverb 放下屠刀，立地成佛。
![[论文]中日英三语中谚语对比](https://img.taocdn.com/s1/m/93bca0d08ad63186bceb19e8b8f67c1cfad6eede.png)
