中西方文化中習(xí)語(yǔ)差異的探究A Probe into Cultural Differences between English Idioms and Chinese OnesAbstract: Idioms are an important part of the language and culture of a society. Idioms are often hard to be understood and even harder to be used correctly. The proper use of idioms in a language is often a mark of a person’s command of the language. English and Chinese idioms carved with cultural characteristics account for a great part in application. The main purpose of the thesis is to discuss the influence of the cultural differences existing in idiom application and the approaches to dealing with cultural differences in idiom application. The idiom is not only a gem of language but also the crystallization of human wisdom. It is like a mirror reflecting culture. Idiom application is both an interlinguistic process and an intercultural activity. Therefore, it is necessary to study the idiom translation from the perspective of culture. When rendering idioms a user firstly needs to contemplate their cultural discrepancies between Chinese and English, and then, uses translation methods and strategies flexibly in order to provide a good version and make effective cultural exchange. Key words: culture; idiom; cultural difference; idiom application; intercultural communication 摘　要： 習(xí)語(yǔ)是一個(gè)社會(huì)的語(yǔ)言和文化的重要組成部分，不僅難以理解，更難以運(yùn)用得當(dāng)。

能否正確使用成語(yǔ)往往是一個(gè)人的語(yǔ)言水平的標(biāo)志帶有文化色彩的英漢成語(yǔ)在翻譯中占有很大的一部分本論文旨在討論英漢成語(yǔ)運(yùn)用中存在的文化差異現(xiàn)象，并就習(xí)語(yǔ)運(yùn)用中的文化差異的處理方法提出自己的意見(jiàn)習(xí)語(yǔ)是人類(lèi)語(yǔ)言的精華、民族智慧的結(jié)晶，它的形成與其所屬的國(guó)家和民族文化緊密相聯(lián)因此它蘊(yùn)含著豐富的文化內(nèi)涵，像一面鏡子一樣很好的反映著文化從這個(gè)意義上說(shuō)，習(xí)語(yǔ)運(yùn)用不僅是一種語(yǔ)際轉(zhuǎn)換過(guò)程，更是一種跨文化交際活動(dòng)，因此探討習(xí)語(yǔ)運(yùn)用策略，必須從文化角度著手才會(huì)行之有效所以在習(xí)語(yǔ)運(yùn)用過(guò)程中，譯者應(yīng)該以對(duì)源語(yǔ)文化和目的語(yǔ)文化的充分了解為根本出發(fā)點(diǎn)，靈活恰當(dāng)?shù)倪x擇翻譯方法和策略，方能使譯文獲得成功，實(shí)現(xiàn)有效的跨文化的交際關(guān)鍵詞：文化；習(xí)語(yǔ)；文化差異；習(xí)語(yǔ)運(yùn)用；跨文化交際ContentsⅠ. Relationship between Language and Culture……………………..1A. Definition of language……………………………………………………….1B. Concept of culture…………………...………………………………………1C. Relationship between language and culture……………………………...21. Language as a part of culture…………………………………………..32. Interdependence of language and culture………………………………..4 II. Idioms and Their Cultural Features………………………………..4A. Difficulties in use of idioms………………………………………………….41. Linguistic difference……………………………………………………….52. Modes of thinking………………………………………………………….53. Life experiences……………………………………………………………6B. Cultural vacancy in idioms………………………………………………….61. Definition of idioms………………………………………………………..72. Cultural gap factors in English and Chinese idioms…………...……….8III. Effects Caused by Cultural Differences in Idioms Application…8A. Living environment differences…………………………………………….8B. Geographical differences……………………………………………………9C. Social customs differences……………………………...………………….9D. Religious beliefs differences……………………………………………….10Ⅳ.Conclusion…………………………………………………………..11 Works Cited…………………………………………………………….12Ⅰ. Relationship between Language and Culture A. Definition of language It’s well known that the most distinguishing distinction between humans and animals is that we humans have the capacity of using language. We use language every day and we live in a world of words. Language is centurial to our nature as human beings and language is an integral part of our life. Language is the most important development in human history. Without language, the arts, laws, sciences and economic systems could not exist. However, our ability to communicate has led us from the cave all the way to the moon. Language is so much a part of human existence that we will be talking as long as we inhabit the earth.It is not difficult to find definitions on language in linguistic. The followings are the two of them. Sapir wrote in 1921: “Language is a purely human and non-instinctive method of communicating ideas, emotions, and desires by means of a system of voluntarily produced symbols”. In 1957, Chomsky gives a different definition like this: “From now on I will consider a language to be set (finite or infinite) of sentences, each finite in length and constructed out of a finite set of elements”.Despite the differences in these definitions, much linguistics is in broad agreement about some of the important features of human language, and most of them would accept the view that language is, in essence, a system of symbols designed for the purpose of human communication. Nevertheless, language serves as a basis for communication. Language is the system of human expression by means of words.B. Concepts of cultureMuch of the complex behavior of humans can not be explained on the basis of innate tendencies, but only on the basis of culture. Culture can be most simply defined as a set of shared ideas, or the customs, beliefs, and knowledge that characterize a way of life. The concept of culture was developed by anthropologists toward the end of 19th century. The first really clear and comprehensive definition was that of the British anthropologist, Sir Edward Burnett Taylor. He defined culture as everything human beings made and taught to future generations. “Culture,” he。