Abstract:In Semantics, Geoffrey N. Leech classified the meaning into 7 categories and defined the associative meaning as a general term which creates the semantic world through a great many psychological methods. As for the specific and cultural context, human beings produce and summarize the perceptual knowledge and emotional experience, originated from the simplex objectives and images.  

　　Due to the extensive use of English idioms, a large number of people have made abundant researches and analysis on related topics. This paper makes a cultural analysis of English animal idioms in terms of three kinds of figure of speech, the simile, the metaphor, and the metonymy to reveal the associative meaning of animal idioms. The introduction of Geoffrey Leech’s Semantics, Dr. Chitra Fernando’s Idioms and Idiomacity pose the topic of culture, language, and meaning. On the summary of the animal idioms, I divide this paper’s main parts into three sections according to the figure of speech. Simile is the direct way of presenting the relationship between animal images and associative meanings. Metaphor makes the close connections between the animal and human beings, derived from the individual mental understandings. Metonymy reminds people of the fables or animal behaviors forming the associative meaning. 

　　On the basis of G. Leech’s definition of associative meaning, my research presents the analysis of tenor appeared in the animal idioms and the explanations of the link between the associative meaning and animal images. The findings of my paper are expected to show the associative meaning in animal idioms. 

Key Words:  animal idioms, figure of speech, associative meaning

摘 要:随着习语在生活中，日常交际，以及作文中的广泛应用，本论文以分析从网络和字典中找到的动物习语为主，由于习语比喻性的突出表现，将其按照三种修辞手法进行分类——明喻，暗喻，换喻。以Geoffrey Leech提出的联想意义为理论依据，通过对习语中本体的具体分析，条理阐述出修辞手法与联想意义的直接关系。主要内容包括动物的本质特征，生活习性以及寓言与联想意义的联系。本研究的结论在于明喻，暗喻，换喻三种修辞手法能反映本体的联想意义。

关键词：英语动物习语，修辞手法，联想意义等