Abstract

Language is closely related to culture in all directions. As an indispensable part of culture, language can reflect culture in the wake of years. Word, as the specific form of language, is the main clue that culture keeps influencing language. Animal words, an important part of human language, which contain some special connotations in both Chinese and English. With the rapid development of society, animal words, which are equipped with different cultural connotations, play an indispensable role in the process of intercultural communication and the significance of studying the cultural connotations of animal words can not be omitted.

In modern society, animals share close relationship with human beings. Thus, human are always used to connect animals with all kinds of their own feelings, which makes animal words become more lively and vivid. There are plenty of different animal words in both Chinese and English. However, due to different factors, such as traditional concept, aesthetic value orientation and social psychological differences, associative memory, animal words are always endowed specific cultural connotations in Chinese and English. In order to find out the similarities and differences of animal words between Chinese and English, the thesis attempts to analyze the cultural connotations and compare cultural differences of animal words between Chinese and English.

Key words : animal words; cultural connotation; cultural difference; comparative analysis

Contents

Abstract

中文摘要

1.Introduction1

2.Animal Words and Cultural Connotations in English and Chinese.7

  2.1 The Development of Animal Words7

  2.2 The Connection between Animal Words and Cultural Connotation8

3.The Comparison of Animal Words’ Cultural Connotations in English and Chinese .9

3.1 Animal Words with Similar Cultural Connotations.9

  3.1.1 Identical Animal Words Share Similar Cultural Connotations.10

  3.1.2 Different Animal Words Share Similar Cultural Connotations..10

3.2 Identical Animal Words with Totally Different Cultural Connotations11

  3.2.1 Some Animal Words have Commendatory Connotations in Chinese, but  

      Derogatory in English 12

  3.2.2 Some Animal Words have Commendatory Connotations in English, but 

      Derogatory in Chinese.13

3.3 Some Animal Words with Semantic Gap14

  3.3.1 Animal Words with Rich Connotations in English, but Vacant in Chinese14

  3.3.2 Animal Words with Rich Connotations in Chinese,but Vacant in English.15

4.The Causes of Discrepancy in the Cultural Connotation between English and Chinese15

4.1 Traditional Concept16

4.2 Aesthetic Value Orientation and Social Psychological Differences.17

4.3 Associative Memory18

5. Conclusion20

References.21