论中西方文化中动物象征意义的差异论文
论文既是探讨问题进行学术研究的一种手段，又是描述学术研究成果进行学术交流的一种工具。下面是小编整理的关于论中西方文化中动物象征意义的差异论文，欢迎大家阅读。
论中西方文化中动物象征意义的差异论文 篇1
1Introduction
“Language and culture，intrinsically dependent on each other，have evolved together through the history.”(Claire Kramsch，1998)“On one hand，language as an integral part of human bEing，permeates his thinking and way of viewing the world，language both expresses and embodies cultural reality.On the other，language，as a product of culture，helps permeate the culture，and the changes in language uses reflect the cultural changes in return”.(Claire Kramsch，1998)Language is the base of entire culture，and it is only in language that culture can be wellpresented and handed down from generation to generation.On the other hand，language is influenced and shaped by culture;it reflects language.Language reflects characteristics of culture and predicts the developing orientation of culture.
2Comparison of the Symbolic Meanings of Animals in Chinese and Western Cultures
2.1Similar Symbolic Meanings of Animals
As the ecological environments of human life are roughly similar，people in China and the West will naturally produce the same or similar association，giving the same significance of the animal words when they understand animals from the basic attributes of the animals.For example，in Chinese，fox is the synonym for cunning and craftiness.When people use such phrases like as cunning as “a fox”，“old fox” to describe a person，they often consider him or her sly and tactful.In English speaking countries，fox is also associated with this kind of meaning.
2.2Different Symbolic Meanings of Animals
A few of animals have the same or similar symbolic meanings both in China and the West，but it is well known that the majority of animals are different in the symbolic meanings because of the different cultural backgrounds.Now，I’ll give several peculiar animals to testify my view.
2.2.1Dragon and Phoenix
Dragon has come to be regarded as the symbol of China and the Chinese，and China is called huge dragon of East.In China，the traditional symbols of royalty are the dragon and phoenix.The dragon stands for the emperor and the phoenix for the queen.Besides，as an aushttps://p.9136.com/28e a dragon，that is，to be successful.
To Westerners，however，the dragon is often a symbol of evil.They regard the dragon as a fierce monster that destroys some other things;therefore，in thEir opinion，it must be destroyed.
2.2.2Bat
To Chinese，the “bat” is a symbol of good fortune，wellbeing，and happinessall positive qualities.The reason for such associations is probably that the name of the creature is pronounced the same as the word“fu”.Thus the traditional design shows the bat and the deer together is very popular in China，because the words pronounced is the same as “fu lu”—good fortune，happiness，wealth and position.
In the Western countries，the bat is usually associated with negative qualities.“As blind as a bat”，“carry as a bat”，“He’s a bit batty”typical expressions of the negative associations.They may be even worse.Mention of the bat often evokes the image of an ugly，sinister，bloodsucking creature.This may be caused by the “vampire bat”。
3Factors Leading to the Different Symbolic Meanings of Animals
There are many factors affecting cultural differences，which would cause different symbolic meanings of animals between China and the West.Such factors are as follows：
3.1Diversity in Spiritual Culture
3.1.1Belief Systems
In the Western tradition people believe the universe is created and controlled by a divine power.Man and the universe are separate entities.And therefore，there are laws of nature that must be followed.With such a view of the universe，people in the West developed a dualistic world view.Their goal of life is to be more objective and rational.Chang is considered progress.The scientific method is usually their approach to problems in life.People are considered as equal to one another.However，people in China regard the universe as a harmoniously selfoperating organism in which each part is related to other parts in a system of hierarchy.With this view of the universe，Chinese developed a holistic world view.They hold man and nature are interrelated;man is a part of nature and man’s goal of life is to keep harmony with nature.Stability is highly valued.Therefore，their attitude toward life tends to be more subjective.
3.1.2Pattern of Thinking
From the pattern of thinking，Chinese pattern of thinking is not the same as the Western.Chinese pattern of thinking is the threedimensional type，while the Western pattern of thinking is streamlined.
3.1.3Value Systems
Most Western countries value individualism and people strive hard to achieve individual identity in terms of possessions and achievement in their professions.China place high value on the collective.So group harmony and cooperation are preferred，rather than competition.
3.2Diversity in Behavior Culture
3.2.1Social Rituals
Chinese people always like to ask the person’s name，age，unit and earnings，who he or she meets.While Westerners quite hate this kind of people who like to ask the other’s age，income，and other personal private matter.
When Chinese people recEive gifts，they often let them on the edge，and don’t gaze at the gifts(for fear other saying they’re greedy).On the contrary，Westerners will open the gifts in the front of the guests and express their satisfaction when they receive gifts.Hospitality is a kind of Chinese quality.
3.2.2Customs and Habits
In western countries，many people like pets.English people view dogs as human being’s best friends.Many English expressions with the dog can be found，such as：a lucky dog，a clever dog，a top dog;every dog has his day;Love me，love my dog;He works like a dog.
To Chinese people，however，the dog is derogatory term.People have negative attitudes to the animal dog，such as rubbish，henchman.Western customs and habits are different from Chinese ones in many aspects.It is hard for English speakers to understand why servile follower is a pejorative term in Chinese.
3.3Diversity in History Background
Chinese history differs from British and American history.They have their own historical cultures，which reflect the national characteristic.China is an ancient country with 5000 years’agricultural cultivation.In ancient time，agriculture is the fundamental trade，so people are all familiar with farming and they have lots of vocabularies about farming.Besides，the animal cattle are the main farm labor，which do much farm work for people.Consequently，Chinese people cherish a deep affection for the cattle.As is known to all，the English people，traditionally，is a nomadic nation.They wandered from place to place，looking for pasture for its animals and had no fixed place.They like horses and they are good at riding.Horses play more important roles than cattle in England.They are not only as the main entertainments，but also as the main transportations for their lives.
4Conclusion
According to understanding the differences of the symbolic meanings of animals in Chinese and Western cultures，language learners can use the animal expressions in an appropriate and correct way，also they can avoid misunderstanding in communication and reading，and reduce mistakes in translation.What’s more，language learners can understand clearly the reasons why different countries have different cultures from the aspect of the symbolic meanings of animals.But this paper does not completely reveal the whole reasons，English learners should insist on reading a lot of books and publications to achieve the task.As foreign language learners，this study is helpful for language study and culture communication.
论中西方文化中动物象征意义的差异论文 篇2
从文化发展的角度讲，人类借用动物的特点对客观世界进行感知与描述的过程不仅体现了语言发展的丰富性，同时赋予了不同动物以吉凶、善恶、美丑等不同的象征意义。人们往往通过大量的神话、传说、史诗、寓言、童话、成语、谚语和俗语等赋予动物一定的象征意义。但在东西方文化漫长的发展过程中，由于地理环境、文化背景、风俗习惯、宗教信仰等因素影响，在其语言构建中动物词汇形成了不同的象征意义。
1.中西文化中具有相同或类似象征意义的动物
所谓相同或类似象征意义是指中西方动物的象征意义内涵上、表现的文化形象上，即字面上、内涵上等效或基本等效。这种相同或相似是一种文化重叠的现象，这种文化重叠的产生主要是由于人类及其赖以生存的外部环境在某种程度上存在着相似性，受这些外部环境的影响整个人类社会文化背景或多或少的存在着某些共性。这些共性使得中西文化中有些动物的象征意义出现形似、意似甚至神似的现象。
鹦鹉能模仿人类说话，因此无论在中国文化中，还是在西方文化中，鹦鹉都象征着人云亦云、缺乏主见。宋代释道原在《景德传灯录》中写道：“如鹦鹉只学人言，不得人意。经传佛意；不得佛意而但诵，是学语人，所以不许。”这就是中文中“鹦鹉学舌”一词的出处。英语中parrot-fashion和parrot-like都表示人云亦云或者机械性重复的意思。再比如，在中西方文化中狐狸的形象都与狡猾、奸诈和诡计多端联系在一起。《晏子春秋》中的“城狐社鼠”、《敦煌变文集》中的“豺狐之心”、《中山狼》中的“虎党狐侪”都带有这样的含义。英文中的“as sly as a fox”“a fox may grow but never good”“play the fox”也都带有类似的含义。
2.中西文化中具有不同象征意义的动物
中西文化中相同的事物拥有不同象征意义的现象，也被称作象征意义的非对应性。在一些情况下，虽然是同一种动物，但却在中西文化中被赋予不尽相同甚至截然相反的象征意义。这类象征意义上的非对应性最能表现出中西方两种文化在观察世界和表达思想方式上的差异，极其鲜明地体现两种不同文化的特色。
在中西方的文化里，狗的象征意义截然相反。在中国人的传统观念里，狗多被赋予卑躬屈膝、仗势欺人、恶势力爪牙的负面象征意义。鸡鸣狗盗、狗仗人势、狗尾续貂、狗眼看人低等一系列词语都与这种负面的象征意义有密切的关系。而在西方社会中，狗一直是以人类忠实的.朋友的形象出现，除去一些比较特殊的情况，狗的象征意义都比较良好。“Love me”“love my dog”“as faithful as a dog”“a good dog deserves a good bone”这些表达都带有比较正面的含义。
猫头鹰在中国也被称为夜猫子，在古代因其夜间叫声凄厉，被称为“恶声之鸟”，其叫声曾被归为四大难听声音之一，因此很不受欢迎。通常情况下猫头鹰带有不太好的象征意义，往往和厄运、凶兆联系在一起。中文中就有“夜猫子进宅，无事不来”“不怕夜猫子叫，就怕夜猫子笑”这样的俗语。而在西方社会猫头鹰则有一种完全不同的象征意义。希腊神话中，智慧女神雅典娜的爱鸟就是一只猫头鹰，这只猫头鹰被认为可以预示事件，因此古希腊人把猫头鹰视为雅典娜和智慧的象征。受古希腊神话的影响，西方文化中猫头鹰经常以智者的形象出现在童话故事中，甚至在J·K·罗琳的魔法小说《哈利·波特》中，猫头鹰成为了魔法师最重要、最受欢迎、能够通晓人类语言和情感的一种宠物。
蝙蝠的“蝠”字与祝福的“福”字同音，蝙蝠的谐音为“遍福”，寓意幸福如意延绵无边，因而在中国传统文化中具有美好的象征意义。《尚书·洪范》有言：“五福：一曰寿，二曰富，三曰康宁，四曰攸好德，五曰考终命。”所以在明清时期，在很多器物、字画和建筑上都会出现五只蝙蝠的形象，寓意五福临门。在西方社会，蝙蝠因其丑陋的外形和昼伏夜出的习性，给人以恐惧和厌恶的感觉，因而被赋予邪恶和黑暗的象征意义。
诸如此类的例子还有很多，比如：喜鹊在中国文化中象征着喜悦、好运；而在西方文化中喜鹊则象征着混乱和吵闹；在中国文化中孔雀象征着喜庆吉祥，而在西方文化中孔雀却是骄傲的象征；一提到愚蠢，中国人立刻就会联系到猪的形象，而西方文化则会联想到火鸡。
3.中西文化中空缺的动物象征意义
所谓空缺的动物象征意义是指由于历史背景、风俗习惯、动物分布等原因，某些动物在特定文化中存在某种象征意义，而在另外一种文化中却几乎没有象征意义。
在中西文化中这种动物象征意义的空缺是一种比较常见的现象。比如，中国文化一直将鸳鸯视为爱情的象征，以鸳鸯比作夫妻。汉代司马相如为卓文君作《凤求凰》，其中就有“何缘交颈为鸳鸯，胡颉颃兮共翱翔”的诗句。唐代诗人卢照邻更是留下了“得成比目何辞死、愿做鸳鸯不羡仙”的千古佳句。再比如，龟在中国文化中与麒麟、龙、凤凰合称为四瑞兽，一直是吉祥长寿的象征，有避邪挡煞、消灾避害、镇宅纳财的寓意。商周时代常用烧灼龟甲的方式来占卜吉凶，汉代象征皇权的九鼎也饰有龟纹。但是以上两种动物在西方文化中却几乎没有任何象征意义。
中国文明早期属于典型的农耕文明，因此文化中海洋和海洋生物的提及相对较少；早期西方文明属于典型的海洋文明，因此文化中对海洋和海洋生物的提及相对较多。鲸鱼就是一种在西方文明中带有象征意义的海洋生物。《旧约》中曾经记载，先知约拿在一次海难中被鲸鱼吞入腹中，这位有勇有谋的先知凭借坚强的意志和上帝的保守，在鲸腹中呆了三天三夜，竟然安然无恙，成功脱险。因此鲸鱼在西方文化中象征着母性、再生、志向远大、勇往直前，并带有自由的象征意义。
4.中西方虚构动物象征意义的差异
无论是中国文明还是西方文明，都存在许多虚构的动物，龙和凤凰就是非常典型的代表。尽管都存在这两种虚构的动物，但在中西方文化中这两种动物无论是在外形方面，还是在象征意义方面都有着极大的不同。根据中国的民间传说，龙有鹿的角，骆驼般的头，兔子般的眼睛，蛇一样的颈部，鲤鱼般的鳞片，雄鹰般的爪子，老虎般的脚掌和公牛般的耳朵。在中国文化中，龙被视为神圣的动物，具有掌控风雨的能力，是权力、威严和神圣的象征。龙还是皇室的象征，视皇帝为真龙天子，皇室器皿、服装、装饰、建筑上也多用龙作为装饰图案。民间将龙视为中华民族的祖先，因此中国人自称“龙的传人”。学术界一般认为西方龙的传说起源于对蛇的崇拜，但是经过希腊神话、《贝奥武夫》等宗教著作和文学作品的描绘和传播，龙被塑造成了一种长着利爪和蝙蝠状翅膀，能够喷吐毒气和火焰的怪物，其象征意义也变成了邪恶、残暴和贪婪。
在中国传统文化中，凤凰是传说中的百鸟之王，雄为凤，雌为凰。西汉的司马相如就有一首著名的琴曲《凤求凰》。按照郭璞《尔雅·释鸟》的记载，凤凰的特征是：“鸡头、燕颔、蛇颈、龟背、鱼尾、五彩色，高六尺许。”凤凰身披五色，象征着仁义礼智信五德，也象征天道五行。在中国文化中，凤凰是喜庆、太平、人才、幸福的象征。凤凰在英语中对应的phoenix一词来源于希腊语，是一种生活在阿拉伯荒漠的神鸟，体大如鹰，有金、红两色羽毛，艳丽无比。西方文化中凤凰也被称为不死鸟，其源头可以追溯到埃及神话中的贝努传，不死鸟每隔五百年左右，便会采集各种有香味的树枝或草叶，并将之叠起来后引火自焚，最后留下来的灰烬中会出现重生的幼鸟。凤凰，或者说不死鸟，是重生、复活、完美甚至爱情的象征。
中西文化在动物象征意义上的差异，实际上体现的是两种文化的差异，它受到了历史、习俗、价值观念、宗教信仰等诸多因素的影响。人们往往通过大量的神话、传说、史诗、寓言、童话、成语、谚语和俗语等赋予某些动物以一定的象征意义。在中西方文化中，这些动物的象征意义传递了不同的历史、地理、生活习惯、美学观点、心理特征等文化信息，具有极其丰富的文化内涵。
【论中西方文化中动物象征意义的差异论文】相关文章：
从文化视角浅谈中西方饮食文化的差异论文08-10
从饭桌看中西方文化差异论文08-10
口译中的非语言文化差异论文08-10
中西方文化差异对翻译的影响08-04
中西方文化的差异及导致文化不可译的因素10-10
探讨护理中的文化差异问题的论文07-08
论设计中品牌文化的实现论文08-01
文化差异对口译的影响文化论文09-18
应对国际商务谈判中的文化差异策略的论文09-26