从民俗文化角度比较研究英汉食物习语

论文总字数：30359字

摘 要

本文从民俗文化角度对英汉食物习语进行对比分析。首先对习语和民俗文化的定义做简要的介绍，然后通过对比分析法具体对英语食物习语和汉语食物习语的相似点和不同点进行比较研究。再从不同的饮食观；不同的饮食工具；不同的饮食目的和食用不同的食物四个方面对不同的中西方民俗文化造就不同的英汉食物习语进行分析。最后对本文内容加以总结。总的来说，本文的主要意义是旨在加深语言学习者对食物习语的理解。

关键词：食物习语；民俗文化；英语；汉语；对比分析

Contents

1. Introduction 1

2. Literature Review 2

3. Similarities and Differences between English and Chinese Food Idioms 3

3.1 Similarities Between English and Chinese Food Idioms 3

3.2 Differences Between English and Chinese Food Idioms 4

3.2.1 Different Foods with the Same Connotation 4

3.2.2 Same Food with Different Connotations 6

3.2.3 Unique Food with Unique Connotation 8

4. Folk Culture Influences on English and Chinese Food Idiom 10

4.1 Different Eating Concepts 10

4.2 Different Eating Tools 11

4.3 Eating Different Foods 11

4.4. Different Eating Purposes 12

5. Conclusion 13

Works Cited 14

1. Introduction

Food idiom is inseparable from culture. For one thing, food idiom is a part of culture and plays an important role in it. For another, as a mirror of culture, food idiom is strongly influenced and shaped by culture; meanwhile, it reflects culture. Because of different geographic environment, historical background, religious beliefs, cultural psychology between China and English-speaking countries, different folk cultures formed in these countries. Food idioms, as the living fossils of folk culture, record different folk cultures. Food idioms are the carrier of folk culture, and are strongly influenced and shaped by folk culture. Therefore, in order to understand idioms, especially the food idioms, one can not ignore the folk cultural meaning they contain.

Food idiom, just as its name implies, is one type of idioms which is combined by food words, therefore it is essential to define idiom first. But because idioms has different definitions and features, we find it is very difficult to define what an idiom is. The following are definitions from various dictionaries.

According to Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, “idiom” is a phrase or sentence whose meaning is not clear from the meaning of its individual and which must be learnt as a whole unit. (Hornby,1995:157)

An idiom is a fixed group of words with a special different meaning from the meanings of the separate words, in Longman Dictionary of English Idioms (Long,1979:389).

An idiom is an accepted phrase, construction, or expression contrary to the usual patterns of the language or having a meaning different from the language or having a meaning different from the literal, written in Webster’s New World Dictionary of the American Language (Guralnik,1988:434).

Generally speaking, English idioms include proverbs, sayings and Siamese twins. The Chinese equivalence for “idiom” is “俗语”(sú yǔ). In a broad sense, it can be divided into: common sayings, set phrases, proverbs, a two -part allegorical sayings, and some vulgar expressions.

From the above definitions, we know that idiom has its own specific features . Firstly, idiom must be well accepted and established. Elements of an idiom can not be changed without destroying the sense as a whole. Secondly, an idiom usually acquires an implication. For example, the idiom “a storm in a tea-cup” does not really mean a storm broke out in a tea-cup but means somebody makes a fuss about doing something. A speaker knowing the meaning of “a storm” and “tea-cup” separately still can not understand the idiom accurately.

The definition of folk culture is that a folk culture is a small isolated, cohesive, conservative, nearly self-sufficient group that is homogeneous in custom and race with a strong family or clan structure and highly developed rituals. Order is maintained through sanctions based in the religion or family and interpersonal relationships are strong. Folk culture is paramount, and change comes infrequently and slowly. It strongly influences language. So idiom, as the cream of language, is strongly influenced by folk culture.

This thesis studies English and Chinese food idioms from the perspective of folk culture. A contrastive method will be taken to analyze the similarities and the differences of food idioms between English and Chinese to help people have a better understanding of the different folk cultures. It contains five parts. Introduction states the significance, method, framework and modern researches of the thesis. The second part is a brief review of food idioms such as definition, features, the relationship between folk culture and food idioms. Differences between English and Chinese food idioms are illustrated in the third part. The fourth part of this thesis lists the reasons for the differences between English and Chinese food idioms. The last part is a summary of the whole paper including the significance and limitations of this study.

1. Literature Review

Both native English-speaking countries and China have a long history and both have a large number of food idioms. Food idioms have been studied at home and abroad. At home, As early as 1958, Chinese famous translator Zhang Peiji published How to Translate Chinese Idioms into English in which translator Zhang studied the sources of idioms, problems people met when they read foreign idioms and the translating skills for the idiom translation. In their book English-Chinese Idioms and Folk Cultures, Yin Li and Han Xiaoling (2007) made great efforts in comparing idioms and folk cultures. Abroad, the study of idiom started earlier. In 1925, Smith published his book Words and Idioms, which is the early representative of idiom study. In 1960s, distinguished linguist Chomsky proposed the idiom Frozenness Hierarchy, which led to an epochal shift. Generally speaking, current idiom research tendencies are: Research scope is expanding constantly; idiom research is transforming from idiom theory to idiom application.

3. Similarities and Differences Between English and Chinese Food Idioms

3.1 Similarities Between English and Chinese Food Idioms

Despite the fact that people in the west and those in the east live in different environment circumstances and have different historical backgrounds, the objective world they live in share some similarities, thus they share some similar living experiences. As a result, there are some similar food idioms in their languages. Such as:

(1) Rub salt in a wound

There is its Chinese counterpart “往伤口上撒盐”. The two English and Chinese proverbs express totally the same meaning because people in the east and in the west share the same association with rubbing salt in a wound.

There are some more examples that similar food idioms in Chinese and in English express the totally same meaning.

(2) Fish in trouble water

We can find its Chinese counterpart “浑水摸鱼”. The two English and Chinese proverbs express exactly the same meaning because Chinese and westerners share the same experience in fishing.

(3) Pour oil on the flame

The meaning of the idiom is making things or situation much worse than before. Its Chinese counterpart is “火上浇油”. Because of similar living experiences, Chinese and westerners choose the same food “oil” to express the same meaning.

(4) Good wine needs no bush

Bush is a tree branch hung as a sign before a vintner’s shop. For good wine, the reputation of it is well accepted by people, so no need of such bush. It is a metaphor for that good things do not need to advertise themselves. We can find the Chinese idiom using the same food “wine” to express the same meaning. It is “好酒不怕巷子深”.

From the above analysis, we find an amazing fact that people in the west and in the east have similar understanding and association about certain food, so they choose similar words about food to describe their feelings and thoughts in their daily life.

3.2 Differences Between English and Chinese Food Idioms

3.2.1 Different Foods with the Same Connotation

Many food idioms in English and in Chinese have the same meaning, but because of different folk culture, people in the east and in the west choose different words about food to express the same meaning. The author will analyze this phenomenon with specific examples in the following part.

Bread is one of the staple food in most native English-speaking countries, so a lot of bread idioms appear in English. For instance,

(5) bread and cheese （while refers to a common meal and can be translated into “家常便饭” in Chinese.）

(6) bread and water (while refers to a simple diet and can be translated into “粗茶淡饭” in Chinese.）

(7) bread and butter (while refers to someone’s main source of income and can be translated into “饭碗” in Chinese.）

(8) Bread is the staff of life. (while means Bread is the support of one’s life and can be translated into “人是铁，饭是钢”” in Chinese.）

(9) Take the bread out of someone’s mouth. (while means to make somebody unemployed and unable to survived and can be translated into “抢走某人的饭碗” in Chinese.）

From the above idioms using bread, it is obvious that bread is one of the staple foods in the west, but the associations of bread are not the same in Chinese as in English. When a Chinese is told that “bread and cheese” is “家常便饭”，“bread and water”is “粗茶淡饭”，he would be confused and very surprised, because food made of wheat, same material with bread, was very precious in China in the ancient time. What’s more, rice has long been a staple food of southern Chinese, so some of the words “bread” used in the above idioms have the same association as Chinese word “饭(rice)”. In Chinese common families, rice and tea are their daily food and drink; while in western in countries, bread and water are their daily necessities. As a result, the same meaning of plain mean involves different food in the west and in the east (one is bread and water; the other is rice and tea).

In order to further explain the fact that different foods are used in Chinese and English idioms to express the same meaning, more examples are given in the following part.

(10) You can’t make an omelet without breaking eggs.

It is difficult for Chinese people to get the correct meaning of this idiom, because omelet is unfamiliar to Chinese people. But if they get the knowledge that ,in the west, omelet is one of their daily food and egg is the necessary material to make omelet. It would be easy for Chinese people to get the meaning of the idiom, and it would remind Chinese people of its Chinese counterpart “巧妇难为无米之炊”. So the same expression involves two totally different foods in English and Chinese, one is egg, the other is rice.

The following idioms are good examples to prove that different foods are used in Chinese and English idioms to express the same meaning.

(11) Spring up like mushroom

The idiom express the meaning of things rapidly appear or increase in number. Its Chinese counterpart is “雨后春笋”. Because of different natural environment, Chinese and westerners use different foods to express the same meaning.

(12) The goose is cooked / the milk is spilt

Its meaning is Things have been done and can not be changed. The Chinese equivalence for it is “生米煮成熟饭”. Due to the different living experiences, “rice” is used in Chinese idiom, while “goose” or “milk” is used in English idiom to express the same meaning.

(13) Cannot eat one’s cake and have it

The implication of this idiom is One can not have the advantages of something without its disadvantages. Cake is used in this English idiom. While to express the same meaning, fish and bear’s paw are used in the Chinese idiom “鱼与熊掌不可兼得” .

As all the idioms mentioned above, because of different living circumstances, people in the west and in the east sometimes choose different foods in their idioms to express the same meaning.

3.2.2 Same food with different connotation

Although there are some similar foods that exist in the east and in the west, but because of different cooking methods and eating habits, some foods used in English and Chinese idioms have different connotations. In the following discussions, the author will analyze this kind of idioms with specific examples.

Salt:

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