Idiom is a language module composed of fixed phrases and short sentences including proverb, slang and allusion (Yin 23)。 Idiom contains succinct words, prosodic features, and often expresses deep meanings, rich philosophy and boundless inspiration with some concise forms。 As a special language, idiom is a special part of the culture and a direct reflection of the cultural reality。 Due to differences in social development, English and Chinese idioms usually take on different cultural features and cultural information。 The generation, variation, and development of idioms are all filled with cultural information, such as environment, geography, customs, aesthetic tendency and values。来:自[优.尔]论,文-网www.youerw.com +QQ752018766-

Idiom generally has the appropriate analogy and great imagination。 This association is determined by the inhabited environment and experiences of the nation。 Britain, for example, is an island with deep seas, so a lot of English idioms come from marine。 For example: “go by the board” (walk along the side of the ship) means that some arrangements are lost or plans failed, “all at sea” means “overwhelmed” and has nothing to do with sea, “a fine kettle of fish” means “a mess of something” instead of the literal meaning of many fish in a kettle, “hoist your sail when the wind is fair” implies that in a calm sea, every man is a pilot。 However, China is located in the Eurasian continent and is a big agricultural country with vast territory。 So, a large number of Chinese idioms are related to agriculture and the land。 For example: “A timely snow promises a good harvest”, “many hands make light work”, “drawing water in a bamboo basket” means drawing nothing。 From these examples above, we can see the different living environments of English and Chinese: English feed on sea and fish but Chinese on land and grain。