摘　要

语言是文化的一个重要的组成部分，而习语是语言发展的结晶。习语反映了不同的历史文化，地理环境，审美观念和思维方式。英语和汉语同是源远流长的语言，都有着丰富的动物习语。具有特殊文化内涵的动物习语，在不同语言中反映了不同民族的在社会心理，风俗习惯，价值取向等文化因素方面的差异。本文首先对文化内涵的意义进行了界定。然后根据差异程度，把动物词汇分为五类，并举例比较动物习语在英语和汉语中文化内涵意义的相似性和差异性；分析了影响动物习语内涵的因素。通过了解不同民族的文化可以促进民族间的交流，避免跨文化交际障碍的产生，可以促进民族融合，有助于人类文化的可持续发展。

关键词：文化寓意；动物习语；比较

Abstract

Language is an important component part of the culture, and the idioms is the product of the development of language. Idioms reflect the different history, geographical environment, aesthetic orientation and mode of thinking. English and Chinese are rich in animal idioms with long history of language. Animal idioms with special cultural connotation in different languages reflect different social psychology, customary habits, beliefs as well as value orientation. In this article, the present writer defines the “cultural connotation” firstly and divides animal words into five groups according to degree to which their different cultural connotation in the two languages. Then the writer makes a comparative of animal idioms’ cultural connotation’ similarities and differences between English and Chinese by examples. Also the writer analyzes the factors that influence the connotation of animal idioms. To be aware of the different cultures will promote the communication and avoid barriers of cross-cultural communication, promote national integration and the sustainable development of human culture.

Key words: cultural connotation; animal idioms；comparison

1 Introduction
In modern times, with the increasingly frequent communication between Chinese and westerns, Chinese and English has absorbed a lot of idioms from each other. Because of the different history, different tradition, different habits and different ways of thinking between two nations, the animal idioms accumulated by history have more differences than similarities. It has the positive significance in understanding of western culture through the contrast between English and Chinese animal idioms of different connotation and basic characteristics.