摘  要

本文旨在从文化视角，对比研究英汉习语的表达方式。文章不仅综述了习语、语言与文化的关系，而且通过大量范例分析表明，英汉习语表达在文化起源上存在相同点，皆源自于古代神话、传奇故事、寓言、历史人物或历史故事、宗教信仰、或文学著作。另一方面，英汉习语表达的差异主要体现在对社会体制、动物的意义联想上。文章最后强调理解英汉习语异同对成功实现跨文化交际的重要性。

关键词：英汉习语；文化起源；意义联想

Abstract

This paper intends to explore both similarities and differences between English and Chinese idioms by analyzing them from cultural perspectives. Based on a brief description of the relation of idioms, language and culture, it is found that the idioms in two languages have both similarities in cultural origin and differences in association. In terms of cultural origin, they are both derived from myths, legends and fables, historical figures and events, religion, and literary works, but they do have different associations with social systems and animals.  Finally, it is expected that we can develop awareness, understanding, and appreciation of idioms in English and Chinese for a better use in cross-cultural communication.

Key words: English and Chinese idioms; cultural origin; association

1 Introduction
1.1 Research Background

The history of investigation of idioms and idiomaticity in general seems to be relatively short.
In 1925 Logan P. Smith published a book entitled Words and Idioms, which was a collection of his essays. The longest one, called “English Idioms”, contains the greatest number of examples that Smith was able to gather, file and classify. He worked within the favorite tradition of etymology, apparently using lists of idioms that had been compiled mostly by others.
 Igor Meľčuk (1960) is another scholar of later years worth mentioning in the idiomatology history. He contributed to phraseological and lexicological studies by making a distinction between idiomaticity and stability of collocation. Briefly, he tried to find criteria for keeping genuine idioms and habitual collocations apart.