Abstract:

This study aims to investigate the meanings that different animals stand for and makes a comparative analysis from five different aspects of similarities and differences in expression connotations of animal words influenced by different factors under different cultural environments in China and English－speaking countries: identical animal words with similar cultural connotations; identical animal words with different cultural connotations; identical animal words with partially similar cultural connotations; different animal words with similar cultural connotations; cultural connotations unique to one language. This paper then points out that having an ethnocentric view towards the connotations of animals words against the eavesdrop of cross-cultural communication may lead to obstacles or even failures of communication. Finally, the paper concludes that only by deepening understanding of cultures with different characteristics and raise an awareness of the cultural differences by which the speakers were deeply influenced , can the cross-cultural communicative competence be improved when being involved in a cross-cultural communication.

Key words: animal words；cross-cultural communication,；expression connotations；comparative analysis

摘要:

本文旨在于探究在中国和英语国家中不同的动物各自所代表的含义，进而又从 五种不同的具体情况对中外文化中动物词汇的表达内涵的相同之处与不同之处进行进一步深入的分析，即：同一动物词有相同的文化内涵;同一动物词汇具有不同的文化内涵;相同动物词汇有部分相似的文化内涵,不同的动物词有相同的文化内涵,一种语言中具有的独特的文化内涵。在不同的文化背景下，同一种动物词可能拥有不同的表达内涵。进行跨文化交流时，若以民族中心主义的态度去对待不同动物词汇的内涵将会致使交流受阻或直接造成沟通的失败。只有通过加深对不同形式文化的理解与认识，并且提高自身跨文化意识（交谈者可能被此种文化深深影响着），才能使自身跨文化交际能力获得提升并获得交流的成功。

关键词:动物词汇；跨文化交际；内涵表达；对比分析

1.Introduction
In the long process of human beings’ evolution, animals have been closely related with us and bring tremendous influence on the development of our society, naturally, there are a great number of words related to animals in various languages all over the world, Chinese and English are with no exception. Our ancestors were so smart to bring animals into linguistic uses. Today, it’s common for people to refer to animals to express inside emotions. Once a certain animal finds its place in language, it definitely carries cultural connotations with it.