学位论文开题报告审批表
A COMPATIVE STUDY OF THE CULTURAL CONNOTATION ANIMAL-RELATED ENGLISH AND CHINESE IDIOMS
英汉习语中动物词文化内涵的对比研究
开题报告人姓名： 王 妍
申请学位类别： 文学学士
所 在 院 系： 外国语学院
年 级： 2009级 1班
学 科 专 业： 英语 (英日)
指 导 教 师： 张 传 宏 讲 师
开题报告时间： 2012年9月1 日
学生论文开题报告审批表
开题报告填表说明和要求
1.本科生阅读论文、资料的篇数一般不少于10篇（其中外文资料不少于5篇）。
2.文献综述报告不少于500字。
3.本科生开题报告一般在第七学期内进行。
4.本科生的开题报告应不少于1000字，用英语书写，字体Times New Roman、标题小三号字加粗，正文小四号字，行距1.25倍，A4纸打印。
5.此审批表要求用微机打印。
6.此表与论文共同保存。
一、阅读文献
二﹑文献综述报告
Animals are friends of human beings. Both the Chinese and English language contains a lot of words denoting animals. Along with the development of society, animal words gradually got their connotations in both languages. However, because of different cultural backgrounds of English and Chinese, the implied meanings of the same animal are possibly different. That is why we must know the cultural connotation of animal-related words in English and Chinese idioms.
In Chinese and English languages, there are many idioms which are analogized by animals. These idioms have not only their literal glossary significance but also more fundamental and more important implication of the ethnic. These animal idioms are closely related to cultures because both English people and Chinese people have their own distinctive cultural background, living environment, customs, historical traditions, thinking, values and religious beliefs. A lot of idioms analogized as animals reflect rich cultural connotation in the English and Chinese languages.
However, animal Idioms are very important part of languages. Quite a few of animal idioms are tested in practice and have been regarded as very important. And many of them carry a lot of information. Animal images are quite popular in idioms which are full of cultural connotations. In today’s intercultural communication, it is important to overcome the cultural obstacles raised by cultural differences. This is why cultural content of idioms are worthy of our study. By means of learning and studying idioms of animal images, we will achieve thorough understanding, a proper command and a solid grasp of animal culture in idioms.
Since culture is defined succinctly as “the totality of beliefs and practices of a society”. Nothing is of greater strategic importance than the language through which most interaction of its members take place. So language and culture have close connection. Language is influenced and shaped by culture, it reflect culture. In the broadest sense, language is the symbolic representation of a people, and it comprises heir historical and cultural background ad well as their approach to life and the ways of living and thinking. Language is also the carrier of culture. Then animal words and culture have a close connection, cultural difference gives different connotations of the same animal words. At the same time, animal words in Chinese and English reflect he culture background in China and in western countries. The meanings of animal words, accompanied with the development of society and the evolution of culture, become diversified. The implications of animal words rely on people’s understanding on background knowledge, culture and so on.
I．Purpose of the Study
Animal words in Chinese and English reflect the culture background in China and in western countries. The meanings of animal words, accompanied with the development of society and the evolution of culture, become diversified. The implications of animal words rely on people’s understanding on background knowledge, culture and so on. Only deeply acquainted with the cultural convention and living customs, can people understand the cultural connotations of animal words of English and Chinese. It is very necessary for us to improve and strengthen the understanding of English and Chinese cultures to shorten the distance between two cultural connotations in two cultures.
II. Present Study Conditions
Much research has been done on animal idioms. Some findings are listed below. Richards (1936) deemed that metaphor is considered as the exchange between ideas, and it derives from another thing. And according to Lakoff and Johnson (1980), metaphor is further considered as an indispensable cognitive tool for the organization of human concept system. Metaphor is defined as a way of understanding another thing by means of kind of things. Animal idioms are summarized with a special form of language form as people observed animal behavior and characteristics during the frequent contact with animals. It reflects people's different lifestyle and way of thinking. At present, there are also scholars who explain cultural differences between English and Chinese from the perspective of semantics of national customs. And English language lovers studied the methods of translation of animal idioms. What’s more, some people have studied and explored from the aspect of intercultural communication. All these studies bring animal idioms to more people’s attention.
III. Significance of the Study
Through the contrast of animal idioms they reflect different symbols of images of animals but also cultural differences. Since animal idioms have rich cultural connotations, it will take much time to understand connotations of animal idioms if we really want to grasp cultural differences between English and Chinese. In addition, we should keep on reading widely in order to study the cultural differences of animal idioms. We also should avoid understanding the meanings of idioms literally. In a word, we can't ignore cultural differences between English and Chinese when learning English language. Collecting and analyzing some interesting animal idioms can help us learn more about the customs, the habits and the ways of thinking of English-speaking people. It can also stimulate our interest in study, so that we will have a desire to improve our cross-cultural competence in communication. As long as we have a good understanding of cultural conventions and customs, we may communicate with English-speaking people successfully.
IV. Important Points, Difficult Points and Innovative Points
Languages of all nations contain a lot of words denoting animal, and so do Chinese and English. Every animal word has its own cultural connotation; they are closely connected with people’s daily life, which reflects the natural phenomenon, social activity and values of human society. Obviously, different animal words, even the same animal words, have the same, similar or contrary cultural connotations in different languages. So it brings misunderstanding and cultural shock in intercultural communication. Therefore, it is important and necessary to have a detailed classification between them. While admitting that there are occasions when some cultural connotations of animal words in both English and Chinese may overlap, this thesis attaches importance to the conflict or the different aspects of their cultural connotations, for it is the differences that may cause semantic and pragmatic failure and eventually result in communicative failure in the communication between the people of different cultural backgrounds
V. Outline
I. Introduction
II. Same Animal Words Having Similar Cultural Connotation in English and Chinese Idioms
III. Same Animal Words Having Different Cultural Connotation in English and Chinese idioms
3.1 Derogatory in Chinese, Commendatory in English
3.2 Commendatory in Chinese, Derogatory in English
IV. Different Animal Words Having Equivalent Cultural Connotations
V. Analysis on Various Factors to Cultural Connotation of Animal-related Words in English and Chinese Idioms
5.1 Historical Factors
5.2 Geographical and Environmental Factors
5.3 Custom Factors
VI. Conclusion
VI. Research method
1.reading the related materials and the references especially in the libraries
2. Searching the information through the internet
VII. Procedure
周 日期（20##）
Week 1 8.27-8.31 拟题，提纲，交开题报告
Week 2 9.03-9.07 一稿
Week 3 9.10-9.14 一稿
Week 4 9.17-9.21 交一稿，返一稿
Week 5 9.24-9.28 二稿
Week 6 10.1-10.05 二稿
Week 7 10.08-10.12 交二稿，返二稿
Week 8 10.15-10.19 三稿
Week 9 10.22-10.26 交三稿，返三稿
Week 10 10.30 交稿，定稿