Cultural Differences on Idioms Origins between Chinese and English

[Abstract] Different people from different cultures may have different understandings of the same sentence because they know little about the target cultures. While the ultimate aim of English teaching as a foreign language is to cultivate students' competence to apply English correctly, fluently, and appropriately in cross-cultural communication. However, due to lack of knowledge of cultural differences, many college students fail to achieve this purpose during the actual communicating activities. It is necessary for us to study the cultural differences in some fields between China and Western countries. Language is the most principal means for inter-cultural communication. Idioms, a part of language, are the essence of culture in every country. Using language in such communication, we often come across some idioms with distinctive cultural characteristics, so it is a very important and complicated thing for us to understand and use these idioms correctly. Therefore, in this paper, we will discuss the idioms reflecting the differences of Chinese and Western cultures in various levels with many lively, important, and interesting examples of idioms. [Key Words] idioms; origins; cultural differences between English and Chinese 从习语来源看中英文化差异 【摘 要】 同一句话，不同文化背景的人的反应有时是不同的，甚至会截然相反。究其原因，是说话双方没有真正掌握对方的文化。大学英语教学的目的，是使学生在跨文化交流中可以正确、流利与恰当的运用英语。而大学生在实际交流活动中，往往不能达到这一目的，这是因为他们对中两方文化差异不够了解。因此，完全有必要对中西文化差异进行详细的研究。语言是跨文化交际中最主要的手段。在运用语言进行跨文化交际时,由于民族文化差异,难免会遇到具有鲜明文化特色的成语和习语,而对此确切地理解并正确地加以运用,则是一个十分重要而又复杂的问题。习语是各国文化的精髓，反映各国的风俗习惯。因此，本文从最能体现中西文化差异的习语着手，论述习语在文化的各个层次上所反映的中西文化差异，并采纳大量生动有趣的例子作为论据进行适当的分析。 【关键词】 习语;来源;英语;汉语;文化差异 Introduction Language is inseparable from culture. For one thing, language is a part of culture and plays an important role in it. For another, as a mirror of culture, language is strongly influenced and shaped by culture; meanwhile, it reflects culture. Idioms include metaphorical phrases, slang, colloquialism, proverb and so on. As an essential part of the language and culture of a society, idioms are characterized by their concise expressions, rich and vivid, involving geography, history, religious belief, living conventions and so on. They are usually highly specialized in meaning and closely tied to distinctive cultural features and cultural attitudes. It is believed that idioms are the most culturally loaded element in any language' s vocabulary. Undoubtedly they are often hard to understand and harder to use correctly. English and Chinese idioms, closely related to their own culture, convey different cultural features and messages of their own nation, reflecting their own culture.[1]P281-282 There exists vast difference between English and Chinese culture and this difference occurs in English and Chinese idioms, too. Based on others’ research, this paper intends to explore it by fully analyzing the main cultural reasons causing idiomatic expressions differences in both Chinese and English. 1.Different living circumstance That culture is determined by geographical environment is a subjective view of geographical determinism. It cannot be denied, however, that natural environment including geographical position, climate, ecological condition is something that plays contributory role in the formation of a culture. People dwelling in a certain region try to adapt themselves to the surroundings so that livelihood can be maintained. As a result, their special way of living, thinking and behaving is formed as a side-product of their relationship with the environment. 1.1. Geographical environment Britain is an island country. People who live along seacoast and whose livelihood is dependent on the sea will have idioms about water, sailing, island and fish. For example, we speak in Chinese挥金如土，but we should render it into English as "spend money like water". There are a lot of English idioms about ship ,water and fish: "as close as an oyster"(守口如瓶)，"cast an anchor to windward"(未雨绸缪), "at sea"(茫然)，"to keep one's head above water"(奋力图存)，"to take the wind out of somebody's sail"(先发制人)，"tower one's sail"(甘拜下风)，"in full sail"(全力以赴)，"sail under false colors"(欺世盗名)，"half sea over"(酒喝得太多), "fish begins to stink at the head" (上梁不正下梁歪)，"never offer to teach fish to swim" (不要班门弄斧)，"dull fish" (枯燥无味的人); "plain sailing" (一帆风顺)，"to trim one's sail to the wind " (见风使舵), "to be in the same boat" (同舟共济)，"to burn one's boat " (破釜沉舟), "a big fish in a little pond"(山中无老虎，猴子称霸王).[2]P110 On the other hand, the Han People live on land, they belong to an agrarian society that places agricultural production at the top of the national agenda, regarding industry and commerce as the non-essentials. During the long history of farming, the Chinese language has accumulated large numbers of farmers' idioms, like二人同心，黄土变金(When two people are of the same mind, even clay may be changed into gold)，上无片瓦，下无寸土(as poor as a church mouse)，人不亏地，地不亏人(The master's footsteps fatten the soil)，瓜熟蒂落(Things will be easily settled when conditions are ripe)，瑞雪兆丰年(a timely snow promises a good harvest)，五谷丰登(abundant harvest of all food crops),种瓜得瓜，种豆得豆( as a man sows, so shall he reap )，四体不勤，五谷不分(can neither do physical work nor distinguish rice from wheat).[3]P99 1.2. Climate Climate is another factor in the living condition. While Britain is located in western hemisphere, with North Temperate Zone and marine climate, so "west wind" is the symbol of spring. The famous English poet Shirley' s "Ode to West Wind" is a praising song of spring. Summer in Britain is a warm and comfortable season, which is usually linked with "lovely", "gentle" and "nice". Shakespeare compares lover to a summer in one of his poems, "shall I compare thee to a summer's day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate."[4](Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18) The west wind blows from the Atlantic Ocean as warm and gentle as Chinese east wind and brings voluminous rain to this area. So that Britain abounds in rain can be proved in some idioms concerning rain: "to make hay while the sun shines" (趁热打铁), " rainy day"（穷困时期）, " to rain or shine"（无论如何）, "to rain cats and dogs"（倾盆大雨）, " as right as rain"（非常正确）, etc. Britain used to be known as a country of fog partly due to the dampness and warmness of the weather condition and partly to the air pollution as side product of the industrial revolution. Therefore, in English there are some idiomatic expressions concerning fog, such as "in a fog"（云里雾里），and "to have not the foggiest idea". "Spring up like mushrooms" (雨后春笋) may become incomprehensible to Chinese learner if he is unaware that this idiom implies the richness of mushroom growing in the wet area in Britain just as "bamboo" in Chinese specialty, and "as plentiful as blackberries"(黑莓遍地) also indicates the ecological environment in Britain, for blackberries are easily available in England. In Chinese culture, "east wind" is "the wind of spring"; spring is warm and colorful, and it is regarded as the beginning of all lives. There are many idioms in China, which refer to spring：春暖花开(in warm spring, all the blossoms are in full bloom.), 春意盎然(spring is very much in the air), 一年之计在于春(the whole year’s work consists in a good start in spring)，万紫千红总是春(it is spring when the gayest colours abound). Spring has the image of good things, so Chinese “春” is used in some idioms to express this: 满面春风(one’s face radiates happiness),春风化雨(the life-giving spring breeze and rain---salutary influence of education). Summer is always connected with extremely hot or the intense heat, so赤日炎炎似火烧(the blazing sun scorches like fire)、骄阳似火(the burning sun is like a fire) are terms often used to describe summer. So different living surroundings may produce different idioms and different culture. 2. Different historical allusion Different countries possess different history culture, which mainly comprises allusion, myths, poems, ancient books and records, etc. Among them, allusion is the most important; it reflects the national characteristic. Idioms from history culture are the gems of human cultural heritage. It is worthwhile for us to learn them well. There are lots of idioms coming from the historical allusion. The structures of these idioms are very simple but they have profound meaning, so we cannot translate and understand these idioms from the literal meaning. The different historical backgrounds of the English and Chinese people have their different legends and anecdotes about historical figures which have provided rich and varied materials for their idioms, and consequently give a national color to the idioms in the two languages. It is necessary for us to learn and understand the English allusion as well as the Chinese allusion. It can enlarge our scope of knowledge, widen our field of vision and it is useful to learn about the origin and development of English and Chinese language and literature. 2.1. Historical events In most, if not all, languages, people embellish their speech or writing with references to characters or events from their history, that is to say, idiomatic expressions are closely related to a country's history. Take the aspect of language for example: there are a lot of idioms in the Chinese language which cannot find an equivalent in the English language because the history of the two countries are quite different. Many Chinese idioms are from their own historical events which are well-known by Chinese people. For instance, the following idioms are from historical events in Ancient China: 风声鹤唳,草木皆兵(be in an extremely nervous state in which one is frightened by the slightest sound) is from the defeat of Fu Jian’s(苻坚) army at Feishui River during the East Jin Dynasty; 卧薪尝胆(to sleep on brushwood and taste gall---to undergo self-imposed hardships so as to strengthen one's resolve to wipe out a national humiliation) comes from The Historical Records•Yue’s State Emperor Gou Jian’s Noble Family(《史记·越王勾践世家》): "When Yue’s State Emperor Gou Jian returned to his state, he had much physical suffering and was mentally worried. He placed a bitter gall in front of his seat, and he had a look at it when he sat or slept and tasted it when he had meals. "; 沉鱼落雁之容，闭月羞花之貌 concerns great beauties in ancient times. This idiom comes from Dai Shanfu’s Academician Tao Writes Good Landscape When Drunken(戴善夫《陶学士醉写风光好》): "To my mind, this woman is so beautiful that she will make the fish sink and the birds alight, or she will put the flowers to shame and outshine the moon. ";[5]P126,537,57 三个臭皮匠，顶个诸葛亮expresses the wisdom of the masses exceeds that of the wisest individual, for诸葛亮is regarded as the master mind during the last years of the East-Han Dynasty. England has a history of more than one thousand years and has much less important historical events than China. So the English language has much less idioms from historical events than the Chinese language, but there are still some, for example, "to meet one's Waterloo"(一败涂地) is from the defeat of Napoleon at Waterloo in 1815, which means to be completely defeated; The idiom "Dunkirk evacuation"(敦刻尔克撤退)comes from the Second World War and originally meant the retreat of the English-French troops forced by the German. Now the expression means to retreat in disorder. "When Greek meet Greek, then comes the tug of war" means "a fierce battle". A story is told that, in 1936, Emilio Mola headed four columns to attack the capital---Madrid, before attacking, he delivered a speech that the four columns had surrounded Madrid, while the fifth column was in the city. That is how the idiom "the fifth column"(第五纵队)came into being.[6]P209 Similar examples are "Columbus's egg"(哥伦布竖鸡蛋)(In the famous story of Columbus's egg, the explorer, irritated at being told that his exploits were easy, challenged the guests at a banquet to balance an egg on its end. When all had failed, he succeeded by flattening one end by tapping it against the table, a trick that any would then have been able to repeat. Repetition is easier than innovation.)[7] and "to eat crow"(吃下乌鸦) which means to be forced to change hat one has said; admit that one is wrong. "The origin of ‘to eat crow’ is that towards the end of the war 1812, a British officer encountered an American hunter near the British line, gained control of his musket and thereby forced him to eat the crow he had just shot. The American complied, but when his musket was returned, he forced the British officer to do the same.[8] Rome and Denmark once occupied England for a long time, so the conquest influenced the English to a certain extent: "six of one and half a dozen of the other"(半斤八两) comes from Denmark, whereas "return to one's muttons"(言归正传)and "do in Rome as the Romans do"(入乡随俗)are from France and Rome respectively. The history of mankind is almost the history of war, which is the source of numerous idioms, as is mirrored in the following English and Chinese idioms: "What millions died that Caesar might be great"(一将功成万骨枯)，"to steal a march on"(先发制人)，"to put up the sword"(讲和). The Chinese nation has a long history of war for more than two thousand years, and therefore the Chinese language is rich in such idioms, which often appear in the following historical books such as《左传》，《史记》，《三国志》，《三国演义》，《水浒传》. They are兵不厌诈(There can never be too much deception in war)，兵荒马乱(amidst the ravages and turmoil of war),短兵相接(cut and thrust)，赶尽杀绝(cut down the grass and dig up the roots)，知己知彼，百战不殆(Know the enemy and know yourself, and you can fight a hundred battles with no danger of defeat),临阵磨枪(to sharp one's spear only before going into battle). 2.2. Fables and mythologies Idioms are usually closely related to distinctive cultural fables and mythologies. Greek and Roman civilizations have a great influence on the English language, so the Greek and the Roman mythologies have greatly enriched the English idioms. Most English allusions come from the Bible and the Greek Roman Myth. Let's take a glance at the following idioms: "Achilles' heel"(致命弱点)which is from the Greek mythology has the meaning "the one weak spot in a man's circumstances or character". "A Pandora's box" (潘多拉之盒) which means the origin of all evils is also from Greek mythology;[9]P360,10and "Penelope' s web"(铂涅罗铂的织物,指永远做不完的工作), Greek mythology, refers to work never ends; "crocodile's tears"(鳄鱼眼泪) is from The Voiage and Travaile of Sir John Mandeville written by Sir John Mandeville, [10]P504,147 (it is just like the Chinese idiom“猫哭老鼠假慈悲”)etc. "David and Jonathan" means a pair of devoted friends. The story is from the Bible: Jonathan is David’s friend, and he always protects him from danger. (like Chinese“管鲍之交”); "Every Caesar has his Brutus" implies that one should be aware of one's false friend in case one would be betrayed by him. Here, Brutus was once a friend of Caesar who was murdered by him. Another example, Hercules was one of the most famous heroes in Greek mythologies. He killed two snakes when he was a baby, and was known as a man of muscle. Because of this, he "walks" into the English idioms: "Hercules' choice" means "the reward of toil in preference to pleasure", "the Herculian efforts"(九牛二虎之力)，"the pillars of Hercules"(天涯海角).In addition, Aesop's Fables greatly influence the English idioms. Perhaps you are quite familiar with these idioms: "mistake the shadow for the substance"(以假当真，捕风捉影), "sour grapes"(聊以自慰), "nurse a viper in one's bosom"(姑息养奸)，"the lion's share"(最大或最好的份额), "to cut the Gordian knot"(快刀斩乱麻). Most of the following Chinese idioms are from Chinese historical works and ancient fables and fairy tales. They are vivid with profound meanings. For example:拔苗助长: try to help seeding grow by pulling them---spoil things by undue haste;囫囵吞枣: swallow a date wholly without chewing or tasting it---uncritical acceptance without real comprehension of what one reads or studies; 画龙点睛: draw the eyes when painting a dragon---a crucial touch which drives home a point otherwise difficult to explain;邯郸学步: learn the ways of walking---imitate others only to lose one’s originality;夜郎自大: it refers to blinded by one’s presumptuous self-conceit. Such allusions not only make the language richer, but also make communication much more vivid and often easier. 2.3. Literary works Idioms from literary works are also one of the main sources from which idioms are derived. In English literature, Shakespeare plays a very important role; his dramas are the major source of this kind: "applaud one to the echo" (掌声雷动), "die in harness" (因公殉职), "make assurance doubly sure" (加倍小心) and "at one fell swoop"(一下子，一举) come from Macbeth; "have an old head on young shoulders" (年轻却有头脑) and "to claim one's pound of flesh" (割某人的一磅肉) are from The Merchant of Venice; "hoist with one's own petard" (搬起石头砸自己的脚) and "out of joint" (杂乱无章) are from Hamlet. Besides, the woks of other famous writers also store a great many idioms: "a nine-day wonder" (昙花一现) appears in Troilus and Cressid written by Geoffrey Chaucer; "a fly on the wheel" (妄自尊大) derived from Aesop's Fable, can refer to assuming a self-important air; "mind one's eye" (当心你的眼睛)---Charles Dickens Barnaby Rudge; “Reading makes a full man, conference a ready man, writing an exact man”------Bacon Of Studies, Catch 22(第22条军规)---Joseph Heller's Catch 22; "the ugly duckling"(丑小鸭)is from Han Anderson's tales.[11]P23 Chinese idioms like精卫填海(the mythical bird trying to fill up the sea with pebbles, a person with strong will) and机关算尽太聪明，反算了卿卿性命(too much cunning in plotting and scheming is the cause of her own undoing" are from《山海经》and《红楼梦》respectively;项庄舞剑，意在沛公(to act with a hidden motive)，天网恢恢，疏而不漏(God's mill grinds slow but sure)，山高水低(unfortunate accidents or happenings)，弃暗投明(quit the reactionaries and side with the people) are all from ancient Chinese literature《史记·项羽本纪》《老子》《金瓶梅词话》《三国演义》 And there are many other examples:毕恭毕敬(extremely deferential) and风雨飘摇(swaying in the storm)------《诗经》;文质彬彬(gentle and polite) and小不忍则乱大谋(If you are too tender-hearted over small matters, you'll jeopardize affairs of great moment)------《论语》; 东施效颦(now it means imitating somebody stupidly)------《庄子·天运》;兵临城下(with troop closing in on the city) and心满意足(to one's heart's content)------《水浒传》;欲穷千里目，更上一层楼(You can enjoy a grander sight by climbing to a greater height)------王之涣《登鹳鹊楼》;物换星移(Things change with the passing of years)------《藤王阁序》;谁言寸草心，报德三春晖(Such kindness as young grass receives from the warm sun can't be repaid)------孟郊《游子吟》.[12]P23 3. Different religions and beliefs As a cultural phenomenon, religion, which is the manifestation of different cultures, is the vital part of human thought. It penetrates into every possible aspect of people's life, which consequently causes great cultural difference between people with different religious beliefs. China is a multi-religious country, yet comparatively speaking, Buddhism has a greater influence in Chinese culture. It was first introduced into China in the first century AD, and has shaped the Chinese language, diet, arts, etc., and greatly stimulated the development of Chinese literature. The large number of words and idioms derived from Buddhism is one of the manifestations of its influence, such as现身说法(to make a personal example as an effective means of convincing others),半路出家(switch to a new trade without solid foundation)，放下屠刀，立地成佛(A butcher becomes a Buddha the moment he drops his cleaver---a wrongdoer achieves salvation as soon as he gives up evil)，救人一命胜造七级浮屠(to save a human life is better than building a seven-storeyed pagoda)，一尘不染(remained spotless)，做一天和尚，撞一天钟(take a passive attitude toward one's work), 借花献佛(to present Buddha with borrowed flowers---to borrow something to make a gift of it)，五体投地(to throw oneself down at somebody's feet in admiration)，平时不烧香，临时抱佛脚(Neglect to burn one's joss stick before an idol in times of peace, then embrace the Buddha's feet in a crisis). Here the words with emphasized symbols such as “身”, “法”, “出家”, “成佛”etc. are words derived from the activities of Buddhism in China.[13] P52 Besides, to the ordinary Chinese, Heaven is the supreme ruler of the world. All happenings on the earth are believed to be controlled and arranged by Heaven, hence it gives rise to the following idioms:谋事在人，成事在天(Man proposes, Heaven disposes)，生死由命，富贵在天(Life and death are decreed by fate, rank and riches determined by Heaven)，民以食为天(Food is the necessity of the people)，天理不容(Heaven will not tolerate injustice)，天生我才必有用(There must be some use for the talent Heaven granted me)，一人得道，鸡犬升天(When one becomes a high official, even his fowls and dogs will get promoted). In contrast to the Chinese, most of the westerners are Christians, who believe that the world was created by God, and that everything in the world is arranged and disposed of according to God's will. The teachings and beliefs concerning Christianity are recorded in the Bible, which has contributed a great deal to English idioms, for many English people who believe in Christianity all read the Bible. Therefore, numerous idioms have come into people's colloquial speech, and have become mottoes: "God helps those who help themselves"(自助者天助), "fall on stony ground"(没有结果), "fall by the wayside"(半途而废), "ask for bread and be given a stone"(得非所求), "sow the wind and reap the whirlwind"(恶有恶报), "old Adam"(本性的罪恶), "a doubting Thomas"(不肯轻易相信别人的人), "all things to all men"(八面玲珑), "beard the lion"(敢在太岁头上动土) and "an eye for an eye"(以牙还牙) Like the word "Heaven" in Chinese, God is a household word in English. It is often used in their oral conversation, for they believe that God is so justice, merciful and powerful that he is capable of helping the needy and relieving the distressed, for example, "Oh, my God", "Thank God", "God bless me", "Man proposes, God disposes", "honest to God" etc. 4. Different traditions and customs Culture is long acquired from customs and habits. These customs and habits are representative of the way of living of a certain speech community and they are mirrored in the habitual speaking of the language. 4.1. Food and cooking Food is one of the aspects of cultural tradition that are reflected in English idioms. In most European countries, wheat used for baking bread, barley for brewing wine and oat for feeding animals are the major supply of food. Bread, butter, jam, cheese, etc. are usual kind of food in daily meals. Bread is one of the supplies for living. So "to earn one a bread" means "to make a living". "Bread and butter"(日常所需), as major food of the Westerners is also an idiom meaning "the usual needs of life". "To know which side one’s bread is buttered"(知道自身利益所在) is an interesting idiom implying "to know where one’s interest lies". To butter both sides of one's bread may satisfy a person's appetite better, so "to butter both sides of one's bread"(过舒适的生活) is used to mean "to obtain an comfortable living". It is certainly a bad luck if someone has to eat hard cheese, so "hard cheese"(倒霉) got its meaning "bad luck." In China, most of the areas especially the south grow rice, so many idioms have to do with rice:巧妇难为无米之炊(Even the cleverest housewife can't cook a meal without rice)，茶余饭后(over a cup of tea or after dinner--- at one's leisure),不当家不知柴米贵(He who takes charge knows the responsibility)，看菜吃饭，量体裁衣(to adapt oneself to circumstances). China has a long history of cooking and the Chinese are known as the most critical and at the same time the most causal eaters, for they attach greater importance to food than any other people, as is reflected in the sayings like:家常便饭(daily food preparation)，粗茶淡饭(coarse tea and brown rice)，大鱼大肉(abundant fish and meat---rich food),添油加醋(to exaggerate embellishment to),画饼充饥(to draw cakes to allay hunger)，鸡毛蒜皮(an inch breaks no square),生米煮成熟饭(What's done cannot be undone). Such expressions are quite abundant in the Chinese language. In our daily life, the Chinese usually greet each other with "Have you eaten your meal?", which has been a hot topic for cultural linguists. The idiom吃人的嘴软(Once you have accepted somebody's invitation to a meal, you will find it difficult to say anything against him) reflects the philosophy of the Chinese. That is why most of the problems can be solved at the dinner table, which surprises the western businessmen. 4.2. Animals The English and Chinese people have their own individual state of mind, which add national coloring to the idioms, due to their different living conditions. The English and the Chinese people traditionally have different opinions of animals, such as “dog”, the English people have a high opinion of the dog and think a dog to be a faithful friend, thus there are many canine idioms in English, most of which have a commendatory sense such as "clever dog"---clever boy or clever guy; "to help a lame dog over a stile"---to help a person in trouble; "Love me, love my dog"---accept my friends as yours. However, In China, people often despise such an animal, therefore, a dog is usually associated with a derogatory sense:狗血喷头(a torrent of abuse),狗头军师 (wicked counselor),狗眼看人低 (be damned snobbish),狼心狗肺(rapacious as a wolf and savage as a cur),狗急跳墙(despair gives a courage to a coward),打落水狗(kick the man when he is down),狗嘴里吐不出象牙(a filthy mouth can't utter decent language). When one notices the difference, it would be easy for him to understand why the Chinese would at first feel insulted for being called "a lucky dog", while the English might be greatly puzzled by the utterance "We can't go out for there is a dog outside", because here the “dog” is used metaphorically to refer to spies or servile followers.[14]P15 Another case in this point is dragon. Chinese people admire and worship this imagined animal. It is the symbol of the Chinese nation; and it is the symbol of authority, strength and good fortune. In English, though dragon can bring the association of “strength” and “power”, it gives derogatory association. When seeing this word in English, people always think of cruelty, devilishness and viciousness. But Chinese idioms such as望子成龙 , 龙飞凤舞 , 龙子龙孙 , 龙凤呈祥 express Chinese people’s appreciation and love to dragon. Similarly, owl implies wisdom and calmness in the West. The idiom “as wise as an owl” indicates that English - speaking people associate wisdom with this bird. In children’s books and cartoons, the owl is usually solemn and wise. In disputes among birds and beasts, it is the owl that they go to for advice. Sometimes, the bird is considered as impractical and foolish. But in general, the owl stands for wisdom. However, there is a superstitious belief that this bird is a sign of bad luck and the symbol of sinister things among many Chinese. So comes the common Chinese saying 夜猫子进宅 ,无事不来 (an owl visiting a home portends misfortune in that household) . The mere sight of an owl or the sound of the creature’s hooting might cause people to draw back in fear. To the English and most of the Westerners, "the king of the beasts" is the lion. The lion enjoys high prestige, as can be seen from such expressions: regal as a lion, majestic as a lion. Richard I, king of England in the late 12th century, was known as lion-hearted for his courage and chivalry. It’s no wonder, then, that English have chosen the lion as their symbol. In Chinese culture this beast has fewer associations with courage and bravery. He is regarded commonly as being fierce and powerful but not necessarily majestic or regal. Another example is "cold turkey". On Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day, turkey is always the main dish in every English family, which is different in Chinese family. But turkey is ugly and dull, so if English people call somebody "a turkey", it means he or she is stupid and incapable. "Cold turkey" as an idiom means "get rid of the addictive habit suddenly", like illegal drug-taking, heavy-smoking or excessive drinking. Because Chinese people have different traditions and customs, we cannot find the same equivalent to such kind of idioms. It can be seen from above that English people have very different associations of animals from the Chinese. This is also a reflection of different culture. Conclusion Culture is a kind of social behavior. It needs time and people to form the culture. Idioms come up with the new things and new ideas. Old idioms fade with the old things and old ideas. It can be reflected not only in English idioms but also in Chinese idioms. So the general developing and changing tendency of idioms is that the new ones are more than the disappearing ones. So the amount of idioms increases continuously with colorful and vivid expressions. In the course of foreign language learning, we are supposed to master the language and the habitual pattern of thinking as we do in our native language. We are encouraged to go further: to understand the cultural phenomenon of the foreign language better and also understand our native language better through contrast. So as an English teacher or an English learner, it is useful and helpful to understand and learn about the cultural differences between English idioms and Chinese idioms. It can help us to get rid of the big barrier to understanding the original English and Chinese literature. The analysis of origins causing different idiomatic expressions and cultural differences in this article can provide a way for us to understand idioms correctly and use them in cross-cultural communication precisely and accurately

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