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80Изучение происхождения пословиц и их национальных особенностей
Лун Чжичао,
доцент, заместитель декана факультета иностранных языков Шэньянского политехнического университета E-mail: zclong2008@126.com
Люди из разных стран часто неправильно понимают значение отдельных фраз (пословиц, высказываний), непосредственно связанных с национальной культурой народа. Язык является частью культуры и играет в ней чрезвычайно важную роль. Пословицы, как особая часть языка, отражают особенности культуры. Они представляют собой народную мудрость, фольклор, взятый из повседневного опыта людей. В статье проводится анализ происхождения китайских и английских пословиц и их национальных особенностей. Можно обнаружить удивительное сходство в происхождении китайских и английских пословиц. Однако из-за разного социального происхождения, обычаев и религий между ними, определенно, будут некоторые различия, особенно в их национальных особенностях. Из вышеупомянутых пословиц мы можем видеть, что пословицы наций тесно связаны с ее историей, культурным наследием, жизненным опытом, географией, условиями, социальными условностями и т.д. Таким образом, мы можем рассматривать пословицы как зеркало, которое лучше всего отражает особенности нации и ее культуры. Анализ культурного сходства и различий в английских и китайских пословицах сделает межкультурное общение более всесторонним.
Ключевые слова: происхождение пословиц, национальные особенности, культурное сходство, различия.
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Статья издана в рамках фонда «Проект финансирования научных исследований Департамента образования провинции Ляонин в 2020 году», на теме «Исследование использования академической лексики при написании английского языка студентами научно-технических колледжей» № LG202017
Introduction
Culture and language are inseparable. Language is the cornerstone of culture. Without language, culture cannot exist; on the contrary, language will be deeply affected by the culture. Language is a reflection on the characteristics of a nation. It includes not only the historical origin and culture of the nation but also the production and life style of the local ethnic groups. Proverbs, as a part of language, contain cultural elements and reflect the social life style of the nation, moral values, ways of thinking, geographical environment and religions, etc.
I. Analysis of the origins of proverbs
The origins of proverbs are many and varied, but the main sources are from the speech of the common people, ancient legends and fables, historical events, classical works, religions, etc.
1. "Most proverbs came from the colloquial speech of the common people. Through the practical work in their daily life people have created a lot of proverbs." [1, p.34] For example, sailors have invented many vivid sea proverbs; farmers have created many proverbs concerning farm work and workers from all kinds of occupations also created all sorts of proverbs concerning their work. Moreover, the fisherman talks of life with the help of fishing proverbs; the housewife may use the proverbs about her kitchen or her farmyard; the sportsman expresses himself in the proverbs of sports; the hunter of his hunting, or his dogs and horses, etc. Little by little, the most vivid and most useful of these sentences became more and more popular and even became standard language, and finally come to be universally understood. Here are some proverbs to illustrate this point.
1.1 Proverbs from the colloquial speech or ordinary people:
(1) To see is to believe.
(2) It takes two to make a quarrel.
1.2 Proverbs from the working people:
(1) A handy tool makes a handy man. A bad workman quarrels with his tools.
(2) A man cannot spin and reel at the same time.
(3) Make hay while the sun shines.
1.3 Proverbs from the sailors and fishermen:
(1) A great ship asks deep waters.
(2) A small leak will sink a great ship.
1.4 Proverbs from housewives or cooks:
(1) Too many cooks spoil the broth.
(2) A watched pot never boils.
(3) You cannot eat your cake and have it.
(4) "The head of the house knows the cost of fuel and rice." [2, p.7]
(5) Family troubles are not a thing to be talked about in public.
1.5 Proverbs from hunters:
(1) Catch the bear before you sell his skin.
(2) Can the leopard change his spots?
(3) "How can you catch tiger cubs without entering the tiger's lair?" [3, p.126]
2. The second source is from ancient myths, legends or fables. Greek and Roman civilizations have had a great influence on the English language.
The following English proverbs, which have been derived from the Greek myths and legends, are so frequently used in the writing that we should all be familiar with them:
(1) Not even Hercules could contend against two. (Hercules is the hero in Roman myth. He is said to be the son of Heracles and Zeus, and he is so powerful that he has complete 12 great deeds.)
(2) Far from Jupiter, far from thunder. (Jupiter is the dominator of the universe in Roman myth; he is in charge of thunder and storm.)
(3) It was impossible even for Jupiter himself to love, and to be wise at one time.
Chinese ancient myths and fables also have some influence on Chinese proverbs. For example, Chinese traditional mythical animals, such as "dragon", "phoenix", often appear in proverbs. For example:
The dragon in a puddle is the sport of shrimps; the phoenix in a cage is mocked by small birds.
3. Religion is also an important source for proverbs. Because religion once had a great influence on people in feudal society, there are still many proverbs remaining, which reflect religious belief at that time. Owing to different religions, English and Chinese people used different figures in their own proverbs with religious allusions. "God", "Heaven", "Devil", "Hell", "church", etc. are often used in Christianity, where "Buddha", "Temple", "Monk", etc. in Buddhism. For example:
(1) God helps those who help themselves.
(2) The monk may run away, but the temple can't run with him. [4, p.312]
It is well known that the Bible has great influence on English. There are numerous proverbs written in the Bible, some very popular ones were absorbed by English. Here are some examples:
(3) It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. (Bible Mathew)
(4) If the Blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch. (Bible Mattew)
(5) The love of money is the root of all evils. (Bible Timothy)
Similarly some of Chinese proverbs from Buddhism have become so popular that people tend to forget their origins when using them.
(6) A prodigal who returns is more precious than gold.
(7) A just cause enjoys abundant support while an unjust cause finds little support.
4. Expressions from classical works are also one of the main sources from which proverbs are derived. After the Bible, Shakespeare's plays are, as we might expect, the richest library sources of English proverbs. For example, "All that glisters is not gold" (Merchant
of Venice, Act II, Scene 7) is a very familiar proverb to us all.
The following quotations, which have been adopted as English proverbs, also show how the wit and wisdom of English poets and other writers have passed into the thought of common people:
(1) A little learning is a dangerous thing. - Pope "Essay in Criticism"
(2) God helps those who help themselves. - Franklin "Poor Richard's Almanac"
(3) Reading makes a full man, conference a ready man, writing an exact man. - Bacon "On Study"
(4) They also serve who only stand and wait. - Milton "On his Blindness"
The above examples are so popular that we use them often with no definite consciousness of their origin. They have, as Dr. Bradley (Henry Bradley, English Lexicographer) puts it, "enter into the texture of the diction of literature and daily conversation," and may now "fairly be regarded as idioms of the English language".
The following quotations from the Chinese classics are often used as proverbs.
(1) Promises must be kept and action must be resolute. [6, p.1779]
(2) Only an expert like Bo Le with foresight and sagacity can find real geniuses.
(3) Alone, a lonely stranger in a foreign land, I doubly pine for my kinsfolk on holiday.
5. There are also some proverbs taken from foreign languages. They are known as translation loans. A study of translation loans is of etymological interest, for they not only give us valuable information as to the nations concerned but also to the color and variety of the language concerned.
English owes many of its useful proverbs to importations from foreign tongues, among which French, Latin and Greek are three main sources.
The following English proverbs have striking resemblances in French.
(1) Tooth for tooth and eye for eye.
(2) A friend in need is a friend indeed.
(3) A snow year, a good year.
(4) All roads lead to Rome.
(5) Nothing is impossible if you set your mind to it.
(6) One swallow does not make a summer.
And there are many English proverbs taken from Latin and Greek. For example, "So many men so many minds" is a popular proverb in both English and Greek.
There are translation loans in Chinese proverbs, too. Through translation, we have taken in a large number of foreign language proverbs into Chinese.
(1) An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.
(2) He laughs best who laughs last.
II. Analysis of the national characteristic of proverbs
1. The different historical backgrounds of the English and Chinese people with their different legends and anecdotes about historical figures, have provided rich and varied materials for their proverbs, and consequently give a national color to the proverbs in the two languages. In the following proverbs, it's evident that both historical
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figures and literary characters contribute much to their distinctive national feature, too.
(1) Every Caesar has his Brutus. (As Caesar was finally betrayed by his friend Brutus, this proverb implies that one should be aware of one's false friend.)
(2) Xiang Zhuang performed the sword dance as a cover for his attempt on Liu Bang's life.
(3) Sima Zhao's ill intent is known to all. That means what he is up to is only too evident.
(4) "Three cobblers with their wits combined equal Zhuge Liang the master mind." [7, p.126] That means the wisdom of the masses exceeds that of the wisest individual.
(5) Like the State of Shu in ancient times which could not find a general and made a junior officer Liao Hua the commander of the advance troops.
2. "Different social systems, cultural heritage, science and technology have much to do with the national characteristics of proverbs" [8, p.129]. As we all know, Britain is an island country, which has a long history of navigation, and therefore a great number of English proverbs are derived from the sea; on the other hand, China has been a large country chiefly based on agriculture, and an overwhelming majority of the people live in the rural areas, so that farmers' proverbial sayings form a large part of Chinese proverbs. These proverbs are the crystallization of the rich experience in agricultural production, accumulated in their productive labor by the Chinese peasants generation after generation. Moreover, the traditional Chinese calendar is the lunar calendar, in which a year is divided into twenty-four solar terms. These solar terms are often used in proverbs to illustrate principles concerning weather and farming.
(1) Do not put aside your winter clothes until after the Dragon Boat Festival. [9, p.241]
(2) There is unbroken spell of wet weather around the Qing Ming Festival. [10, p.149]
(3) Christmas comes only once a year.
STUDY OF THE ORIGINS OF PROVERBS AND THEIR NATIONAL CHARACTERISTICS
Long Zhichao
Shenyang Ligong University
People from different countries often misunderstand the meaning of individual phrases (proverbs, sayings), directly from the national culture of the people. Language is a part of culture and plays a lasting role in it. Proverbs, as a special part of the language, reflect the peculiarities of the culture. They represent folk wisdom, folklore taken from the everyday experience of people. The article analyzes the origin of Chinese and national proverbs and their national nationalities. There are surprising similarities in the origins of Chinese and English proverbs. However, due to their different social origins, customs and religions, there will definitely be some differences between them, especially in their national characteristics. From the above proverbs, we can see that the proverbs of nations with its history, cultural heritage, life experience, geography, conditions, social conventions, etc. Thus, we can view proverbs as a mirror that best reflects the characteristics of the nation and its culture. Analyzing cultural similarities and differences between English and Chinese proverbs will make intercultural communication more comprehensive.
Keywords: origins of proverbs, national characteristics, cultural similarity, differences.
References
1. Houghton, Patricia. A World of Proverbs. England: Blandford Press, 1981.
2. Rohsenow, John S. ABC Dictionary of Chinese Proverbs. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 2002.
3. Wu Zhankun, Ma Guofan. Proverbs. Beijing: Chinese Education Press, 1999.
4. Wu Ping. A comparison of English and Chinese rhetorical devices. Anhui Education Press, 2001.
5. Qin Naizheng, Cui Mingqiu. A Combination of English and Chinese Proverbs. Beijing: New World Press, 1984.
6. Wu Jingrong, Cheng Zhenqiu. New Era Chinese-English Dictionary. Beijing: Commercial Press, 2001.
7. Yin Binyong. Proverbs 100. Chinese Education Press, 1999.
8. Valdes, Joyce Merrill. Culture Bound. Cambridge University Press, 1988.
9. Wen Duanzheng, Zhou Jian. Research on Chinese Sayings in 20th Century. Shuhai Publishing House, 1999.
10. Yao Tiejun. Dictionary of Proverbs. Shanghai University Press, 2006.
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