Revelations Of English And Chinese Idioms In A Cross-Cultural Perspective

Language is the major medium used in cross-cultural communication. As the gems of language, idiomscan reflect their cultures in both direct and profound ways. Originating from various sources of cultural creation,idioms are heavily loaded with cultural implications. Firstly, idioms directly reflect the superficial features oftheir own cultures. In a cross-cultural perspective, idioms directly indicate the distinctive features betweencultures. Secondly, idioms profoundly indicate the deep iraits of their own cultures. In a cross-cultural sense, thedisparity in dispositions between cultures can be reflected.This paper aims to explore cultural revelations of idioms from a cross-cultural perspective. The authorholds that, idioms are heavily loaded with cultural implications from their origins. Idioms directly reflect thedifferent stages and aspects of man's exploration into the universe. In reflecting the different stages, his relationwith the world was first understood as a physical existence, then as a spiritual being. It is in the exploration intothe universe that material culture and spiritual culture are formed and developed. Spiritual culture coverspopular culture, high culture and deep culture. Popular culture and high culture are fundamental for thedevelopment of deep culture. As the cream of language, idioms reveal directly popular culture and high culture,and in a profound way, the deep culture.Chapter I offers a brief iniroduction to the thesis. Chapter II inlroduces the definition of the idiom and thecross-cultural approach to the subject Chapter III is on cultural origins of idioms. Thirteen different sourcesreveal a flu picture of cultural creation. From this, the heavy culture load embedded within idioms can begenerally perceived. A comparative and contrastive study over each source shows cultural universal, similarity,and disparity. These are the most salient traits directly reflected by idioms. These distinctive features give ageneral idea of the cultures behind the idioms in a cross-cultural approach. Based on Chapter III, Chapter IVexplores deep cultural implications reflected by idioms. A careful study over the general features in the cross-cultural study offers a deep insight into the cultures. Differences and similarities reflected from each origin aremeticulously studied in twelve sections. To understand idioms more distinctively in a cross-cultural perspective,the author attempts to display the profound cultural implications reflected from the idioms. In a narrow sense,this is a study of the cultures behind English idioms and Chinese idioms. In a board sense, it is a study of theOccidental Culture and Oriental Culture. Chapter V is the conclusion of the paper.