Cultural Study On English Idioms & Lexicographical Treatment Of Cultural Information In Bilingual Dictionaries

The present thesis starts in the earIy chapters with a preliminary job onthe explanation of the reIationship betWeen idiom -- an indispensable elementof language -- and culture with a wish to consolidate the status of culturalacknowledgement in learning English idioms. In the later chapters,approaches are offered to help cope with the trearment of cultUral informationin the lexicographical description of English idioms in bilingUal dictionariesprimarily intended for foreign Iearners, English-Chinese dictionaries. forinstance, as the thesis focuses upon. The points of view of the present authorare manifested in the following eight chapters.Chapter 1 begins with the clarification of the aim for the cultural studv ofEnglish idioms. That is, to expIore a good access into proper understandingand use of English idioms popular in all walks of life in the English-speakingworld. English idioms are widely used, but they are difficult to grasp forforeign learners, and the dictionary compiler is sure to encounter the hardtask of describing English idioms in the microstructUre of the dictionary readyto help.Chapter 2, after a brief argument on the relationship betWeen languageand culture, probes into the close relationship between the basic feature of anidiom --- semantic opacity and the cu1tural background that nurtUres theformation of the idiom.Chapter 3 offers a brief account of the main sources of English idioms.Many an idiom has a story of its own, and English idioms came into theircurrent use through the following channe1sf the Bible, world's famous works,historical stories and legends, customs and superstitions, professions andworks, animals, proper names and human body.ln Chapter 4 space is consumed for the embodiment of the interrelationbetween the literal meaning of an idiom and its idiomatic meaning, whichappears in forms of figures of speech f simile, metaphor, metonymy,synecdoche, euphemism, allusion and so on. The presentation of thisinterrelation serves to unmask the mystery of association. especially recessiveassocialtion, betWeen understanding the implied meaning of an idiom and itsliteral construction in idiom learning, which has proved to be problematic formany foreign learners.After stating the interrelation betWeen the literal meaning and theidiomatic meaning of an idiom in Chapter 4, Chapter 5 comes to the culturalfactors that determine the selection of vehicles as a composing element infigures of speech. The cultUral factors that help to form English idioms aremainly as follows f natural environment, historical deveIopment, custom andtradition, entertainment, religious belief.The previous five chapters present the basic theory on the relationshipbetween English idioms and the English culture. In the following twochapters the focal point is the lexicographical treatment of English idioms inbilingual dictionaries, say, English-Chinese dictionaries.Chapter 6 raises the question of "what is expected of a dictionary fordescription of idioms" as far as cultUraI information is concerned. Thischapter analyzes briefly the functions of general dictionaries, special-purposedictionaries, monolingual dictionaries, and bilingual dictionaries with anintention to present the status of idioms in the above dictionaries respectlvely.After this, words are said about the types of transformation -- substitution,addition, permutation, deletion etc. -- in English idioms as evident of thedifficulty in correct understanding and use of idioms, the purpose of which isto reiterate the importance of including culttiral information in thedictionaries concerned.Chapter 7 suggests a tentative approach to the provision of culturalinformation in bilingual dictionaries in describing English idioms from threeperspectives, namely, translational definition, exemplification and culturalnotes.Chapter 8, followed by a bibliography, draws a general conclusion onthe subject bei...