Origins of English and Chinese Idioms

中圖分類號：H31 文獻標識碼：A 文章編號：1008-925X(2012)O7-0246-03

Abstract:Both English and Chinese are rich in idioms. There is a similarity in theorigins of English and Chinese idioms， but on the one hand， owing to the different social background， customs， religious beliefs， geographic environment， differences are sure to appear in idioms.By comparing English and Chinese idioms from their origins， we could learn more about the relationship between idioms and culture， learning of English and the language as a whole， and have a better mastery of English.

Key Words:origins；culture；idioms

I. Introduction:

A. The importance of idioms

Language and culture intrinsically depend on each other and have evolved together through history. Their mutual interdependence can find proof in the rise of civilization. The knowledge and beliefs that constitute a people’s culture are habitually encoded and transmitted in the language of the people， and it is extremely difficult to separate the two. On the one hand， language as an integral part of human being， perhaps his thinking and way of viewing the world， both expresses and embodies cultural reality. On the other hand， language as a product of culture， helps perpetuate the culture， and the changes in language uses reflects the cultural changes in return.

Both English and Chinese are rich in idioms. When we learn English idioms， we inevitably associate them with our mother tongue

Chinese idioms. With the development of language， both English and Chinese are bound to assimilate many good idioms from each other. They have different origins and they reflect different culture. By comparing English and Chinese idioms， we could learn more about the relationship of idioms and culture. By learning English idioms and the language as a whole， we could have a better mastery of English.

II . The origins of English and Chinese idioms

If we want to understand idioms clearly and thoroughly， we must learn the origin of them. Without a knowledge of the allusions made in idioms we can hardly explain why it is like this， and how to use them correctly. In this part ， we shall see that there is a surprising similarity in the origins of English and Chinese idioms .But on the other hand， owing to the different social background ， customs， religious beliefs， geographic environment， differences are sure to appear in idioms in both languages.

A. Idioms and daily life

Most idioms come from the colloquial speech of ordinary people， for through their practical work people have created a great number of idioms just as sailors have invented many lively sea phrases， laborers in the fields have created expressions concerning farm work， and workers idioms from all kinds of occupations . Moreover， the fisherman talks of life in term of fishing， the housewife helps herself out with metaphors from her kitchen or her farmyard， the sportsman expresses himself in the terms of sports， the hunter of his hunting， or his dogs and horses .These idioms are terse， colloquial， vivid and charged with life， and before long they acquire a wide application to analogous situations in everyday life. Little by little the most vivid and most useful of these idioms make their way from popular speech into the standard language， and finally come to be universally understood.

1. Idioms from the colloquial speech of ordinary people

e.g. To see is to believe. Seeing is believing.

A thousand words of hearsay are not worth a single glance at the reality.

一個巴掌拍不響 : One hand alone cannot clap. (cf. It takes two to make a quarrel.)

2. Idioms from working people

e.g. 趁熱打鐵 : strike while the iron us hot --- to take advantage of favorable circumstance to act at once， when action will have the most effect. The allusion is to a blacksmith’s forge， where a horseshoe or other object must be hammered into shape while it is hot. Compare this with another equivalent English idiom which originates from farming， “Make hay while the sun shines”.

種瓜得瓜，種豆得豆 : Plant melons and you get melons， sow beans and you get beans. (As a man sows， so shall reap. You reap what you have sown)

3. Idioms from sailors and fisherman

e.g. 一帆風順 : plain sailing ——a course of action that is simple and free from

difficulties.

渾水摸魚: to fish in troubled water—— to try to win advantages for oneself from a disturbed state of affairs.

4. Idioms from soldiers

e.g. to steal a march on : (cf.暗度陳倉: to advance secretly by an unknown path )

What millions died that Caesar might be great. (cf.一將功成萬骨枯 : It is the blood of the soldiers that makes the glory of the general . A general build his success on ten thousand bleaching bones. )

5. Idioms from housewife

e.g. 看菜吃飯，量體裁衣: Fit the appetite to the dishes and the dress to the figure——to adapt oneself to circumstance ( cf. to cut one’s coat according to one’s cloth.)

不當家不知柴米貴: The head of the house knows the cost of the fuel and rice. (cf. He who takes the charge knows the responsibility.)

6. Idioms from sportsman and hunters

e.g. to keep the ball rolling : to arrange that conversation， discussion， enterprise，

etc. shall continue. The metaphor is from a ball game， where play causes the ball to be kept in motion.

to skate on thin ice : to do or say something that may lead to trouble. The allusion is to skating on ice that is so dangerously thin as to liable to crack and plunge one into the water. (cf. 如履薄冰 as if walking on thin ice)

B. Idioms and literature and classics

The main sources of English idioms are the three literatures: the Bible， writings from Shakespeare and the fables of Aesop. After the Bible， Shakespeare’s plays are the richest literary sources of English idioms. Shakespeare was a man of the late Renaissance who gave the fullest expression to human ideals. He was in London as an actor， a poet and playwright， with occasional visits to his hometown. He wrote nine plays that were based on the history of England. In these plays Shakespeare covered the history of three hundred years， and expressed his wish for peace and unity and resolution to fight the enemy to the bitter end. The below are idioms from Shakespeare:

All that glisters is not gold (Merchant of Venice， Act2， scene7.)

To be-all and end-all: the supreme end of aim. (Macbeth， Act 2， scene7)

To claim one’s pound of flesh: to insist on one’s rights and ruthlessly exact payment or service， even when that means extreme hardship. The phrase comes from “The merchant of Venice”， where Shylock insists on having a pound of Antonio’s flesh according to an agreement previously made.

Compared with Shakespeare， Confucius in China played the same important role as he did. He was a creative thinker and educator; Confucius’ thoughts have had a great effect on Chinese culture. Though he lived two thousand years ago， his words still influence us till today. The Analect that gathers the words he said is invaluable wealth in Chinese history. And the quotations from it are often used as idioms:

言必信，行必果 : Promises must be kept and action must be resolute/ always be true in word and resolute in deed.

子曰: “學而不思則罔，思而不學則殆” : The Master said: “He who learns but does not think is lost. He who thinks but does not learn is in danger.”

Many ancient myths， legends or fables are also origins of idioms. Greek and Roman civilization have had a great influence on the English language. Some of them are just from the Greek myths and legends.

Achilles’ heel: the one weak spot in a man’s circumstance or character.

Pandora’s box: a box that containing all the ills that could plague mankind.

Chinese ancient myths and fables are also generalised in the following idioms :

葉公好龍: Lord Ye’s love of dragons --- professed love of what one really fears.

井底之蛙: a frog in the well --- a person with a very limited outlook

東郭先生 : Master Dongguo， the foolish softhearted scholar who narrowly escaped being eaten by a wolf which he had helped to hide from a hunter --- a na?ve person who gets into trouble through being softhearted to evil people.

C. Idioms and history

The progress of history brings its great impact on the language. Along with the ages， the old language fades away while the new one is produced instantly. In the process of the language’s evolvement， the traces of the historical culture are mainly preserved among the idioms.

1. Roman’s conquest

Do in Rome as the Roman do. Roman was not built in a day. All roads lead to

Roman. Great Caesar!

2. Teutonic’s subjection

cut (sting\\wound) someone in the quick， go through fire and water

3. Scandinavian’s invasion

rain cats and dogs \\six of one and half a dozen of the other

4. Waterloo in 1886

to meet one’s Waterloo

Ancient China:

四面楚歌: to be besieged on all sides.

身在曹營心在漢: Though one ins physically here， one’s mind is elsewhere —— to render only half service

臥薪嘗膽: to sleep on brush wood and taste gall --- to undergo self-imposed hardships so as to strengthen one’s resolve to wipe out a national humiliation.

In connection with historical figures ， a story is told by a famous Chinese artist ，who had studied painting in Europe， of how a foreigner， after boasting too much about Napoleon’s military merits， once asked him “Has China ever had a great general as Napoleon?” He answered， “Of course， in China we have a general called 項羽， who is strong enough to lift a heavy tripod ， not to mention carrying a broken wheel.” (as Napoleon is 拿破倫， in Chinese ，transliterated into (Na polun: to carry a broken wheel ).The purpose of this joke is not to minimize Napoleon， but to illustrate that every country has its own historical figures， on which many idioms have been based.

D. Idioms and geographic environment

Many idioms are rooted in people’s geographic environment.

e.g.吃了端午棕，才把棉衣送 (cf. Cast not a clout till May be out )

立秋一場雨，遍地是黃金 : after rain of autumn， there is all gold all over the ground.

一場秋雨一場冷: It will become colder and colder after raining in autumn.

瑞雪兆豐年: (cf. A snow year a good year.)

British is an island country， which is rounded by sea and the fishery is developed. So， in English there are enormous number of nautical idioms . But Chinese have little knowledge of sailing，

e.g. 滄海一粟 : A drop in the ocean

一帆風順 : plain sailing

奮力圖存: keep one’s head under water

進退兩難 : between the devil and deep sea

感覺不適 : feel under the water

未雨綢繆 : While it is fine weather mend your sail.

China from the ancient time is an agricultural country， the population of agriculture is rather big， and so in Chinese there is a surprising number of farming idioms.

e.g. 拔苗助長 : to try to help the shoots grow row by pulling them upward – to spoil things by excessive enthusiasm.

順藤摸瓜 : to follow the vine to get the melon – to track down sb. or sth.by following clues.

瓜熟蒂落 : When a melon is ripe， it falls off its stem --- things are easily settled once conditions are ripe.

斬草除根 : to cut the weeds and dig up the roots-to stamp out the source of trouble.

撿了芝麻，丟了西瓜 : to pick up the sesame seeds but overlook the watermelons --- to concentrate on minor matters to the neglect of major ones.

III. Summary

Language is the carrier of culture， and idioms are the cream of language， they are important part of the language and culture of society. There is a similarity in the origins of English and Chinese idioms， but on the one hand， owing to the different social background， customs， religious beliefs， geographic environment， differences are sure to appear in idioms. So we might compare idioms to a mirror， which best reflects the features of a nation and culture. By comparing English and Chinese idioms from their origins， we could learn more about the relationship between idioms and culture， learning of English and the language as a whole， and have a better mastery of English.

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