Abstract After the birth of humanity, people keep close relationship with animals. Owing to our frequent contact with animals, the images of animals have been rooted in our culture and communication. The connotations of animal words are always used in literary and daily communication in China and English-speaking countries. Moreover, language and culture are closely related with each other, with the latter indispensable to the former. Cultural differences produce similarities and differences in expression. Therefore, animals boast distinct cultural attributes. Some animal words have the same meanings in two languages while others have different connotations.57070

The main body of this thesis comprises three parts. The first part has three sections that explore from different perspectives the factors producing cultural connotations of animal words. The second part presents five examples of animal words with the same or different cultural connotations in both Chinese and English. The last part presents methods for translation of animal words into English. 

Keywords: animal words；cultural difference；cross-cultural translation

摘要自人类诞生以来，就与动物保持着密切的联系.由于与动物频繁的接触，这使得动物的形象深深根植于人类的文化与交流之中。人们运用各种不同的动物词汇寄托自己的情感和表达自己的想法，并且因此形成了特定的动物文化。动物词汇所表达的深层次含义不断出现在中英两国的语言文学作品和日常交际之中。同时不难发现语言和文化是不可分割的整体。文化的互通和差异造就了语言表达上的不相似和不同。动物词汇因此具有鲜明的文化属性。一方面人类的文化都有共通之处。使得某些动物词汇在汉英两种语言拥有相同的意义。有相同的动物词汇在两种语言中都表达了相同的含义。另一方面同基于中英文化差异又有许多动物词汇在两种语言中表达了不同的的意义。

本文正文部分可以分成三个部分。第一部分有三个方面。多角度的分析了中英动物产生文化内涵的原因。第二个部分展示了有关中英动物词汇相同和不同的文化内涵的五个事例。最后一部分综合以上内容从文化的视角下烦动物词汇的翻译提供了若干方法。

毕业论文关键词：：动物词汇;文化差异;跨文化翻译

Contents

1. Introduction 1

2. Literature Review 1

2.1 Culture and Translation 1

2.2 Cultural Connotations of Animal Words 2

2.3. Research Value and Research Approach 2

3. Factors to Produce Cultural Connotations of Animal Words 3

3.1 Geographical Environment 3

3.2 Customs 4

3.3 History 4

4. The Similarities and Differences of Chinese and English Animal Words 5

4.1Similarities 5

4.2 Differences 8

5. The Cross-Cultural Translation of Animal Words 9

5.1 Translation of Animal Words with Overlap in Connotation 9

5.2 Translation of Animal Words with Different Cultural Connotations 10

6. Conclusion 12

Works Cited 13 

1. Introduction 

Language and culture are both two important patterns in cross-cultural translation, which are related to each other. It is said that language is, which is formed and influenced by culture, reflection of culture. They coexist .For one thing, language is main medium of culture. Without language, no one could find the best way to convey the information between two nations. For another thing, culture is a broader system that includes language as subsystem.