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[Abstract] Proverbs are the cream of a language. They reflec(3)

2013-07-29 01:02
Many English proverbs originate from Latin. E.g.:
(28) Art is long, life is short.
(29) The wish is father to the thought.
Some Latin proverbs are transferred into English. For example English people have got (30)“Soon ripe, soon rotten” from “Citomaturum cito putridum”.
Many English proverbs come from French. For example, English people have got(31) “When the fox preaches, take care off your geese” from “Quand le renard se met a precher, garde aux poules”.
English proverbs also come from foreign writers’ works. For example, (32)“Constant dripping wears away the stone.” is from Roman poet Ovid.
Chinese people have also got some proverbs from other languages. Such as
(33)“吃不到葡萄说葡萄酸”is from “The grapes are sour.”
(34)“谁笑到最后，谁笑得最好”is from “He who laughs last laughs best.”
(35)“条条大路通罗马”is from “All roads lead to Rome.”
These have been accepted by Chinese people and become Chinese proverbs.

From above we can find out that English and Chinese proverbs have similar origins from folk life, mythology, literary works and from other languages. From these similar origins we can see that English and Chinese people have similar social activities and emotional reflection and observation of the world.

2.2 Similar linguistic characters
Proverbs are created by common people and orally handed down from generation to generation again and again. English and Chinese proverbs are concise and vivid.

2.2.1 Conciseness
The cleanest water is spring; the most refined words are proverbs. Proverb diction is neat and simple. Proverbs use the fewest words to express the contents. They are concise, condensed and compact. Most of English and Chinese proverbs are simple sentences. E.g.:
(36) Easy come easy go.
(37) No pains no gains.
(38)人勤地不懒。 （科教范文网 lw.nSeAc.com编辑发布）
(39)人心齐泰山移。
Proverbs are simple and short sentences, so they can be remembered and handed down from generation to generation.

2.2.2 Vividness
Proverbs use rhetorical devices to attract the readers deeply. Many Chinese and English proverbs use the same rhetorical devices such as simile, metaphor, repetition and hyperbole, etc.
Simile is used very frequently. It is a figure of speech, in which a more or less fanciful or unrealistic comparison is made, using “like ”or “as”.[6] Here are some examples:
(40)割麦如救火。
(41)剩秧如剩草，缺秧如缺宝。
(42) A good friend is as the sun in winter.
(43) A black plum is as sweet as a white.
Metaphor is a figure of speech, which concisely compares two things by saying that one is the other.[7] It does not literally denote in order to imply a resemblance. E.g.:
(44) Time is father of truth.
(45) Failure is the mother of success.
(46)一寸光阴一寸金。
(47)谎言怕真理，黑暗怕阳光。
Repetition is another rhetorical device used to express strong feelings or emphasize some meanings. E.g.:

(48)哪个老虎不吃人，哪个地主不狠心。
(49) Many lords, many laws.
Gorky said that, “The true art is authorized to exaggerate.” Hyperbole is an exaggeration used to give emphasis and strike the readers deeply. E.g.:
(50) A thousand years cannot repair a moment’s loss of honor.
(51)谷子栽得稀，不够喂小鸡。
The exaggeration is not false. It comes from the true feelings and bases on reality.[8]
Apart from the above rhetorical devices, there are other devices. They are Antithesis, Synecdoche, Personification, etc.
The use of rhetorical devices makes proverbs fresh, humorous, implicit and full of wit.

Though English and Chinese proverbs enjoy the similar origins, they also have differences in their detailed contents. We will discuss their differences from the following aspects: different geography; different history customs; different religions and different value concepts.

3. Differences between English and Chinese proverbs 大学排名
Language is strongly influenced and shaped by culture. Language is the mirror of culture. It can represent every aspect of culture.[9] Proverb is an important part of a national language and they reflect the relation between culture and language. Different nations have different culture. Generally speaking, the major differences lie in geography; history customs; religions and value concepts. As a result, English and Chinese proverbs are different in the detailed contents.

3.1 Reflecting different geography
A nation’s geographical environment is a framework in which a language and culture have been developing. The geographical features of a country are inevitably reflected in the national language in general and proverbs in particular.[10]
England is an island country and located in the western seaside of Europe. English people live by seaside and their life cannot do without sailing and fishing. So many English proverbs are related to sea and sailing. E.g.: