本科英语专业毕业论文(12)
4.3.1 Numerical Idioms Identical in Both Form and Meaning
English and Chinese belong to different code systems and have different ways to express similar ideas. In spite of this, with similar living conditions and modes of thinking the speakers of the two languages have a lot in common: e.g., five senses and similar emotions like love and hatred; and they both need basic necessities for life and are facing more or less similar problems. To put it in academic terms, they share the same cognitive environment of our earth. Therefore, in the English and Chinese Languages, there exist some numerical idioms identical in both form and meaning, e.g.,
一只耳朵进，一只耳朵出
Go in (at) one ear and out (at) the other
百分之百
A/one hundred percent
In the first example, both of the sentences mean “not really listen to or understand” or “pay no attention to”. They are expressed vividly in both English and Chinese. In the second example, the two phrases have the same form and meaning. They both means “completely, entirely”.
Other examples of this type include:
一招不慎，满盘皆输
A false step may lose the whole game
吃一堑，长一智
A fall into the pit, a gain in your wit
Comparatively speaking, this type of numerical idioms is limited in number due to different lifestyles, environments and modes of thinking between speakers of the two languages, and most English and Chinese numerical idioms are not identical in both form and meaning.
4.3.2 Numerical Idioms Different in Form but Identical in Meaning
Every language is endowed with the capability of expressing all thoughts, actions, feelings and so on. The difference lies in the way they are expressed. In The Theory and Practice of Translation (1969, with Taber), Nida holds that the target language is as valid as the source language. He thinks each language has its own genius and anything that can be said in one language can also be said in another. Different languages have different forms of idioms to outline the same idea. Idioms are the essence of any language. There are many idioms in English and Chinese that share the same meaning but have different forms.
