英汉数字习语的语用差异

On the Pragmatic Differences Between the English and Chinese Numerical Idioms

数字习语是英汉习语中的一个重要组成部分,反映出英汉两个民族各自不同的数字文化。由于宗教文化、神话传说以及民族文化心理的影响,使得英汉习语中相同的数字体现出不同的文化内涵,或相同所指却借助于不同的数字来体现。从文化内涵、禁忌和虚指方面探讨英汉习语中数字语用关系的非对等性及差异原因。

Numerical idioms are an important part of the Chinese and English idioms, which reflect Chinese culture and that of the English-speaking countries.But due to the influences of religion,myth and national cultural psychology, the same numbers in English and Chinese idioms embody different cultural connotations. The paper discusses the non-equivalent pragmatic relationships between the numbers in English and Chinese idioms in terms of cultural connotation, taboo and implicit meanings. And the reasons leading to the differences are also discussed.