浅析英汉习语中的形合与意合

Analysis on the Hypotaxis and Parataxis of English and Chinese Idioms

习语是人类语言在长期的使用过程中形成的具有特殊意义的固定表达方式。作为语言文化的重要组成部分,习语不仅仅是一个民族的文化结晶,充分体现了一个民族的民族特色与文化内涵,更是经过了历史的变迁,是一个民族的文化瑰宝。形合与意合是英汉语言对比中最明显的不同之一。习语作为一种浓缩的语言,恰恰体现了英语的形合和汉语的意合特征。本文从形合与意合角度着手,对比分析了英汉习语分别在连接词、介词和介词短语、句式的使用等方面的不同,发现英语习语多用连接词和介词,而汉语习语多用紧缩句和无主句。本文旨在通过对英汉习语形合与意合的分析,加深对英汉两个民族语言特质的理解。

Idioms are the fixed expressions with special significance, which are developed in human’s long-term use of language. As an important part of language, idioms are not only a nation’s cultural crystallization, which fully embodies the national characteristics and cultural connotation of a nation, but also a nation’s cultural treasure which experiences the vicissitudes of history. Hypotaxis and parataxis are one of the most obvious differences in English and Chinese. As a condensed form of language, idioms exactly reflect the hypotaxis of English and the parataxis of Chinese. From the perspective of hypotaxis and parataxis, this article makes an analysis of the use of conjunctions, prepositions and prepositional phrases, sentence structures in English and Chinese idioms. It finds that English idioms use more conjunctions and prepositions, while Chinese idioms use more compressed sentences and non-subject sentences. The purpose of the article is to deepen our understanding of Chinese and English characteristics.