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17Сравнительное исследование фонологических характеристик китайских и английских пословиц
Лун Чжичао,
доцент, заместитель декана факультета иностранных языков Шэньянского политехнического университета E-mail: zclong2008@126.com
Большинство пословиц произошло из разговорной речи простых людей. Практически работая в повседневной жизни, люди создали множество пословиц. [1, с. 34]. И английские, и китайские пословицы используют лаконичный, яркий и образный язык для обобщения различных переживаний и законов жизненной борьбы, а также для выражения мысли и мудрости простых людей. Многие пословицы цитируются в стихах и текстах не только потому, что в них есть поэтические чувства, но и из-за их прекрасного ритма. В статье сравниваются английские и китайские пословицы с точки зрения фонологии. Из этого исследования мы можем обнаружить, что между английскими и китайскими пословицами есть как сходство, так и различия. Фонологические особенности внесут большой вклад в выразительную и эмоциональную силу пословиц.
Ключевые слова: фонологические признаки, рифма, ритм, сравнительное исследование.
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Статья издана в рамках фонда «Проект финансирования научных исследований Департамента образования провинции Ляонин в 2020 году», на теме «Исследование использования академической лексики при написании английского языка студентами научно-технических колледжей» № LG202017
Introduction: Since many Chinese proverbs contain set phrases of four characters, they read more smoothly and can give the best sound effects. That is why it becomes so easy for the common people to imitate and memorize them, and spread them far and wide. Though English proverbs have no such basic form of word combination, characteristically, they are short and pithy, and sound pleasing to the ear, too.
To obtain euphony and rhythm, proverbs employ various kinds of phonological techniques.
A. Rhyme
Rhyme is one of the main devices of achieving phonetic beauty in both Chinese and English. It makes the language echoic and euphonious by use of same or similar phoneme.
1. The same means in Chinese and English proverbs
Both Chinese and English proverbs have end rhyme, that is, the same sound is repeated at the end of sentences or lines. This is the most commonly used device of rhyme. For example:
(1) Of all the seventy-two trades, farming is the most important. [2, p.111]
(2) When the cat's away, the mouse may play.
(3) A fence needs the support of three stakes and an able fellow needs the help of three other people. [3, p.163]
(4) What soberness conceals, drunkness reveals.
(5) When the wind is in the east, it is neither good for man nor beast.
2. Similar phonological devices of Chinese and English proverbs
a. Shuang sheng and Alliteration
By shuang sheng, we mean the initial consonants of two or more neighbored characters are same. In alliteration, the same consonant sound is repeated at intervals in the initial position of words. Alliteration is more commonly used in English proverbs than shuang sheng is used in Chinese proverbs. For example:
(1) Lovers live by love, as larks live by leeks.
(2) Maidens must be mild and meek, swift to hear and slow to speak.
(3) Nobody is more carefree than a bachelor. [4, p.87]
(4) Fortune favors fools.
b. Die yun (vowel rhyme) and Assonance
Die yun means two or more neighbored characters have the same vowel. Assonance is the "echoing" or "resemblance" of vowel sounds in the stressed syllables of a sequence of words. For example:
(1) Smart all one's life but foolish for once.
(2) It is easy to dodge a spear in the open, but hard to guard against an arrow shot from hiding.
(3) Creditors have better memories than debtors. [5, p.236]
(4) Small rain lays great dust.
(5) A stitch in time saves nine.
3. Special rhymes of English proverbs
Since English words are greatly different from Chinese characters in phonetic structure, their means of rhyme are also different. There are more English rhymes than Chinese.
a. Eye Rhyme
As the term suggests, it is in rhyme when looking instead of reading. For example:
(1) Harm watch, harm catch.
(2) Nothing brave, nothing have.
(3) The tongue breaks bone, though itself has none. [6, p.79]
b. Consonance
In consonance, only the end consonants of the words in rhyme are the same.
(1) The ass that brags most eats least.
(2) Hope for the best, prepare for the worst. [7, p.124]
(3) Vows made in storms are forgotten in calms.
c. Pararime
The first and last consonants of the words in rhyme are correspondingly same, but the vowels between are different.
(1) It is not lost that comes at last.
(2) The soul is not where it lives, but where it loves. [8, p.155]
(3) Do on the hill as you would do in the hall.
d. Reverse rhyme
The first consonant and vowel of the words is same, just contrary to rhyme. For example:
(1) All things thrive at thrice.
(2) Good fame is better than a good face.
(3) All roads lead to Rome.
B. Rhythm
Rhythm is another phonetic device of proverbs. It comes from symmetrical syllables, identical sentence structure, harmonious level and oblique tone (Chinese proverbs), stressed syllables (English proverbs) and regular pauses. Although not so metrically strict as classical poems, proverbs are much more rhythmical than ordinary sentences.
Since the rhythm of Chinese and English is calculated differently, they will be introduced separately.
1. The rhythm of Chinese proverbs
a. The level and oblique tones of Chinese proverbs
To give a sense of rhythm Chinese proverbs employ their own tonal patterns - the arrangement of level and oblique tones. Chinese characters have four tones. Very roughly speaking according to modern practice the first and second tones are called level tones; the third and fourth tones are called oblique tones. Level and oblique tones are often appropriately arranged in a proverb so as to avoid dull and awkward sound effects. If we use"—"to indicate a level tone, and "/"to indicate an oblique tone, the tonal patterns of the following proverbs can be represented as follows:
Proverbs of three characters:
(1) Xian Xiao Ren, Hou Jun Zi. (Meaning: Be a calculating villain first and a magnanimous gentleman afterwards.) The tonal pattern is -/—, /—/.
Proverbs of four characters:
(2) Shi Bu Guan Xin, Guan Xi Zhe Luan. (Meaning: Remain aloof from things or you will get muddled in it. The tonal pattern is //-, —//.
Proverbs of five characters:
(3) Gua Tian Bu Na Ji, Li Xia Bu Zheng Guan. (Meaning: Don't bend to pull on your shoes in a melon patch; don't reach to adjust your hat under a plum tree - don't do anything that may arouse suspicion. The tonal pattern is-//, ////—.
Proverbs of six characters:
(4) Tian You Bu Ce Feng Yun, Ren You Dan Xi Huo Fu. (Meaning: In nature there are unexpected storms and in life unpredictable vicissitudes. The tonal pattern is -/—/-, -//—/—.
b. The types of rhythm of Chinese proverbs
Different regular pauses distinguish different rhythmic types.
The rhythm of three-character proverbs is "21", "12" or "111".
"21": (1) Bu Pa /Guan, Zui Pa /Guan. (Meaning: Don't worry about official; only worry about officiating".
"12": (2) Zhu /Bu Chi, Ke /Bu Yin. (Meaning: If the host doesn't begin to eat, the guests won't take a drink.
"111": (3) Jiu /Luan /Xing, Se /Mi /Ren. (Meaning: Wine and beauties bewitch one.)
The rhythm of four-character proverbs is usually "22", a few is "31".
"22": (4) Ri You /Suo Si, Ye You /Suo Meng. [9, p.139] (Meaning: What you think about in the daytime, you will dream about at night.
"31": (5) Po Chu De /Shui, Shuo Chu De /Hua. Spilt water and uttered words.
The rhythm of most five-character proverbs is "212" "23" or "32", a few is "41".
"212": (6) Jia Tu /Huan /Ye Tu, Yi Mu /Ding /Liang Mu. (Meaning: One mu of family earth equals two of uncultivated earth.)
"23": (7) Jin Shan /Wu Guo Shan, Jiao Shan /Shan Guo Wu. (Meaning: Jin Mountains are surrounded by huts; huts are surrounded by Jiao Mountains.)
"32": (8) You Yuan De /Bao Yuan, You Chou De / Bao Chou. (Meaning: It's time to revenge.)
"41": (9) Da Bu Duan De /Qin, Ma Bu Duan De /Lin. (Meaning: Fighting or namecalling won't break off the relations between relatives or the friendship between neighbors.
The rhythm of most six-character proverbs is "222", a few is "33", "231" or "42".
"222": (10) Zhi Xu /Zhou Guan /Fang Huo, Bu Xu / Bai Xing /Dian Deng. (Meaning: The magistrates are free to set fires, while the common people are forbidden even to light lamps.)
"33": (11) Bu Qi Ma /Bu Shuai Jiao, Bu Da Shui / Bu Diao Xiao. [10, p.274] (Meaning: If you don't ride a horse, you won't fall off; if you don't draw water, you won't drop the bucket.)
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"231": (12) Zhi Li /Bao Bu Zhu /Huo. (Meaning : -Fire can't be wrapped up in paper - there is no hiding the facts.
"42": (13) Na Le Ren De /Shou Duan, Chi Le Ren De /Zui Duan. (Meaning: A person who accepts gifts or an invitation to dinner is not likely to act impartially.
The rhythm of seven-character proverbs is "223", "322" or "232".
"223": (14) Tian Xia /Dao Li /Qian Qian Wan, Mei Qian /Bu Neng /Ba Shi Ban. (Meaning: Even though there are thousands of principles in the world, you can't get anything done without money.)
"322": (15) Di Zhu De /Suan Pan /Yi Xiang, Nong Min De /Yan Lei /Zhi Tang. (Meaning: At the rattling of the landlord's abacus, the peasants' tears run down.)
"232": (16) Da Shi /Man Bu Liao /Zhuang Xiang, Xiao Shi /Man Bu Zhu /Lin Ju. (Meaning: One can't keep a big secret in a village or a small one from one's neighbors.)
2. The rhythm of English proverbs
Many English proverbs have rigid rhyme scheme. If we regard a proverb as one or two lines of a poem, we can see the rhythm of the proverb is almost in accordance with various meters of English poems. In exemplifying the following proverbs, "/" is to show the division of feet; "-" is to mark a stressed syllable; "A" is to mark an unstressed syllable.
a. Iambic Dimeter
(1) An(A) e(-)/vil crow(-), an(A) e(-)/vil(A) egg(-).
(2) Di(A)vide(-) /and(A) rule(-).
b. Trochaic Dimeter
(1) Lo(-)sers /see(-)kers(A), /fin(-)ders(A) /kee(-) pers(A).
(2) Be(-)st is(A) /chea(-)pest(A).
c. Iambic Trimeter
(5) Excep(-)/tion pro(-)ves /the(A) Rule(-).
(6) An(A) ou(-)nce /of(A) wit /that(A)'s bou(-)ght /is worth(-) /a(A) pound(-) /that(A)'s tau(-)ght.
d. Trochaic Trimeter
(7) Ne(-)ver(A) /mix(-) your(A) /li(-)quor(A).
(8) Love(-) is(A) /full(-) of(A) /trou(-)ble(A).
e. Iambic Tetrameter
(9) A(a) pen(-)/ny(A) saved(-) / is a(A) pen(-)ny(A) gained(-).
(10) He(A) that (-) /would (a) live(-) /in(A) peace(-) / and(A) rest(-), /must(A) hear(-), /and(A) see(-), /and(A) say(-)/the(A) best(-).
(11) Re(A)mem(-)/ber(A) /man(-) /and(A) keep(-)/ in(A) mind(-), /a(A) faith(-)/ful(A) friend(-)/ is(A) hard(-)/ to(A) find(-).
(12) Muck(-) and(A)/mon(-)ey(A) /go(-) to(A)/ge(-) ther(A).
(13) Speak(-) the(A)/truth(-) and(A)/shame(-) the(A) /de(-)vil(A).
Conclusion: From the above comparative study of phonological features between Chinese and English Proverbs, we may know proverbs are usually vivid and forceful, they read more smoothly and sound more pleasing to the ear, because they contain euphony in their combinations and strongly accented rhythms in their sentences. With the development of language, both English and Chinese are bound to assimilate many good proverbs from each other. Proverbs assimilated from other languages are like new blood and will greatly enrich the language.
A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF PHONOLOGICAL FEATURES BETWEEN CHINESE AND ENGLISH PROVERBS
Long Zhichao
Shenyang Ligong University
Most proverbs came from the colloquial speech of the common people. Through the practical work in their daily life people have created a lot of proverbs. [1, p.34] Both English and Chinese proverbs use a terse, vivid and figurative language to generalize various experiences and laws in the struggle of life, and to express the thought and wisdom of the common people. Proverbs are like music to the ears. That many proverbs are cited into poems and lyrics is not only because they have poetic sentiment but also because of their beautiful rhythm. In this thesis, English and Chinese proverbs are compared from the aspect of phonology. From this study, we may find there are both similarity and differences between English and Chinese proverbs. The phonological features will contribute much to the expressive and emotional power of proverbs.
Keywords: phonological features, rhyme, rhythm, comparative study
References
1. Houghton, Patricia. A World of Proverbs. England: Blandford Press, 1981.
2. Rohsenow, John S. ABC Dictionary of Chinese Proverbs Honolulu, University of Hawaii Press, 2002.
3. Yin Binyong. Proverbs 100. Sinolingua Teaching Press, 1999.
4. Fang Jiacai. The Appreciation of English Idioms. Shanghai Ji-aotong University, 1998.
5. Qin Naizheng, Cui Mingqiu. A Collection of English and Chinese Proverbs. New World Press, 1984.
6. Wang Fuxiang, Cai Jian. 500 Use of English Proverbs. Foreign Languages Press, 2001.
7. Sang Simin. Proverbs and Translation. Changchun press, 1999.
8. Feng, Cuihua. Figure of Speech. The Commercial Press, 1983.
9. Wen Duanzheng, Zhou Jian. A Study on 20th Century Chinese Idioms. Shuhai Press, 1999.
10. Wu Jingrong, Cheng Zhenqiu. New Era Chinese-English Dictionary. The Commercial Press, 2001.
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