The poet compares his lover to summer, which is lovely and warm. "Summer" brings such different associations to China and Britain. The reason lies in their different geographical locations. China is located in the Asian continent, with a continental climate and four distinct seasons. The most obvious feature of summer is the scorching sun and unbearable heat. Britain, on the other hand, is located in the northern temperate zone, with a maritime climate, sunny summer and mild and pleasant weather. Of course, there are many such examples. For example, the Chinese word "east wind" reminds people of warmth and warmth, while the west wind makes people have a biting taste. In the west, the situation is just the opposite. The reason is the same, because the different geographical locations of the two places bring different feelings.
Second, productive labor.
There are many words related to aquatic products and ships in English, such as fish in the air, a strange fish, and missing the ship. There are far fewer such words in Chinese. The reason is that the waters around Britain, aquaculture and navigation play an important role in its economic life, so there are many such words. In China, only the coastal areas have fishermen casting nets, so there are relatively few such words.
There are many verbs in Chinese that mean to "carry things by physical strength", such as "carry, carry, carry, carry, carry, carry, carry". Every word has some negative things in it (for example, carrying earth, water and boxes), which is really meticulous. In English, there is only one carry to refer to this action. The reason why Chinese distinguishes this verb in detail is probably because China has been in an agricultural society for a long time and has a lot of physical labor.
In Chinese, we will encounter words such as "work like an ox" and "be as strong as an ox". In English, we will say "work like a horse, be as strong as a horse, whip a fierce horse" to express the same meaning. Why do Chinese use "ox" and English use horse? The answer is that in China, cows have always been used for farming, while in early England, horses were used for farming. Cattle and horses are divided into good helpers of the two countries in the production process, which is deeply loved by people, and the characters also have the above usage.
Third, customs and habits
1, Appellation and Appellation: When learning English, we find that the appellation in English is far less than that in Chinese. For example, the word cousin in English corresponds to cousin, cousin, cousin and cousin in Chinese. As we can see, Chinese is very strict in distinguishing the relationship between cousins, which should be divided into gender and size. Unlike English, it is not a general word at all. This linguistic phenomenon is attributed to the feudal rule of China for two or three thousand years. This feudal society attaches great importance to consanguinity, especially emphasizes the difference of grades and advocates the order of the young and the old. Relatives are close, young and old, gender and so on are different, and their rights and obligations are different, so the appellation is strictly and carefully distinguished. There are few appellations in English, except for father, mother, grandfather, aunt and uncle, which are often used. In Britain and the United States, it is unreasonable, impolite and ill-bred for people to address each other in China. For example, children don't call their grandparents directly, but it is appropriate, kind and in line with common funerals. Young people call them old people, and only add Mr., Mrs. or miss before their surnames. These practices reflect the idea that westerners pursue equality for all. In their eyes, appellation itself means inequality.
2. Politeness and modesty: Like appellation, politeness and modesty in English are far less than those in Chinese. In English, no matter how old or high the position is, you are you and I am me, so there is no need to use many honorifics like "you, director, engineer" in Chinese. The patriarchal clan system in China feudal society is one of the reasons for this phenomenon. It requires people to use honorifics when talking to their elders or superiors, or even peers, otherwise they will think that the words are inappropriate, rude or even arrogant; When talking about yourself, you should use modest words. If you don't use them, you will also be considered impolite. Another reason is that China people, influenced by thousands of years of traditional ideas, are unwilling to highlight themselves, and always think that "modesty" is a virtue. There are at least two reasons for such words in English:
First, westerners love to pursue equality; Second, they have long respected personal values, are willing to express themselves, and emphasize the cultivation of personal self-confidence. Dominated by the above ideas, China people and westerners have obviously different reactions to praise and congratulations. China people will say something modest after hearing this, while westerners will say "thank you" without hesitation. I once read such a joke in the newspaper. At a dance, an American praised a lady in China and said, "You look beautiful today." The China lady quickly said modestly: "Where (where), where (where)." The American was very surprised, and then she had to say, "It's everywhere."
According to the habit of westerners, when praising others, we always hope that others will answer with thanks or acceptance, otherwise we will misunderstand that the other person is right.