Explore_the_Cultural_Connotation___of_English_Idioms

毕业论文（设计）1.1 IntroductionEnglish idioms are usually widely and commonly used all over the world.They containbrief structures and profound meanings,which are also a group of words with the meaningdifferent from the literal one.Thanks to them,language is more colorful and more alive.It isbelieved that as a mirror of culture,language is strongly influenced and shaped by culture,andreflects culture.As an essential part of the language,undoubtedly idioms relate closely to theirown culture and convey different cultural features and attitudes and messages of their ownnationEnglish idioms tell people to praise justice,to fight against the bully,and guide people toget along well with each other.For example,'Better die with honor than live with shame';'Don't have cloak to make when it begins to rain'.Moreover,English idioms summarizepeople's knowledge in their daily life and they tell people what to do and how to do,which arejust like an encyclopedia.From them,people can broaden their knowledge and outlook so as toavoid making mistakes.However,idioms are often difficult to understand and harder to useeffectively.If one wants to have a better knowledge of English idioms and use them correctly,he should be familiar with the sources of them.1.2 The definition and features of idiomWhen opening Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary of Current English(2004:734),one can see such definition:"Idiom (n.):phrase or sentence whose meaning is not clear fromthe meaning of its individual words and which must be learnt as a whole."Longman Dictionary of English Idioms (2002:754)explains it as:"a fixed group of2