In China, studies and discussions in language and culture launched on in 1980s. Researchers who are proficient in different fields target at different angles to research animal words and its cultural connotations. In 2000, Li and Yang focused on the translations and cultural connotations of animal words. This idea was also indicated by Bao (2002) and Wang (2003). They all more or less research in identical animal words with similar cultural connotations as well as distinctive cultural connotations, different animal words having similar cultural connotations and unique animal words both in English and Chinese. Tan (2001) emphasized the cultural connotations of animal words owing to the cognitive mechanism of human beings. Although scholars analyze animal words and its cultural connotations in different areas, they all offer lots of reasons which influence similarities and differences of cultural connotations that reflected by animal words.
Lexical differences represent the language differences most directly, and every language can deliver different concepts in different nationalities. Liao (2000) thought that animal words produce connotative meanings for three reasons: human beings and animals are similar in some aspects; human’s psychology and cultural tradition are related to animals; people have strong imaginative power. However, we should not ignorant that the geography, religious influence and world values affect the connotative differences of animal words deeply. 英汉动物词汇之文化内涵对比研究(3):http://www.751com.cn/yingyu/lunwen_48075.html