A Study On Optimization Of The Definition Model Of Chinese Color Idioms In Domestic-oriented Chinese-English Dictionaries

Chinese idioms are idiomatic China-specific expressions with stable structure and unique meaning.And color words sometimes have different connotations in Chinese and English because of the discrepancy in cultural backgrounds.Therefore,Chinese color idioms don’t account for a high proportion in the whole inventory though,it’s important to properly translate them into English and express their true meanings due to their semantic particularities.However,as an essential tool for Chinese EFL learners,domestic-oriented dictionaries seem to attach less importance to the representation of such expressions.As a result,the present study aims to optimize the definition model of Chinese color idioms so that target users’needs can be better addressed.This study chooses three mainstream domestic-oriented CEDs as the source of language materials:A Chinese-English Dictionary(the 3^rd edition)（ACED 3）,New Age Chinese-English Dictionary(the 2^nd edition)（NACED 2）,and New Century Chinese-English Dictionary(the 2^nd edition)（NCCED 2）.Comprehensive analyses are conducted on the shared Chinese color idioms in the three CEDs,Firstly,through collecting and rearranging the data,the thesis finds out that the number of color words presents an uneven distribution in Chinese idioms.In respect of semantic characteristics,most color morphemes in Chinese idioms don’t convey any color meaning and most Chinese color idioms should be comprehended by metaphor and metonymy.Then,components in the microstructure of Chinese color idioms in the three CEDs are investigated from the perspective of dictionary users.And the definition model of Chinese color idioms seems less satisfactory.Some deficiencies are found as follows:improper labels,unsuitable headwords,insufficient senses,inaccurate senses,unsystematic definition method,lack of examples,etc.Last,based on the foregoing results,four modules in the framework of meaning-driven multidimensional definition theory are established to demonstrate the improvement on the defects:morphological meaning module,conceptual meaning module,pragmatic meaning module,and semantic network module.In the meantime,conceptual integration theory is employed to translate the definitions and examples.Therefore,a holistic definition model of Chinese color idioms is integrated with a tentative entry.This thesis is expected to provide experience and reference for compilation work of such entries or analogous entries so that target users’various demands can be further satisfied.