An Analysis of Animal Idioms in English for Translation in the Light of Cognitive Linguistics

The paper presents an analysis of English animal idioms for translation in the view of cognitive linguistics.221 animal idioms are collected from the Oxford Idioms Dictionary for Learners of English (2006), and categorized into vertebrate and invertebrate groups. Among all species, mammals in the vertebrates outnumber with 134 idioms (60 %). The findings show that mapping systems of the conceptual metaphor HUMANS ARE ANIMALS helps reveal human characteristics vividly from animals somatic, behavioral, and emotional traits. A case study on the three most productive animals (dog, cat, horse) in the collected idioms provides an in-depth analysis provides translators more freedom in choosing translation strategies for more accurate and systematic translation equivalents.