崔校平编*的《英语词汇与西方文化》共分十章，从英语学习和跨文化交际的角度深入浅出地探讨英语词汇与西方文化，特别是与英美国家文化的关系。
　　该教材的特点是：1、适用性强，既可以作为课堂教材讲授，又适用于学生自学；2、例证丰富，有助于学生迅速扩大词汇量；3、趣味性强，集知识性、趣味性于一体，把枯燥的英语词汇学习变成有趣的文化学习；4、内容丰富，融词汇与文化学习为一体，读者可以边学文化边学词汇，真正了解词汇的内涵，收到事半功倍之效。

　　语言是什么？
语言是人类最重要的交际工具，是人们进行沟通交流的各种表达符号。人们借助语言保存和传递人类文明的成果。语言是民族的重要特征之一。抽象地说，语言指的是交际过程中所用的一种符号系统，包括语音、词汇、语法三大要素。具体地说，语言指的是人们在交际过程中说出的话语和写出的文字。语言不仅是形式，也是内容。根据德国出版的《语言学及语言交际工具问题手册》，现在世界上查明的语言有 5 651种。在这些语言中，约有 1 400多种还没有被人们承认为独立的语言，或者是正在衰亡的语言。
文化又是什么？
“文化”一词，英文、法文都写作 culture，它是从拉丁文演化来的。拉丁文 cultura含有“耕种、居住、练习、留心或注意”等义项。 19世纪中叶，一些新的人文学科如人类学、社会学、民族学等在西方兴起，文化的概念从而发生了变化，逐步成为概括以上新兴学科的、具有现代色彩的重要术语。最早把文化作为专门术语来使用的是被称为“人类学之父”的英国人泰勒（ E. B. Tylor），他在 1871年发表的《原始文化》一书中给文化下了定义：文化是一个复杂的总体，包括知识、信仰、艺术、道德、法律、风俗以及人类在社会里所获得的一切能力与习惯。笼统地说，文化是一种社会现象，是人们长期创造形成的产物；同时，文化又是一种历史现象，是社会历史的积淀物。确切地说，文化是指一个国家或民族的历史、地理、风土人情、传统习俗、生活方式、文学艺术、行为规范、思维方式和价值观念等。
语言与文化之间是什么关系？
语言作为文化的载体，它们之间的关系十分密切，但语言与文化又分属两个不同的概念，它们是有区别的。语言与文化相互依存的关系对语言学习产生了很大的影响。语言和文化是同步发生的，没有语言就没有文化，语言是文化形成和发展的前提，文化的发展也促进了语言的丰富和完善。无论从哪一个角度来看，我们都知晓这样一个事实：人类的语言是人类社会文化的语言，它与人类社会、人类文化有着许多密切的

关系。语言是文化的一部分，并对文化起着重要作用。有些社会学家认为，语言是文
化的基石——没有语言，就没有文化；从另一个方面看，语言又受文化的影响，反映
文化。可以说，语言反映一个民族的特征，它不仅包含着该民族的历史和文化背景，
而且蕴藏着该民族对人生的看法、生活方式和思维方式。语言与文化互相影响，互相
作用。理解语言必须了解文化，理解文化也必须了解语言。
那么词汇与文化是什么关系？
词汇是语言的基本构成要素，是语言大系统赖以存在的支柱，也是文化的主要载体。“语言词汇是最明显的承载文化信息、反映人类社会生活的工具”。因此，学习一门语言不仅要学习其语音、词汇、语法，还要学习词汇使用的不同文化背景和使用场合。比如： girl Friday（女仆），family man（有妻子儿女的男人），continental breakfast（清淡的早餐）等。学习英语，若对西方文化（尤其是英美文化）一点不了解，就不能真正理解某些词汇的真正含义。词汇的意义与文化有着千丝万缕的联系，这说明学习英语就必须学习英美文化，特别是当我们学习词汇时一定要了解词汇的文化内涵。这不但是学习文化词汇、扩充词汇量的捷径，还是帮助我们区分英美文化精华与糟粕的
有效途径，从而更有利于我们传承中国文化。
本教材共分十章，作者主要从英语学习和跨文化交际的角度深入浅出地探讨英语
词汇与西方文化，特别是英美国家文化的关系，并用大量的实例提示词汇是文化的载体，
英语学习离不开文化，否则就不可能真正把英语学好。本教材的特点是： 1.适用性强，
既可以作为课堂教材讲授，又适用于学生自学； 2.例证丰富，有助于学生迅速扩大词
汇量； 3.趣味性强，集知识性、趣味性于一体，把枯燥的英语词汇学习变成有趣的文
化学习； 4.内容丰富，融词汇与文化学习为一体，读者可以边学文化边学词汇，真正
了解词汇的内涵，收到事半功倍之效。
本教材的编写参考了若干文献资料，主要参考文献在每个章节的后面列出，在此
向文献资料的撰写者们表示感谢。此外，本书的编写及出版得到山东大学本科生院和
清华大学出版社的支持，在此谨致衷心谢意。
本教材的初稿已作为山东大学本科生通识教育选修课程教材使用过四届，作为通
识教育核心课程教材使用过三届，受到广大师生的喜爱。现将其作为通识教育核心课
教材正式出版，但愿它能够成为广大师生和英语爱好者的良师益友！
由于作者水平所限，书中错讹纰漏之处在所难免，敬请广大读者和同仁批评指正。
崔校平于济南 2015年 6月

第一章英语词汇的产生与发展 ···················································································1
第一节英语词汇来源概说 ·········································································································· 1
第二节英语词汇与英国历史···································································································· 16
第三节英语词汇与文化············································································································· 22
第四节影响英语词汇的不同文化因素················································································· 34
Exercise Ⅰ ········································································································································· 45
第二章英语饮食词汇与文化······················································································47
第一节英语饮食词汇文化的内涵和语义理据··································································· 47第二节英语词汇与盐文化 ········································································································ 55第三节英语中食物词语表达的文化意义 ············································································ 59
Exercise Ⅱ ········································································································································· 62
第三章颜色词汇与语言文化······················································································65
第一节基本颜色词汇的文化内涵 ·························································································· 65
第二节英语颜色词的社会文化意义······················································································ 68
第三节英语中关于颜色的词语······························································································· 73
Exercise Ⅲ ········································································································································· 77
第四章动植物词汇与西方文化 ·················································································81
第一节英汉动物词汇的联想意义及文化内涵··································································· 81第二节从“猫”的文化含义看英语词汇的民族文化性 ················································ 89
第三节英语植物词汇的联想意义 ·························································································· 91
Exercise Ⅳ ········································································································································· 98
第五章英语词汇与希腊罗马神话·············································································99
第一节希腊罗马神话简介 ········································································································ 99第二节古希腊罗马神话对英语词汇的影响······································································ 105 第三节源自希腊罗马神话诸神的英语词汇······································································ 109 Exercise Ⅴ ········································································································································116

第六章英语词汇与海洋文化···················································································· 119第一节海洋文化对英语词汇的影响·····················································································119第二节源于航海的英语词汇·································································································· 123第三节英语词汇与鱼的种类·································································································· 126 Exercise Ⅵ ······································································································································· 132
第七章英语姓名与西方文化····················································································135第一节英国人姓名的起源及其理据···················································································· 135第二节英语民族姓名的文化含义 ························································································ 142第三节英语中来自人名的词汇及其修辞特色································································· 152第四节英语中男女名字及其含义的不同 ·········································································· 157 Exercise Ⅶ ······································································································································· 162
第八章英语地名与西方文化····················································································165第一节英国地名的历史文化内涵 ························································································ 165第二节从地名看美国文化 ······································································································ 171第三节英语词汇与北美印第安文化···················································································· 177第四节含地名的英语词汇与文化 ························································································ 183 Exercise Ⅷ ······································································································································· 188
第九章英语词汇与宗教·····························································································191第一节基督教文化对英语的影响 ························································································ 191第二节英语习语与基督教文化····························································································· 198第三节英语词汇与《圣经》···································································································· 201 Exercise Ⅸ ········································································································································211
第十章英语词汇与文学作品····················································································213第一节源自文学作品的常用英语词汇··············································································· 213第二节英语习语与文学作品的关系···················································································· 221第三节源自《伊索寓言》的英语习语··············································································· 228 Exercise Ⅹ ······································································································································· 232
参考答案·····························································································································235