As we know, there are differences between Western culture and Chinese culture, We can see differences when we pay attention to the way words are used. Let's look at some words about animals and plants.
Most expressions in Chinese about the dog, for example, "a homeless dog", "a mad dog", "a running dog" and "a dog catching a mouse", have negative (消极的) meanings. But in western countries, dogs are considered to be honest and good friends of humans. In English, people use the dog to describe positive (积极的) actions. For example, "You are a lucky dog" means "You are a luck person". And "Every dog has its day" means "Each person has good luck sometimes". To describe a person's serious illness, they say "sick as a dog". The word "dog-tired" means "very tired". However, Chinese love cats very much. But in Western culture, "cat" is often used to describe a woman who is cruel. There are many other examples of how "cat" is used differently as well. The rose is regarded as a symbol of love in both China and some Western countries. People think the rose stands for love, peace, courage and friendship. And the rose is the national flower of England, America and many other countries.
The words about plants and animals are used in positive or negative ways in different cultures. We can learn about many differences in cultures by comparing how some words are used.
