Comparison of Metaphorical Expressions of the Heart Between Chinese and English

Abstract

This study intends to provide a semantic analysis of metaphorical expressions containing the body-part term “heart” in Chinese and English. The discussion of these expressions revolves around four perceived roles of the heart. It is suggested that the metaphorical consequences have a bodily or psychological basis on our hearts. The comparison between Chinese and English shows that there exist some similarities and differences, which can be accounted for both by the commonality of bodily experiences unique to human beings and by the discrepancy of cultural modes from different countries. Finally, a revised model depicting the relationship between body, language, culture, and cognitive ability has been proposed.