A Probe into English Idioms from Hebraism and Hellenism

潘春蝶

【摘要】希伯来文化和希腊文化即指圣经，是西方语言的起源，在西方文化的发展中发挥重要的作用。众所周知，圣经作为基督教的经典，被视为一项重要的文化遗产，并对西方的思想、文化、 意识形态以及语言等方面产生了重要影响。因此，如果英语学习者不能了解来源于圣经故事中的词汇的背景，他们就不能理解这些词的真正含义。为了更好地了解英语语言文化、丰富英语语言知识、改善英文表达的能力、更好地进行跨文化交际，本文对来自于希伯来文化和希腊文化的英语习语及其典故进行了探讨。

【关键词】希伯来文化 希腊文化 圣经 习语

【Abstract】Hebraism and Hellenism，which are the origins of western language and play an important role in the development of western culture，refer to Bible.As we known，Bible，a Christian classic，is regarded as an important culture heritage，and it has main influence on western thoughts，cultures，ideologies and language.Consequently，if English learners dont know the background of the words from the stories of Bible，they will not comprehend the real meanings of those words.In order to understand the English culture better，enrich their knowledge of language，improve their abilities to express in English and may contribute to the learners Cultural senses for the sake of better cross-cultural communications，this passage probes into some idioms and allusions from Hebraism and Hellenism

【Keywords】Bible，Hebraism，Hellenism，Idioms，cross-cultural communication

【中圖分类号】H319 【文献标识码】A 【文章编号】2095-3089（2018）01-0039-04

一、Introduction

From the historical development of language we see that any language reflects the cultures of a society in a particular period.There can be no doubt that language is a product of society，which is used as a means of communication in a society.People use language to say something to each other and express their daily needs for communication.Just as Ronald Wardhaugh says，“Language is the cement of society，allowing people to live，work，and play together，to tell the truth but also to tell a lie，or lies.”[3]If we really want to know the real meaning of sentences，we should not get it literally.So we must know the Etymology，from which we can get background information and knowledge about the history，origin and development of the English language and increases the learners enjoyment and real understanding of English words from their changes of different usages of words to that of meanings.

Moreover，we not only know the importance of etymology，but also know the idioms.The idiom is different from the common word，“An idiom is an element of a language that possesses a unique way of expression based on its time –honored use.”[6]（P1）In other words，an idiom is a fixed group of words or a single word，or even a sentence，with a special meaning that can not be guessed from its structure.That is to say，the meaning of an idiom must be learned as a whole.”[1]（P334）Besides，it is hard to use correctly.The proper use in a language is often a mark of a persons command of the language.Speech or writing without them lacks color and is uninteresting，but overuse or improper use makes the language sound affected and unnatural.It is often said that nothing marks a foreigner more than his unnecessary use of idioms.[2]（P338）Hebraism and Hellenism are the origins of western language and play an important role in the development of western culture，and even enrich its daily words，which are also called Bible.As we all known，Bible，a Christian classic，is regarded as an important culture heritage，and it has main influence on western thoughts，cultures，economy，ideologies，and even peoples daily life.

Strictly speaking，the origin of western culture is known by the Western historians as the "two H-culture" referring to Hebrew culture and Hellenic culture.Hellenic culture，including Greek mythology，Homer Epics and Aesop Fables is the source and the main material of the western culture.Ancient Greek culture and Roman culture，which is the inheritance of ancient Greek culture，are not only pregnant with the entire Western culture directly，but also have a significant and far-reaching influence on the world culture.Ancient Hebrew culture is developed by the Israelites who treated Judaism as the core content of the culture；and Christianity is derived from Judaism，so Hebrew culture is the foundation of Christian culture that inherits from Hebraism and absorbs the part of Greek culture.（严格说来，西方文化的渊源是西方史学家所称的“二希文化”（也称“两希文化”），即希腊文化和希伯来文化。希腊文化，包括希腊神话、荷马史诗、伊索寓言等，是西方各国文化的源泉和素材，古希腊文化和继承希腊文化的古罗马文化，不仅直接孕育了整个西方文化，而且对世界文化的发展也有重大而深远的影响。希伯来文化则是古代以色列人以犹太教为核心内容所形成的文化；而基督教是从犹太教派生出来的，所以基督教文化是继承希伯来文化的基础上吸收希腊文化的部分内容而发展形成的。）[7]（P80）The mainstream of Western culture should be a Christian culture that derives from Hebrew culture.Moses and Jesus are the Hebrew prophets who not only create the only holy Religious belief and divinity，but also created the Old Testament and New Testament.

The cultural exchange between Hebrew and Greek culture Is a major event，especially the combination of both resulted in Christianity，moreover，According to the rule of Christianity in the Middle Ages，it has a profound impact on the Western culture，religion，philosophy and even plays a decisive role in modern culture，the common function of the two cultures form a long history of Western culture.希伯来文化和希腊文化的交流，是世界文化中的一件大事，尤其是二者结合产生了基督教，通过基督教在中世纪的统治，对西方文化、宗教、哲学产生了深刻的影响，對近代文化起了决定性作用，两种文化共同作用，形成了西方文化的历史长流。[8]（P65-67）Bible was originally written in Hebrew，and then was translated into English by the King William I of England，the edition of which is still used until now.The words referred to in this passage are derived from the Bible that includes narrative prose，poetries and allusions，the spirits of which have melted into the literary works written by the following writers.Consequently，if we dont understand the background of the words from the stories of Bible，we will not know the real meanings of those words.According to the study of the idioms from the bible，we can understand the English culture better，which can enrich our knowledge of language，but also improve our abilities to express in English.

二、English Idioms from Hebraism

The stories from Bible have produced many daily idioms and allusions and have become a very important part of English language，which，however，have their own religious features.With the process of the development of society and history，most of the idioms are widely used in peoples daily life.They reflect the features of English language culture to some extent.And the culture of the idioms is embodied in many aspects of social life.The following part will take names，animals and plants for example.

1.Names

Some names，which originate from some stories of Bible，occupy an important position in Christians and literary circles.Most names of the characters in the Bible are quite familiar to common people.So these names are prone to getting extended meaning.Some characters in literary works have become so popular that their names have turned into household names.Generally speaking，name ，as a Personal code，should be a part of language and the epitome of the national cultures and its meaning will vary with the development of society and the ideology of human beings.As a matter of fact，many English names have been applied to refer to other meanings，and eventually make their way to the common core of English vocabulary.

（1）Adam：the ancestor of human beings.

The name Adam is of Hebrew origin.He is the first man made by God.God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of Life，and man became a living being.[10]（2：7，Genesis，Old Testament）.Now，it means the ancestor of human beings.

Eg：Adam who is the ancestor of humans is the first man in the Bible

（2）Solomon：the Representative of the Wise 智者

It is of Hebrew origin，and its meaning is "peace".The Biblical story of Solomon refers to the son of David and Bathsheba，who succeeded his father as king of Israel.He wrote the Book of Proverbs，Ecclesiastes，and the Song of Solomon.The Wisdom of Solomon is proverbial because when asked what gift he would have from God，he asked only for the wisdom.Now，Solomon means the Representative of the Wise.

Eg：King Solomon was famous for his wisdom.

所羅门王因他的智慧而闻名。

（3）Cain：killer or someone who killed his brother

The name Cain is of Hebrew origin and its original meaning is "something produced spear".The Biblical story of Cane is the firstborn son of Adam and Eve，who killed his brother in jealous anger and spent the rest of his life as a wanderer in exile.Now its meaning is killer or someone who killed his brother.[9]（4：4—8，Genesis，Old Testament） （Genesis 4：13）Cain said to the LORD，"My punishment is more than I can bear.（14）"Today you are driving me from the land，and I will be hidden from your presence of your presence；and I will be a restless wanderer on the earth，and whoever finds me will kill me."（15）But the LORD said to him，"Not so；if anyone kills Cain，he will suffer vengeance seven times over." Then the LORD put a mark on Cain，so that no one who found him would slay him.” so we can get the idioms the brand of Cain and the mark of Cain.

Eg：His guilty has the mark of Cain.（他的罪状是谋杀罪。）

（4）Judas：traitor 背叛者

The name Judas is of Hebrew origin and its original meaning is “praise”.Judas was a disciple of Jesus，and during the last supper，Jesus pointed out that the man who would betray him was among them.The disciples wondered who was to do this.Jesus had already known that Judas would betray him.Later，Judas is treated as the traitor.

Eg：Judas betrayed Jesus to his enemies.

犹大将耶稣出卖给他的敌人。

2.Animals and Plants

Language，as the carrier of culture，records the course of the development of human civilization.Human languages have many vocabularies for animals and plants.They are an important part of English words and hold a significant position in the English culture；they have also changed their original meanings and gradually become the common core of English vocabulary.With the development of society and the ideology of human beings，idioms endow these common words with given feeling and figurative meaning，which makes the name or image of plants and animals have specific cultural connotation.

（1）Serpent：hell kite 阴狠毒辣的人

It was craftier than any wild creature that the Lord God had made.The serpent tricked Eva，and she ate forbidden fruit.Then the Lord God said to the serpent： “Because you have done this，accursed are you above all the wild animals！ You will crawl on your belly and you shall eat dust all the days of your life”.And the Lord God drove our first parents out of the Garden of Eden to till the ground[9]（Genesis 3-4）.now，serpent means hell kite.

（2）Palm tree：the emblem of victory and glory 勝利的象征

It is the emblem of victory and glory.[9]（Revelation 7：9）After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that on one could count，from every nation，tribe，people and languages，standing before the throne，and before the Lamb，clothed with white robes，and palms in their hands；the saints saved by Christ and holding palm branches were standing in front of Christ.This is a victory against the evil and death.When Jesus entered into Jerusalem，the crowd who has also been holding palm branches welcomed him…“A men！ Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever”.Now Palm tree means the emblem of victory and glory.

（3）a wolf in sheep's clothing披着羊皮的狼，伪装善良的坏人。

The parable refers to a person who pretends to be good but actually is bad or it describes a person who has evil intentions but who appears to be harmless.Thus，Jesus warned people of these hypocrites saying that "Beware of false prophets，who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves."[9]

Eg：Mrs.Martin trusted the lawyer until she realized he was a wolf in sheep's clothing.

马丁太太一直很信任那位律师，直到她发现他是一条披着羊皮的狼。

（4）separate the sheep from the goat 区别好人和坏人，智者和愚者

It means to divide good or useful people from bad or useless ones.Nowadays，it is mainly used to distinguish between efficient enterprises and inefficient ones.According to the Bible，in the day of the judgment of the nations，all the nations will be gathered before Jesus Christ and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.The righteous will go to heaven and the sinners will go to hell.

Eg：The first thing to do with all these applicants is to separate the sheep from the goats and call only the good ones for an interview.

就这些申请者而言，首选要做的事是进行挑选，然后只叫好的申请者来面试。

三、English Idioms from Biblical allusions

… Allusion is an important element in English language.The origin of the English allusions can be traced back to bible，which provided English language with rich sources of allusions.It is important for English learners to know the origin of English allusions that help the readers to understand，grasp and appreciate them.

1.the writing on the wall：a sign or warning of impending disaster 不祥之兆

In the bible stories，once King Balthazar was having a great festival when the fingers of a human hand appeared and began writing on the plaster of the wall of the royal palace，which terrified the King greatly.It turned out that the writing was the prophecy of his doom.Thus，“the writing is on the wall” means a sign or warning of impending disaster.

Eg：The official saw the writing on the wall and fled the country.

這个官员预感到自己将有大难，立即逃到了国外

2.wash one's hands of something 不过问不负责洗手不干

This means one is no longer involved in something or responsible for something.In biblical times，Pilate，who handed Jesus over to be crucified，took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd saying "I'm innocent of this man's blood，see to it yourselves."[9]He means he is not responsible for Jesus' death.

Eg：Is it really so hard for a wrongdoer to wash his hands of illegal activities？

一个罪犯对违法的事洗手不干真的那么难吗？

3.Heap coals of fire on somebody's head.对某人以德报怨而使之愧悔

The Bible says，"If thine enemy be hungry，give him bread to eat；and if he be thirsty，give him water to drink；for thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head."[9]Therefore，to “heap coals of fire on somebody's head" means to make somebody who has injured you feel remorse or shame by your kindness and generosity，that is，to return of good for evil.

Eg：Jane heaped coals of fire on Cindy's head by inviting her to a dinner party after Cindy had gossiped about her.

辛蒂講过简的闲话，简反而以德报怨，邀请她参加晚宴，这使辛蒂感到羞愧。

4.cast the first stone — to make the first accusation首先攻击首先指责

The "let he who is without sin，cast the first stone" incident is one of the most well-known lessons of the Bible.A woman，who had been caught in the act of adultery，was brought to Jesus Christ by the scribes and Pharisees as a test to see if the Messiah was a liberal in matters of the Law of God.In response to their deceitful query，He didn't condemn the woman，not because He was a liberal，not because He condoned her sin，but because the men who brought the woman to Him were Hypocrites.He was the only person there that day who was free of sin，the only one who had the right to "cast the first stone." He didn't stone her （or her accusers），but instead forgave her and told her to "sin no more." Otherwise，the day is coming when she，if she didn't thereafter repent，won't be stoned，but will be burned - along with the hypocrites who brought her to Him that day，if they didn't thereafter repent of their sin.Now，it means to make the first accusation or make the first attack.[5]

Eg：Who cast the first stone at the meeting？

在会上谁首先指责令的？

四、English idioms from Hellenism

Hellenic culture includes Greek mythology，Homer Epics and Aesop Fables.It is the source and the main material of western culture.Ancient Greek culture and Roman culture are not only pregnant with the entire Western culture directly，but also have a significant and far-reaching influence on the world culture.Meanwhile，English vocabulary has been influenced by ancient Greek culture and Roman culture，translating and absorbing large numbers of Greek and Roman mythology，which produce many ancient idioms behind which there is a story.Only by understanding these stories can English learners accurately grasp the real meaning of idioms and master its usage.

1.Greek mythology

Greek mythology is a pearl in the treasure house of world literature.And Greek culture has produced a profound influence on the English vocabulary.Moreover，Greek mythology has enriched English vocabulary a great extent.Many English words have originated from the stories of Greek and Roman Gods and from Greek and Roman mythology.

（1）Achilles heels：the only vulnerable point唯一的致命弱点

In Greek mythology，Achilles was the bravest，handsomest，and greatest warrior of the army of Agamemnon in the Trojan War.Thetis the sea nymph，his mother dipped him in the waters of the River Styx，by which he became invulnerable，except for the part of his heel by which she held him-thus the proverbial “Achilles' heel.”[3]

Eg：Everyone knows his Achilles heel is pride.

大家都知道他的致命弱點是骄傲。

（2）cutting the Gordian knot：a bold solution to a complicated problem以斩钉截铁的方式解决问题

In 333BC，Alexander the Great reached the place Gordium.There he was shown the chariot of the ancient founder of the city，Gordius，with its yoke tied to the pole by means of an intricate knot with its end hidden.According to oracle，this knot was to be untied only by the future conqueror of Asia.Alexander said that he could untie this knot，and sliced through the knot with his sword.The phrase “cutting the Gordian knot” has thus come to indicate a bold solution to a complicated problem.

Eg：The old stock had deteriorated and was all mixed up so the manager decided to cut the Gordian knot，sell it all as scrap，and re-stock with new materials.

库存品已经变质，而且全都搞混了，因此经理决定快刀斩乱麻，把它们当作废品出售，然后重新储藏新的物资。

（3）a Sisyphean task：a fruitless or endless labor永远做不完的或无用的工作

Sisyphus was the father of Odysseus.When Death came to fetch him，Sisyphus chained him up so that no one died until Ares came to aid Death，and Sisyphus had to yield.In the meantime，Sisyphus had told his wife not to perform the usual sacrifices and to leave his body unburied.Thus，when he reached the under-world he was permitted to return to punish her for the omission.Once back at home，he continued to live to a ripe old age before dying a second time.He was punished in Hades by having repeatedly to roll a huge stone up a hill only to have it roll down again as soon as he had brought it to the summit.It is obvious that he is everlastingly punished in Hades as the penalty for cheating Death，but why he is set to roll a great stone incessantly is a puzzle to which no convincing answer has yet been given.It appears to belong with other Greek imaginings of the world of the dead as the scene of fruitless labors.

2.Homer Epics

Homeric epics are created by the people of the ancient Greek in the oral and collective form，and it is the product of transition period from the primitive commune system to the ancient Greek slavery，just like the encyclopedia including astronomy，geography，history，sociology，philosophy，art，and myth.The Homeric epic refers to The Iliad or The Odyssey，which are the earliest literary works of the ancient Greek .The pair of epic poems are written by the possibly mythical ancient Greek author Homer about the Trojan War and its aftermath，so English learners can get some useful knowledge from the stories of Homer Epics.

（1）Apple of discord：the seed of quarrelling or hatred不和的种子，战争的根源

Eris （the goddess of discord），alone of the gods was not invited to the marriage of Peleusand Thetis，she threw among the guests a golden apple inscribed "For the most beautiful.Hera，Athena，and Aphrodite each claimed it，and Zeus assigned the decision to Paris.Paris awarded the apple to Aphrodite，who then helped him win Helen of Troy.In the war that resulted，Hera and Athena remained implacable enemies of Troy.

Eg：The boundary line between the countries was an apple of discord between the two countries.

边界问题是两国战争的祸根。

（2）The Trojan Horse

Still seeking to gain entrance into Troy，clever Odysseus （some say with the aid of Athena）ordered a large wooden horse to be built.Its insides were to be hollow so that soldiers could hide within it.Then the Trojans celebrated what they thought was their victory，and dragged the wooden horse into Troy.That night，after most of Troy was asleep or in a drunken stupor，Sinon let the Greek warriors out from the horse，and they slaughtered the Trojans.Priam was killed as he huddled by Zeus' altar and Cassandra was pulled from the statue of Athena and raped.

Eg：A Trojan virus，like a Trojan horse，is a program that appears safe，but smuggles in a worm or virus.

特洛伊病毒，就跟特洛伊木马一样，看上去安全，其实暗藏“杀机”

3.Aesop Fable

Aesop's Fables refers to a collection of fables written by Aesop，a slave and story-teller who lived in ancient Greece between 620 and 560 BC.And his fables are some of the most well known in the world.Aesop's Fables contain a short narrative that seeks to illustrate a hidden message，especially the stories of beast fables involving anthropomorphic animals.And its allegorical and satiric mode conveys general ethical wisdom or specific political criticism.Moreover，they remain a popular choice for moral education of children today.Many stories included in Aesop's Fables，such as The Fox and the Grapes （from which the idiom "sour grapes" was derived），the Dog and the Cattle （from which the idiom “a dog in the manger " was derived）and so on.

（1）sour grapes：disparagement of something that is unattainable輕视自己得不到的

A Fox，just at the time of the vintage，stole into a vine-yard where the ripe sunny Grapes were trellised up on high in most tempting show.He made many a spring and a jump after the luscious prize，but，failing in all his attempts，he muttered as he retreated："Well what does matter！ The Grapes are sour！"

Eg：His remarks about the skating champion are sour grapes.

他对那个溜冰冠军的批评是吃不到葡萄说葡萄酸。

（2）a dog in the manger：a person who holds on to a post without doing any work and not let anyone else take over占着茅坑不拉屎

The Dog in the Manger is a fable attributed to Aesop，concerning a dog that one afternoon lay down to sleep in the manger.On being awoken，he ferociously kept the cattle in the farm from eating the hay on which he chose to sleep，even though he was unable to eat it himself，leading an ox to mutter the moral of the fable。

Eg：He borrowed a lot of books from the library，but he didn't read a book.He was really a dog in the manger.

他在图书馆借来很多书，但他从来不看。真是占着茅坑不拉屎。

五、Conclusion

To sum up，the Bible as one of the most valuable works in the cultural history of mankind，has an everlasting effect on western society and it has also poured some sufficient blood into English language.So a lot of English idioms，which form an important part in English vocabulary，have close relations with Hebraism and Hellenism or Bible.They are the valuable asset of English language.They are also the embodiment of western culture and the most difficult part to master，for they involve history，thoughts，cultures，economy，ideologies，customs and cultural background.If English learners do not know the cultural background，they can not understand the meanings or connotation the idioms convey.So，it is quite necessary for English learners to learn the background and the origin of the western culture while learning English.In a word，studying English Idioms from Hebraism and Hellenism is of great significance and it can help English learners learn English better.

Works cited

[1]An Introduction to English Lexicology ，Third Edition，Lin Chengzhang，Liu Shiping，Wu Han University press，2005，2.

[2]English Language and Culture，Department of Foreign Languages of Anhui Normal University .[M]，Anhui University Press，2005，2.

[3]Ronald Wardhaugh，Introduction to Linguistics.New York： McGraw-Hill Company.1977

[4]Yuvia，源于希臘神话的英语汇.Http：//www.hjenglish.com/subject/2008/page/49899/

[5]Http：//www.keyway.ca/htm2004/20040811.htm

[6]《英语的习语》[M].载上海外国语学院《外国语》，1979第4期p1.

[7]鲍惠南，鲍昂.实用文化翻译学[M].上海： 上海科学普及出版社，2000.

[8]毛萍钰.“两希文化”融合的历史原因探寻[J]长春师范学院学报，2006 ，P65—7.

[9]圣经.中英对照，第三版，中国基督教三自爱国运动委员会和中国基督教协会出版，2007，7.

[10]王涛.试论《圣经》人物对英语习语的影响，[J].湖南大众传媒学院国际传播系湖南长沙，《和田师范专科学校学报》（汉文综合版）2007，3，P129—30.