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history.” [1] “On the one hand, language as an integral part of human being, permeates his thinking and way of viewing the world, language both expresses and embodies cultural reality. On the other, language, as a product of culture, helps permeate the culture, and the changes in language uses reflect the cultural changes in return”.[2] Language is the base of entire culture, and it is only in language that culture can be well-presented and handed down from generation to generation. On the other hand, language is influenced and shaped by culture; it reflects language. Language reflects characteristics of culture and predicts the developing orientation of culture. In the broadest sense, language is the symbolic representation of a people; the development of language often embodies the change of culture. It comprises their historical and cultural backgrounds as well as their approach to life and their ways of living and thinking. To understand a language, one must know well about its culture and vise versa. 2. A comparison of similarities and differences in meaning 2.1 Similarities in meaning Animal is man’s best friend. Different animals have different natural instincts and life styles. During the long-term intimate contact with the animals, people have the deep-rooted understandings towards animals. And both the Chinese people and English people nearly have the same knowledge of animal’s natural instincts and ways of life. For example, English people would say, “He is as sly as a fox. He’s foxy, and you’re got to watch him. ”At the same time, Chinese people would understand the meaning of the sentence as well, in Chinese, “他像狐狸一样狡猾，他很狡猾，你得注意点”. This example indicates that “fox” can be used to describe someone who is cunning and deceitful. This example states that different languages and cultures endow “fox” the same cultural associative meaning. The following animal vehicles have the same associative meanings both in English and in Chinese. Donkey can be regarded as a kind of animal with dopey and stubborn temper. So the “donkey (驴)” is used to show the character with obstinate and stupid temper both in English and in Chinese, e.g.: “as stubborn as a donkey (像驴一样固执的)”. Birds can fly to any place they like to. No wonder they are the embodiment of freedom in both English and Chinese. For example: “Bring the child down to me for a fortnight. I have a huge old garden where he can be as free as a bird and perfectly safe”. Parrot is a kind of bird that can imitate people’s sound. English people and Chinese people use “parrot(鹦鹉)” to refer to those people repeat someone else’s word and ideas without really understanding what you are saying, e.g.: “He doesn’t have an idea of his own. He just parrots what other people say. (他没有自己的主张，常常鹦鹉学舌。)”. Pig or swine has such characteristics: dirty, greedy, lazy, selfish and ugly, for example, “make a pig of oneself (贪婪地\狼吞虎咽到吃喝)”; “live like a pig in clover(生活奢侈)”;“He has been a pig about money. (他对钱贪得无厌)”. 2.2 Differences in meaning Because of different cultural, historical and traditional background, actually, English people and Chinese people would have different associative meanings towards the same animal vehicle. 2.2.1 Same vehicle with different meanings “Everybody knows that words represent meaning. The problem is that they may represent several types of meaning simultaneously.”[3] “According to Geoffery Leech(1981:9-23), ‘meaning’ in the wider sense may embrace 1. conceptual meanin