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虎添翼”, “虎将”, etc. But in English “tiger” symbolizes cruelty. The western regards “lion” as the king of animals. Webster’s Third New International Dictionary of the English Language interprets “a person felt to be like a lion especially in courage, ferocity, dignity or dominance (一个象是狮子的人，特别指勇气、凶猛、威严或权势方面)”. We use “as bold as a lion” to describe a brave person. The lion enjoys high prestige. In addition, English people regard lion as the national emblem of Great Britain. “A literary lion” is referred to a famous person in the field of literature. [14] “Snake” and “中山狼” share the same figurative meaning in English and Chinese, which are both likened to a person who returns hate for love. The only difference is that Chinese language uses “中山狼” as association vehicle, but English language uses “snake” as association vehicle. For generation the fable of “中山狼” has circulated among the people. The story is that: Zhao Jianzi shot at a wolf in the wood. The wolf escaped and asked master Dongguo for help. Mr. Dongguo was softhearted and hid the wounded wolf in his bag to keep it from being caught by Zhao Jianzi. But the wolf wanted to eat him. So the figurative meaning “恩将仇报” of “中山狼” is created. “Snake” is referred to a person requiting kindness with enmity, which is originated from Aesop’s Fables, that is, a snake was frozen stiff at the verge of death. A pedestrian saw it and warmed it in his bosom. After a while, the snake came round and bit its benefactor to death. So it causes the figurative meaning. [15] Different animal association vehicles with similar figurative meanings can be also seen from such expressions: “as timid as a rabbit, chicken-hearted or pigeon-hearted (胆小如鼠)”; “like a cat on hot bricks (热锅上的蚂蚁)”; “as stubborn as a mule (犟得像头牛)”; “wet as a drowned rat (落汤鸡)”; “goose flesh (鸡皮疙瘩)”; etc. 2.4 Semantic gaps Specific cultures and regional discrepancies exert a strong influence on language. And animal words as association vehicles are the products under the specific cultural backgrounds. Then these animal association vehicles have their respective cultural connotations which are known to different nations or which are completely strange to people. 2.4.1 The same animal words with rich figurative meanings in English, but with no figurative meanings in Chinese “Ostrich (鸵鸟)” is a kind of large bird living in the area of African deserts, with a long neck and long legs and that cannot fly but can run very fast. In English and American cultures, “ostrich” has such figurative meanings, e.g. “stupid, evading and having a good appetite”. Its figurative meaning would be well reflected in the following expressions: “Ostrich belief (鸵鸟信念)” is referred to deceptive idea. “To bury one’s head ostrich-like in the sand” is likened to a person who prefers to ignore problems rather than try and deal with them. In addition, there exists such figurative expression “have the digestion of an ostrich (胃口好如鸵鸟)”. However, to most Chinese people, an ostrich is only a kind of animal without any figurative meanings. The Chinese are only familiar with “ostrich policy (鸵鸟政策)”borrowed from English. [16] In Western culture, what impresses people most may be goat, for “goat (山羊)” is generally thought to be related with evils and the devil. The legend has that the devil created the goat, which is described as the phantom of the devil and the goat typically stands for those who are fond of women and loose in morals. And what’s about the English idiom