A Cognitive Contrastive Study of English and Chinese Food Metaphors: A Case Study of Expressions Related to Chi/Eat

Abstract

Food metaphor is one of the most fundamental conceptual metaphors in human cognition, whose formation is rooted in embodied experience and national culture. Taking Conceptual Metaphor Theory as the analytical framework, this paper selects the Chinese character chi (eat) and the English word eat as research objects. Based on general corpora and authentic translation cases, it compares the metaphorical similarities and differences between the two from three dimensions: semantic extension scope, mapping path, and cognitive perspective. It further explores the cultural motivations behind the differences and proposes targeted translation strategies. The study finds that English eat and Chinese chi share cognitive commonalities in domains such as "consumption and endurance", but differ significantly in the generalization degree of metaphors in domains like social relations and survival interests. The essence of such differences lies in the distinct status of food culture and divergent cognitive perspectives in Chinese and Western contexts. The findings can provide cognitive references for the translation of culture-loaded food-related expressions.