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one generation to another. They reflect the diligent nature of the farmers: (22)种瓜得瓜，种豆得豆:Plant melons and you get melons, sow beans and you get beans. (23)对牛弹琴: To play the lute to a cow The different plants and animals mentioned above show clearly that they were created by people doing agricultural work. Farmers, workers, cooks and housewives first used all the idioms on certain occasions. As time went by, people found they were also useful in some other situations. Time tested them and they became the popular sayings used in similar situations. Take "Throw a long line to catch big fish". It was used to explain in the beginning the action of "catching fish" only. As time goes along, people find it can express a similar situation of "doing something with foresight", which connects the idiom's meaning closely to people's everyday life now. In this way, many idioms become set phrases in the language to express similar situations. We know that Buddhism was once rather popular in China and is still followed by some people today. The Chinese people are very familiar with such words as“寺庙”temples,“和尚”monks and“菩萨”Buddha. That is why these terms are often found in Chinese idioms. (24)跑了和尚跑不了庙:The monk may run away, but not his temple. (25)做一天和尚撞一天钟:Go on tolling the bell as long as one is a monk. Similarly, in western societies, people believe that there are such things as God, hell, paradise, devil, etc. And the English translation of the Bible has also influenced the 1anguage profoundly. Therefore, some idioms reflect their fear of hell and some have come from the Bible. (26) Go to hell, damn you (27) To wash one's hands (to say one is no longer responsible for something) (28) To fight the good fight (the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak). Furthermore, many idioms show the life experience of people from all walks of life. They play a very important role in educating young people and passing down social values and norms. Such idioms are numerous both in English and Chinese: (29) Money makes the mare go. (30) Man proposes; God disposes. (31) Failure is the mother of success (32) Birds of a feather flock together. As is well known, both peoples created many idioms concerning the “heart”, which they regarded similarly as the center of their soul, thought and emotion. Thus: (33) To lose heart: to lose courage, confidence, hope or to become dispirited and discouraged. (灰心丧气) (34) Heart and soul: with one's deepest feelings and thoughts. ‘Heart’ refers to emotion, and ‘soul ’to mind or spirit. (全心全意;一心一意) (35) 心有灵犀一点通: Hearts which beat in union are linked. From the idioms mentioned above we can see that there is a surprising similarity in the origins of English and Chinese idioms. But on the other hand, owing to the different social background, customs and religions, differences are sure to appear in idioms in both languages, particularly in their national characteristics. The different opinions of the dog in English and Chinese are a good example. Though both have cultivated the habit of keeping dogs, the English people have a very high opinion of it, and the Chinese people often associate it with bad things. (36) Love me, love my dog. (37) Every dog has its day. (38)狗仗人势:Like a dog threatening people on the strength of its master's power. (39)狗嘴里吐不出象牙:A dog's mouth emits no ivory. The above idioms show their origins and national coloring. As idioms come from the lives of ordinary people,