INTRODUCTION
Longman Contemporary English Dictionary defines a proverb as follows: «proverb - a short well-known statement that contains advice about life in general».
According to the dictionary of V.I.Dahl, the proverb is the short, well-aimed and wise saying comprising lecture. It learns how to live right, how to treat world around, how to show your attitude towards Fatherland, relatives and friends. Vladimir Ivanovich Dahl mentioned that a saying, according to the national definition, a floret, and a proverb - a berry.
Proverbs being the integral attribute of national folklore are the reflection of life of that nation they belong. The correct and pertinent use of proverbs gives unique originality and special expressiveness. Proverbs, being phraseological units with a sentence structure, represent special complexity while being translated from one language on another.
In each language there are phrases and expressions which can not be taken literally even if meaning of each word is known and the grammatical design is clear. The sense of such phrase remains unclear and strange. Attempts of a literal translation of proverbs can lead to unexpected, often ridiculous results. That is the reason why the right way of proverbs translation is a big point.
Therefore, on the basis of literature analysis, we realized that brightness and appeal of such genre of folklore as proverbs promoted that there is a great number of literatures devoted to the very topic. However, we chose the comparative analysis of English and Russian proverbs. We are also interested in the comparison of English and Russian proverbs in gender aspect, precisely devoted to women. It causes an indisputable urgency and expediency of the presented work.
Consequently, the object of the research is devoted to the study of lexicology.
The subject of the research is devoted to the English and Russian proverbs.
The aim of the research is to make a comparative analysis of English and Russian proverbs.
The objectives of the research are:
1) To define the role of proverbs and differences and similarities of English and Russian proverbs.
2) To expand the peculiarities of proverbs in the system of oral folk arts of English and Russian people.
3) To analyze the main characteristics of the woman’s image.
4) To present the sample proverbs concerning the woman's image in the English and Russian languages
Therefore, the topicality of the research is defined as the topical nature of the issue, dictates of the present time and heightened need of finding novel ways of studying languages, for instance, through the process of proverbs learning. The theoretical value of the research is entirely predicated upon its relevance and the results of the research. The information devoted to the research topic was systematized and the comparative analysis was made.
The practical value of the research is consisted in conceptual statements revealing the essence of English and Russian proverbs. They can be used on lecture courses and can afford a basis for research works.
To tackle the problems, the following methods were employed - studying of literature and works on this subject; the analysis of the studied literature; the comparative analysis of English and Russian proverbs in practice.
The research is based on the on materials of prominent scientists as Anikin V.P., Dubrovskaya O.G., Zhukov V.P., Rybnikova M.A., Apperson G., Fergusson R., Ridout R., Witting C. and Smith W. G.
The paper structurally falls into introduction, theoretical part, consisting of three sections concerning the conceptual statements of English and Russian proverbs and analysis of their differences and similarities, practical part where we made the analysis of an image of the woman of English and Russian proverbs, conclusion, bibliography and appendix consisting of the table chart regarding proverbs analysis.

I. Proverbs as an essential part of oral folk arts in the systems of the English and Russian languages 1.1. The role of proverbs and differences and similarities of English and Russian proverbs
The term «folklore» was coined into scientific use in 1846 by English scientist William Toms. By the means of word-by-word translation from the English language, «Folk-lore» means: popular wisdom, national knowledge. This term at first designated only the object of science, but sometimes people started to call it a scientific discipline, studying the relevant data; however it is more correct to call the last folkloristics. [19, 1]
Scientists, who are the experts at folklore, take part in special expeditions, write down folklore works according to storytellers and analyze them. Only in such a manner the proverbs created by the people one thousands years ago are to be had for common people. Besides the term "folklore" in academic use of the different countries we can also meet other terms: German — Volkskunde, in narrower word meaning — Volksdichtung; French — Traditions populaires. Works of oral folk arts refer to folklore - the poetic works created by the people and occurring within common people’s life. The topics of labor activity, social and household pattern, nature, cults and beliefs are reflected in these pieces of art.
Folklore, being more ancient than written literature and being bandied from generation to generation, is considered to be the most valuable source for knowledge of history of each people in spite of whatever level of social development they had. Folklore was changing at that period of time, because each new performer brought something new in it.
Oral folk arts was the best way to incarnate people’s point of view, their ideals and aspirations, poetic imagination, the world of their thoughts, feelings, experiences, a protest against operation and oppression, dreams of justice and happiness. This oral verbal art creativity appeared during the human speech formation process. [18, 2]
It is known that the main forms of oral folk arts are proverbs and sayings. In the linguistic encyclopedic dictionary the proverb is defined as «a short, steady in speech use, rhythmically organized saying of instructive character in which the centuries-old experience of the people is reflected». Proverbs have a form of the finished sentence, possessing literal and figurative sense, or only the figurative one is fixed.
Longman Contemporary English Dictionary defines a proverb as follows: «proverb - a short well-known statement that contains advice about life in general».
According to the dictionary of V.I.Dahl, the proverb is the short, well-aimed and wise saying comprising lecture. It learns how to live right, how to treat world around, how to show your attitude towards Fatherland, relatives and friends. Vladimir Ivanovich Dahl mentioned that a saying, according to the national definition, a floret, and a proverb - a berry. [2, 21]
Kuzmin S.E. emphasized: «A proverb - a short parable. It is a judgment, a sentence, the lecture that has been put into circulation, under stamping nationalities. As any parable, a full proverb consists of two parts: from a picture, the general judgment and from the appendix, interpretation, the lecture, quite often, however, the second part falls, provided to keenness of the listener». [6, 134]
Being an essential element of folklore, the proverb completely meets the following requirements of a national esthetics:
1) Objectivization by the means of concrete and familiar images, in other words a proverb is perceived as deep, natural, emotional and intelligible aphoristic saying.
Цыплят по осени считают», «Everything is good in its season», - a household situation is used for designation of the general provision: it means that you must not jump to conclusion until the business is not finished.
2) Eurhythmy of sounding.
«Взялся за гуж, не говори, что не дюж», «Graps all lose all».
3) Compactness of speech.
«Баба с возу - кобыле легче», «Better late than never».
4) Benevolence and humanity of statement.
«Доброе дело само себя хвалит», «А good beginning makes a good ending».
5) Specification and embodiment of abstract concepts.
«Семь топоров вместе лежат, а две прялки врозь», - female friendship not such strong, as man's. «All bread is not baked in one oven».
In fact, all English and Russian proverbs can be divided in two major groups: [3, 54]
1) The proverbs that do not have an equivalent in researched languages (conventially)
2) The proverbs that do have an equivalent in two or three languages:
For instance: «Конь о четырех ногах, да и тот спотыкается» - «A horse stumbles that has four legs»; «Лошадь спотыкается, хотя у нее четыре ноги» - «Паршивая овца все стадо портит»; « Одна паршивая овца испортит все стадо» - «One scabbed sheep will mar a whole flock».
There are a huge number of the proverbs that do have an equivalent in two or three languages. Moreover, they can be subdivided in two groups: [3, 55]
1) Utter counterparts
«Дареному коню в зубы не смотрят» - «Don't look a gift horse in the mouth»;
«Крысы бегут с тонущего корабля» - «Rats leave the sinking ship»; «Все дороги ведут в Рим» - «All roads led to the Rome»; «Все хорошо, что хорошо кончается» - «All is well, that ends well»; «Не все то золото, что блестит» - «All that glitters is not gold»; «Век живи, век учись» - «Live and learn»; «Что посеешь, что и пожнешь» - «As you sow, so you reap»; «Лучше поздно, чем никогда» - «Better late than never».
2) Conventional counterparts
«Без кота мышам раздолье» - «When the cat is away, the mice will play»;
«Волков бояться - в лес не ходить» - «He that fears every bush must never go a-birding»; «Сколько волка не корми, он все в лес смотрит» - «The fox may grow gray but never good»; «Что имеем - не храним, а потерявши – плачем» - «The cow knows not the worth of her tail till she loses it»; «В чужой монастырь со своим уставом не ходят» - «When in Rome, do as the Romans do»;
The oral nature of proverbs transfer points out to the belonging of proverbs and sayings. Furthermore the proverb contains the direct instruction in the most name on the relation to oral speech.
Vladimir Dhal in his well-known dictionary also considers a proverb as a product of exclusively national environment of dialogue: «the fact that if you look for proverbs and sayings, you go to the people, is undeniable. The society doesn't accept ready proverbs, because it is a picture of an alien speaking another language; and the society not composing proverbs can be from politeness and secular decency: the proverb pricks the cap fits». [1, 278]
Proverbs and sayings can serve as the original tool for cultural dominants measurement in language. Cultural - language characteristics of proverbs and sayings are an important component of culture of the people, they reflect specificity of perception of the world.
As proverbs and sayings act in a role of instructive set phrases, they automatically attribute realities which display, a certain estimated scale with polar concepts good-bad, moral - immoral, comprehensible - unacceptable. For instance, «Где хотенье, там и уменье», «Кто рано встает, того удача ждет», «Where there is a will, there is a way», «No bees, no honey», «As you sow you shall mow», «Хорошего не стало - худое осталось», «Что посеешь, то и пожнешь».
Proverbs of any language (in this case – English and Russian) represent products of language national consciousness as a materialization of peoples experience throughout the centuries. [12, 179]
Representing formulas of popular wisdom, proverbs apply for universality of the conclusions and conclusions and to possibility of their appendix to all people as the unwritten law.
One of peculiar features of a proverb as considers Anikin V.P., consciousness of the reference to national experience is. It differs from other semantic units of language which represent not realized as that use of experience of previous generations. Thus, during using proverb the problem of the statement validity is struck off, as the person speaks not from itself and refers on somebody's objective experience. [1, 260]
1.2. The peculiarities of proverbs in the system of oral folk arts of English and Russian people
First of all, we want to give consideration to English proverbs. The English folklore is as individual and original as well as oral folk arts of the Russian people. The folklore for the Englishmen is in honor as well traditional tea at five o'clock.
Proverbs of the Englishmen are very expressive, short and laconic. They act as unit of a lexicon and means of worldview. Contextually-generalized meaning of a proverb is realized by a number of formal grammatical means. [7, 33]
Forms of verbs in a proverb, as a general rule, indicate generalized time, a paradigmatic number of forms of time are absent - «And friend in need is a friend indeed». In this proverb it is impossible to use the verb forms as was, has been, will be instead of is.
In accordance with Ridout R., besides a rupture of action - condition with certain grammatical time, the proverb is also notable for a rupture of action -condition with a certain person-figure - «Fools don't reap, don't sow, they will be born». The similar orientation of actions - conditions is so-called generalized value of a proverb. [15, 113]
Consequently, the following main characteristics of a proverb are allocated:
1) The proverb always has a form of a sentence.
2) In the structure the proverb addressing in language of a certain period bases itself upon productive models and leading tendencies in a syntactic system of living national language of the very period.
3) The proverb is a syntactically complete poetic piece of work capable to independent functioning. It has no contextual attachment (attachment - an indicator of genre incompleteness).
4) The proverb does not allow the usage of the words concretizing value of syntactic structure in spatial, temporary, concrete and personal and other relations.
5) The proverb always has allegoric sense and expresses precisely the general judgment;
6) Syntactic value of a proverb is realized as timeless. Verbal forms do not form a paradigm within grammatical category of time. [15, 118]
In accordance with the words of Apperson G.L., proverbs organically combine in themselves the advantages of the national encyclopedia, poetic masterpieces and irresistible in the grace oratory figures. Being the bright trope bearing an indisputable truth and popular wisdom in a capacious and available form, the proverb possesses high repeatability in speech. [11, 297]
Throughout centuries a certain thought was expressed by people in different ways until the contents did find the optimum form recognized and accepted by all members of a certain linguistic community, according to their attitude towards the surroundings. Therefore proverbs quite often are understood by native speakers «from a half-word» and can be reproduced elliptically - «East or West (Home is best) »; «Stick and stones (may break my bones) ». The same reason is the key point to explain the tendency to obsolescence and a gradual exit from the use of the proverbs consisting of ten and more words, containing the archaic elements and interfering convenient reproduction in speech. [12, 447]
As archaisms designate the concepts which are old-fashioned or have left a modern picture of the world, they intrude not only to proverb reproduction, but also a cognizance of a described situation even by the native speakers. Nevertheless, already existing proverbs are immortal. They are the major material for studying of historical events, ethnography, a life and outlook of the people. Having sustained time assessment, they organically merged with speech. Proverbs will always decorate it with wit, ability to characterize neatly and precisely all diverse manifestations of life.
On the basis of the foregoing it is possible to conclude that owing to such characteristics as figurativeness, the picturesque and reproducibility, a proverb carries out the instructive function and has an ability to reflect a picture of the world.
It must be mentioned also that proverbs in the English language differ from phraseological units in the structural-semantic relation: they represent the finished offer. At the heart of their complete semantic contents the judgments lie. Therefore proverbs can not be the carriers of lexical meaning which is inherent in phraseological units; their meaning can be transferred only by the sentence (quite often developed), whereas value of the phraseological unit is transferred by a word or the phrase only. Difference of proverbs from phraseological units is that proverbs can be used at the same time in literal and in figurative sense. Proverbs, owing to the two-planned character, which are used in literal sense, consist of words with quite certain independent lexical meaning that it is impossible to tell about the phraseological units which components are in whole or in part deprived of semantic independence. [14, 165]
On one hand, the words that are the part of proverbs are quite often allocated or, at least, can be allocated with a logic accent. On the other hand, it is impossible to make a logic accent on one of components of the phraseological unit. Phraseological units are thus deprived of actual division. Nevertheless, proverbs are phraseological units with a sentence structure. Many phraseological units in English arose on the basis of proverbs. Usually the phraseological unit becomes a part of the proverb used independently in speech, without knowledge of such proverb the phraseological unit is unclear. For example, cunning fellow («An old bird is not caught with chaff»). [10, 76]
Second of all, the researching of the national creativity of the Slavs is important for studying of national psychology today; it includes the works concerning the main major representations of the people about the main vital values: work, family, love, public duty, and homeland. The knowledge of folklore can give to the person knowledge of people, and finally about itself.
The history of the Slavs is freakish and full of riddles. Ancient Russia stood among the woods, and, as we know, fire, having raged, didn't spare anything: neither human dwellings, nor temples, neither wooden image of gods, nor data on them, written Slavic runes on wooden plates.
It happened that only quiet echoes reached us from distances. Essentially, the initial text of many is not known, as the author of work is missing.
For long centuries the Russian people created a large quantity of oral pieces of art: wise proverbs and cunning riddles, cheerful and sad ceremonial. Works of a like nature were created «by all people, as one moral person». Thanks to it the national poetry is penetrated by the collective beginning. It is shown not only outwardly, but also internally - in nature of generalization of reality, in images etc.
The special place in folklore of Russian people is played by proverbs, as formulas of popular wisdom. According to Komarova L.Y., one of peculiar features of a proverb is a consciousness of the reference to national experience. It differs from other semantic units of language which represent not realized usage of previous generations. Therefore, the problem of the validity of the statement is stuck off, as a human being speaks not from itself and refers to someone else's experience. Proverbs apply for universality of the conclusions. Due to the very fact, they are considered to be the unwritten law, contributing the formulas of popular wisdom. [5, 31]
All those main signs which the world of a Slavic-and-Russian area possesses are inherent in proverbs of the Russian people.
1) It is a great amount of proverbs regarding various spheres.
2) They are presented by the subjects directly mentioning life
3) Proverbs possess a set of the poetic consistent patterns. There are compactness, expressiveness, originality. [9, 294]
It is known that proverbs are the first brilliant manifestations of creativity of the people. And whether for this reason, as though verifying with proverbs the direction of own work, all great people revered wisdom and beauty, picturesque graphic force of proverbs. Proverbs have no author. It is impossible to define precise time of their emergence and a place of their creation. Neither literature, nor journalism or live informal conversations do not manage without using proverbs. They are used and in scientific polemic (for example, the round tables devoted to any problem), and in political reports (annual Messages of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the people), and in philosophical treatises, also in fiction (heroes quite often make reference to proverbs as an example). [18, 1]
Proverbs incorporated the wisdom which has been saved up by previous generations and their experience. Being gone the round off, they were grinded, gained utter accuracy and compactness.
Proverbs of any language are the units reflecting a picture of the world of native speakers. According to Fergusson R., «proverbs are considered to be a mirror of national culture comprises large volume of information on traditions, foundations, originality of outlook and mentality of the certain language community». Therefore the reason of proverbs consideration is represented interesting. [13, 27]
Proverbs are ubiquitous. They concern all subjects; interfere in all areas of human beings life, human hopes, thoughts, characters appraisement, temper, causes and effects of its various actions.
It is difficult to mention everything, on what the critical glance of the people is darted. Folk took stock all the things in their surroundings. Proverbs include the themes of idleness, clamorousness, deception, arrogance, temptation, lie, slander, cowardice. Moreover, it is an extensive encyclopedia of human sins and drawbacks. But proverbs also praise diligence, modesty, skill, thrift, moderation, truthfulness and bravery. The well-known Vladimir Dahl allocated hundred seventy nine headings for Russian proverbs: about belief (god, a sin, devotion, split), about destiny (patience, hope), about happiness (good luck), about wealth and poverty, avarice, about thrift and prodigality. This subject is so extensive, as people life. [1, 96]
However, the thematic multitude is not the main, though important, advantage. The point is that proverbs reproduce the life, appraise the quality of life. In due season Dahl V.I., captivated by completeness of sense of proverbs, noted: «In them there is all - a jeer, a sneer, a reproach. In other words, all moving and touching to the quick». [2, 18]
Proverbs of all folks are not forfeited of passionate interest to all aspects of life.
«Лучше б тебе не родиться», «Там хорошо, где нас нет», - whether threatens, whether sympathizes one of proverbs. Other echoes it: «Твой бы приговор да тебе ж во двор». The very proverb is about a bad word. «Чтоб тебя Баба-Яга в ступе прокатила» - the third spell disaster.
How smooth-talking was a brisk Russian person and in pleasure, at a warm meeting, in friendly approval he said, for instance, in the morning: «Спали, почивали, весело ль вставали? ». In other cases the business did not manage without a kind joke over heavens: «Вам просим милостей от бога, а себе от вас». [3, 40]
No matter how magnificent all these short sayings were, their force was especially strongly shown in conversation when it was necessary to support the speech by the felicitous remark or supervision. So they told about the drunkard: «Из пяти пальцев не вижу ни одного, а один в глазах семерит», «Как курица: что ступит, то клюнет». At irony of each proverb there is a thought on the opposite - about worthy life of the person, his comeliness and decency.
About the envious person spoke: «В чужих руках пирог велик». The proverb is similar to a saying: «Не зарься на чужое! ». The initial thought both here and there is the same, only in the first case it is meant, and in the second one the idea is expressed as instruction. Proverbs are of great worth of the initial living position.
«Жизнь дана на добрые дела» - the proverb generalizes. It contained in itself a sense of a great number of the others which explain what is appreciated in life and how a human being reaches welfare: «Не топор тешет, а плотник», «Золото и в грязи блестит», «Пчела мала, а и та работает», «Хлеб всему голова». [8, 62]
«Пчела далеко за каплей летит». By means of this proverb a speaking person characterizes and estimates the thing that is not told directly. Each word lives in it under the law of semantic associations: пчела (the hardworking being, instead of someone else, for example a lazy or careless one), далеко (not close, not nearby), летит (wing the air). Therefore, the very indicates difficulty of the business connected with achievement of the purpose. It proves that all valuable things, even the smallest, are gained by the sweat of ones brow.
Proverbs are truly many-sided. Quite often the same proverb belongs to different subjects. For instance, a proverb «Готовь летом сани, а зимою телегу» implicates not the strict schedule of affairs, but the timeliness and foresight in households, although the person who has used a proverb in speech not necessarily means a sledge and a cart, even if he has spoken about them. And the very polysemy makes proverbs difficult for interpretation.
The literal sense of many old proverbs is strongly pressed by novelty of our century. So the proverb «Хоть на телеге, а в те же ворота едет» refers to the life of left time. The majority of old proverbs and sayings remain live, and they are capable to enrich our vocabulary for a long time.
There are proverbs with absolute figurative sense. For example: «Та бы крова молчала, которая под медведем бывала».
The meaning of a proverb we correlate to the characteristic of such life experience when it is not necessary to take the advice of the careless people who have already landed in trouble. The proverb belongs to this type also: «Сколько веревочке не виться, а конец будет». A proverb applies in speech only figuratively in the event that a thief or a cunning fellow is about to be in the hot water. [5, 32]
There are proverbs with primary transfer of a literal sense: «Там хлеб не родится, где кто в поле не трудится» or «Тайное слово в своих устах держи».
However proverbs of the very type do not exclude an opportunity to being used in speech in accordance with a principle of associative reference to other subjects, distinct from about what it is directly told. The proverb about bread and work can be applied in general in confirmation of importance of diligence and its results or condemnation of laziness and its consequences. It means that they work on contrast even more brightly and more expressively in order to emphasize a difference between laziness and diligence.
There are also proverbial judgments. Their stylistic and structural range is wide beyond belief. In a science all types of aphoristic genres for the present are not established. The difficulty of this work is that one type easily passes to another.
«Руки - крюки, не тем концом воткнуты» - this proverbial judgment contains many capabilities of proverbs, but in speech this judgment can be a proverbial assessment of inability that briefly call inefficiency. Without making strict restrictions of proverbs from types of aphoristic characteristics similar to them, the definitions, separate expressions, it is really hard to differentiate the very notions. [4, 283]

II. The comparative analysis of an image of the woman in proverbs of the English and Russian
2.1. The main characteristics of the woman's image
In this work we want to consider reflection of an image of the woman in proverbs of the Englishmen and Slavs. The reflection of the woman in the proverbs analyzed by us will have an estimated character. As proverbs act as instructive set phrases, they automatically attribute realities which display a certain estimated scale with polar concepts.
As marks out Smith W.G., while perceiving the objective world, a human being defines for himself valuable reference points. Everything that is going on is estimated on the basis of a polar concepts principle – good-bad, beautiful-ugly, in other words the object of reality is considered from the point of view of its compliance to norm. [16, 20]
In our work we consider an image of the woman in proverbs of different languages in the aggregate of the moral and behavioral qualities. Also we created a table chart to display the main points of the analysis (See Appendix 1). It occurs with a glance to both legal and moral standards. It is necessary to specify a role of a subjective and objective component of an assessment. The subjective component assumes the positive or negative relation of the subject to object of an assessment while the objective component of an assessment is guided by own properties of subjects or the phenomena on the basis of which the assessment is taken out. Thus, in an assessment of an image of the woman the objective component in the form of reflection of moral and household norms prevails. [17, 668]
We could allocate the image of the woman which is characterized in accordance with on the following aspects: [10, 114]
- Age (the girl, the old woman)
- Sex (in Russian proverbs the main name is «баба» and its synonyms. This aspect is absent in English proverbs)
- Marital status (the wife, the daughter-in-law, the mother-in-law)
- Social marital status (the hostess, the widow, the woman doctor)
- Relations within family (mother, the granddaughter)
- Belonging to social class (the rich, the poor)
It is necessary to differentiate especially the term «баба» inherent in more ordinary vision of the woman. (For English the very differentiation is irrelevant).
«Баба» is a culturally marked word. Its primary value, the married peasant, the wife of the peasant, became outdated. In the dictionary of S.I.Ozhegov this meaning is noted as colloquial. Also this word possesses a scornful or ironic comment on the woman in general, or it acts as colloquial or regional equivalent to the word "wife". With a foundation of personality traits, «баба» is healthy, hard-working, rough, uneducated, and simple. [9, 451]
As it was already noted above, there is no vulgarized term «баба» in the English language associated with Russian word «баба». Nevertheless, the woman image as the weaker sex is indistinctive for the English and Russian languages. Similar combinations are emerged from the books of romantic discourse (the expression «a fair sex of mankind» is used by the men for gallantry expression; it is frequently used with an irony shade).
The image of «the beautiful woman» is designated in the English language by means of the term "lady". The particular interest represents the fact that etymologically «lady» meant «a baker». It derived from the words hlaf ("loaf of bread") and dige (it is assumed as «dough-maker»), connected with gothic deigan to ("brake"). In other words that is «the female head of the family» - "housewife". This meaning is still used in the vulgar expression "your good lady" meaning «your wife». However, in the analyzed units of English belonging both to folklore and to literature, «woman» designation is only used. [14, 67]
As the results of practical research showed, on one hand in a literary genre the woman is perceived as the weak dependent creature incapable on independent decisions and intelligent acts, distinguished and fragile, spoiled and demanding constant attention to herself from "the stronger sex".
On the other hand, the woman is a skillful temptress, emotional nature, sensitive to beauty and being its embodiment. Literary statements are prone to ride with slack rein women sins and infirmities. [14, 70]

2.2. Sample proverbs concerning the woman's image in the English and Russian languages
According to the results of the statistical analysis of the language material in number of more than 100 proverbs, the considerable superiority of quantity of units with a negative connotation over quantity of units with a positive connotation in folklore and in literary genres in a material of the English and Russian proverbs became clear.
Fergusson R., for instance, explains such asymmetry as more acute emotional and intellectual reaction of people to the negative phenomena, and she also mentions that the process of using proverbs is a characteristic tendency for stressful conditions. [13, 274]
The greatest number of language units with a negative connotation is devoted to psychological aspect of character. In turn, the most numerous units of this section reflect female falsity and insidiousness: «The laughter, the tears and the song of a woman are equally deceptive» that is equal to the Russian proverb «женщина обманет самое всевидящее око».
The following most noted trait of female character is stubbornness and headstrongness: «Стели бабе вдоль, она меряет поперек»; «The way of women: when you will, they won't, and when you won't, they are dying to». It means that if the woman wants something, impossible is nothing. [6, 197]
The following place on being used is occupied by proverbs about female caprice and unpredictability: «Пока баба с печи летит, семьдесят дум передумает»; «And woman's mind and wind change oft».
Long tongue of the woman from the ancient tames gave a reason for sneers and nimble jest: «Бабий язык, куда ни завались, достанет», «And woman's tongue wags like a lamb's tail», «The trouble with her is that she lacks the power of speech but not the power of conversation».
And, the last but not least, one more striking trait of female character is admitted as curiosity: «Curiosity killed a cat», «Любопытной Варваре на базаре нос оторвали». [19, 1]
The next psychological aspect of the woman is thinking. «Меж бабьим «да» и «нет» не проденешь иголки», «Because is a woman's reason». Many units openly proclaim female absurdity: «Волос долог, да ум короток», «When an ass climbs a ladder, we may find wisdom in a woman».
As one of the reasons of imperfection of female thinking call an excessive emotionality: «Женское сердце, что котел кипит», «And woman laughs when she can and weeps when she pleases».
In sociological category the most complete reflection was received by aspects of a type of social activity and communication with people around. Proverbs reflect insolvency of the woman as the founder in a broad sense this word: «Бабьи хоромы недолго живут». «Need makes the old wife trot». [4, 56]
In the social sphere of communication with people around the strongly pronounced negative connotation is attributed to the relations of women and men as opposite sexes: «Мужик тянет в одну сторону, баба в другую», «The man pulls in one party, the woman in another», «Not that has a wife has a master», «And woman never sees what we do for her, she only sees what we do not do». The relations between women have really noisy and often antagonistic character: «Где две бабы, там суем, а где три, там содом».
The aspect of the relation of the man to the woman is also interesting. Furthermore, the proverbs of both languages show quite cynical judgment: «Курица не птица, а баба не человек», «Хвали день, когда он прошел, женщину - когда она умерла», «Women are like elephants: they are nice to look at, but nobody would want to own one». [7, 38]
Historical aspects of religion and mythology are made related by a negative connotation of language units: «Где сатана не сможет, туда бабу пошлет», «And woman is an angel at ten, a saint at fifteen, a devil at forty and a witch at fourscore», «Man, woman and the devil are the three degrees of comparison». In category of moral the units with a negative connotation also prevail. The main characteristics of the woman in this category are egoism, incorrectness and lechery: «Муж в тюрьме, а жена в сурьме», «Women may blush to hear what they were not ashamed to do».
By the results of the analysis of language material, it is obvious that in the units describing an image of the woman as parts of a picture of the world the negative connotation prevails that proves to be true by the description of its defects and clearly negative relation: «A fair face may hide a foul heart». Behind fine appearance the low soul can appear. «Live under the cat's foot». It means to be under someone’s thumb. «Women are made to be loved, not understood». Women are created for love, not for mind. [10, 201]
As the analysis of a language material showed, the proverbs reflecting merits in an image of the woman are much less than reflecting negative qualities. For example: «And good wife makes and good husband», «У хорошей жены и муж хорош». The unique category denotes endurance of the woman: «Баба - не квашня, встала да пошла», «And woman's work is never done».
Intuition is admitted as a conclusive dignity of the woman in respect of psychological aspect of abilities: «Women's instinct is often truer than men's reasoning».
In category of character courage inherent in women is especially noted: «Women in mischief are wiser than men». In the sociological plan the importance of the woman in a family is strongly emphasized: «Холостому помогай боже, а женатому хозяйка поможет», «The wife is the key to the house».
Thus, the positive connotation in the English and Russian proverbs devoted to an image of the woman, is not numerous. The vast majority of units are proverbs «recommendations» that are given in the capacity of pieces of advice. [15, 139]
First of all, they contain the whole set of guidelines for choosing a wife: «Богатую взять - станет попрекать; Умную взять - не даст слова сказать; Знатную взять - не сумеет к работе пристать; Худую взять - стыдно в люди показать; Старую взять - часто с нею хлопотать».
Having made an incorrect choice, the man makes a fatal mistake: «Всех злее злых злая жена», «Better dwell with a dragon than with a wicked woman»; «Женился на скорую руку да на долгую муку», «Marry in haste and repent at leisure».
In case of a right choice the man finds family happiness: «С доброй женой горе - полгоря, а радость вдвойне», «А good wife makes a good husband», «А good wife and health is a man's best wealth». The clear priority is given to female mind over beauty: «Умная жена, как нищему сума». [8, 183]
In order family to function normally, everyone in a family should keep at a distance: «Муж жене отец, жена мужу венец», «Жена мужу пластырь, муж жене пастырь», «Муж - голова, жена - душа», «Жена мужа почитай, как крест на главе», «Муж жену береги, как трубу на бане».
In proverbs the desirable qualities inherent in the ideal wife are also brightly reflected: «The best furniture in the house is a virtuous woman», «An obedient wife commands her husband», «Silence is a woman's best garment», «It is a good horse that never stumbles and a good wife that never grumbles», «А woman is to be from her house three times, when she is christened, married and buried», «What's my wife's is mine», «Лучше допустить ошибку самой, чем указать на ошибку мужу». [17, 302]
Quite rigid treatment of the woman as guarantee of family happiness is encouraged: «Жена без грозы - хуже козы», «Чем больше жену бьешь, тем щи вкуснее», «А woman, a dog and a walnut tree, the more you beat them the better they be», «The calmest husbands make the stormiest wives».
Nevertheless, the utilitarian approach also is reflected in care about health of the wife as valuable worker: «На что корова, была бы жена здорова», «У умного мужа жена выхолена, у глупого по будням затаскана», «Sorrow and evil life makes soon an old wife».
Development and interaction of literary and spoken national language leaves a certain mark on units relating to these spheres - sayings and proverbs. They store popular wisdom.
The research showed that proverbs are effective and figurative remedies of expression of native speakers. In particular, they visually show idea of a woman a part of their language picture of the world.
The analysis of a practical material revealed some distinctions in an assessment of an image of the woman in the proverbs, based on the pragmatical relation which has taken roots in national consciousness to the woman on one hand, and more progressive idea of the woman in literature on the other hand. Owing to stronger fixing in consciousness of people of the negative phenomena, the descriptions of such negative qualities as falsity, obstinacy, unpredictability and lechery prevail. It is also mentioned that the woman probably belongs to devil forces. Undeniable merits of the women are confessed such points as physical endurance, intuition, courage and rich emotional world.
The Ideal of the woman in folklore and literature is represented by an image of the female hostess, female mother. Proverbs establish the set of unwritten laws on which the woman should execute the functions in a family and society in both languages. [15, 172]

CONCLUSION
The aim of the research made by us was the comparative analysis of English and Russian proverbs. Our goal was reached fully in the course of research and comparative analysis of books of specialized subjects and Internet resources.
Being based on the analysis of the research carried out by us, we can make some conclusions:
1) English and Russian proverbs have a common expression of moral, educational and instructive value. Their structure is similar to each other.
2) Although there is a set of similarities and differences in cognitive models of proverbs, proverbial prototypes, proverbial concepts, cognitive structures connected with various proverbial groups.
3) Common conceptualization of the world is defined in the proverbs. There are an identical knowledge of the same reality and reflection of the same worldview in both cultures.
4) A distinctive feature of the English proverbial picture of the world is the bigger quantity of proverbs without figurative sense in comparison with Russian material, i.e. proverbs without figurative attitude. Russian proverbial world, on the contrary, is rich with the proverbial figurative concept, being reflected in proverbs and sayings. . More realities, national abstract concepts are presented. In Russian proverbs the idea of life is presented as a heavy one. In English proverbs the life is so much easier.
We cannot mention that we made an analysis of an image of the woman in English and Russian proverbs. First of all, during the comparative analysis of 100 proverbs that allowed dividing them into several groups according to the social status, marital status, character traits, etc. The analysis of these proverbs was carried out in accordance with thematic contents and art originality.
In the process of making the comparative analysis of an image of the woman in English and Russian proverbs, the similarities and differences in systems of female images are established. Among the main reasons for distinction of English and Russian proverbs it is possible to allocate such as: absence of language relationship, feature of historical development of the countries, originalities of traditions, customs, customs, mentality and character of Englishmen and Russians.
Despite the fact that the English and Russian languages belong to different groups and everyone went the way of the historical development, many proverbs full and by have some resemblance.
The fact that from the practical point of view this research has a great importance is undeniable. The methodical pieces of advice helping to form system of values of students are being developed, seeing that proverbs are often used at lectures with the educational and instructive purpose.
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