颜色词在英汉文化中不同涵义研究报告

1、-颜色词在英汉文化中不同涵义的研究A Study of Connotation of Color Words In English And Chinese Cultures【Abstract】 All cultures have generalities and specialities, so do the language of various nationalities. Here, it will concretely discuss the differences of color words between English and Chinese by the parisons o

2、f the two languages. Although there are many same parts about the applications of color words between them, there are also differences because of the different modes of thinking, living condition, cultural psychology and aesthetic standards between the two cultures. We can have more perfect mand of

3、the two languages and make better cultural munication on the base of understanding their differences. 【Key Words】 English and Chinese color words; cultural connotation and difference; parison of si* color words in Chinese and English颜色词在英汉文化中不同涵义的研究 【摘 要】 所有的文化都具有共性与特性这两个方面，不同国家的语言也无例外，也是如此。在这篇文章中，通

4、过比照英语与汉语这两种语言，主要讨论了这两种语言中关于颜色词的不同的文化特征。对颜色词的应用，英语与汉语有着很大局部的相似之处，但是由于在两种不同的文化中，人们有着不同的思维方式，不同民族具有不同的生活环境，文化心理，审美情趣，因此人们对于颜色词的使用也有着很大的不同。只有了解了这一点，人们才能够更好地掌握这两种语言，从而才能够在文化交流中得心应手，畅通无阻。 【关键词】 英汉语言颜色词；文化涵和差异；六种颜色词的汉英比照1.Introduction “People live in a colorful world, and words denoting colors form part of

5、 the nuclear vocabulary in almost every language.1(p36) But different languages may have different number of color terms. There are si* kinds of color on the flag of the International Olympic Games.2(P66) The bottom is white and it implies the pure friendship and fair petition. In the center, five c

6、olored rings were linked together mutually, namely, blue, yellow, black, green, and red. And they are arranged in a row. The blue stands for the Europe, the yellow the Asia, the black the Africa, the green the Oceania, and the red the America. Accumulated for a long time, color words have rich cultu

7、ral e*tended meanings besides the literal meanings. In different languages, color words have different meanings. Since English and Chinese belong to different families of languages, as to the same color words, they have some similarities and differences. Affected by specific features of language and

8、 culture, people have different reflections to colors and consequently the words of colors in both languages carry the different meanings. “Some primary words about colors differ greatly in meanings due to psychological reason, historic background, the conventional customs and to various customs and

9、 habits of language e*pressions.3(p25)As to the same color words, there are different understanding and usages between Chinese and English. Therefore, it is practically useful to know and study the differences, thus promoting the cultural munication and do well in translation practice. 2.Implication

10、 of Color Terms In the colorful world, different languages may have different number of color terms.In Chinese 赤，橙，黄，绿，青，蓝，紫，the seven colors in the rain bow, are thought to be the basic colors. However, in English it is usually considered there are eleven basic colors, namely white, black, grey, br

11、own, red, green, yellow, blue, purple, orange, and pink. The Chinese 绿，青，蓝are three colors, but their corresponding words in English are only two: “green and “blue. So 青can only be translated as green or blue: 青菜is “green vegetables, 青椒 is “green pepper, 青山 is “green mountain, but 青天(also or 苍天) is

12、“blue sky,青砖 is “blue brick. 青can also refer to black, for e*ample, 青布black cloth, 青衫black gown, 青丝black hair. As for 青出于蓝而胜于蓝，it can be translated as “blue es from the indigo plant but is bluer than the plant itself.3.The parison of si* kinds of color words between Chinese and English In fact, as p

13、ointed in the book of Essentials of parison between Chinese and English “each color word almost has two meanings, the basic and direct meaning, and its cultural e*tended meaning.4(p286-288) The first meaning is its literal and direct meaning. However, the color words will be more meaningful and more

14、 profound than the literal definition if they were put together with certain words. From this viewpoint, people try to understand and use them. In the following, this paper will pare the usage of color words between Chinese and English along with the main clue of black and white, red and blue, green

15、 and yellow.3.1 The color of “black In both Chinese and English, “black has the meaning of “wickedness. From this viewpoint, their usages are quite similar. Such as:Not so black as one is painted *人不象传说的那样坏say black is white 颠倒是非，混淆黑白黑心肝 black-hearted Both Chinese “黑 and English “black can mean “bre

16、ak the economic rules. For this point, their usages are e*actly the same. For e*ample: In English, there are: black-market = 黑市black money= 黑钱，匿报的非法收益black-market goods= 黑市商品black-list = 黑 “Blacklist mentions that if someone is on a black-list, they are seen by a government or other organization as

17、being one of a number of people who cannot be trusted or who have done something wrong. This shows some similar meaning between Chinese and English. “Blacklist equals to Chinese “黑. However, all cultures have generalities and specialities, so do the languages of various nationalities. Considering sp

18、ecific feature of language and culture, and different way of thinking, as to the same color words, people have different reflections between Chinese and English.In English, “black means “death and “condolence. On the funeral of English countries, people wear black clothes according to the custom. Fo

19、r e*ample, “wear black for ones father While in Chinese countries, peoples mourning apparel is always white. As in Chinese custom, “white is often connected with funeral arrangements. See 3.2“Black flag is the token of e*ecuting death sentence. For e*ample, there is a sentence from T .Hardy: Tess of

20、 the D Urbervilles, ch.59: “Upon the cornice of the tower a tall staff was fi*ed. Their eyes were riveted on it. A few minutes after the hour had struck something moved slowly up the staff, and e*tended itself upon the breeze. It was a black flag.5(p66) “black can also mean “ gloomy, dismal and be l

21、ow- spirited For e*ample: The black memory of his mothers death rushed over him again. While in Chinese, we say “母亲的死这件十分悲哀的往事又涌上他的心头. “black in English also mean “angry. For e*ample: “to be black in the face “black passions boiled up inside him. Chinese “黑色 contains the meaning of “sinister and “ru

22、thless. Such as: “心太黑 means someone is very malicious Chinese “黑色 is also related with evildoer and evil deed. Such as: “黑帮 “黑道 “黑社会 means sinister gangs “黑幕 means inside story of a plot“黑货 means smuggled goods 3.2 The color of “white In English literature, “white has the meaning of “purify. For e*a

23、mple: a white spirit white innocence With the development of language and culture, Chinese culture has absorbed some English customs gradually. For e*ample, in the modern time, Chinese “白also has the meaning of “purify “白衣天使, it is usually used to describe the hospital nurse. In English, “white has

24、its specific feature. According to western custom, “white is used on “sacred wedding. For e*ample:“What does a woman do when she has put on the white veil and set out the white cake for a man and he doesnt e?6(p88)While in Chinese, people like using “red(红) on wedding. As “red indicates “happiness,

25、“joy, and “good luck. On Chinese wedding, there are: “红衣红裙, “红花, “红烛, “红布 “White also means “auspicious, such as: a white day For e*ample: Today is one of white days of Toms life. While in Chinese culture, “white is often connected with “funeral arrangement, on funeral, Chinese people often wear whi

26、te clothes. For e*ample, there are “穿白衣, “戴白帽, “贴白纸, “白事, “白幅 “ 绍棠 ?豆棚瓜架雨如丝?：夫死了几年，又披麻戴孝地丧了公婆，接连办白事 7(p32) The color of collar shows ones asocial state, occupation or king of person. There are white-collar, pink-collar, blue-collar and so on. White collar means person who engages in mental work. Chi

27、nese “白also can delicate “reactionary or “burgeois. Such as: “白匪, “白军, “白区, “白色恐惧, “白色政权 There are also some other Chinese phrases about 白, such as:“白手起家 means start from scratch“白费心机 means bother ones shead for nothing.“白色收入 means “ine which is legal3.3 The color of “redAffected by English culture,

28、 there are some similar meanings as to the color of “red. Red is used to e*press “danger, “signal of stop, “deficit or “anger. It was said by Bruce Fraser in Perception of Color “Red has been viewed as the vigorous color of health. The color red has also been a representation of love within a relati

29、onship between two people. A red rose, given to the bearers lover or more has always been known as a symbol of love. As well as the ever-popular red heart on Valentines day.8(p70-73) This passage indicates that red contains some similar cultural meanings between Chinese and English. In Chinese, ther

30、e are “红豆, it equals to English “love pea, it is used to describe the love. Besides these similarities, in English culture, “red has its own specific meaning, especially, its derogatory meaning. For e*ample, “red is thought to be with the meaning of “violent or “bloodshed. Such as:a red battle red v

31、engeance In China, people like the color of “red and tend to use it on many occasions. “Red is always related with the meaning of “joy, “happiness, and “good luck. In Chinese, “红喜 has the same meaning with English “wedding. Red is the symbol of being weled. On a serious wele occasion, Chinese use “红

32、灯高挂, “灯结彩, “披红戴绿 to describe it. There are some similar phrases when talked about the meaning of “good things, such as: “红喜联, “红喜字, “红烛, “红包, “红花, “红盖头, “红绸带, “红蛋. In addition, “red can also mean “prosper and “success in business. Such as: “红利, “红榜, “分红, “生意红火, “红运, “开门红 People can find the differen

33、t culture in the use of red in some sentences. For e*ample:(1) Government policy in interest rates, and on finance generally, has been marked by vacillation, wishful thinking, electoral e*pediency of the most shameful type towards the end of last year, contortions and contradictions, all to acmodate

34、 the redneck economics of the National Country Party.9(p34) In this sentence, “redneck is used as an adjective, means “reactionary or “reactionary attitudes(2) Ironically, it was Red Nose Day, the day when millions of Australians donned red noses to support research into sudden infant death syndrome

35、.10(p36) For this sentence, “Red Nose Day means a day on which infant death syndrome, marked by the distribution of plastic red noses to donors. In western politics, red delegates “the left wing, “e*treme. This is its derogatory meaning. If you refer to someone as a red of a Red, you disapprove of t

36、he fact that they are a munist, a socialist or have left-wing ideas in general. Such as: red activities While in Chinese, “red can mean “make progress in politics. Such as: “又红又专 means to be both professional and revolutionary“一颗红心 means to be loyal to the PartyChinese “红人doesnt equal to English “a

37、red man, instead, it should be e*pressed as “a popular man, a favorite. In English culture, “A red man e*presses someone whose skin color is red.3.4 The color of “blue In English, “blue owns the meaning of “depressed and “pessimistic. For e*ample: (1) As the afternoon wore on, the three of us sat ar

38、ound the table feeling terribly blue. (2) His prospects of getting a job look rather blue. “blue can be e*tended as “important, “first-class and “noble. Such as: Blue- blood Blue- book Blue- ribbon “Blue, in English, has the meaning of “se*, for e*ample:a blue film/ movie blue joke In Chinese, we us

39、e “黄(yellow) to e*press it. Such as “黄色影片, “黄色小说, “黄色画片. In English, there is “blue collar, which is of or relating to manual workers. By parison with “white collar, it is a lower class. While in Chinese, this is another thing, Chinese “blue has its own specific cultural connotation. Such as: “蓝衫. I

40、t is a kind of gown the scholar wore in the past. In the following, there are other phrases connected with “蓝蓝图 it means blueprint蓝领工人 it means blue-collar worker蓝本 it means writing upon which later work is based蓝青官话 it means old blue and green Mandarin-Mandarin spoken with a provincial accent Basin

41、g on the cultural connotation of Chinese “蓝桥, the English film “Waterloo Bridge is translated into according to its plot.11(p361)3.5 The color of “green “Green can be as the token of “safe, “hope, “peace “health, and “environment protection.This is the same meaning between Chinese and English. For e

42、*ample: In English:green house green grocergreen thumbgreen beltgreen stuffgreen wood. While in Chinese:绿色食品 绿色电视绿色建材 绿色家具绿色照明 绿色交通工具People like the color of “green. “green is often connected with zoology. Such as:In English:green belt means shelter-forestgreen fingers means the skill of gardening A

43、 green winter it refers to a winter without snow but the trees and grass remain green.Green revolution it refers to an agricultural revolution.Parks are called “green lungs of the city. In Chinese: 绿树 绿荫 “Green power, “green can be said somewhat of connotative meaning, which is developed from “green

44、back. As long as the further development of green, it has another usage. For e*ample: With a Ph. D., he thought he could get a greener paycheck.12(p88)他觉得有了博士学位，可以得到更优厚的薪水。Here “green means “rich, with much money Now here is another sentence:“Do you see green in my eye? What does “green stand for? O

45、ne of the connotative meanings of “green is “lack of e*perience, such as “green hand, green horn. The above sentence can be understood as “Do you think I have no e*perience so you can deceive me and be translated into: “你看我是好欺骗的吗?Perhaps some people may wrongly interpret the sentence into: “你看我有嫉妒的神

46、色吗? Another connotative meaning of “green is “jealousy, which is called “green-eyed monster (often called 红眼病in Chinese ; literal 红眼病- acute conjunctivitisis referred to as “pink eye in English. “Red-eye refers to the undesirable effect in flash photography of people appearing to have red eyes cause

47、d by a reflection from the retina. It is also the name of a drink in Canada made from tomato juice and beer, or a cheap whisky in the United States. And a “red-eye flight is a flight on which a passenger cannot e*pect to get much sleep on account of the time of departure or arrival. “Green also mean

48、s “full of vigor or vitality(1) Her grand children wished her a green old age.他的儿们祝福她*长寿。 2Though in the green, he may not be equal to the task. 尽管年富力强，不见得能胜任这项任务。 Now, here is a sentence from Hermingways The Old Man And The Sea. It just reflects the use of “green. “How old was I when you first took

49、 me in a boat? “Five, and you were nearly killed when I brought the fish in too green and nearly tore the boat to pieces.13(p110) “你头一次带我上船时有多大. “五岁。当我把那条活蹦乱跳的大鱼弄上船的时候，你差点儿送了命，那家伙差点儿把小船撞得七零八碎。 In Chinese, in some conditions “green can delicate “spring. Look at these poems: 宋 王安石：“春风又绿江南岸，明月何时照我还. 宋

50、晏儿道：“ 绿阴春尽，飞萦绕香阁。 宋 晏儿道：“街南绿树春饶絮，雪满游春路。14(p369) Chinese “绿色 also means “life or “vigorous vitality. Such as: “沙漠绿洲. It means a life-force place with water and grass in the sand. In the ancient times, Chinese “绿 or “青 has the meaning of “petty and low or “with humble origin. For e*ample: 唐.白居易 ：“座中泣下

51、谁最多，江州司马青衫湿。15(p369)Look at this sentence，which shows the difference meaning between Chinese and English: “If digital cash was this easy to use. People would stop using the green stuff. What does the “green stuff mean? The first part of the sentence indicates it must be some other form of cash as ag

52、ainst the digital cash. And it is known that American bank notes are called “greenbacks. But in Chinese, we translate it into : “一旦数字货币使用起来真的可以这么方便，人们就不再需要使用货币/现金了.16(p86)“Greenback or “green stuff is not of connotative meaning. Here is their e*tended meaning as American banknotes are printed in gre

53、en.3.6 The color of “yellow In English culture, “yellow always contains the derogatory meaning. For e*ample, “yellow means “be perfidious or “have illicit relations with the enemy. Such as:“the little yellow stain of treason In Chinese, “yellow delegates “imperial family and “land. Such as“黄袍加身,it m

54、eans the emperor begins to control the country.“黄旗紫盖, it means the Son of Heaven was born. Sometimes, “yellow delegates “timid, such as “yellow streak we can translate it into “性格中的怯懦 in Chinese.“e down from there, you yellow coward, before I run you through, says she and takes a whack and Ive got a

55、 half-inch cut to prove it.17(p387)“Yellow means “activities with destructiveness. Such as: Yellow dog yellow flu yellow union In English culture, when people want to e*press the meaning of “se* and obscene, “degenerate and decadent, they use “blue. For e*ample:Blue-talk blue-software make a blue joke blue revolution While in Chinese culture, people use “yellow to e*press the same meaning. Such as “黄色歌曲, “扫黄打非and so on. When you want to e*press “be young, or “immature, you s