The Emotional Meaning Reflected by Colour Words in English Language英语语言中颜色词折射的情感意义.docx

The Emotional Meaning Reflected by Colour Words in English Language英语语言中颜色词折射的情感意义.docx

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TheEmotionalMeaningReflectedbyColourWordsinEnglishLanguage英语语言中颜色词折射的情感意义

Chapter1Introduction

1.1Rationale

Inlinguisticsthestudyofmeaninginlanguageisdefinedassemantics.Inthisfield,aquiteimportanttheoryisLeech’sseventypesofmeaning,fiveofwhichareincludedintheassociativemeaning.Thesefivemeaningsareconnotativemeaning,socialmeaning,affectivemeaning,reflectedmeaning,andcollectivemeaning.Amongthefivemeaningstheaffectivemeaningalsotheemotionalmeaningthreadsalineamongthese.Asoneaspectofthestudyofmeaning,enoughknowledgeontheemotionalmeaningisnecessary，helpingushaveaknowledgeoftheothermeaningsfortheconnectionsbetweenthem.

Affectivemeaning,assimplycalledtheemotionalmeaning,iswhatiscommunicatedofthefeelingsandattitudesofthespeaker/writertowardsthelistener/reader’and/orwhatheorsheistalkingabout.Wemayaddresssomebodyasanidiottoconveyourdespiseordescribesomethingasmarveloustoexpressourpositiveevaluation.Notjustawholesentenceoralongpassagecanrevealaperson’sattitudeorhisorherinnerfeelings,butasimplewordcanalsodo.Intherealword,coloristhemostdirectthingthatwecaneasilyreceive.Whatitdisplaysisnotonlyitsoriginalmeaning.

AccordingtoLeech’stheory,thethesisbeginswithasimpleintroductionofcolorword’stwokindsofmeanings–conceptualmeaningandconnotativemeaning,toemphasizethelater,especiallytheemotionalmeaning.Itssourcesintherealworldanditspracticalfunctionswillbegenerallyillustratedinthefollowing.

1.2LiteratureReview

Becauseofglobalization,itisofnecessityforustogetmoreknowledgeabouttheworldoutsidetomakecross-culturalcommunicationsproceedsuccessfully.Andfamiliaritywiththeirculturesthroughthecolorwordsisoneofthegoodchoices.Theemotionalmeaningsreflectedbythewordsareworthstudyinginparticular.

AsBoRuilisaid,thecolorwordsinbothChineseandEnglishlanguageshaveanintimateconnectionwitheachculturaltradition,oftenhavinganeffectonpeople’sthinkinghabitsrespectivelyandconfiningtheirdailybehaviorsinsomespecialcontexts.Thecolorwordsareamirror,truthfullyreflectinghumanloveanddetestaffirmationandnegation.Itisendowedwithspecialvalueandaestheticsestablishedbyusagetointernalizesocialculturalmeanings,infavorofavoidingmistakesinconversation.

ChaiHuifangstates（2006.9）inherpaperTheRealisticSourcesofBasicColorLexicon’sMetaphoricalMeanings,thatdifferentculturalandhistoricalbackgrounds,anddifferentviewsofbeautyarecontributedtothedistinctionsofthecolors’symbolicmeaningsofdifferentcultures.

HuAifangandYangZewenthoughtinthecourseofmutualtranslationbetweentheEnglishandChineselanguage,thecomparisonbetweenthetwolanguagesisinevitable.However,comparisonbetweenthetwolanguagescannotleavethecomparisonbetweenthetwocultures.Andintheprocessofusing,thewordcontainsmanyculturalconnotativemeanings.

HuPing（2008.6）putitinhispaperAMetaphoricalandCognitiveStudyofEnglishandChineseColorWordsthatthedifferencesbetweenEnglishandChineseoncolorwordsaredifferentnaturalenvironmentsandhistoricalbackgrounds,differentregionalbeliefs,psychologicaldifferencescausedbythedevelopmentofcivilizations.

LiQianstatesthatthecolorwordownsabundantmeaningstogiverisetodifferentemotionsindifferentculturalatmospheres,whenusingtheword;weshouldpayattentiontotheirhabitualexpressivemethods.Andinmanyoccasions,itisnotsomecolorwordbuttheconnectionswiththewordbeyondnationalculturethatfunctions.

LinYajunillustratesthewordisalanguagesignofsomethingorsomephenomenanamedintheprocessofhumancognitionoftheobjectiveworld.Owingtodifferentculturalfactors,theculturalmeaningsofwordaregreatlydistinguished.Asasortoflanguagelexicon,thecolorwordespeciallyshowstheculturaldifferences.

LiuYuandPengXiaoyanholdsthateverycolorisreliedontheleveloflight’sreflectionandthetypeittakesin,basedonwhichpeople’sfeelingsandimaginationofthecolorswillgiverisetoemotionalchangestodeliverculturalmeaningsbythecolorswithemotionalvalue.Obviously,people’sdifferentcognitionsonthecolorhavesomethingincommon.

LiYingying（2006）pointsoutinherpaperthatprimitivebeliefs,productiveactivities,socialevents,customs,politicalsystemsand,storiesandlegendsaretherealisticsourcesofthebasiccolorlexicon’smetaphoricalmeanings.Peoplemakeacquaintanceofthecolors,thengivethemnames,butwhetherthesenamescanbeacceptedbythepublicdecideshowlongtheycanbeused.

SunRenjiestatesthatasakindofsignsystemthecolorwordsinbothEnglishandChinesehavedifferentusesandculturalvaluesandmeanings.

TangLanpointsoutthatthecolorplaysaveryimportantroleinculturalpsychologyandracialcustoms,anddifferentcolorswillbringoutspecialemotions.

TianFuliholdsthatinlanguagesthecolorwordsdonotmerelymeanthecolor.Itentailsdifferentsocialandculturalmeanings.

WangRonghuiandXingShengleputitthatdifferentcolorswillstimulateourbrainsdifferentlyandhaveanimpactonpeople’spsychologicalfeelingstogiverisetodifferentemotions.

WangYalinstatesthatinfluencedbygeographicalenvironments,customs,waysofthinking,regionalbeliefs,andthecolorwordownssomeuniquesymbolicmeaningsbesidesitsoriginalmeaning.

XiaJuefensaystherearenumbersofcolorwordsinEnglishlanguage.Thesewordsarecloselyconnectedwithsociety,culture,sotheyareinpossessionofplentifulculturalconnotativemeanings.IthascolossalpracticalhelptomasterthesemeaningsinEnglishvocabularyteachingandtranslation.

YuLanstatesthatthecolortakesasignificantpartinlife,apartofhumanworldandknowingit.Withthedevelopmentandchangesofthesocietythecolorwordhasmoremeaningsdifferentfromitsoriginal.

1.3OrganizationoftheThesis

Thethesiscanbedividedintofiveparts.Thefirstpartisintroduction,includingrationale,literaturereviewandstructureofthethesis.Thesecondpartisaboutthecolorword’sconceptualmeaningandtheconnotativemeaningwhichisexpandedfromtheconceptualmeaning.Inthethirdpart,itmainlydiscussesthepracticalfunctionsofthecolorword,inhopeofpeoplepayingattentiontotheirdailyclothing.Thefourthpartisabouttherelationbetweenthecolorwordandtheculture.Thefifth,alsothelastpart,isaconclusionofthewholethesis.

Chapter2GeneralKnowledgeaboutColors

2.1TwoKindsofMeaningoftheColorword

Theword’smeaningisomnifarious,generallyincludingtheconceptualmeaningandtheconnotativemeaning.Theconceptualmeaning,alsocalleddenotativemeaningorcognitivemeaning,isthebasicmeaningexpressedinlanguageconversation（bothoralandwrittenforms）.Thiskindofmeaninghasnodirectrelationwiththethingsorphenomena’s.Tobesimple,itisthedefinitiongiveninthedictionaries.Astotheconnotativemeaning,itisthemeaningbasedontheconceptualmeaning,predictingsomehumanemotionsofsubjectiveevaluationandmentalattitudes.

2.1.1TheColorWord’sBasicMeaning

Thecoloristhemostdirectmessagethatoursenseorgansreceiveindailylife.Andourfeelingstowardsitarereflectedineveryrespectoflife.Intermsofthedefinitionoftheconceptualmeaning,thecolorcanbedefinedasavisualimpressionproducedbylightwavesthatanobjecteradicates,flashes,andtransmits.Andsuchimpressionappliedinlanguagegivesbirthtothecolorword.Inthefollowing,thebasicmeaningofthecolorwordwillbeillustratedthroughsomeexamples.

1.Red.Redisthecoloroffire,inspiringpeoplepsychologically.Itisoftenrelevanttothesunandfire.InEnglishlanguage,redembodiesblood,revolution,violence,dangeranddeath.Forexample,

redbattle（血战）/redhands（沾满鲜血的双手）/seered（火冒三丈）/redrevenge（血腥复仇）/aredadventurestory（一个令人紧张的冒险故事）

Andredhasrestrictionstopeople’sdailyconduct;itisusedasthestoppingsignaloftraffic,thealarminglightoffireengine,policewagonandambulance,andtheredcardofphysicaltraining.Besides,thewordredhasthemeaningofslitterinwesternliterature,whichisfromNathanielHawthorne’sScarletLetter.Here,thiskindofmeaningisinfluencedbyliterature.

Althoughinmostcasesredisusedinderogatorysense,itsometimesexpressesacommendatorymeaning.Inthissense,redmeansenergyandbeingfull-blooded.Forexample,

aredbloodedman（一个精力充沛的人）/torollouttheredcarpettosomebody（隆重欢迎某人）/tocomeoutofthered（赚钱，赢利）/aredletterday（大喜的日子）/RedBook（社会名人录）

2.White.TheEuropeansandAmericansareespeciallyfondofwhite.Itisthecolorofsnow,milkandlilies.Intheirmind,whiteiselegantandpure,symbolizinghappiness,honest.AndinEuropeanweddings,thebridesmostlylikewearingwhitedressings,showingpurenessandblessedness,showingtheirwishtopursueahappylife.InEnglishlanguage,therearelotsofexpressionsofwhite,forexample,

awhitesoul（纯洁的心灵）/tofightawhitewar（打一场经济战争）/awhiteman（正直的人）/whitehands（纯洁）/awhiteday（某人的吉日）/awhitelie（无伤大雅的谎言）/tobewhiteofsomebody（某人非诚实）/whitecollar（白领）/whiteContinent（南极洲）/whitesepulcher（伪君子）/oneofthewhiteofsomebody’s（某人的吉日）/whitemarket（合法市场）/tobleedwhite（流尽鲜血）/makeone’snamewhiteagain（雪耻）/standinawhitesheet（公开忏悔）/whitecoffee（加牛奶的咖啡）/whiteroom（无尘室）/daysmarkedwithawhitestone（幸福的日子）/whiteelephant（实用价值不高的昂贵之物）/showwhitefeather（胆怯、懦夫）/totreatsomebodywhite（对……公正）/onthetopofthewhite