Cultural Connotations of Color Words Between English and Chinese中英颜色词文化差异.docx

Cultural Connotations of Color Words Between English and Chinese中英颜色词文化差异.docx

《Cultural Connotations of Color Words Between English and Chinese中英颜色词文化差异.docx》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《Cultural Connotations of Color Words Between English and Chinese中英颜色词文化差异.docx（6页珍藏版）》请在冰豆网上搜索。

CulturalConnotationsofColorWordsBetweenEnglishandChinese中英颜色词文化差异

CulturalConnotationsofColorWordsBetweenEnglishandChinese

Abstract:

Thereiscloserelationbetweenlanguageandculture.Languageisnotonlyonepartofculture,butalsoamirrorofit.Vocabularyisthemostactivefactorinlanguage,andthemeaningsofcolorwordsinthevocabularyareabundant.Variousnationalitieshaveformedtheiruniquecolorviewsinthelong-termhistory,reflectinggorgeousnationalcultures.Becauseofdifferentculturalissues,culturaltraditions,psychologicalandhistoricbackgrounds,theculturalconnotationsoftheEnglishandChinesecolorwordsdiffergreatly.ThisarticlefocusesondiscussingthesimilaritiesanddifferencesonthemeaningsbetweenEnglishandChinesecolorwords.

Keywords:

colorwords;culturalconnotations;comparisons

题目：

中英颜色词文化差异

摘要：

语言和文化之间有着千丝万缕的联系。

语言既是文化的一部分，又是文化的一面镜子。

词汇在语言中最活跃,词汇中的颜色词意义丰富。

各民族在长期的历史沉淀中都形成了各自独特的颜色观，折射出绚丽多姿的民族文化。

由于文化内容、文化传统、历史和心理背景不同，很多英汉颜色词的文化内涵差异较大。

本文主要探讨中英颜色词文化内涵的相似点和不同点。

关键字：

颜色词；文化差异；对比

Contents

.Introduction……………………………………………………………………...1

.CulturalConnotationsofEnglishandChineseColorWords…………………2

A.Similarculturalconnotationsofcolorwords……………………………….2

1.Red…………………………………………………………………………2

2.Black……………………………………………………………………….2

3.Green……………………………………………………………………….2

B.DifferentculturalconnotationbetweenChineseandEnglishcolorfulwordswithexamples………………………………………………………………2

1.Redvs.“红”………………………………………………………………3

2.Purplevs.“紫”………………………………………………………….....3

3.Whitevs.“白”…………………………………………………………….4

4.Blackvs.“黑”……………………………………………………………..4

5.Bluevs.“蓝”………………………………………………………………4

6.Greenvs.“绿”……………………………………………………………..5

.TheImplicationofCulturalConnotationsBetweenEnglishandChineseColorWords……………………………………………………...............................6

.Conclusion……………………………………...………….……………..…...7

WorksCited………………………………………………………..…..…….…...8

Acknowledgements

MysinceregratitudefirstgoestoMs.,mysupervisor,forherconstructivesuggestions,valuableideas,greatpatienceandencouragement.Withoutherhelp,thecompletionofthisthesiswouldhavebeenimpossible.

IowegreatgratitudetoalltheteachersintheEnglishDepartment.Theirlecturesandinstructionshavebeenofgreathelptomystudy.

Iwouldalsoliketoexpressmythankstomyfriendsfortheirconstantconcern,generoushelp,andmeaningfulcommentsonthestudy.

Finally,ImustsayIowegratitudetomyparents.Theirloveandencouragementhavesupportedmetoovercomedifficultiesandachievethefinalsuccess.

.Introduction

Peopleliveinacolorfulworldandcolorplaysavitallyimportantroleinourlives.Asapowerfulformofcommunication,colorisirreplaceable.ThereexistagreatnumberofcolortermsinbothChineseandEnglish.Insomesense,theyexpressthesamemeaninginChineseandEnglish,however,therearealsomanydifferences.Somecolorwordsdiffergreatlyinmeaningsduetotheirdifferenthistoricbackgrounds,conventionalcustoms,waysofthinking,waysoflivingandtheirdifferenthabitsoflanguageexpressionsinthesetwocountries.Ignoranceofthesedissimilaritieswouldleadtoinconvenienceincommunication.Thus,tohaveagoodmasterofthedifferencesandsimilaritiesofthemeaningsofcolorwordsandtheirculturalconnotationsisaprerequisiteforabetterunderstandingofChineseandEnglishcultures,whichwillpromotetheculturalcommunication.

.CulturalConnotationsofEnglishandChineseColorWords

WithThereexistagreatnumberofcolortermsinbothChineseandEnglish.Insomesense,theyexpressthesamemeaninginChineseandEnglish,however,therearealsomanydifferences.

Thisthesistriestoexploretheculturalconnotationsbystartingfromthesimilarculturalconnotationsofcolorwords.

A.Similarculturalconnotationsofcolorwords

Fortheeffectofgeneralityandpermeationbetweencultures,nationsintheworldoftenendowacertaincolorwithasamesymbolizedmeaning.AnotherexampleistheflagofinternationalOlympics.Therearesixdifferentcolorsontheflag.Thebottomcoloriswhite,symbolizingthepurefriendshipandstraightforwardcompetitionbetweennations.Fivecolorfulringslinkwitheachotherinthecenter:

theblueonestandforEurope,yellowforAsia,black,Africa,green,Oceania,andredforAmerica.Linkingwitheachothersymbolizestheunityoffivecontinents.Thisflaghasbeenusedformorethan90years;itsprofoundimplicationhasbeenunderstoodandwidelyacceptedbypeopleofdifferentcountries.

1.Red

Redsymbolizeshappiness,pleasure,blessednessandblessingbothinChinaandEnglish.Sotherearelotsofsimilaritiesinusingit.Itoftenconnectswithsuccessandimportance.Thephrase”givessomebodyaredcarpetofreception”meansmakeawarmwelcometosomeimportantperson.WhenSpringFestivaliscoming,Chineseoftenputtheredcoupletsondoorsandwindows.RedalsomeansthatsomebodyishealthybothinChinaandEnglish.Forexample:

afineoldgentlemanwithafaceasredasarose.Thissentencemeansthatoldmanisveryhealthy.RedisoftenusedtoshowsomeemotionsinEnglish.Forexample,becomered-faced,turnred,andseered.Thephase“Becomeredwithanger”isthesameasthephrase“脸红”inChinese.BothinChineseandEnglishredareassociatedwithobsceneaffairsandfemale.WhatthedifferenceliesisChineselanguageismoretactful.“红杏出墙”impliesthewife’sadulterywithothermen.“Redlady”means“streetgirl”,anotherexampleis“red-lightdistrict”（红灯区）（LarryandPorter146）.

2.Black

BlackisnotagoodwordbothinChineseandinEnglish.Itisoftenusedtoexpressone’sangerorsomeevilthings.Whenblackispluswithanoun,itoftenmeansbadthingsandsomethingwithoutanyhope,asinblackmarket,ablackheart,ablacksheepandsoon.AllthesephrasescanbedirectlytranslatedintoChinese.

3.Green

BothgreenlightinEnglishand“绿灯”inChineseareassociatedwithauthoritativepermissiontogoaheadwithsomeproject.Apparently,theyarederivedformtrafficregulations.

B.DifferentonculturalconnotationsbetweenChineseandEnglishcolorfulwordswithexamples

However,eventhoughChineseandEnglishnationshaveanearlysameunderstandingtonaturalcolors,theirdistinguishedculturalbackgroundscausethemtohavedifferentfeelingabouttheassociativemeaning,implication,andallusionofcolors.Therearesomanyfactors:

custom,geographicalcondition,wayofthinking,religiousbelief,andnationalpsychology,aswellasthedifferenceoflanguageexpression（金惠康，34）.Peoplehavedifferentemotiontocolor,incommendationorderogatorysense.Allthesefactorsformdifferentcolorfulconnotationwiththeirowncharacteristic.ThefollowingaresomeexamplesofdifferentcolorfulconnotationofChineseandEnglish.

1. Redvs.“红”

RedisnotalwaysassociatedwithsomethingjoyfulinEnglish.Redcanstandforsomethingspecial.Itisseldomusedinourdailylife.Itcanstandforviolenceandsomespecialterroristgroups,asinthefollowingtwosentences:

thisisaunionorganizedbyReds;herhusbandwaskilledinaredbattle.ToChinesepeople,redisaluckycolor.InChinese,peoplesay“红眼病”todescribeonewhoisjealousforother’swealth,greatpower,andsuccess.Thatistosay,“red”canexpresspeople’spsychologyof“beingjealous”,however,inEnglishpeopleoftensay“greeneye”forthesamemeaning.“Redeye”inEnglishmeanssomesortofcheapwhiskey（李瑞华，146）.Generallyspeaking,mostwordswithred“红”inChinesearecommendations.“根正苗红”，“红军”，“一颗红心”and“赤胆忠心”arealltheexamples.ThingsinEnglishareopposite.RedinEnglishisofteninderogatorysense.Redisacolorthatwesternpeopledislike.Itmeansvulgarity,debility,andillness.

2.Purplevs.“紫”

Purpleisoftenassociatedwithhighrankorsituationingeneralorimperialorregalrankorpowerinparticular.Thepurplereferstoroyalorverynoblerank,as“thoseborntothepurple（thosewhoarefromroyalorverynoblefamilies）aredestinedtoliveinthepubliceye”.WhileinChinese,purpleisjustacolorword.

3.Whitevs.“白”

InEnglishwhiteisawordofpurity.Itsymbolizeslotsofbeautifulthings.Whiteisthecolorforbrides.Atawesternwedding,thebrideisalwaysinwhite.shelooksholy,pure,andbeautiful.Whitestandsforthecouple’spureandnoblelove.Therearemany“whitewords”forexample:

Awhiteday“吉日，好日子”.Incontrast,whiteinChinesemeansdifferentthings:

“不白之冤”（unrepressedinjustice）.Anothertypicaldifferenceis“白喜”（funeral）inChinese（胡文仲，354）.AtaChinesefuneral,therelativesofthepersonwhohadpassedawaywouldbeinwhite:

whitehat,whitecoat,evenwhitebelt,whichiscalled“披麻带孝”inChinese.Othersattendingtothefuneralwouldwearalittlewhiteflowerformemorizing.Thisistotallyoppositetothewesternculture.“小白脸”inChineseisaderogatoryaddress.Itoftendescribesamanwholooksbeautifulbutincapable.However,“whiteface”inEnglishisusedtodescribeanimalorbuilding.

4.Blackvs.“黑”

InChinese,blackimpliesreactionaryandderogatorysense:

“黑帮”（reactionarygangs）.BlackinEnglishissolemn.Blacksuit（黑色套装）andblackdress（黑色礼服）arethemostfavorableandtraditionalcostumeonaformaloccasioninwesternnations.Thejusticeatthecourtisinblack,symbolizingthedignityofthelaw.

5.Bluevs.“蓝”

BlueinEnglishhasmeaningfulculturalconnotations.Bluerepresentsholy,truthandloyalty.InEngland,weedingcustomregulatesthateverbride’sdowrymusthavesomethingasfollows:

somethingold,somethingnew,somethingborrowed,andsomethingblue.Itmainlymeansloyalty.Inpsychology,bluecangive