Cultural differences between English and Chinese color words.docx

Cultural differences between English and Chinese color words.docx

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CulturaldifferencesbetweenEnglishandChinesecolorwords

CulturaldifferencesofthecolorredbetweenEnglishandChinese

222009310012026

语言文学2班

刘冬梅

Abstract:

Inhumanlanguagethereexistanumberofcolortermsthatmaketheworldcolorful.Thecolorwordsnotonlyexpressthecolor,butalsoimplythecultureofeachcountry,differentculturescanreflectonecountry’shistory,aesthetictasteandnationalpsychology.Itisnoticedthatdifferentpeoplehavedifferentcultureshavedifferentsensetocolors.ThispaperdealswiththeculturalconnotationsofthecolorredinEnglishandChinese,which,tosomeextent,canhelpreadersreduceembarrassmentincommunicationandunderstanding.

Keywords:

CultureRedMeaningEnglishChinese

Ⅰ.Introduction

Inthelongprocessofproductionandlife,outofnecessity,mankindhascreatedcolorwords.Thehistoryofcolorwordshasgonethroughalong-termchange;nowthecolorwordsnotonlyexpressthecolor,butalsoimplythecultureofeachcountry,differentculturescanreflectonecountry’shistory,aesthetictasteandnationalpsychology.Itisthebrightandcolorfulnaturewhichprovidestheplaceforlifeandthefoundationfordeveloping.Colorisapresentfromnaturetohuman.Theredsun,bluesky,greengrassland,everythinghasitscolor.Wecannotimaginewhattheworldwouldbeifthereisnocolorofgreatvariety.

FromtheEnglishlearning,wecanfindthatdifferentcountrieshavedifferentmeaningofsomecolorwords.Colorplaysanimportantpartintheculture.Almosteverythingcanbedescribedwithcolorwords,includingeconomy,political,culture,andemotion.SometimeswecannotunderstandsomeEnglishstatements,becauseeverylanguageisrootedinitsownculture.ThepapermainlyattemptstomakeacomparisonofthecolorredbetweenEnglishandChinese.

Ⅱ.Themeaningofredinthewesterncountries

Inwesterncountries,theredisthecoloroflife,fireandblood.Thered,likethefireandblood,hasdualnatureinthesymbolic.Dazzlingandcentrifugalpaleredhasthecharactersofdiurnal,maleandtonicstimulatingactivity.Thered,likethesun,canencouragepeople.Fromthismeaning,theredrepresentsthelife,birth,love,warmth,inspiredpassionandcelebration.

∙Forexample,“red-letterdays”meansholidayssuchasChristmasandotherspecialdays.Suchdaysareprintedinredoncalendars,ratherthaninblankforordinarydays.Anotherexampleis“topaintthetownred”meanscelebratingwidely,goingouttodrinkandhaveagoodtime,eg:

“tomorrowwillbeared-letterday,heisgettingmarried”,“onthenightbeforehegotmarried,heandafewfriendspaintedthetownred”.Also,“rollouttheredcarpetforsomeone”means“togivealavishwelcome”,asin“hewasthefirstEuropeanheadofstatetovisittheircountry,andtheyrolledouttheredcarpetforhim”.TheEnglishpeoplethinkredstandsfordevotingoneselftofaithandphilanthropism,insomeliturgy,peopleinredexpressAgapelove.Inthearticle,redrepresentshappy,sanguineisasymbolofpersistentanddauntless.IntheWhitsundaythechurchshouldbedecoratinginred.

∙Bycontrast,scarlethasthecharactersofnocturnal,female,secretandultimatelycentripetalactivity,andstandsforthesecretoflife.Redisthecolorofwar,lossofblood,thedestructivepoweroffire,andhate,andthesignofwarning;evenitcanannoypeopletosomedegree.

InsomeEnglishidioms,“gointothered”meansincurringafinancialdeficit;“seered”meanssomeoneflyintoarage,gomadandisinatoweringrage;“paintinred”meansdescribingsomethingasshockingnews;“redbrick”meansuniversityofsecondchoice;“redeye”meanslow-costwhisky;“redflag”meansdangeroussignal;“redneck”meansclodhopper.

Redcanalsorepresentviolenceandcruelty,forexample,“redbattle”meansbloodybattle;“redactivities”meansviolentactivities;“redrulesoftooth”meanslawofjungle；“red-coveredpapers”meansnationalsecretdocument;peoplewillstickonaredlabelonthehazardmaterials;“redalert” meansairalert.

Theredalsorepresentsdebauchery,AmericanandBritishpeoplecallthe sexserviceareathered-lightdistrict,forexample,ifaAmericanoraEnglishsay“Isshereallysored?

”,hemeans“Isshereallysoprofligacy?

”.“Aredwasteofyouth”meansredboysandgreengirls’debauchery.Accordingtothebible,thescarletwomanisthesymbolofevil,ifawomancommitsthecrimeofadultery,thenaredcapitalletter“A”willbepinnedonherdressasapunishmentgiventoher.Thisliteraryquotationcomesfrombible:

comenow,andletusreasontogether,saiththelord;thoughyoursinsbescarlet,theyshouldbewhiteassnow;thoughtheyberedlikecrimson,theyshouldbewhiteaswool.Soboththescarletandredhavethemeaningofsalacity.

Ⅲ.ThemeaningofredinChinese

Redisanancientcolortohuman.Inancienttime,peoplegetwarmandlightfromthesun,firewasusedtocook.Theimpressionfromthesunandfirewerered,sotheythoughtredisawarmcolorthatcanbringusintohappinessandexcitement.Thisviewishandeddownfromtheancienttimeandbecomesatradition.InbothChineseandEnglishculture,redisusuallyassociatedwithhappyoccasions.InChinese,redarethesymbolsofcelebration,luck,victory,loyalandwelcome.Inchina,wewillhangredflags,redlanternsandstickredsloganstocongratulate.“开门红”meansachievingsuccessatthefirststep;“走红运”meanshavinggoodluck;“事业红火”meansaprosperousbusiness;someredfacedpeopleintheplayrepresentloyalheroes.Theredwords,redcandle,redendshieldandthebride’sredcoatintheweddingcanbringnotonlyhappybutalsothegoodluckthatwhichwillmakethebrideandbridegroomlivearichlife.

InChinese,theredalsorepresenttherevolution,“红色革命”meansresistingdespoticrule.TheredcanalsorepresentthedangeroussignalinChinese,thefiretruckandthealarmlightinchinaarealsored.

InChinese,redisalsothedescriptionoftheEroticevent.Forexample,“红杏出墙”meanswifeisdisloyaltoherhusband;“依红偎翠”meansmanenjoysabeautifulspringscene.

Ⅳ.Translation

TheredinChineseisnotalwayscorrespondingwiththeredinEnglish,forexample,theChinese“红糖”iscalled“brownsugar”inEnglish;inChina,lotsofpeoplelikedrinking“红茶”,butinEnglish,theycallit“blacktea”;“红榜”shouldbetranslatedinto“honorroll”;“红豆”shouldbetranslatedinto“lovepea”;“红运”shouldbetranslatedinto“goodluck”;“红利”shouldbetranslatedinto“dividend”;“redruin”inEnglishmeans“火灾”;“aredbattle”means“血战”;“redsky”means“彩霞”.ThereisasayinginEnglish:

Redskyatnight,shepherd’sdelight,redskyinthemorning,shepherd’swarning（朝霞不出门，晚霞行千里）.

InChina,“红娘”meanssomeonewhohelptwopeoplefallinlovewitheachother,but“redlady”inEnglishmeanslewdwoman,and“pinklady”meansakindofcocktail,and“红娘”shouldbetranslatedinto“match-maker”or“go-between”.Chinesemaynotclearlyunderstandthephrasescomefromthecultureofbullfight,like“seered”and“likearedragtoabull”.Besides,“rednose”inEnglishisdifferentfrom“红鼻子”inChinese,inChina, “红鼻子”meansbrandynose,butinEnglish,“rednose”isasouveniroflovingheart.

RedinbothChineseandEnglishcanmeanpeople’shealth.InChinese,“红光满面”is“ruddy/rubicundcheek”;“red-blooded”meanspeoplewhohaveastrongbodyandhealthycondition,itissimilartotheChinesesaying“人凭血强，日凭月亮”.InChinese,“红”and“朱”meanpowerandnoble,forexample,“满朝朱紫贵”、“红顶商人”、“红头文件”；inEnglish,scarletalsomeanspowerandnoble,itisderivedfromthecultureofcardinal’sredrobe.Anotherexample,Hawkesthinksthetranslationofthetitleof“红楼梦”whichistranslatedinto“ADreamofRedMansions”hassomewhatmisleadingbecausetheimagesintheoriginaltitlehasgone.InChinese,theword“红楼”specificallyreferstothedwellingsofrichmen’sdaughters.Itisasignofopulenceandgrandeur.Buttothewesternreaders,adreamoftheredmansionsmeansanimagesthatasleeperinacrimson-coloredroom,whichisfullofcharmandmystery.

“Redbelt”meanstheEasternEuropeanbloccontrolledbySovietUnion;“redregime”meanscommunismregime;“redparty”communismmeanspoliticalparty,butthisthreepoliticalterminologieshavederogatorysensesinthewesternmedia.InEnglish,“redflag”representsdanger,butinChinese,“红旗”meansadvancedunitoradvancedindividual.“Aredheartwithtopreparations”doesn’tmean“一颗心两种准备”，inwestern,whenpeopleseethisphrase,hearttransplantwillcometotheirmind,and“twopreparations”meansthattheoperationhavethepossibilityofbothsuccessandfail.

Ⅴ .Conclusion

Asthecarrierofcultures,languageabsorbsdifferentculturesofdifferentnations.Colorwords,asimportantpartsoflanguage,expressspecialcharacteristicsandcustoms.Theinfluenceofthesocialculturetothecolorwordsisdeep-rooted.Eachcolorhasitswayofexpressionindifferentnations.Therefore,colorwordshavesymbolicsignificanceswhichareimportantforustocomprehendandgraspinEnglishandChineseculture.Basedontheabovediscussion,“red”inEnglishhasmorederogatorymeanings,whileinChineseithasmorepositivemeanings.

Ⅵ.Bibliography

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罗选民：

《从互文性〈红楼梦〉书名的两种英译》，谢大振（主编）《翻译的理论建设和文化透视》，上海：

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