difference between chinese and english color words中英颜色词文化内涵差异研究大学论文Word文档下载推荐.docx

1、An Exploration into Connotative Difference between Chinese and English Color Words A ThesisSubmitted to the School of Foreign Languages ofZhaoqing Universityin Partial Fulfillment of the Requirementsfor the Degree of Bachelor of EnglishBy: Deng XianwenSupervisor：Li TongApril 2015学术诚信声明本人所呈交的毕业论文，是在指

2、导教师的指导下独立完成。研究工作所取得的成果、数据、图片资料均真实可靠。除文中已注明引用的内容外，不包含任何其他人或集体已经发表或撰写过的作品或成果。对本论文的研究做出重要贡献的个人和集体，均已在文中以明确的方式标明。本毕业论文的知识产权归属于培养单位。本人完全意识到本声明的法律结果由本人承担。本人签名： 日期：AbstractLanguage is the essential component and representation of national culture, which was created and developed via hosting its own culture

3、 features in the process of historical development. Color words are the indispensable part of national culture as well. Territory, custom, politics, religion and value difference results in connotative meanings of color words difference between Chinese and English culture. The paper is focus on anal

4、yzing the explanation and cultural connotation of color words “Red”, “Green” and “Blue” as follow. Firstly, it introduces the Sapir Wolfe hypothesis as well as the Berlin and Kay basic color theory. Then the similarities and difference description and cultural connotation of Chinese and English basi

5、c color words “Red”, “Green” and “Blue” are presented. The third is the causes of cultural similarities and difference of the three color words. Including the difference between natural environment, tradition and customs, philosophic and religious views. Last but not least, the enlightenment from th

6、e contrast that the interaction of color words connotation and cultural influence is what causes the similarities and difference among them.Key words: basic color words “Red”, “Green” and “Blue”; cultural connotation similarities and difference; causes; interaction 内容摘要各民族在其历史发展过程中创造和发展起来的具有本民族的特点文化

7、，称为民族文化，而语言既是民族文化的重要组成部分，也是民族文化的表现形式。颜色词是民族文化中不可或缺的一部分，因为地域、风俗、政治、宗教以及价值观等方面的不同，中英文化中对应的颜色词也代表不同意义，以至于基本颜色词常会引起误解。本文对比总结“红、绿、蓝”在英汉中的阐释及与文化内涵，作出了以下的分析：首先，叙述了萨皮尔沃夫假说以及柏林与凯伊基本色彩理论作为论述依据；其次，对比分析中英共有的基本颜色词“红、绿、蓝”描述及其文化内涵共性与差异；然后，从中英文化共性与差异上分析“红、绿、蓝”文化差异形成的原因，包括自然环境差异、传统与习俗差异、哲学观差异和宗教差异；最后，做出总结分析，由此得出颜色词内

8、涵与文化相互影响相互渗透是其产生异同的深层原因的启示。关键词：基本颜色词“红、绿、蓝”；文化内涵共性与差异；原因；相互影响渗透OutlineThesis Statement: This thesis analyses the cultural similarities and difference between Chinese and English basic color words “Red”, “Green” and “Blue” on the basis of Sapir Wolfe hypothesis as well as the Berlin and Kay basic col

9、or theory, and points out the necessity and significance of it. Also, the paper analyzes the causes of similarities and difference between those color words which causes interaction between different culture .1. Introduction2. Theoretical Basis 2.1 Sapir Wolfe Hypothesis2.2 Berlin and Kays Theory of

10、 Basic Color Words3. Cultural Connotations Study on Color Words between Chinese and English3.1 Common Color Words “Red”, “Green” and “Blue” in Chinese and English3.2 Cultural Connotations Similarities and Difference between Color Words “Red”, “Green” and “Blue” of Chinese and English3.2.1 Color Word

11、 Red/“红”3.2.2 Color Word Green/“绿”3.2.3 Color Word Blue/“蓝”4. Contrast of Cultural Connotation Causes between Chinese and English Color Words4.1 Causes of Chinese and English Cultural Connotation Similarities4.1.1 Cultural Perception4.1.2 Cultural Experience4.2 Causes of Chinese and English Cultural

12、 Connotation Difference4.2.1 Nature Environment Difference 4.2.2 Tradition and Customs Difference4.2.3 Philosophic Difference4.2.4 Religious Views Difference5. ConclusionTable of Contents 1. Introduction 12. Theoretical Basis 22.1 Sapir Wolfe Hypothesis 32.2 Berlin and Kays Theory of Basic Color Wor

13、ds 43. Cultural Connotations Study on Color Words between Chinese and English 43.1 Common Color Words “Red”, “Green” and “Blue” in Chinese and English 53.2 Cultural Connotations Similarities and Difference between Color Words “Red”, “Green” and “Blue” of Chinese and English 53.2.1 Color Word Red/“红”

14、 53.2.2 Color Word Green/“绿” 64. Contrast of Cultural Connotation between Chinese and English Color Words 84.1 Causes of Chinese and English Cultural Connotation Similarities 84.1.1 Cultural Perception 94.1.2 Cultural Experience 94.2 Causes of Chinese and English Cultural Connotation Difference 94.2

15、.1 Nature Environment Difference 104.2.2 Traditions and Customs Difference 104.2.3 Philosophy Difference 104.2.4 Religious Views Difference 115. Conclusion 12Bibliography 14Life is filled with knowledge and can be described with abundant vocabulary to increase the value of it. However, even the tale

16、nted learners could hardly understand all the meaning of color words when describing mood or issues. For example, I learnt from my high school teacher once describing a lady as follows: “Lucy is a very white lady. She was looking rather green the other day and was in a brown mood when I saw her. I w

17、ish shell soon be in a pink mood again.” When classmates read this sentence they were confused though the grammar was precise and vocabulary was simple. The primary causes is that we cant understand what those color words represent under different cultural backgrounds. Thus, the same color words may

18、 indicate different meanings between Chinese and English because language is originated from life and influenced by culture. “There is something behind language and language cannot exit without culture.” （Linguitism:89）. The significance of indicating the exact color to describe issues is indispensi

19、ble.There are around 7,000,000 different colors exist in the world but only around 3,000 English and 2,300 Chinese color words are generated to be known. As the amazing developing speed of nature and human society ever-growing, it would be even difficult to categorize the color words into clear-cut

20、types. Even though, researchers have divided color words into two categories: basic color and object color. In this essay we just analyze three basic color words “Red”, “Green” and “Blue” in contrast views.Since Plato did systematic researches on color words thousands of years ago, many researchers

21、fellow his path to complete the study. According to Berlin and Kays basic color theory, eleven colors are concluded in English of basic color words, and they are white, black ,blue, orange, purple, pink, green, red, brown, yellow and grey. Based on Berlin and Kays theory, Chinese professor Yao Xiaop

22、ing and Liu Danqing have done a deep research on Chinese color characters and they divided color words as follow characters: 黑，白，红，黄，绿，青，紫，粉红，灰，褐，橙. Therefore it appears eleven basic color words and we only contrast three of them which are red/红，green/绿and blue/蓝.There are five chapters in the essay

23、. Chapter One is the general introduction of the whole essay. Chapter Two will focus on theoretical basis from Sapir Whorf hypothesis as well as Berlin and Kays theory on color words. The first assumption is aiming at stating the relations between language and culture which provides the real meaning

24、 when basic color words are used in a specific language situation. The later indicates the color group that divided scientifically. Three pairs of basic color words “red/红，green/绿，blue/蓝” will be contrasted in Chapter Three in English and Chinese in common. It also make contrast of basic color words

25、 similarities and dissimilarities in this chapter. Chapter Four indicates the reason why basic color words includes of initial similarities and differences. Last but not least, the effect of color words symbolize in daily life are put forward in an essential place.2. Theoretical BasisColor word stud

26、y has been continued for a long period. Not until the eighteenth century did two contrasting philosophy theories about the development of the color system of a given language come into being. In the meanwhile, two questions about color word study were put forwarded by Professor Yang Yonglin as follo

27、wing:（1）Is the color-coding system of a language linguistically universal and semantically evolutionary?（2）Is it something linguistically relative and semantically culture-determined? （杨永林 20002b:4） Therefore, in order to due with the two questions, two relative theories were developed to full fill

28、the contrastive study of cultural connotations of English and Chinese basic color words. They are Sapir-Whorf hypothesis as well as Berlin & Kays theory of basic color words. 2.1 Sapir Wolfe Hypothesis During the nineteenth century, color words are considered to have the nature of linguistic relativ

29、ity and semantic culture-peculiarity. There states two opposite assumption that on the one hand, the “civilized” society in Europe acknowledged more on color words definition and meanings than the “primitive” society while on the other hand disagreed.However, two splendid American anthropologists an

30、d linguist Edward Sapir and his student Benjamin Lee Whorf made great progress on the hypotheses concerning language, thought and culture. Whether language could help assisting the method of thinking and different languages may being able to express the unique way of understanding the world as follo

31、wing two points of the theory:（1）Language may determine our thinking patterns.（2）Similarities between languages are relative, the greater their structural differentiation is, the more diverse their conceptualization of the world will be.In fact, during to the exaggeration of influence of language on human beings thought and other ways, not much linguists could accept the first theory. Not until early 1920s to the late 1960s did the theory is widely accepted. However, the road to success is always full of thorns. Though Sapir-Whorf hypothesis made a great effort on the stud