关家玲（中国矿业大学外国语言文化学院，江苏徐州221008）
摘要：不同语言中的颜色词汇具有不同的文化内涵。本文从文化的角度探讨了英语和汉语的颜色词汇存在的
差异，通过对各种颜色词汇的对比分析，指出学生掌握颜色词汇文化内涵的重要意义。
关键词：颜色词汇文化内涵比较
中图分类号：G40-05文献标识码：A文章编号：1009-5608（2010）12-043-03
1.Introduction
Colortermsoftenhavesymbolicmeaningsthatvaryfromculturetoculture.ColortermsbothinChineseandEnglishrelatecloselytotheirnativeculturesandhavedistinctculturalassociations,sotheyofteninfluencepeople’swayofthinking.Withthedevelopmentoflanguageandpeople’srepeateduseofassociation,colortermshavedevelopedrelativelyfixedimages,whichreflectanation’slikeanddislike,positiveandnegativeaspects.What’smore,thesefixedimagesandculturalconnotationswillactonpeople’sdailythinkinganddeterminepeoplesdailybehaviorinaspecificcontext.Inthissense,studyingtheculturalmeaningsofcolortermsisquitenecessaryforcommunication;otherwise,wewillfallintosomeerrorsarisingfromthemisuseofcolorterms.AsforEnglishlanguageteaching,theteachershouldencourageandhelpstudentstosummarizeandcomparethedifferentculturalconnotationsbetweenChineseandEnglishtoavoidpossiblemisunderstandingandmisuseofcolorterms.
2.ComparisonofEnglishandChineseColorVocabulary
Thecolorred
Redisthemostexhilaratingcolor,whichstimulatesvividemotionsofpeople.Thewordredisusuallyassociatedwithcelebrationsandjoyfuloccasions.ThisistrueinEnglishspeakingcountriesaswellasinChina.Forinstance,Chineseexpressionshongduilian(红对联)(antitheticalcouplet)，hongshuanxi(红双喜)(doublehappinesswritteninred---thetraditionalsymbolforaneventofspecialjoy,suchasawedding)，kaimenhong(开门红)(getofftoagoodstart,makeagoodbeginning);Englishoneslike:red-letterdays---holidayssuchasChristmasandotherspecialdays;toputouttheredcarpetforsb.---togivealavishwelcome;topaintthetownred---tocelebratewildly.
Inaddition,inbothcultures,redplacessomerestrictionsonpeople’sdailylife,suchasthetrafficsignalredlight,theredlightoffiretruckandambulance,ortheredcardinsportsgames.
InChinese,redisalsothecolorassociatedwithrevolution,socialismandsuccess,suchashongjun(红军)(theChineseWorkers’andPeasants’RedArmy,1928-1937)，hongsezhengquan(红色政权)(redpoliticalpower)，honghuo(红火)(flourishing/prosperous)，hongren(红人)(afavoritewithsb.inpower).
WhileinEnglish,redstandsforblood,deficitandanger,suchasredbattle---bloodybattle;beinred---havemoreliabilitiesthanassets;seered---becomeveryangry.
Duetothedifferences,iftheexamplesherearetranslatedliterally,peoplefromtheotherculturewillbeconfusedormisled.
Thecolorblack
Blackisthecolorofmysteryandtheunknown.Inbothofthelanguagesthereareavarietyoftermsindicatingthatblackisoftenassociatedwithnegativequalities:severe,unpopular,illegal,andvicious.
blackmarketandheishi(黑市)---illegalbuyingandsellinggoods;blacklistandheimingdan(黑名单)---listofpeoplewhoareconsidereddangerousorwhoaretobepunished;blackheartandheixin(黑心)---evilmind.
SomeinpidualexamplesinEnglishandChinese:
blacklook---angrystare;blackday---unluckyday;blackfuture---gloomyfuture.
heibang（黑帮）---reactionarygang;heihuo（黑货）---sinisterstuff
Interestingly,thetermbeintheredmeansrunningabusinessataloss,notmeaningaprofit,whiletheoppositeofthisintheblackmeanshavingmoneyinone’sbankaccount,thatis,runningabusinessprofitably.
Besides,blackcoffeereferstothecoffeewithoutcreamormilk;blackteaisequaltoChinesehongcha(红茶).
Thecolorwhite
WhitehassimilarassociationstobothChineseandwesterners;itstandsforcleanliness,purity,innocenceandholy.Inspiteofthis,whitehasalotofdifferentexpressionsandconnotationsinEnglishandChineselanguages.Herearesomeexamples:
awhiteday---aluckyday;awhitelie---aharmlesslie;whiteheads---honestpersons;whitesale---asaleatareducedprice
Inthesecases,whiteintheexpressionshasnothingtodowiththecolorbaise(白色)atall.InChinese,alotofexamplescanalsobefoundwiththewordbai(白)butwithoutthemeaningbaise(白色).zhenxiangdabai(真相大白)(thefactmadeclear)；baichi(白吃)(toeatwithoutpay)；biaobai(表白)(toexplainsomethingforoneself)；baichi(白痴)(thefoolishperson)；baiyan(白眼)(superciliouslook).
Thecolorblue
Blueiscalmingandcoolingcolor.Itisrelaxingfortheeyesandcheeringforthemind.InChinese,blueisthesymbolofpurityandwideness:liantu(蓝图)(blueprint)，lantian(蓝天)(bluesky).ButinEnglish,blueisusuallyassociatedwithunhappyfeelings:
inabluemood---beinalowspirit
ablueoutlook---apessimisticview
ablueMonday---thefirstdayofworkorschoolafterapleasantandhappyweekend‘
bluetalk---dirtyorobscenelanguage
aboltoutofblue---somethinghappenedunexpectedly
Ontheotherhand,however,blueinEnglishstandsforhighsocialpositionorbeingaristocratic:
blueblood---aristocraticdescentorbirth
bluebook---it’sabookwiththenamesofwell-knownpersons,especiallygovernmentofficials.
Thecolorgreen
Greensymbolizesbalanceandagreementwithnatureandotherpeople.GreeninEnglishisoftenusedtoindicatebeingenvyandjealous.Green-eyed,whichissimilartoChineseexpressionyanhong(眼红),meaningbeingjealous.
Also,greeninEnglishisoftenusedtomeanlackinginexperienceortrainingofknowledge:asgreenasgrass/agreenhand---havingnolifeexperienceandisimmature.Besides,therearesomeotherexampleslike:
agreenoldage---oldbutvigorous
remaintoeverygreen---remaintobeenergetic
keepone’smemorygreen---notallowsb.deadtobeforgotten
greenpower---(AE)thepowerofmoney
TheChineseexpressionswiththewordslv(绿)orqing(青)arequitedifferentfromtheabove-mentionedmeanings.Forexample,qingshi(青史)(thehistorybook),qinglai(青睐)(favor),luhuochunqing(炉火纯青)(theperfectskillsofdoingsomething),qingyunzhishang(青云直上)(tohaveameteoricrise).
Thecoloryellow
InChinese,yellowisthesymbolofemperorandinfluentialofficials,anditalsoindicateshopeandluck.Forexample,huangpao(黄袍)(theclothesofemperorinthepast),huangdaojiri(黄道吉日)(propitiousorluckyday),huangliangmeimeng(黄粱美梦)(fonddream/pipedream).
Later,yellowappearsinsuchChineseexpressionsashuangsedianying(黄色电影),huangseshukan(黄色书刊),whichhavesexyorobscenesense.Suchtermsshouldnotbetranslatedintoyellowmoviesandyellowbooks,becauseEnglishwordyellowdoesn’thavethesameassociationsasinChineseinthesecases.WhileinEnglish,thecolorblueisoftenusedwiththesimilarmeaningashuang(黄)inChinese:
bluejokes---dirtyjokes
bluefilm/software---sexyfilm/software
InEnglish,yellowhassomederogatorysense,withthemeaningofbeingmean,timid,andcoward.ThisisrelatedwiththereligionChristianity:Judas,whobetrayedJesus,woreyellowclothes.Forexample,
ayellowbargain---adirtydeal
ayellowstreak---cowardiceinsb’scharacter
ayellowtalk---cowardtalk.
Thecolorbrown
BrownrarelyhasothercollocationsinChineseexceptthecolormeaning;whileinEnglish,wecanfindexpressionslike:
brownsugar---sugarthatisonlypartlyrefined,withtheChineseequivalenthongtang(红糖)
brownbread---breadmadewithwholemealflour
brownrice---half-polishedrice
brownstonedistrict---residentialquartersfortherich
Thecolorpurple
Inwesterncountries,purplestandsforthepowerofemperorwiththeconnotationofbeingnoble,elegantandrefined.
toraisetothepurple---tobepromotedtobethecardinal
tobeborninthepurple---tobebornfromtheroyalfamily
purpleheart---(AE.)medalawardedtoasoldierwhohasbeenwoundedinbattle.
Thecolorgray
TherearethreemainmeaningsofgrayinEnglish.
(1)bedepressing,monotonous:
grayandpointlesslife---meaninglesslife
grayprospect---dimprospect
(2)havingnolifeorattractivefeatures:
graymen---unknownperson
graylist---thelistofunpopularpeople,books,filmsetc.
(3)referringtotheold:
thegrayingpeople---theoldpeople
grayexperience---experienced
3.Conclusion
FromthecomparisonabovewecanseethatbetweenEnglishandChinese.Whenacavoidingsomepragmaticfailureincommunication.