漢英顏色詞的文化對比【畢業(yè)論文】

1、<p><b>　?。?0_ _屆）</b></p><p><b>　　本科畢業(yè)設(shè)計(jì)</b></p><p><b>　　英語</b></p><p>　　漢英顏色詞的文化對比</p><p>　　A Cultural Comparison between Chin

2、ese and English Color Words</p><p><b>　　摘要</b></p><p>　　每個(gè)民族的語言都擁有自己的顏色詞體系。英、漢語分屬兩種不同的語系，受文化特殊性的影響，人們對顏色詞的感受和賦予顏色詞的意義也各不相同。中西方基本顏色詞的差異和相似處是本文主要討論的問題，作者使用了許多具代表性的例子貫穿全文。本文從介紹顏色詞的定義、背景

3、及文化入手，著重分析了黑白顏色詞，并進(jìn)而討論了基本顏色詞在跨文化交際中的運(yùn)用。</p><p>　　關(guān)鍵詞：基本；顏色詞； 差異；相似處；文化</p><p><b>　　Abstract</b></p><p>　　Every nation’s language has its own color word system. English a

4、nd Chinese belong to two different families of language. Affected by the features of culture, people have different impression about color words and endow them different meanings. The differences and similarities of basi

5、c color words between Chinese and English are the main issues discussed in this thesis. Besides, many representative examples are used in this paper. This paper starts from introducing color words’ definition, backgr<

6、/p><p>　　Key words: basic; color words; differences; similarities; culture</p><p><b>　　Contents </b></p><p>　　摘要…………………………………………………………………………………...ⅰ</p><p>　　A

7、bstract.…....………………………………………………………………………...ⅱ</p><p>　　1 Introdution1</p><p>　　1.1 Definition of Color Words1</p><p>　　1.2 The Background of Color Words1</p><p>　　1.3

8、 The Culture of Color Words2</p><p>　　2 The Similarities and Differences of Basic Color Words between English and Chinese3</p><p><b>　　2.1 Red3</b></p><p>　　2. 2 Yell

9、ow4</p><p>　　2.3 Blue4</p><p>　　2.4 Purple4</p><p>　　2. 5 Green5</p><p>　　3 The Similarities and Differences of White and Black between English and Chinese5</p&

10、gt;<p>　　3.1 Western Views5</p><p>　　3.1.1 The cultural connotation of white6</p><p>　　3.1.2 The cultural connotation of black7</p><p>　　3.2 Chinese Views8</p><

11、;p>　　3.2.1 The cultural connotation of white8</p><p>　　3.2.2 The cultural connotation of black8</p><p>　　4 Conclusion9</p><p>　　Bibliography11</p><p>　　Acknowled

12、gements11</p><p>　　1 Introduction</p><p>　　The colorful world is full of different kinds of colors. Human’s life has a close connection with color, because there are a large number of color wor

13、ds. For the basic color words, there is difference between English and Chinese. In Chinese, there are 赤、橙、黃、綠、青、藍(lán)、紫, while in English there are red, white, black, green, yellow, blue and purple. By discussing the differe

14、nces and similarities of basic color words between Chinese and English, this thesis aims to help people to understand each other i</p><p>　　1.1 Definition of Color Words</p><p>　　To satisfy dail

15、y needs, people use a host of color terms to represent colors. For example, it is estimated that there are over three thousand color words in English. Human’s eyes are able to distinguish seven million different colors,

16、but most of them can not be named. “From the scientific definition, color is a kind of visual phenomenon which is launched, reflected or caused through certain light wave by the object; it is one kind of visual essential

17、 features of human eyes” (Yu Guofang 2007: 10</p><p>　　1.2 The Background of Color Words</p><p>　　Color words, in whatever languages, are used for describing different things. The statistics sho

18、ws that there are more than 7 million kinds of colors that can be recognized in the nature. However, color names are very limited in the languages, because there are only dozens of colors expressed in single-morpheme wor

19、d. A number of color words are expressed by adding modifiers. For instance, crimson, pale red, apple green, azure, and coffee color etc. Color words imply different cultural connotatio</p><p>　　1.3 The Cultu

20、re of Color Words</p><p>　　Color makes the world beautiful. Color is a kind of a perception in the objective world; whether in nature or social life, there are a variety of colors. Color in people’s minds ha

21、s a specific meaning, which will not only arouse imagination, but also convey a special mood. Color is not only to describe the objective reality, but also to describe the abstract culture. Many Chinese and English color

22、 words reflect different attitudes and emotions. Especially the Chinese, color words have had rich m</p><p>　　However, in addition to what one has mentioned above, colors also reflect features of different c

23、ulture and society to a certain extent. In daily life, people often realize colors by optic nerves, and also express their feelings by colors. “Since human beings have the same physical mechanism and optic nervous system

24、, it is no differences in the feelings of colors in theory” (Fan Jiachen 2004: 208). Sensory organs such as eyes, ears and nose can sense the environment, and the sensations received </p><p>　　Color plays an

25、 important part in culture. Almost everything can be described with color words, including economy, political, culture, emotion etc. For example, in economy, color words are widely used. There are a great number of phras

26、es and fixed usages which relate to color in economical glossary. Red is always related to debt or bankruptcy: “black money” is concerned with illegal action and “black market” means exchanging things which are forbidden

27、 by the government or an illegal market. “Blue</p><p>　　In Chinese and English languages, words and phrases of different colors are very abundant. Colors may convey different messages to people of different

28、cultures. Due to the respective cultural background and tradition, some phrases containing color words have far surpassed their original meanings, forming different connotations in cultures. The difference of the connota

29、tion of color among different cultures is determined by each different national and historical background, different traditions a</p><p>　　2 The Similarities and Differences of Basic Color Words between Engl

30、ish and Chinese </p><p>　　“The nature is colorful, and many words can be used to describe it” ( Gui Meihe 2009: 5). Generally speaking, black symbolizes oppression; white shows purity and innocence; green b

31、rings vital force. Red is an ardent color, meaning joy and happiness. Now these following colors will be discussed briefly.</p><p><b>　　2.1 Red </b></p><p>　　In English culture, red

32、is usually connected with blood. It symbolizes life. Life will end when blood runs off. So the English always associate red with death and war. It also stands for radicalism and violence, such as “red revolution”, “red a

33、ctivities”, and “red-headed”, “l(fā)ike a red rag to bull” (likely to cause strong violence). It also stands for danger and tenseness, such as “red alert”, “a red flag”. Red in Chinese culture is a basic valued color. In the

34、 Chinese mind, it signifies exciteme</p><p>　　2. 2 Yellow</p><p>　　In English language, yellow symbolizes betrayal, cowardice and despicableness. “Too yellow to stand up and fight” is to show th

35、at someone is too cowardly to stand up and fight against his enemy”, “yellowbelly” is a coward. In Chinese culture, yellow is a color that has lots of symbolic significances. From Han dynasty, yellow had become a sign of

36、 imperial authority of feudalism, the emperor always wore yellow clothes, but common people could not make clothes by yellow cloth. However, in Western c</p><p><b>　　2.3 Blue</b></p><p

37、>　　Blue is full of illusion. It is the color of the sky and sea and it stands for intelligence, calmness and profoundness. In Chinese culture, it symbolizes soberness and profoundness. For example, color of navy’s uni

38、form is the same with the sea’s. In English culture, it has some significances. First, it represents high privilege and severeness. For example, “blue blood” stands for nobles, “blue laws” means rigid laws. Second, it re

39、presents disappointment and despondency. For example, “in a blue m</p><p>　　2.4 Purple</p><p>　　Purple has the same connotation in English and Chinese culture. In the eye of Westerners, purple i

40、s the symbol of emperor and power. “To be born in the purple” means “to be born in a royal family”, “to be raised to the purple” means “to be promoted to the position as a people”; “purple passages” means “splendid words

41、”. In Chinese, “紅得發(fā)紫” means popularity, “purple heart” means “an insignia awarded to those wounded in the battle”. Purple is more often used by the feudalism and emperors. They calle</p><p>　　2. 5 Green</

42、p><p>　　Green is an important color in nature. Green is associated with spring, grass, or forest. In English, green mainly represents color of plants which the symbol of vigor and energy. For instance, the sign

43、 of the environmental protection organization is green. Sometimes “green hand” describes inexperienced person. When someone is in envy, his face or eyes will be looked like green or blue. So “green eye” represents envy.&

44、lt;/p><p>　　The same color may have different meanings because of the different history and culture. And after careful studying of color words, it is easy to find that color words can produce various associatio

45、ns, which can greatly influence a person’s moods and behaviors. That is the main reason that people use color words to explain their moral character, mood and opinions of things. In different countries, cultural connotat

46、ion of word is different. “Cultural connotation has meaning of metaphor, associati</p><p>　　3 The Similarities and Differences of White and Black between English and Chinese </p><p>　　3.1 Weste

47、rn Views</p><p>　　In cross-cultural communication, color words more or less have the same or different features. By learning the symbolic meanings of color words in Chinese culture and western culture, one c

48、an also know better about the skills used in translating color words in both cultures. “A particular color term may be connected with different things and emotions in different language communities” (Jiang Dongyuan 2002:

49、 2). In addition, in the long course of human history, colors keep a close relationship wit</p><p>　　3.1.1 The cultural connotation of white</p><p>　　From the view of westerners, white symbolize

50、s purity, elegance and frankness. The typical example princess called the snow-white who is the symbol of innocence, beauty and cleverness. The word “snow-white” is firstly used in the Grimm’s Fairy Tales. This book tell

51、s a story about a lovely and beautiful princess. Her beauty leads her step-mother’s jealousness, which forces her flee to a forest where she meets seven good-hearted dwarfs. With their help, she overcomes her step-mother

52、’s curse and fin</p><p>　　White is the traditional color for the brides at weddings. Before 19th century, there is no unified standard for bridal gowns’ color. Until 1840, the British Victoria queen wore whi

53、te wedding dress in her wedding to show others. Then brides from the royal and the upper class followed suit. Later, the white color becomes the first choice when choosing the wedding dress’s color, because white symboli

54、zes beauty and purity. Nowadays, white wedding dress has become the most important part of wedding </p><p>　　Moreover，white means honesty and uprightness, such as a white spirit, white man and white hand. “A

55、 white soul” represents pure heart. If someone says to you “This is very white of you (You're honest!)”, you should be happy. White also stands for luck, such as one of the white days in somebody’s life, white magic

56、and white hope are the successful things that a person who is expected to bring to a team. So it is clear that the westerners regard white as their favorite color and use its connotation</p><p>　　As mentione

57、d before, white often represents hope, peace and happiness, but it also has the derogatory connotation in western culture. White can also be used to symbolize hypocrisy. White sepulchre (tomb of white) is “hypocrite” (fr

58、om the Christian Bible). Even more interesting is actually white in English means weak, timid. “White feather”, it refers to the timid, which can be traced back to the cockfight game in ancient times. Because the Western

59、ers thought that the cock with white feathers at </p><p>　　3.1.2 The cultural connotation of black</p><p>　　In English culture, black is a taboo color, which refers to death and illness. Everyon

60、e wears black clothes in funeral. In Western culture, black color is the sign of darkness. In the Bible, black stands for the devil, the evil, the pain and the misfortune. “In the classic ballet SWAN LAKE, black swan sta

61、nds for the hatred or the enmity” ( Xu Dan 2009: 7). In English there are black tidings and black Friday.</p><p>　　Look at the following sentences: The committee gave him a black (despair) eye, they turned d

62、own his suggestion. He has a few black marks (misstep) against him. Unhappy people regard every day as “a black day”. “Black sheep” is treated as unworthy lintel. Poor Tom, who is always the black sheep (impiety) of the

63、family, is always in disgrace. </p><p>　　Look at the following phrases: Black smith (forger), Black leg (knobkerrie), Black guard (ruffian), Black look (looking with anger), Black magic (enchantment), Black

64、and blue (injured seriously), Black carp (herring), Black future (have no future) etc. These expressions are all related to the bad, evil, indignant characteristics in Western culture. </p><p>　　“Black lette

65、r day” is opposite to red letter day, and “black man” means demon. “Black Friday”, here Friday means the Friday before Easter Day, on which Jesus was suffering that day. Based on the nation’s culture, background and trad

66、itional custom, people in English-Speaking countries use black Friday to represent the disaster. “Black flag” means hanging. For example, there is a sentence from Thomas Hardy: “Upon the comic of the tower a tall staff w

67、as fixed. Their eyes were reflected on it. A few</p><p>　　In English, not all “black” word terms contain derogatory meaning. The meaning of black is unique in western culture which stands for profit. In Engl

68、ish, black symbolizes profit which is opposite to red referring to deficits. The most distinct example about the positive meaning of black is shown by the black people in America. In the past black slaves who were suppre

69、ssed by America are called Negro. With the successful battle of antiracism, black people choose the word-black. “Black” stands for </p><p>　　3.2 Chinese Views</p><p>　　“Every nation's langua

70、ge has its own color word system” (Zhang Songyan 2009: 4). Chinese ancient scholars think: water generates wood，which the color is green, representing the east; wood generates fire, which the color is red, representing t

71、he south; fire generates soil, which the color is yellow, representing the middle; soil generates gold, which the color is white, representing the west; gold generates water, which the color is black, representing the no

72、rth. The paper will begin to discuss h</p><p>　　3.2.1 The cultural connotation of white </p><p>　　For traditional Chinese, white makes them tend to think of solemn mourning. For example, when o

73、ne dies, his family members usually dress in white, and hold a funeral and this is called “白事”. With the political influence, white symbolizes backward, corruption and surrender. For instance, when an army fails, the sol

74、dier waves a “white flag” to show their surrenders; a person with low intelligence, we call “白癡”. Finally white signifies one with little knowledge, and fame; we call “the commoner”. It</p><p>　　Moreover, wh

75、ite in some expressions does not refer to the meaning of “白” in Chinese. For instance, a white lie is not “白色的謊言” but a goodwill lie; white coffee is not “白咖啡”, but milk coffee. In the same way, “白” in some terms in Chin

76、ese does not indicate any color. For example, “白菜” (Chinese cabbage), “白卷” (unanswered examination paper), “白開水” (boiled water), “白搭” (no use, no good), and “白送” (for free).</p><p>　　White in Chinese means d

77、ifferent things: “不白之冤”（underdressed injustice), “一窮二白” (poor and blank), “白費(fèi)勁” (waste of energy), “遭白眼” (receive a dirty look), “白手起家” (build up from nothing), and “白手” in Chinese refers to ‘empty-handed’, which is not

78、equal to “white-handed”. “小白臉” in Chinese culture is a negative word. It often describes the male who look beautiful but incapable. However, “white face” in English is used to describe animal or building. In Beijing oper

79、a, white mask is the symbol of trick</p><p>　　3.2.2 The cultural connotation of black</p><p>　　Black means strength and authority; it is considered to be very formal, elegant, and prestigious. A

80、nd it also stands for honesty and justice in China. In ancient China, black symbolizes dignity, perseverance, honesty and holiness etc. Such as “black faces” represent an honest man in Beijing opera and Song dynasty BaoZ

81、hen and LiKui usually use black mask. Black also represents evil in china’s traditional culture. Taoism chooses black for Taoist symbol. It is their favorite color. In ancient China</p><p>　　In “shiji”, blac

82、k symbolizes people of a lower status and stupidity. Now in china, black represents disaster and adversity, sometimes it stands for evil gangs and offenders. If we do not know cross- cultural communication’s connotation,

83、 it will cause trouble and obstacles. Such as: “黑戶”(black households), “黑車” (black car), “黑市” (black market), “黑名單”(blacklist) etc. In Chinese, “黑水” (black water) means polluted water. In northern China, miner is called

84、“煤黑子” which refers to their dirty and hard w</p><p>　　4 Conclusion</p><p>　　In a nutshell, according to these examples, one can see cultural differences and similarities. Therefore, one can stud

85、y cross-cultural connotation from their different cultural background. This paper briefly states similarities and differences of basic color words between English and Chinese. Due to existence of white and black in Engli

86、sh basic color words, instead of that in Chinese ones. So the author imposes these two color words. Therefore, it is practically important to know and study the d</p><p>　　With the development of modern soci

87、ety, the color is employed widely. To get more progress the specific circumstance about the color communication, one should pay more attention to the deep and wide meaning of colors in different nations and understand of

88、 the special English language history, geographical backgrounds and social customs. One ought to find similarities and differences of the same colors between the different cultures from the view of history. People’s many

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95、visor, Zhu Chunyan for her patient advice and painstaking guidance as well as generous support. With her instruction, I am greatly encouraged, gaining the confidence to complete this dissertation smoothly and successfull

96、y. </p><p>　　Also, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all my teachers who have taught me in the past four years. It is because of their efforts that I could have the most fruitful four years in m