A Comparative Study of Cultural Connotation of Colors between English and Chinese.doc

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1、英汉颜色词文化内涵的对比A Comparative Study of theCultural Connotation of Colors between English and Chinese ContentsAbstract.1Key words.1I. Introduction.2II. Comparison of Cultural Connotation of Five English and Chinese Colors.21. Black and 黑.22. White and 白.33. Red and 红.54. Yellow and 黄.65. Green and 绿.7III

2、. Influences81. Influences on cross-cultural communication .82. Influences on second language learning .10IV. Conclusion.10References. . .11A Comparative Study of Cultural Connotation of Colors between English and ChineseAbstract: We live in a colorful world. Although there are a great variety of co

3、lor words in our kaleidoscopic life ,basic color terms(black and黑,white and白,red and 红,yellow and黄,green and绿,)are important components of almost all the human languages. Due to the different social cultures, historical processes and geographic conditions, almost all the basic color terms in English

4、 and Chinese carry their own peculiar connotations. The purpose of this paper is to introduce the similarities and differences between English and Chinese cultural connotations of colors. By the comparative study of cultural connotation of basic color words between English and Chinese, we can know m

5、ore about what is going on in peoples mind, in their language and culture to avoid misunderstanding in the deepening cross-cultural communication. At the same time, the paper can greatly influence on the use of color terms in cross-cultural communication and English language teaching and learning.Ke

6、y words: basic color terms; cultural connotation; similarities; differences摘 要: 我们生活在如万花筒般的世界中，颜色渗透着我们生活的各个领域。基本颜色词（black 和黑,white 和白, red 和红, yellow 和黄, green 和绿,）是本篇论文探讨的重点。由于不同的文化习俗，社会心理，历史因素和地理因素等，中英语言中，各个颜色词各有各不同的文化内涵。随着中西文化交流的不断深入，人们已经认识到具有深刻文化内涵的基本颜色词不可避免地成为跨文化交际中的一个障碍。 本篇文章主要介绍了五种颜色词文化内涵的异同以

7、及了解颜色词文化内涵对于第二语言的学习和跨文化交际的影响。关键字: 基本颜色词；文化内涵； 异同之处 I. IntroductionAs we know, there are lots of color words in our kaleidoscopic life like red, white, black, yellow, blue etc. These words dont only mean the color of an object but also stand for mood, feeling or something else. For example, red alway

8、s stands for passion; green always stands for live and peace. Due to the different languages, historical background, different traditions and customs, social relations and so on, the cultural connotation of the color words between Chinese and English are different with similarities. For example: Mr.

9、 Brown who is a very white man was looking rather green the other day. He has been feeling blue lately. When I saw him, he was in a brown study. I hope he will soon be in the pink again.This paragraph contains only four sentences, but in this paragraph five color words appear like white, green, blue

10、, brown and pink. If the readers only know the physical properties of the color, they will have difficulties in understanding this short paragraph. In this paragraph, “white” means loyalty, trustful and reliable; “green” means sick; “in a brown study” means be in deep thought; “in the pink” means “b

11、e healthy”. From the above example, we can see that the connotation of color words between Chinese and English language are quite different. If we do not know the connotation of these color words, just to guess the meaning from physical properties, we will make big mistakes. Therefore, it is importa

12、nt to know the cultural connotations of color words between Chinese and English languages. This paper introduces the cultural similarities and differences of five basic color terms between Chinese and English languages in order to help readers know the cultural connotation of the color words and the

13、 pragmatic use, avoiding making mistakes while communicating with others.II. Comparison of Cultural Connotation of Five English and Chinese colorsIn this part, comparison will be made on cultural connotation of five basic color terms (Black and 黑，White and 白,Red and 红，Yellow and 黄，Green and 绿) betwe

14、en English and Chinese .1. Black and 黑1) SimilaritiesBoth in Chinese and English ,black (黑) is the color of night and therefore is associated with darkness. In Chinese, we have “黑暗”, “黑沉沉”, “黑漆漆”, and so forth. While in English such expressions as “blackout” and “black future” are also connected wit

15、h “darkness”. “Blackout” refers to a period of darkness caused by a failure of the electricity supply, or an occasion when a person suddenly lose consciousness, or a situation in which particular pieces of news or information are not allowed to be reported. And “Black future” refers to the slim hope

16、 in the future. The color terms “black” and “黑” are both related with “evilness”. “Black art” or “black magic” is the magic that is believed to use the power of the Devil for evil purposes, contrasting to “white magic”. “A blackguard” or “a black hat” is a man who treats other people very badly; the

17、y are “black-hearted” and do “black deeds”. “A black sheep” refers to the person who is regarded by other members of their family or group as a failure or embarrassment. The opposite expression of “a white lie” is “a black lie” which is told for evil purposes by hurting others. Sending “a black mail

18、” is an evil action of getting money from someone or making them do what you want by threatening to tell secrets about them. In Chinese, there are also some expressions with “黑” indicating the meaning of “evilness”, such as “黑手”, “黑心”,“黑帮势力” ,“ 黑色幽灵”, “黑店”, “黑话”.2) DifferencesDue to the different so

19、cial environment, different traditions and customs and different historical condition, in Chinese, the color term “黑” has some special connotations. In the Cultural Revolution, such as “黑组织”, “黑后台”, and so on. “黑五类” includes landlords, the rich, reactionaries, bad elements of society, and the Righti

20、sts as well. However, in English, black always relates to the black people. For example, black power, black Panthers. In English speaking countries, black stands for the color of death. Therefore unlike the Chinese custom, when they attend someones funeral ceremony, they always wear the black clothe

21、s to express their mourning. 2. White and 白1) Similarities To most Chinese and Westerners, white has certain similar connotations: brightness, purity, and innocence. White(白) is the holiest color in Christianism, because Jesus and his angels wear white dress. This commendative meaning can also be re

22、flected in the ritual of wedding. In the Western countries, the wedding is called “white wedding”, because the brides are dressed in white, wearing white gloves and shoes; the carriage of wedding is driven by white horses in old times, and whats more, the invitation card is written with silver lette

23、rs. The connotation of purity can be shown in some expressions. “A white witch” is a man with “white spirit”, who does good deeds to others. “A white hat” refers to a kind person. “A white sheep” is usually used as a metaphor indicating a good person among a gang of evil ones. “A white magic” is use

24、d for good purposes. In Chinese, there are also many phrases of “white” connected with the connotation of purity, such as “洁白”, and “白璧无瑕”. Nurses are called “白衣战士” or “白衣天使”, because they wear white uniform, like angels bringing life and brightness to patients.“White” and “白” have also the connotat

25、ion of innocence. If somebody is said to be “white-handed”, he or she is honest or innocent. “Mark ones name white again” means making somebody innocent and regaining the good fame. Meanwhile, “白”in “不白之冤”, “清白无辜” and “他的历史就像一张白纸”contains the same meaning.2) DifferencesThe color term “白” in Chinese

26、is associated with things of ill such as death or misfortune. So the Chinese expression “白事” is used to mean “funeral affairs”. In Chinese funeral, people wear white hats, white mourning apparels and white shoes, with a white rope tied in the waists. Bamboo poles bound with white cloth on one end an

27、d white mourning money are also used in the funerals. In Chinese, “白” also refers to “decadence” and “reaction” “白区” is the area governed by Kuomintang; “白色政权” is the reactionary government; “白军” refers to the reactionary army; “白匪”or “白狗子” is the betrayer; “白色恐怖” means wide-scaled holocausts launch

28、ed by reactionaries. In the Cultural Revolution, “白” became the symbol of capitalism. “拔白旗” is to criticize the idea of “corrupted” capitalism. The persons who are only concerned with their professional work ignoring politics are called “只专不红”, and they walk in “白专道路”. In other cases, “白” has nothin

29、g to do with color at all. There are quite a few expressions such as “白搭”, “白费”, “白给”, “白干”, “白送”, “白拿”, “白吃”, and so forth, in which “白” means “in vain”. It might even have no generalized meaning that is apparent, as in “坦白” (to be honest), “白痴” (stupid), etc.Some expressions with “white” in Englis

30、h have their specific meanings. For instance, “white” means “uselessness” in “white elephant”. In ancient Rome, a king would send a big white elephant to the courtiers he didnt like as a punishment, because the elephant had such a good appetite and ate so much that its master could not afford it. Th

31、e expression “white elephant” is still used in modern times, indicating the completely useless things, although they may cost a lot of money. But White in English also means the color of the goods. For example : “White goods” means large pieces of equipment used in the house, such as washing machine

32、s, refrigerators, and so on, because most of them are white in appearance. 3. Red and 红1) Similarities In both English and Chinese, “red” and “红” are associated with “dignity”, “love”, “beauty”, “happiness”, and so on. So in English one may find, for example, “red-letter days”, which refers to holid

33、ays such as Christmas and other special days. Such days are printed in red on calendars. Another example is “to paint the town red”, meaning to celebrate, go out for drinking and have a good time. “Roll out the red carpet for someone” or “give the red carpet treatment” means giving a lavish welcome.

34、 As the representative color of China, “红” is the favorite color to most Chinese. It is often used in a positive sense. In China, “红” is the most frequent color in celebrations and joyful occasions. In such traditional festivals as New Years Day and Spring Festival, red antithetical couplets are stu

35、ck on both sides of the door, red character “福” pasted up, red lanterns hung up, red paper-cuts attached onto the windows, red fireworks set off, and New Year money gift to children is enveloped in red paper packages. Wedding and birth are called “红事”. In the traditional Chinese weddings, the bride,

36、 who wore red dress, red shoes, and a red veil, sat in a red-painted palanquin, greeted by the bridegroom who rode a horse with a big red silk-made flower on the chest. After the ceremony, they would enter into the bridal chamber decorated with red candles. The bed was covered with red bedspreads, r

37、ed quilts, and red pillows. Whats more, the gifts sent by guests were also wrapped in red packages.“red” shares some similarities with “红”. They both mean danger. “Red light” and “红灯” in traffic regulations serves as a sign reminding and warning drivers to stop. The area in a city where the houses o

38、f prostitution are located is called “red-light district” or “红灯区”. “Red alert” or “红色警报” is a warning of sudden danger. In a football match, the referee will show a piece of “red card” or “红牌” to a player who has done something against the rules and will not be allowed to play for the rest of the g

39、ame.Furthermore, “red” and “红” is associated with certain emotions. In English, “to become red-faced” or her “face turned red” shows embarrassment, as it does in Chinese “脸红”. But the Chinese may not so easily understand some English expressions involving the color red. It is difficult for Chinese p

40、eople to understand the meaning of “to see red” and “waving a red flag”. Both of them are related with anger. The former means to be made angry or to become angry suddenly, while the latter means doing something that could cause quick anger in other people. 2) DifferencesDue to the different histori

41、cal environment “红” is the symbol of revolution in China, because where there is revolution where is blood. Chinese national flag, “五星红旗” is red which means being stained red by the blood of the revolutionaries and martyrs, while “红领巾” is an angle of it. “红” in such expressions as “红军”, “红色政权”, and

42、“红色根据地”also imply the connotation of revolution. In the Cultural Revolution, “红” was used politically. The socialistic country governed by the proletariat was called “红色江山”; Chairman Mao was titled “红太阳” and his works was called “红宝书”; the highest leading institution was “红色司令部”; the Peoples Liberat

43、ion Army was described as “红色长城”. Moreover, we have, “小兵,” “红卫兵”, “红袖章”, “红色接班人”, “红色路线” referred to the revolutionary policy; “红色歌曲” were the songs propagating revolutionary ideas; “红五类”was used contrastively with “黑五类” by referring to the workers, poor peasants, servicemen and officials who suppor

44、t the revolution, and their children.4. Yellow and 黄1) Similarities“Yellow” and “黄” have both positive meanings and negative meanings. As the color of gold and the sun, “yellow” is the symbol of wealth, honor and power. Its a holy color in Christianity. The Father wears golden crucifix, and the holy

45、 cup used by Jesus in his last supper is also yellow. The yellow color is also a holy color in Taoism and Buddhism. Some monks and Taoist priests wore yellow dress. Superstitious people as a means to expel evil spirits regard yellow paper with magic incantations. “黄道吉日” is a day suitable for doing s

46、ome important things, such as holding wedding and opening ceremonies. Born with yellow skin, cultivated in the yellow soil, and taking the Yellow River as their place of origin, the Chinese people take pride in their belonging to the yellow race, we call ourselves proudly as “炎黄子孙”.According to the

47、five-element theory, the color. It has been said that Xuanyuan, a legendary ruler and one of the earliest ancestors of the Han Nationality, was called “黄帝” (Yellow Emperor)because he often wore yellow dress and yellow hats. Whats more, in Chinese,”黄” is the same in pronunciation as “皇”, so the yello

48、w color has been the color of emperors and the color term “黄”has been used to symbolize imperial power. Later, Emperor Wudi in Han Dynasty changed the imperial dress into yellow. There are quite a few expressions with “黄” related to the emperor. The imperial dress is called “黄袍”; the palace emperors lived in is “黄宫”;