颜色词论文英语文献

中西文化中颜色词语的象征意义 The symbolic meaning of the color word of between China and western countries Summary: Show in the Chinese-English language the words of different colors or color is very abundant. We not merely should pay attention to observing themselves' basic meaning, should paying attention to the deep and broad symbolic meaning of their meaning even more, because their symbolic meaning often has different characteristics in different national languages, some characteristics even form people to the advocating and taboo of the color after guiding stretching , transferred meaning. The difference of symbolic meanings of the color between such different culture is because of each national difference and producing of historical background , aesthetic psychology of culture, sanctified by usage in the sediment of development , history in the society, it is a kind of permanent culture phenomenon. The angle that this text attempts to compare from Chinese and Western culture with analysis, probe into various nationalities' culture to develop the impact on symbolic meaning of the color word. The human language is extensive and profound, different countries, the unique glamour that different and national color words demonstrate, make people regard with special esteem. In Great Britain's Chinese-English language, all very abundant to displaying different colors or the word of the color. We not merely want to understand their each one's own basic meaning, should pay attention to the deep and broad symbolic meaning of their meaning even more. Because often there are different characteristics in different national languages in symbolic meanings of the color, some characteristics have not represented the meaning of its word itself yet, but guide stretching, transferred meaning to it. First , midwest square color word because of our country and hopeless the greater part English country ten thousand li apart objective cause , symbolic meaning of difference, in the geographical position , scene that history aches , very great difference exists aesthetically psychologically, so the feeling of seeking the color word will not be the same. The symbolic meaning that a color word shows will be various naturally . This text will do some brief contrasts and discussions on the color of the word and symbolic meaning difference in Chinese and Western culture. By the look of definition of the color, color through eyes brain and people a kind of vision effect to the light experience of life produce, it is a vision phenomenon launched , reflecting or causing through certain light wave by the object, it is a kind of basic domestic animal of the human eye vision . About the definition of, it is relatively short to going through the time of the feudal society, and in nearly modern science is popularized and the west of development says at full speed, it is easier they accepted. The west relatively pays attention to the analysis things with rational science from the beginning, display it to the objective world and realistic scientific attitude known objectively. So, the symbolic meaning of the color is often more direct in western culture, generally symbolize some abstract cultural meaning with the concrete color of objective things For example: Western culture " getting red " to point color of " blood " but blood surge forward life liquid of the human body among the mind in westerner mainly, once the blood trickles, the life stops , so, the red make people associate it with the violence , dangerous, thus produced to the red taboo. Western Sinologist translate " Dream of the Red Chamber " may because of the fact that consider " red " make them is it bleed to associate it with, so adopted title " the stone is written " that the novel had used originally, English meant story of the stone to compare with the western civilization, Chinese culture is of long standing and well established, the feudal society that China goes through several thousand years, education and science lag behind relatively, so, in Chinese culture, the thought that the color expresses has strong mystery flavor, the development of the objective reality receives China's social development relatively largely. Color intension and symbolic meaning are very abundant in Chinese culture, and the symbolic meaning of the color word is plural. For example, the red in Chinese culture comes from the sun. Our ancestor has a kind of instinctive attachment and worships to the sunshine, the red joyous and lucky production naturally of purpose. With getting white as example and then, in mankind initial stage, our ancestor is small and weak and unable, make them completely exposed in broad daylight, an attack of the irresistible fiendish beast of prey, therefore the dialogue color has a kind of instinctive frightened sense, so the white becomes a kind of color and prohibits avoiding as taboo in Chinese culture. It is obvious; the symbolic meaning of the color demonstrates the human psychological characteristics at the same time. Second, concrete description of different symbolic meanings of the color in Chinese and Western culture. , the red advocates the color basically in our country's culture. It is lucky , joyous that it symbolizes; For example facilitate others bright marriage name " matchmaker ", joyous day will be it register for bright red lantern to want, stick to and form uniting red, the red good fortune word: The man sticks the bright red " liking " word while marrying the daughter and is married, one is lively | The prosperity is named " flourishing "; It symbolizes the revolution and progress again, for instance, Communist Party of China's initial regime is named " red regime ", the initial arms are called " the Red Army "; It is it smoothly , succeed to symbolize too, such as to very kind to known as " becoming much more popular " circumstances have people; Trusted unduly and called " the favourite follower " by the superior ; Assign to and manage profits and shout and " share out bonus", load the end with the beautiful woman to call " the beauty " ,etc.. The red is one to demote symbol that the word with quite strong purpose is " fire , blood " in western culture, representatives are cruel and ferocious and bleeding. If (1), is it massacre with violence is it claim for The red rules of tooth and claw (2 ) bloody to revenge for red revenge to ruling to describe; It symbolizes the radical violent revolution again, such as (1)It is a red revolution to describe the red revolution (2)Radical political movement represent for red hot political campaign (3 ) the Left radical activity commendatory as for a getting red one for red activities, for instance joyous day the red carpet of red days, grand reception ,etc., benefit from different culture and exchange and merge. 2, White and red and opposite, it is a basic taboo word; reflect Chinese are in the material and spiritual abandoning and disgust. The white does not have blood color, dead behavior; symbolize the death, ill omen. If the relative has wanted to wrap rough Dai Xiao after dying since ancient times, worn the white mourning dress, is called the funeral, set up the white mourning hall , should hit the white long narrow flag while carrying a coffin to the cemetery . Getting white word is it reach political influence is it fail, be unwise, is it take to have no profit to signify also to like in the course of its development, such as party that fail play " white flag " say that surrenders always among war; Call person with low intelligence " eat free ", exert oneself but make the advantage or come to naught and is named " busy oneself to no purpose " | " waste strength ". Finally, it signifies there is little knowledge, there is not fame and gain, such as calling rank and file “the commoner ", temper being scarce, scholar not deep calls “the pale-faced scholar ",etc. the experience. Western culture getting white symbolic meaning focus on one's own color their mainly, snow such as being new, fresh milk and color of the lily. Westerners think it white and graceful and pure, so it is the advocating color in the western culture. It is evil that it signifies that too pure to have, such as (1) a white souls, pure white wedding bride's wedding in white full dress of soul (2 ); It is honest , honest that it symbolizes again, such as (1) a white spirit honest soul (2)A white men is noble, an educated person. (3)White hand is honest; It is honest , honest that it symbolizes again, such as (1) a white spirit honest soul (2)A white men is noble, an educated person. (3)White hand is honest; It symbolize lucky too, if (1) somebody, life of one of the white days o f sib’s, it have legal and having hostile meaning lucky day of the life, such as (1) white market legal market, 3, the black has heavy mysterious senses in Chinese culture, it is a kind of serious and serious tone, and its symbolic meaning seems comparatively complicated because of affecting by western culture. On one hand it symbolizes serious , justice, black face Boa Zhen in the popular legend , black type of facial make up of Zhang Fey , Li Chui in traditional Beijing opera ,etc.; It again because a one's own one their dark to give somebody sinisterly , sinister and terrific feeling while being unglazed on the other hand. It symbolizes evilly, reactionary, such as meaning the sinisterly vicious person is a black heart, hidden repulsive inside information is " shady deal ", members of the reactionary group are the reactionary gang, evil backstage manipulator, call the ruler for the list of the dissident that draws up blacklist, (2) legal bright form that white list is sanctioned, (3) a white lie harmless lie. It show crime , break the law, such as is it do bandit conduct shout " walk the underworld " , is it kill robbery of goods , do illegal inn of business name the gangster inn to claim to claim, the violated goods trade calls the black market, is named the dirty money and waited with the money that the illegal means is obtained It is the basic taboo color in the western culture to be black (black), have reflected westerner's spiritual abandoning and disgust. It symbolizes the death , ill omen , disaster, if (1) Black Mass fits fairy Mass, (2) to wear black for her father is her father Dai Xiao, (3)black words unlucky words, (4) the fierce day of a black letter day; It symbolizes the evilness , crime, such as (1) the evil devil of Black Man, (2) a black de ed extremely abominable black guard ruffian , hooligan of behavior (3 ); It symbolizes shame, inglorious too, if a black eye disgraced , bad reputation of a black mark stain (2 ) of (1 ); Depressed , angry that it still symbolizes, such as (1) black dog depressed mood, (2) The future looks black prospects are dim, (3)He gave me a black look. He is looking at me in a great rage. 4,In a word there is a very great difference in different national culture in the symbolic meaning of the color word. Fundamentally, among Chinese culture, symbol of color based on China in the past ruling of feudalism, feudalistic superstition and primitive, backward science, educational state take shape, so the symbolic meaning of the color has quite strong inclination of politicizing and mystifying. The color in western culture signifies that benefits from the popularization degree of the national opening in the west and science , education more, symbolic meaning its little and mysterious, getting many some reason, make sometime , motivation easy to track the meaning of a word its. Symbolic meanings of the color between different cultures are all sanctified by usage in the sediment of development, history in the society; it is a kind of permanent culture phenomenon. , interesting, humor, cordial that they can make the language more vivid! List of references: 1, “modern Chinese dictionary ", Foreign Language Teaching and Research Publishing House. June of 1998 2, Zhang Devin, " informal discussion of Chinese and foreign languages ", the publishing house of university of Henna is 1999. 3, Li Yantis, <>, the 2nd Foreign Language Inst. of Beijing, 1998 4, Jig Mingling, " the social cultural meaning of English color word is analyzed ", the journal of Zhen Zhou University, 1997. 3 5, " 300 Tang poetries ", Jillian People's Press, 1999. 汉英语言中表示各种不同颜色或色彩的词语都很丰富。我们不仅要注意观察它们本身的基本意义，更要留心它们含义深广的象征意义，因为它们的象征意义在不同民族语言中往往有不同的特点，有些特点甚至构成了人们对经过引伸、转义以后颜色的崇尚和禁忌。这种不同文化之间颜色象征意义的差异是由于各自民族的文化历史背景、审美心理的不同而产生的，是在社会的发展、历史的沉淀中约定俗成的，是一种永久性的文化现象。本文试图从中西文化对比的角度，去分析、探究各民族文化发展对颜色词的象征意义的影响。 在人类语言中，颜色词语表现出的独特魅力，令人刮目相看。在汉英语言中，表示各种不同颜色或色彩的词都很丰富。我们不仅要注意观察它们本身的基本意义，更要留心它们含义深广的象征意义，因为颜色的象征意义在不同民族语言中往往有不同的特点，有些特点甚至构成了人们对经过引伸、转义以后颜色的崇尚和禁忌。由于我国与绝大部分英语国家相隔万里，地理位置、自然现象、历史背景、审美心理等千差万别，人们对于颜色的感受和表达不尽相同。这样，颜色的象征意义在中西文化之间自然又会产生很大的差异。本文拟就中西文化中词语的颜色、词语的象征意义作一些对比和探讨，以求教于同行和读者。 从科学的定义来说，颜色是由物体发射、反射或透过一定光波所引起的视觉现象，是人眼视觉的一种基本特征。颜色生成的这种定义，对经历封建社会时间相对短，且在近代和现代教育和科学得到普及和飞速发展的西方来说，是比较易于为他们所接受的。西方从文明一开始，就比较注重科学理性的教育和科学方法的发现，对客观世界和客观认识采取现实的科学态度。因此，西方文化中颜色的象征意义往往比较直接，一般是用客观事物的具体颜色来象征某些抽象的文化含义，所以更易追溯其语义理据和逻辑理据。例如：西方文化中的红色（red）主要指鲜血（blood）颜色，而blood在西方人心目中是奔腾在人体内的"生命之液"。一旦鲜血流淌下来，生命之花也就凋谢。所以red使西方人联想到"暴力"和"危险"产生了一种颜色禁忌。美国学者阿思海姆在他的《色彩论》中说："色彩能有力的表达情感。……红色被认为是令人激动的，因为它能使我们想到火、血和革命的含义。"著名汉学家霍克斯在翻译"红楼梦"时，由于意识到red可能使现代英语读者联想到“暴力"、"流血"，所以采用小说原来曾使用的书名《石头记》，译为The story of the stone。但是由于中国经历了几千年的封建社会以及教育和科技的相对落后，在中国文化中，颜色的生成具有强烈的神秘色彩，它的发展受到中国社会文化发展的较大影响。在先秦，颜色词就已经与古人的世界观、哲学思想联系在一起，后来又与政治挂钩。所以中国文化中的颜色内涵和象征意义十分丰富，而且颜色词的象征意义是多元 的。例如，从文化人类学角度来讲，中国文化中的红色源于太阳，因为烈日如火，其色赤红。我们的初祖在祭祈巫舞的过程中，对阳光有一种本能的依恋和崇拜，红色的喜庆和吉祥之意自然而然地产生了。古人还认为"日至而万物生" （《淮南子•天文训》）感到阳光下万物繁茂，生机勃勃，令人振奋，因而对代表太阳的红色产生了特别亲切的感情。再以白色为例，在人类初始阶段，我们的祖先弱小而无力，无法抗拒凶恶猛兽的攻击、光天化日的白昼使他们暴露无遗，有一种随时都有被食肉猛兽扑食的危险，因而对白色有一种本能的恐惧感；另外，我们的初祖还观察到"月到中秋分外明"，因而认为明月与萧煞的秋季连在一起，而代表秋天的颜色也就是白色了（银白色的中秋之月）。这样白色在中国文化里就成了一种颜色禁讳。可见颜色的象征意义在漫长的历史进程中的约定俗成的，体现出某种心理功能。下面我们就中西文化中颜色的不同象征意义进行具 体描述。 1、红色 红色是我国文化中的基本崇尚色，它体现了中国人在精神和物质上的追求。它象征着吉祥、喜庆，如把促 成他人美好婚姻的人叫"红娘"，喜庆日子要挂大红灯笼、贴红对联、红福字；男娶女嫁时贴大红"喜"字，把热闹、兴旺叫做"红火"；形容繁华、热闹的地方叫"红尘"；它又象征革命和进步，如中共最初的政权叫“红色政权”，最早的武装叫“红军”，把政治上要求进步、业务上刻苦钻研的人称为“又红又专”等；它也象征顺利、成功，如人的境遇很好被称为"走红"、"红极一时"，得到上司宠信的叫"红人"，分到合伙经营利润叫"分红"，给人发奖金叫"送红包"等；它还象征美丽、漂亮，如指女子盛妆为"红妆"或"红装" ，把艳妆女子称为"红袖"，指女子美艳的容颜为"红颜"等。 西方文化中的红色（red）则是一个贬意相当强的词，是"火"、"血"的联想，它象征着残暴、流血，如（1）The red rules oftooth and claw残杀 和暴力统治，（2）red revenge血腥复仇，（3）ared battle血战 ；它又象征激进、暴力革命，如（1）red hotpolitical campaign激烈的政治运动，（2）a red revolution 赤色革命，（3）red activities左派激进活动；它也象征危险、紧张，如（1）red alert空袭报警，（2）a red adventure story一个令人紧张的冒险故事，（3）a red flag危险信号旗；它还象征着放荡、淫秽，如（ 1）a red waste of his youth他那因放荡而浪费的青春，（2）ared light district花街柳巷（红灯区），（ 3）Is she really sored as she is painted？难到她真的象人们所描绘的那样放荡吗？ 至于红色的褒义，如red—letter day喜庆的日子，the red carpet隆重的接待等，则得益于不同文化之间 的交流和融合。据考证，red的褒义是从远东经波斯传到西方的。 2、白色 在中国文化中，白色与红色相反，是一个基本禁忌词，体现了中国人在物质和精神上的摈弃和厌恶。在中国古代的五方说中，西方为白虎，西方是刑天杀神，主萧杀之秋，古代常在秋季征伐不义、处死犯人。所以白色是枯竭而无血色、无生命的表现，象征死亡、凶兆。如自古以来亲人死后家属要披麻戴孝（穿白色孝服）办"白事"，要设白色灵堂，出殡时要打白幡；旧时还把白虎视为凶神，所以现在称带给男人厄运的女人为"白虎星"。白色的心理功能在其发展过程中由于受到政治功能的影响，又象征腐朽、反动、落后，如视为"白专道路"；它也象征失败、愚蠢、无利可得，如在战争中失败的一方总是打着“白旗”表示投降，称智力低下的人为"白痴"，把出力而得不到好处或没有效果叫做"白忙"、"白费力"、"白干"等，它还象征奸邪、阴险，如"唱白脸"、"白脸"奸雄；最后，它还象征知识浅薄、没有功名，如称平民百姓为"白丁"、"白衣"、"白身"，把缺乏锻炼、阅历不深的文人称作"白面书生"等。 西方文化中的白色象征意义主要着眼于其本身色彩，如新下的雪、新鲜牛奶及百合花的颜色。西方人认为白色高雅纯洁，所以它是西方文化中的崇尚色。它象征纯真无邪，如（1）awhitesoul纯洁的心灵，（2）whitewedding新娘穿白礼服的婚礼；它又象征正直、诚实，如（1）awhitespirit正直的精神，（2）whitemen高尚、有教养的人，（3）whitehand廉洁、诚实；它也象征幸运、吉利，如（1）oneofthewhitedaysofsb'slife某人生活中的吉日之一，（2）whitemagic有天使相助的法术；它还有合法、无恶意的意思，如（1）whitemarket合法市场，（2）whitelist经过批准的合法明单，（3）awhitelie无害的谎言。 3、黑色 古代黑色为天玄，原来在中国文化里只有沉重的神秘之感，是一种庄重而严肃的色调，它的象征意义由于受西方文化的影响而显得较为复杂。一方面它象征严肃、正义，如民间传说中的"黑脸"包公，传统京剧中的张飞、李逵等人的黑色脸谱；另一方面它又由于其本身的黑暗无光给人以阴险、毒辣和恐怖的感觉。它象征邪恶、反动，如指阴险狠毒的人是"黑心肠"，不可告人的丑恶内情是"黑幕"，反动集团的成员是"黑帮"、"黑手"，把统治者为进行政治迫害而开列的持不同政见者的名单称为"黑名单"，它又表示犯罪、违法，如称干盗匪行径叫"走黑道"，称杀人劫货、干不法勾当的客店叫做"黑店"，违禁的货物交易叫"黑货"、"黑市"，用贪赃受贿等非法手段得来的钱叫"黑钱"等。 黑色（black）是西方文化中的基本禁忌色，体现了西方人精神上的摈弃和厌恶。它象征死亡、凶兆、灾难，如（1）BlackMass安灵弥撒，（2）towearblackforhcrfather为她父亲戴孝，（3）blackwords不吉利的话，（4）ablackletterday凶日；它象征邪恶、犯罪，如（1）BlackMan邪恶的恶魔，（2）ablackdeed极其恶劣的行为，（3）blackguard恶棍、流氓，（4）blackmail敲榨、勒索；它也象征耻辱、不光彩，如（1）ablackmark污点，（2）blacksheep败家子，（3）ablackeye丢脸、坏名声，它还象征沮丧、愤怒，如（1）blackdog沮丧情绪，（2）Thefuturelooksblack前途暗淡，（3）Hegavemeablacklook。他怒气冲冲地看着我。 4、其他颜色 黄色在中国文化中是红色的一种发展变异，如旧时人们把宜于办大事的日子称为“黄道吉日”，但是它更代表权势、威严，这是因为在古代的五方、五行、五色中，中央为土黄色。黄色象征中央政权、国土之义，所以黄色便为历代封建帝王所专有，普通人是不能随便使用"黄色"的，如"黄袍"是天子的"龙袍"，"黄钺"是天子的仪仗，"黄榜"是天子的诏书，"黄马褂"是清朝皇帝钦赐文武重臣的官服。至于现在流行的与"性"有关的"黄色"观念，有一种说法是中西文化交流融合的一种现象。据说美国纽约的《世界报》用黄色油墨印刷低级趣味的漫画以争取销路，人们便称这一类不健康的刊物为“黄色刊物”.