Comparison and Analysis of Color Expressions between English and Chinese.docx
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Comparison and Analysis of Color Expressions between English and Chinese.docx
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ComparisonandAnalysisofColorExpressionsbetweenEnglishandChinese
ComparisonandAnalysisofColorExpressionsbetweenEnglishandChinese
1.Introduction
“Colorisakindofvisiblequalitythatobjectshave,producedbyraysoflightofdifferentwavelengthsbeingreflectedbythem”(Oxford267).Itcouldbefoundineverycornerofhumanenvironment.Itisthecomponentoftotalityofhumanbeings’perceptionalexperiencetotheexternalworld,sonaturallyitformstheeternaltopicofeachnation.Infact,colorwasoriginallyakindofabstractconceptandsenseperception,andwiththedevelopmentofcivilization,humanbeingscutapartsuchvisualimagesintomanysegmentsandaddmarkstothem,andthesemarksarealsocalledlanguage.Thuscolorbecomestheconcretethingmadeupwiththeseparatelinks.TheconnectionbetweencolorandlanguageisagreatprogressinthehumanHistory.Itdeepenedthecultureofthewholeworld,helpedtopromotethecommunicationamongdifferentnationsandstrengthenedthemagicoflanguage.Colorwordsarethetreasuresofhumanvocabulary.Theycamefromthespecialcivilizationandpeople’srecognitionofcolors.Theyhavetheuniversalswiththecolorwordsofotherlanguages,andtheyalsohavetheirownpeculiaritiesindifferentlanguages.ThepaperwilltrytodiscussEnglishandChinesecolorwordsfromtworespects:
comparingthesimilaranddifferentusageofcolorwordsbetweenEnglishandChinese,andanalysisingthereasonsofthediscrepancy.Theiruniversalsandpeculiaritiesresultfromthecrisscrossnetwork.Wecanfindourcolorwordsareabundantandlanguageismarvelous.
2.ComparisonbetweenEnglishColorExpressionandChineseColorexpression
2.1.Similaritiesofthetwocolorexpressions
Humanbeingsliveonthesameglobe.Theyhavecommoncharacters.Thustheirlivingandworkingenvironmentofdifferentpartsoftheworldhasmuchincommon.Experiencesoftheworldareinmanyrespectssimilar.Culturesofvariousnationsalsohavesomethingsimilar.Allthesesimilaritiesandgeneralitiesareinevitablyembodiedinlanguages.That’swhyequivalentsorcloseapproximatescanbefoundincolorexpressions.
2.1.1EquivalencesmeaninginEnglishandChinese
ManycolortermsinEnglishhaveabsoluteequivalentsmeaninginChinese.Forexample:
BlackisnotagoodwordbothinChineseandinEnglish-speakingcountries.Itisthecolorofdarknessandsomesecretandillicitactivitiesalwaysdoonthedarkness,soblackisextendedas“illicit”.Itisoftenusedtoexpressone’sangerorsomeevilthings.Whenblackispluswithanoun,itoftenmeansbadthingsandsomethingwithoutanyhope.“Blackmarket(黑市)”meansthebusinessgoesoninviolationofpubliclyimposedregulations.Moneygotthroughbeingagainstone’sconscience,suchascorruptionandbribes,is“blackmoney(黑钱)”,andsmuggledgoodsare“blackgoods(黑货)”Thesimilaritiesinconnotationofcolortermsresultfromthesimilarperceptiontotheworld.Thesameexpressionsuchas“blackheart(黑心),blackguard(恶棍),blacksheep(害群之马),blackeye(丢脸),yellowcard(黄牌)redlight(红灯)thegreenparty(绿色政党)andgreenfood(绿色食品)etc.AllthesenewphrasescanbedirectlytranslatedintoChinese.
2.1.2TwolanguageallchooseColorwordssymbolforroyalty
ColortermsofsimilarculturalconnotationsarerelatedtospecialhistoricalphenomenainEnglishandChinese.Peopleliketochooseoneofthecolors,torepresenttheirnationnomatterinancientChinaorEnglish-speakingcountries.ThepurpleistherepresentativecolorofEnglishnationfromancienttimes,andalsooneofthecolors,whichEnglishnationalityadvocates.Itusedtodenotewealthordignity,AsatraditionalEnglishroyaltycolor,“purple”usuallyappearsinsuchexpressionas“tobebornto(orin)purple”(Itmeansborninroyalty),and“toraisesomebodytothepurple”(Itreferencestoraisesomebodytotheemperor).InbothfeudalChinaandEnglish,itwaspurpleclothesthathighofficialsandnoblelordswore.InspokenChinesetherealsoexistsomecommonsayingslike“hongdefazi(红得发紫)”---(ofaperson)extremelypopular.Actually,thepropercolortermtomatch“purple”inEnglishis“huang(黄)”(yellow)inChinese,whichusedtobecalledtheColorofEmperor.InfeudalChina,yellowwasatraditionalsymbolforroyalty.Itsymbolizedsuchculturemeaningasthesacredness,imperialpower,honor,loftiness,solemnity,land,territory,etc.ZhuXi(朱熹),agreatthinker,saidinSongDynasty:
“Countenanceofthecentralsoil”.Sotheyellowsymbolizescentralimperialpowerandthestate,atthesametimeitsignifiesthelandofeverythinggrows.Besides,oneofthefirstancestorsinChinesenationally—Xuanyuan(轩辕)emperorhad“theluckyofsoilmorality”.Itwassaidthatheoftenworetheyellowcrown,sotheyellowbecametheemperor'sfavoritecolorlater.Chineseofficialsworemoreyellowrobesinancienttimes,thusforbadecommonpeopletoweartheyellowclothes.“Acclaimedemperor(称帝)”meansthat“coupsucceeds(政变胜利),captureregime(取得政权)”.
2.2Differencesbetweenthetwocolorexpressions
Colorisakindofvisualeffect.Becausethemankindhasthesamephysiologicalmechanismandvisionnerve,thecolorwordsarenodifferentinessence,theoretically.However,becauseofvariouslanguageculture,historicalbackground,religiousbelief,modeofthinking,aesthetictemperamentandinterest,etc.indifferentnationality,people'simpressionofcolorandexpressionaredifferent,andhavetheirownfondnessforcolorterms.Forinstance,“green”meansatabooforBrazilians,“yellow”forJapanese,“red”forBelgians,“multicolor”forTurks,and“black”forEuropeansandAmericans.Inotherwords,thesamecolorterm,fordifferentpeoples,almostalwayshassomewhatdifferentculturalconnotations.Andtheassociativemeaningproducedbythecolorhasnothingincommonwitheachother.
2.2.1EnglishandChinesemightusedifferentcolorwordstodescribethesameobjectorphenomenon
DifferentcolorwordsinEnglishandChinesestandforthesameculturalconnotation,whichmeansthatpeopleusedifferentwordstoexpressthesimilarmeaning.Althoughcolorwordsusedaredifferentinthesetwoluaguages,theirculturalconnotationsaresimilar.Inotherwords,astheculturaldifferencesexit,wealsocanusedifferentcolorstoexpressthesameconception."White"isusedtobeataboowordbasicallyinChinesetraditionalculture.Anditisasymbolofdeathandillomen.Whenarelativedies,thefamilymemberswearthewhiteclothinginordertoshowgrief.Inthefeudalsociety,thewhiteisthecommonpeople'sfavoritecolor.FromHanDynastytotheTangDynasty,"whiteclothing"meansordinarypeople,“commoner"meansthepersonwhohasnoscholarlyhonorofofficialrank.“(Chen,1996:
98)”Mostwesternersfeelobscureaboutthe"white"wordinChinese"weddingsandfunerals".Youhadbetternottranslatetwocolorof"red","white"atall,onlytosay"weddingandfunerals”(happyeventandbereavement;ortheweddingandfuneral).BecausewhenWesternersholdthewedding,abridealwayswearswhitedress.Linkingthewhitetobereavementswillcausescanner;iffuneralsarecalledashappyoccasions,Westernerswillfeelstartled,thoughthiskindofstatementreflectsChineseattitudetothedeath.White,Generallyspeaking,itisawordofpurity.Itsymbolizeslotsofbeautifulthings.However,peopleusewhiteveryofteninafuneralinChineseculture,whileinAmericatheyuseblack.Besidesthis,whitehaslotsofderogatorysenses.Thesewordsareusedtosymbolizesomeevilpeopleandsomethingbad.Therearealsomanydifferentcolorwordsexpresssamemeaning.Forexample,黄色电影(obscenityorsalacityfilm)——bluefilms,红茶(akindofteawhichcolorisred)——blacktea,红眼病(akindofeyedisease)——thegreeneye/greeneyed.Theseexamplesprovethatdifferentcolorwordscanstandforthesameconnotation.Differentculturalconnotationsresultindifferentexpressions.
2.2.2Thesamecolordoesnotalwaysrepresentthesamethingsinthetwolanguages
Chinesenationadvocatesthered,showsfavoritismtothered,theredisforjoyousasamaincolor.Duringthecelebration,theChinesehighlyhangthebrightredlanternandsticktheredcouplets.Atthevictorymeeting,themeritministerwearstheredflower,wraparoundtheredribbon.Andhisnameisonthehonorboard.Intraditionalwedding,theChinesestickthered"happiness"word,andbridewearredrobe.Inaddition,theredglittershereandthereinthebridalchamber.Asforwordsandexpressions,thereare"favoritefollower,covertpayment,dividend,propertyandgoodluck,glowingwithhealth".Butifwetranslate"favoritefollower"intoaredmanoraredperson,Englishreaderswillbebaffled,justbecausetherearesomedifferencesintheusageofthecolorwordsbetweenEnglishnationalityandChinesenationality.Hererednolongermeanstheredcolor.Weshouldpreciselytranslateitinto"afavoritewithsomebodyinpower"accordingtoChinesemeaning.Assimilarasfollows:
Honorroll,extradividend,goodluck,one'sfaceglowingwithhealth,etc.InalotofEnglishcountries,theredisthecoloroffireandblood;itmeanstodedicateoneselftothefaithanduniversalfraternity.Forinstance:
inliturgywearingtheredistoexpresstheholylove;achurchisdecoratedwiththeredforholygod’scomeorcherishingthememoryofmartyrs.Thederogatorysenseofredisquitestronginwesternculture,whichismostlyusedtoexpress“danger,anger,andurgency".Forinstance:
Getintothered(presentthedeficit),seered(angry,getangry),red-blooded(crudeandrash,intrepid),red-hand(thecriminalcaughtintheact,bleeding),redlight
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