Cultural differences between English and Chinese color words.docx
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Cultural differences between English and Chinese color words.docx
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CulturaldifferencesbetweenEnglishandChinesecolorwords
CulturaldifferencesofthecolorredbetweenEnglishandChinese
222009310012026
语言文学2班
刘冬梅
Abstract:
Inhumanlanguagethereexistanumberofcolortermsthatmaketheworldcolorful.Thecolorwordsnotonlyexpressthecolor,butalsoimplythecultureofeachcountry,differentculturescanreflectonecountry’shistory,aesthetictasteandnationalpsychology.Itisnoticedthatdifferentpeoplehavedifferentcultureshavedifferentsensetocolors.ThispaperdealswiththeculturalconnotationsofthecolorredinEnglishandChinese,which,tosomeextent,canhelpreadersreduceembarrassmentincommunicationandunderstanding.
Keywords:
CultureRedMeaningEnglishChinese
Ⅰ.Introduction
Inthelongprocessofproductionandlife,outofnecessity,mankindhascreatedcolorwords.Thehistoryofcolorwordshasgonethroughalong-termchange;nowthecolorwordsnotonlyexpressthecolor,butalsoimplythecultureofeachcountry,differentculturescanreflectonecountry’shistory,aesthetictasteandnationalpsychology.Itisthebrightandcolorfulnaturewhichprovidestheplaceforlifeandthefoundationfordeveloping.Colorisapresentfromnaturetohuman.Theredsun,bluesky,greengrassland,everythinghasitscolor.Wecannotimaginewhattheworldwouldbeifthereisnocolorofgreatvariety.
FromtheEnglishlearning,wecanfindthatdifferentcountrieshavedifferentmeaningofsomecolorwords.Colorplaysanimportantpartintheculture.Almosteverythingcanbedescribedwithcolorwords,includingeconomy,political,culture,andemotion.SometimeswecannotunderstandsomeEnglishstatements,becauseeverylanguageisrootedinitsownculture.ThepapermainlyattemptstomakeacomparisonofthecolorredbetweenEnglishandChinese.
Ⅱ.Themeaningofredinthewesterncountries
Inwesterncountries,theredisthecoloroflife,fireandblood.Thered,likethefireandblood,hasdualnatureinthesymbolic.Dazzlingandcentrifugalpaleredhasthecharactersofdiurnal,maleandtonicstimulatingactivity.Thered,likethesun,canencouragepeople.Fromthismeaning,theredrepresentsthelife,birth,love,warmth,inspiredpassionandcelebration.
∙Forexample,“red-letterdays”meansholidayssuchasChristmasandotherspecialdays.Suchdaysareprintedinredoncalendars,ratherthaninblankforordinarydays.Anotherexampleis“topaintthetownred”meanscelebratingwidely,goingouttodrinkandhaveagoodtime,eg:
“tomorrowwillbeared-letterday,heisgettingmarried”,“onthenightbeforehegotmarried,heandafewfriendspaintedthetownred”.Also,“rollouttheredcarpetforsomeone”means“togivealavishwelcome”,asin“hewasthefirstEuropeanheadofstatetovisittheircountry,andtheyrolledouttheredcarpetforhim”.TheEnglishpeoplethinkredstandsfordevotingoneselftofaithandphilanthropism,insomeliturgy,peopleinredexpressAgapelove.Inthearticle,redrepresentshappy,sanguineisasymbolofpersistentanddauntless.IntheWhitsundaythechurchshouldbedecoratinginred.
∙Bycontrast,scarlethasthecharactersofnocturnal,female,secretandultimatelycentripetalactivity,andstandsforthesecretoflife.Redisthecolorofwar,lossofblood,thedestructivepoweroffire,andhate,andthesignofwarning;evenitcanannoypeopletosomedegree.
InsomeEnglishidioms,“gointothered”meansincurringafinancialdeficit;“seered”meanssomeoneflyintoarage,gomadandisinatoweringrage;“paintinred”meansdescribingsomethingasshockingnews;“redbrick”meansuniversityofsecondchoice;“redeye”meanslow-costwhisky;“redflag”meansdangeroussignal;“redneck”meansclodhopper.
Redcanalsorepresentviolenceandcruelty,forexample,“redbattle”meansbloodybattle;“redactivities”meansviolentactivities;“redrulesoftooth”meanslawofjungle;“red-coveredpapers”meansnationalsecretdocument;peoplewillstickonaredlabelonthehazardmaterials;“redalert” meansairalert.
Theredalsorepresentsdebauchery,AmericanandBritishpeoplecallthe sexserviceareathered-lightdistrict,forexample,ifaAmericanoraEnglishsay“Isshereallysored?
”,hemeans“Isshereallysoprofligacy?
”.“Aredwasteofyouth”meansredboysandgreengirls’debauchery.Accordingtothebible,thescarletwomanisthesymbolofevil,ifawomancommitsthecrimeofadultery,thenaredcapitalletter“A”willbepinnedonherdressasapunishmentgiventoher.Thisliteraryquotationcomesfrombible:
comenow,andletusreasontogether,saiththelord;thoughyoursinsbescarlet,theyshouldbewhiteassnow;thoughtheyberedlikecrimson,theyshouldbewhiteaswool.Soboththescarletandredhavethemeaningofsalacity.
Ⅲ.ThemeaningofredinChinese
Redisanancientcolortohuman.Inancienttime,peoplegetwarmandlightfromthesun,firewasusedtocook.Theimpressionfromthesunandfirewerered,sotheythoughtredisawarmcolorthatcanbringusintohappinessandexcitement.Thisviewishandeddownfromtheancienttimeandbecomesatradition.InbothChineseandEnglishculture,redisusuallyassociatedwithhappyoccasions.InChinese,redarethesymbolsofcelebration,luck,victory,loyalandwelcome.Inchina,wewillhangredflags,redlanternsandstickredsloganstocongratulate.“开门红”meansachievingsuccessatthefirststep;“走红运”meanshavinggoodluck;“事业红火”meansaprosperousbusiness;someredfacedpeopleintheplayrepresentloyalheroes.Theredwords,redcandle,redendshieldandthebride’sredcoatintheweddingcanbringnotonlyhappybutalsothegoodluckthatwhichwillmakethebrideandbridegroomlivearichlife.
InChinese,theredalsorepresenttherevolution,“红色革命”meansresistingdespoticrule.TheredcanalsorepresentthedangeroussignalinChinese,thefiretruckandthealarmlightinchinaarealsored.
InChinese,redisalsothedescriptionoftheEroticevent.Forexample,“红杏出墙”meanswifeisdisloyaltoherhusband;“依红偎翠”meansmanenjoysabeautifulspringscene.
Ⅳ.Translation
TheredinChineseisnotalwayscorrespondingwiththeredinEnglish,forexample,theChinese“红糖”iscalled“brownsugar”inEnglish;inChina,lotsofpeoplelikedrinking“红茶”,butinEnglish,theycallit“blacktea”;“红榜”shouldbetranslatedinto“honorroll”;“红豆”shouldbetranslatedinto“lovepea”;“红运”shouldbetranslatedinto“goodluck”;“红利”shouldbetranslatedinto“dividend”;“redruin”inEnglishmeans“火灾”;“aredbattle”means“血战”;“redsky”means“彩霞”.ThereisasayinginEnglish:
Redskyatnight,shepherd’sdelight,redskyinthemorning,shepherd’swarning(朝霞不出门,晚霞行千里).
InChina,“红娘”meanssomeonewhohelptwopeoplefallinlovewitheachother,but“redlady”inEnglishmeanslewdwoman,and“pinklady”meansakindofcocktail,and“红娘”shouldbetranslatedinto“match-maker”or“go-between”.Chinesemaynotclearlyunderstandthephrasescomefromthecultureofbullfight,like“seered”and“likearedragtoabull”.Besides,“rednose”inEnglishisdifferentfrom“红鼻子”inChinese,inChina, “红鼻子”meansbrandynose,butinEnglish,“rednose”isasouveniroflovingheart.
RedinbothChineseandEnglishcanmeanpeople’shealth.InChinese,“红光满面”is“ruddy/rubicundcheek”;“red-blooded”meanspeoplewhohaveastrongbodyandhealthycondition,itissimilartotheChinesesaying“人凭血强,日凭月亮”.InChinese,“红”and“朱”meanpowerandnoble,forexample,“满朝朱紫贵”、“红顶商人”、“红头文件”;inEnglish,scarletalsomeanspowerandnoble,itisderivedfromthecultureofcardinal’sredrobe.Anotherexample,Hawkesthinksthetranslationofthetitleof“红楼梦”whichistranslatedinto“ADreamofRedMansions”hassomewhatmisleadingbecausetheimagesintheoriginaltitlehasgone.InChinese,theword“红楼”specificallyreferstothedwellingsofrichmen’sdaughters.Itisasignofopulenceandgrandeur.Buttothewesternreaders,adreamoftheredmansionsmeansanimagesthatasleeperinacrimson-coloredroom,whichisfullofcharmandmystery.
“Redbelt”meanstheEasternEuropeanbloccontrolledbySovietUnion;“redregime”meanscommunismregime;“redparty”communismmeanspoliticalparty,butthisthreepoliticalterminologieshavederogatorysensesinthewesternmedia.InEnglish,“redflag”representsdanger,butinChinese,“红旗”meansadvancedunitoradvancedindividual.“Aredheartwithtopreparations”doesn’tmean“一颗心两种准备”,inwestern,whenpeopleseethisphrase,hearttransplantwillcometotheirmind,and“twopreparations”meansthattheoperationhavethepossibilityofbothsuccessandfail.
Ⅴ .Conclusion
Asthecarrierofcultures,languageabsorbsdifferentculturesofdifferentnations.Colorwords,asimportantpartsoflanguage,expressspecialcharacteristicsandcustoms.Theinfluenceofthesocialculturetothecolorwordsisdeep-rooted.Eachcolorhasitswayofexpressionindifferentnations.Therefore,colorwordshavesymbolicsignificanceswhichareimportantforustocomprehendandgraspinEnglishandChineseculture.Basedontheabovediscussion,“red”inEnglishhasmorederogatorymeanings,whileinChineseithasmorepositivemeanings.
Ⅵ.Bibliography
包惠南,包昂.《中国文化与汉英翻译》北京:
外文出版社,2004.
包惠南.《文化语境与语言翻译》北京:
中国对外翻译出版社,2001.
杨海庆,《中西文化差异及汉英语言文化比较》北京:
知识产权出版社,2005。
邓炎昌,刘润清:
《语言文化-英汉语言文化对比》,北京:
外语教学与研究出版社,1989。
罗选民:
《从互文性〈红楼梦〉书名的两种英译》,谢大振(主编)《翻译的理论建设和文化透视》,上海:
上海外语教育出版社,2000。
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