Cultural Difference of Color Words 色彩词的文化差异

English and Chinese color words all have rich vocabulary. For natural color, the different nationality's cognitions are the same, but the same color words used in different language styles and its denotation and connotation are not the same. That some color word can even show far from its own meaning. What is more, the same color words in the different cultural backgrounds have differences of extension in overstepping languages. Only knowing the differences well, could you be better communicate and understand in cross-cultural communication. Here is Chinese sentence: “我要让你见红”, if it translated to “I will let you see red”, this sentence will be inappropriate. And, in English sentences, for instance, the “blue” in the sentence “He is in a blue mood”, the “blue” can not be translated literally. Obviously, in these two examples, the “red” and “blue” are not express the literal meaning, but express their implied meaning hidden in two different cultures. While understanding the meaning of the whole sentence, it is impossible to be understood without understanding the two color words. The following are some basic color words to explain the cultural differences between English and Chinese.

Red is the color that can inspire mood of people, which is warm, excited, energetic, and with festive tint. In the general calendar, we can find that some Chinese and western festivals like New Year's day, Spring Festival and Christmas, are all printed in red to distinguish, which is the so-called red-letter days while others use black. In addition, “roll out the red carpet for someone” presented the kind hospitality and interview. Chinese are more in love with red in the traditional Chinese wedding day, and use red couplets and the “happy” character to celebrate. And, the famous brand “Double red happiness” is well-known. But some foreigners think red symbolizes danger signal which probably originated from Spanish bullfights movement. Matadors took red cloth to induce the bulls and consume the energy of bulls. Besides, the red light of all the traffic lights is the signal that “can not be crossed”.

The “red” in English can be expressed as happy, enthusiastic, lucky, bleeding, deficit, losses, liabilities, etc. For example: “red alert” means air emergency alarm; “the Red Cross” and “red light” mean a danger signal; “a red letter day” means anniversary or a day of joy; “red ray” means angered things; “red tape” means troublesome business process; “red eye” is a kind of cheap whiskey; “red gold” means bullion; “red ruin” means fire disaster; “red cent” means a penny. Chinese red can be expressed as revolution, success, favored, happy, etc.

White causes association like “pure and innocent” in English and Chinese culture. In Chinese, “white” also express “no” and “in vain”, which makes “white” no longer a color word but an adverb. For example: 白送 “means free of charge”; 白费事means “all in vain or a waste of time and energy”; 白手起家means “to build up from nothing”. When to express the human race in English, people used to say “the yellow”, “the black”, “the white”. And to express the skin, “fair and blond” is used instead of white and black. For example: She has a fair skin/complexion(她皮肤白皙). There are old sayings in Chinese like “red or white wedding and funeral”(红白喜事). Marrying a daughter-in-law or celebrating one’s birthday are called "red happiness"(红喜事); the old men’s death are also called “white funeral” (白喜事). Both are regarded as the happiness by the Chinese. The Chinese traditional wedding ceremony’s color is red and people dressed in white clothes、caps, and with white flowers on their chests to mourn when making funeral arrangement by white primarily, mourning. This is the folk custom which spread down several thousand years.

But at the western wedding ceremony, the main color is white. The bride was dressed in a white dress and white veil and friends or relatives’ gifts is packed with white paper and fasten white silk belt. In the westerner’s eyes, white symbolizes the holiness, grave and elegant. But in the funeral, they put on the black formal clothes to express mourning to the dead. Thus it can be seen that the color differences between Chinese and western wedding ceremony and funeral clothing depth its culture influence, such as: 真相大白means “the fat made clear”，白吃means “meat something without pay”，表白means “explain something for oneself”，白丁means “people who know little knowledge”, “white lie”(无恶意的谎言), “white list”(每时守法的人士、合法的机构等)，“white room”(最清洁的房屋，无污染的房屋), “white wedding”(吉祥的婚礼)，“white man”(正直高尚的人)，“white light”(公正无私的裁判), “days marked with a white stone”(幸福美满的日子).

Black symbolized death, suffering and grief in Chinese and western cultures. In Chinese traditional psychology, people always associate “black” with “bad, dark, or evil, etc”. In English, “black” says misfortune, disaster, disgust, anger, dark etc. For instance: 黑心means “evil mind”，黑店means “gangster inn”，黑线means “a sinister line”，黑货means “smuggled goods”，黑幕means “inside story of a plot”，黑心人means “the very cruel people”，黑手means “the reactionary power having some evil activities secretly”，黑社会组织means “the unlawful social organization doing some illegal activities as their job”, “a black letter day”(不吉祥的日子，倒霉的一天), “black market”(黑市，非法交易市场), “black list”(黑名单), “Black Mass”(死人的弥撒), “Black Maria”(囚车), “black look”(恶狠狠的神色), “black mood”(情绪低落), “black spot”(交通事故多发地段), “black heart”(指奸恶、阴险的人), “black man”(恶魔). But “black” in these words are divorced from the original.

Besides, in English, with black ink entry "profit", on the contrary, with red ink entry "loss", such as: black figure(赢利)，in the black(赚钱). In western culture, black symbolizes solemn, dignify and honor. Black suit（黑色西装），black dress（黑色礼服） is the most sublime westerners in the grave formal occasions and elite、celebrities scholars all like the black dress. Along with the frequent communication between eastern and western culture, the clothing color of the west also became popular in China. And the western dress color in terms of vocational classes that are widely popular in China, such as: the white-collars(白领阶层)，the blue collars(蓝领阶层).

Blue in English and Chinese cultures generated different associations. It gives people the association of "quiet tranquility, deep meaning, relaxed" in the Chinese culture. The Chinese seemed to prefer blue more than the westerners. And blue can make people associate with the romance of good things. The blue sky and the blue ocean can cause immense free time to think. Live into a place with spring warms and back toward the mountain blooms is undoubtedly a feast of Americans treat. And in English, on the one hand, blue said "pessimistic and depress"; on the other hand, blue is a kind of noble color used to represent the high social status, power, a man of noble birth or royalty, such as: Things look blue(形势很悲观); He is a real blue blood(他是真正的贵族); The little girl looks blue(这个小女孩看上去情绪很低落). In English, blue can also said strict prohibitions, obscene, frustration, depression,, such as: the blues(忧郁、烦闷); sing the blues(垂头丧气); blue alert(预备警报后的空袭警报、台风警报); blue eyed(易受骗的); blue murder(恐怖的喊声); look or feel blue(沮丧的).

In Chinese, blue often composed with other words means different overstepping languages, such as: 蓝本(script on which the works are based)，青出于蓝而胜于蓝(the new coming from the old is better than the old). And in the below words, blue is divorced from the original meaning, like: blueprint(计划), chief of the work(蓝本), true blue(忠实的), blue-sky market(露天市场), blue sky bargaining(漫天要价)，etc.

In English and Chinese cultures Green causes different associations. Green in Chinese culture is a humble color. In ancient times, humble people wore green clothes. However, in English, green is a very good color words, which says "spring, hope", and often used in the words with the environment, such as: green party(绿色政党(以环境生态为基本纲领)), green consumerism(绿色消费(消费者购买没有危害环境的产品)). On the other hand, green can also say “new, young, jealousy, earnest, etc). In Chinese the blue can also say the young, new, healthy, eternal, etc.

“Green” in these words are divorced from the original, such as: a green hand(新手), green house(温室), green room(演员休息室), as green as grass(无生活经验的), green eyed(眼红，嫉妒), green line((军)轰炸机，敌我分界线), in the green(青春期), a green old age(老当益壮), in the green tree/wood(处于佳境), green power((美)金钱的力量), 名留青史(leave a glorious name in the history), 青女(the god having charge of fog in the legend), 青史(the history book), 青睐(favor), 炉火纯青(the perfect skills of doing something), etc.

In English and Chinese cultures, Yellowcauses different semantic associations. Yellow symbolizes the loftiest power and position, a symbol of imperial majesty in Chinese culture. China formally started using yellow as the royal’s exclusive color, which represents sacred and orthodox. In Chinese, "黄袍加身" refers to the man who become the emperor. “黄袍”, “黄榜” and “黄门” are all associated with honor and glory. Yellow is the "noble", "dignity" and "power", which occupies an extremely important status in ancient China. But on the other hand, this word has the meaning of pornography. In Chinese, pornography books, movies and music can not be translated as yellow books/movies/music. At the same time, yellow and other words together constitute a lot of widely-used new words, such as: 黄色书刊，电影(obscene books/blue films), 黄卷(the ancient books almanac), 黄屋(the ancient emperor’s carriage), etc.

Besides, yellow also can say “fearful, mean, deceptive, jealousy, etc”, such as: yellow dog(野狗，卑鄙的人), yellow boy(黑白杂种), have a yellow streak(懦怯，胆小，卑鄙的行为), yellow alert((空袭)预备警报), yellow belly(可鄙的胆小鬼), yellow looks(可怕的脸色，诧异的眼神), etc.

“Yellow” in these phrases are divorced from the original meaning. It says the original Dust road黄泉路, the zodiac sign黄道吉日，cattle黄牛，frustrated黄粱梦, yellow page 电话号码本，yellow book法国官方文件.

In English, purple also symbolize nobility and power, such as: o be born in the purple(身出名门，贵族), marry into the purple(嫁入豪门), etc. The purple in the word “prosperity”(大红大紫) expressed by popular. The purple gas(紫气) is an auspicious sign and a lucky omen.

In English, brownalso matches with other words to express the different implications that are widely used, such as: to be done brown(被欺骗，被烤), brown baggers(学习用功的学生), be in brown study(空想、梦想、幻想), brown sugar(红糖), But the “brown” in Chinese is rarely matched with other words to form a new vocabulary.

Gray expresses the meanings of dark, cloudy, gloomy, etc in two languages. Such as: He looks gray and tired.他看起来垂头丧气，无精打采.