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1、中国某某某某学校学生毕业设计(论文)题 目：On the Symbolic Meanings of Color Words in Chinese and Western Cultures姓 名 ： 000000 班级、学号 ： 0000000000000 系 (部) ： 经济管理系 专 业 ： 商务英语 指导教师 ： 000000000 开题时间： 2009-4-10 完成时间： 2009-10-21 2009 年 10 月 21 日20目 录毕业设计任务书1毕业设计成绩评定表2答辩申请书3-5正文6-22答辩委员会表决意见23答辩过程记录表24课 题 On the Symbolic Mean
2、ings of Color Words in Chinese and Western Cultures一、 课题(论文)提纲0.引言1.颜色的文化内涵2.颜色词语和它们的历史背景3.中西方文化中不同颜色词语的象征意义3.1 红色3.2白色3.3黑色3.4黄色3.5绿色3.6紫色3.7蓝色3.8粉色4.结论二、内容摘要 因民族历史文化、政治、宗教、习俗和社会环境等因素的影响，中英文化语言中色彩词用法各异，颜色观也有所不同。中英文化在长期的历史沉淀中形成了各自独特的颜色观，折射出绚丽多姿的民族文化。文化制约了颜色词的意义演变，颜色词的文化意义又折射出了丰富的文化内涵。由于文化内容、文化传统和文化心
3、理各异，很多英汉颜色词的文化内涵差异较大。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。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。同时，由于文化趋同性和文化的交流，语言所反映的颜色观有相似或叠合的现象。本文就中英文化以上方面进行对比分析，试图说明中英文化中颜色词的不同象征意义。三、 参考文献1李瑞华英汉语言文化对比研究M上海外语教育出版社.19962王德春等汉语国俗词典M.河海大学出版社.1988 3陈忠诚词语翻译丛读M.中国对外翻译出版社.19834杨宇光.黄关福英汉英美社会生活词典M复旦大学出版社.1994
4、 5陆国强现代英语研究M复旦大学出版社.1997 6邵志洪英汉语研究与对比M.华东理工大学出版社.1997.7夏征龙主编.辞海M.上海辞书出版社.1988. 8王同忆主编.英汉辞海M.国防工业出编社.1987. 9陆谷孙主编.英汉大词典M.上海译文出版社.1993.On the Symbolic Meanings of Color Words in Chinese and Western Cultures000000Abstract: There are differences in the use of colors and color words between Chinese and E
5、nglish cultures. The different cultures bring different attitudes toward the same color because of different language habits, historical backgrounds, traditional customs and so on. Although the meanings of color words are restrained by cultures, they reveal wide connotation of cultures. We should pa
6、y attention to observing not only their basic meanings, but also the deep and broad symbolic meanings. The symbolic meanings of color words often have different features in different language cultures. And some of them even have become taboos and adornments since the meanings of the color words are
7、extended and transferred. Meanwhile, the cultural exchanges and the color views have similar phenomenon and coincidence in the languages. This paper tries to illustrate the different symbolic meanings of color words in Chinese and English cultures by comparison and analysis of them.Keywords: color w
8、ords; cultural differences; symbolic meanings; comparison0Introduction In humans language, color is charming and attracting. It is easy for you to understand what the color represents. In both English and Chinese language, there are plenty of words describing color. We should notice their basic mean
9、s and the deep, hidden meaning as well as. The symbolic meanings of colors varied by nations, races, cultures, geographic locations, natural phenomenon and history backgrounds.Different views of beauty which make people have various expressing and feelings of color. As a result, the symbolic meaning
10、s of color have a great difference in western and eastern culture. I would like to make a comparison and discussion on the eastern and western senses of color and its symbolic meaning.1. The cultural connotations of colors Our world view is determined by our culture and its forms are changing with t
11、ransmitting. Religion is the obvious element of culture to our world view. Religion and culture are going together。The study of religion not only offers insight into the spiritual and psychological needs of people, but also gives us clues into the social aspects of a culture。The usage of color in re
12、ligions and their sacred writings exert great influence on the connotations of the color terms. In view of science, color is a visual phenomenon which is the projection, reflection or penetration of light waves. It is a basic feature of human vision. The definition of color is easy accepted by the w
13、estern countries where had just experienced a relative short time of feudal society and a fast development in science and modern education. At the beginning of the western civilization, they paid attention to the discovery of the scientific and rational education. They had a realistic and scientific
14、 attitude about the world. Therefore, the symbolic meaning about the color in western culture is often more direct and logic. They generally take a specific color to represent some abstractive meaning in culture. However, Chinese has its thousands years of feudal thought and relatively backward in e
15、ducation and science. In Chinese culture, the symbolic means of color was mystery and limited by its philosophy and politics. For example, from the view of anthropology and human culture, red originates of sun. Sunshine is a symbolic of worship, celebrate, luck and It is a natural resources. In anci
16、ent, people realized that many live hoods are depends on sun. In the sun, they grow prosperity and healthy. It represents a special sentiment of sun. Take white as one more example. In the beginning of human history, our ancestors are weak and often in danger because they cant escape from the animal
17、s during the day time, so they are fear of white. In night time, they observe the mid-autumn moonlight which related to the spring, falling leaves. By times, In Chinese culture, psychologically we have a tradition prohibition of white. In the following paragraph I want to make a specific description
18、 of the symbolic means of color.2Color words and their historical backgroundsColor words, in whatever languages, are used for describing different things. The statistics show that there are more than 7 million kinds of colors can be recognized in the nature. However, the color names are very limited
19、 in the languages because there are only dozens of colors expressed in single-morpheme word. A number of color words are expressed by adding modifiers, for instance, crimson, pale red, apple green, azure, coffee color etc. Color words reflect the different cultural connotations in different language
20、s. People regard color words with special esteem in different countries. We should not only understand their basic meanings, but also pay attention to their deeply symbolic meanings. The symbolic meanings of color words have different features in different cultures. History, background, aesthetic an
21、d psychology are different because of our countrys geography. So, the feeling of the color words will not be the same, and the symbolic meanings of color words will be various. According to the definition of color, it is clear that color is a vision phenomenon aroused by the reflecting and radiating
22、 of object. The definition of color is blurry in China feudal society. In Western, it is easily accepted for its development of education and science. At the beginning, the Western people pay attention to things rationally. They often display the basic meaning of color words to the objective world,
23、so the symbolic meanings of the color words are very direct in Western culture. The Western people express some abstract cultural meaning with the concrete color of objective things. For example, in Western culture “getting red” means the color of “blood”. Among the mind in Western culture, once the
24、 blood trickles, the life end, so people always associate red with the violence, dangerous, and it is a taboo word in Western culture.3The symbolic meaning of color on the Chinese and Western culture 3.1 Black Black just means mysteries which is serious color in ancient culture. However, the symboli
25、c means of black become complex with the effect of western culture. On the one hand , it means justice, such as Bao Gong (A Judge who has a black face in Sung Dynasty) . Mr. Zhang fei (a General in Three-Kingdom Era) who is also black face in folk Beijing opera. On the other hand , it means snaky te
26、rrible because of its darkness. It also means evil such as the evil person who is black heart, Triad society members are called black group. It is also means breaking law, Robbers called the black road. The illegal hotel which often do illegal deal is called black hotel, Illegal trade is called blac
27、k market Black is a taboo color in western culture. It is the symbol of death and disaster e.g. a. Black Mass , b. to wear black for her father, c. black words, d. a black letter day. Some examples for evil and crime: a. Black Man，b. a black behavior，c. black guard, d. blackmail； It also means wrong
28、 and bad: a. a black mark，b. black sheep，c. a black eye. It may also imply depress a. black dog，b. The future looks black，c. He gave me a black look. In English, Black Friday is related to the Christian and the Easter. Black Friday is the day that Jesus dead. Black means unlucky, disaster, taboo, de
29、press and dark. In English speaking countries black Friday means a disaster day. 3.2 White White is the opposite of red in Chinese Cultures , Chinese people dont like the words which are associated with white, and embody the spirit of disgust and give up by Chinese people. In the “Five directions of
30、 ancient Chinese，”it is said that west is the symbol of white tiger. In the ancient times, autumn is not good for fighting and executed death prisoner. Therefore, white is the symbol of exhausted, lack of blood. It is also the symbol of death and knell. For example, people must put on white clothing
31、 , carry a white banner, in funeral services in Chinese tradition. They also thought white tiger as threat of god in the past, so woman called “white tiger star” if she brings her man bad luck. People are psychologically fear of white influenced the long lasting political effect. It is the symbol of
32、 corrupt, counteraction and also the symbol of fail, foolish, profitless. For example, in the war, they will usually raise a white flag to show the will of surrender. We also call mentally retarded people idiot “white-fool”. If we dont gain profit, not benefit or not result in doing business or work
33、, we wasted our sources, it is “white-busy”. White is also the symbol of duplicity and insidious, such as “singing white face” and the symbol of flimsy knowledge, without success, In Ancient China, color is commonly represents ones position in the society. For example, “white clothing”, “white body”
34、, “White house” are commonly described the poor people, their houses, social status etc, However, the symbolic meaning of white in the western culture, such as the snow, the fresh milk and the lily as well. Western people think the white is the symbol of elegance and purity.White is an admiration co
35、lor in the west and it is a symbol of soul, white wedding and it is also the symbol of honest,For example, a white spirit, white men and white hand. And it is also the symbol of good luck. A white magic means help by someone unexpected.It also means legal, such as white. 3.3 Red Red is the dignified
36、, advocate color of Chinese culture it embodies the pursuance of the Chinese in spiritually and materially, It stands for good luckor happiness.For example, we called the people who facilitate happy and harmonious marriage “red matchmaker“. We hang big red lantern, put up red antithetical couplet, a
37、nd a red character “happiness”(福) and (喜) when for celebrating marriage. We call prosperity and stability life “red fire”. We call a busy and boisterous place 红尘 red ? ”.Red regime means revolution and progress for the regime of the communist party of china. The one who demand for progress in politi
38、cal affairs and work hard in professional work was called “red and professional”. It stands for smoothness and success. For example, we call people who have been in good circumstances a “luck day”. We call the people who is bestowed favor on trust from the manager are “red people”. Having bonus in b
39、usiness enterprise called “red bonus”. Red attire” stands for beautifulness, pretty. A woman who in speak in attire called “red feminine” The woman who make up herself in bright color was called “red beauty”. In western culture, red has a relatively negative meaning. It related to blood, fire. It me
40、ans violence. For example: a. The red rules of tooth and claw. b. red revenge. c. a red battle. It means revolution e.g.a. red hot political campaign b. a red revolution c. a red activities. It stands for danger e.g. a. red alert b. a red adventure story, c. a red flag. It also means pornography e.g
41、. a. a red waste of his youth, b. a red light district and c. Is she really so red as she is painted？ 3.4 Yellow In Chinese language, put on a yellow gown means the one is promoted to be the king.Now it implies the one to be a leader or a manager. For long, yellow also stand for dignified which mean
42、s regime. Common people will not use yellow in daily life. Yellow gown, examination result written on a yellow paper and announced and yellow doors are related to honor. It is symbol of dignified and power. Yellow has a very important position in Chinese. Yellow evolves from red in Chinese culture.
43、People will choose a right date for doing something - “Huang Dao Ji Ri”. Yellow is nobly described the emperor. The gown of emperors is called Huang Pao Yellow Gown. Yellow means the central power, land of the kingdom, Yellow uniforms for the Jing Dynasty officials and it is exclusively used by the
44、emperor. It the East meets West culture. The World Daily of New York printed porn cartoon in yellow for stimulant the sales. People named porn publishing are yellow publication. Those are exaggerated news, crimes are called yellow news. In fact, yellow and * are mentioned in some books in our histor
45、y. In Han Dynasty, the Yellow scarf disturbance group printed Yellow book”. In western culture, yellow represents Judas who betrayed Jesus Christ. Yellow has a bad symbolic meaning. It means low class readings, yellow press, Yellow Journalism. It alsomeans: a. yellow dog - contemptible b. yellow str
46、eak -afraid c. yellow-livered coward 3.5 Green Green is a basic color in our daily life, and we can see so many green trees and green crops. But as a culture, green is widely welcomed, respected and even prostrated in worship. There are 72 nations choose green on their national flag among 168 countr
47、ies. In the Great Britain, green refers to the loyalty, pleasure, eternity and the justice. It is also the national color of Ireland. In Scotland, it means honor and piety. The Greeks even take green as the symbol of victory. In the Christianity, green indicates the earth and the hope, having the meaning of charity of god and the reappearance of joy. Generally speaking, its extended meanings are summed up as follows: Green indicates inexperienced, unskilled.In English mode if thinkin