英汉颜色词的翻译和比较(英文版)

Comparison and Translation of English and

Chinese Color Word

Abstract

The tendency of worldwide economic globalization has been intensified, and people have close exchanges in almost every fields. The role of culture in the interaction between people from all nations is becoming extremely crucial. This paper discusses the translating and contrast of color words in China and the West, which mostly involves three sections, the definition and the differences of color words, the contrast with color words and methods used in translation in English and Chinese. Meanwhile, the first part contains three respects, namely, the definition, categories that consists of basic color words, color words with colors of objects and color words in shades, as well as the reasons for the discrepancies in color words, which includes the different ethnic beliefs lead to differences in color words, influence of different modes of thinking and representation on color words and influence of different political systems and social differences on color words. And the second part mainly covers six respects, namely, the various implication and usage of color words in these two languages, such as red, black, white, yellow, blue and green. Ultimately, the last part involves two respects, namely, literary translation and free translation that contains cultural equivalence and functional equivalence. By comparing and translating color words about these two kinds of languages, this essay, for one thing, will aim at making a profound analysis of the discrepancies about the utilization of color words about the two languages and the reasons for the discrepancies; for another, the writer expects to offer tiny advice and references on color words in the future.

Key Words: Chinese and English color words, comparison, translation

摘要

随着世界经济全球化的发展，各国人民在政治、经济和文化之间的交往日益密切。文化在各国人民相互交往过程中的作用变得越来越突出。本篇论文主要是针对英汉颜色词的翻译和比较，主要包括三个方面，即色彩词的定义和不同，英汉色彩词的对比和英汉色彩词翻译过程中所使用方法。同时，第一部分包括三个方面，即定义，分类，其中包括基本色彩术语，色彩词的对象色彩和色差颜色词，和造成英汉色彩词差异的原因，其中包括不同的伦理信念导致色彩词的差异，关于色彩词思维和表达差异的影响和政治体制和社会差异的影响。其次，第二部分包括六方面的内容，即英汉色彩词内涵及使用的差异，如红色，黑色，白色，黄色，蓝色和绿色。最后，第三部分包括两方面的内容，即直译

和意译，其中意译又包括文化对等和功能对等。本文通过对比和翻译英汉色彩词，一方面希望可以更加深刻的剖析英汉色彩词使用的差异以及造成这种差异的原因；另一方面，希望为以后从事英汉色彩词的研究学者提供借鉴和参考。

关键词：中英颜色词; 比较; 翻译

1.Introduction

It is inextricable for language and culture, which influences each other. Language is the product of cultural evolution and its survival cannot be parted in the environment of society and culture on which it relies. Through the translation and comparison of color words in various culture, this paper will explore the discrepancies between color words, reasons for these diversities, and means in translating. This article aims to analyze the internal differences about color words in these two languages, and how to use these color words appropriately to avoid misuse or misconception in communicating or writing.

2.Literature Review

In terms of the study of the Chinese colors, there are some of the studies.

Liu Yunquan (刘云泉, 1990) discusses the relationship between the evolution of Chinese color vocabulary and its essential attributes such as characteristics and art, literature, science and society, which has a far-reaching influence on studying color words in the near future.

Yin Yonglong (尹泳龙, 1997), elaborates a comprehensive analysis of China since ancient times spread more than 2000 color names, and he is the first to classify colors as three color name systems. Mr. Yin not only explains more than 2000 kinds of colors in detail, but also conveys the color tone and saturation.

As regard to the study of English color words, there are some lists of studies:

Zhang Peiji (张培基, 1980) commits himself to researching western color words from the perspective of Chinese and comes up with a comprehensive explanation from the etymology, composition and evolution about English color words.

In recent years, there are more and more comparative studies on Chinese and English color words:

Gu Jiazu (顾嘉祖, 2002), probes into the influence of Chinese and western national culture on the development of Chinese and English color words from macro and micro perspectives. Simultaneously, he puts forward the ethnic diversities revealed by color words in intercultural exchange.

Chen Jiazhen (陈嘉珍,2011) deems that color words not only express simple object attributes, but also conveys some implications about society and culture. Through the point of color, people can see the religious beliefs, moral code and aesthetic conceptions of various societies.

Scholars and researchers mentioned above have provided a host of research methods and theories to study contrast and translating about color words in English and Chinese. Their contributions are of great significance and are very helpful to our research on Chinese and English color words.

3. The Definition of Color Words and the Differences

3.1 Definition

Color words are part of speech classified according to the conceptual meaning. They are served to represent various things’ natural color in most instances. However, language is the product of culture and its existence and evolution is married tightly with the social and cultural surroundings. Therefore, color words possess their specific senses in different states and regions because it is affected tremendously by these cultural elements. Through color words, people will comprehend their rich implication and extension, as well as the profound national cultural psychology and emotional color contained in them.

3.2 Classification

Although the variety and quantity of color words are extremely abundant and the differences among them are great, there are obvious similarities in the cognition of color words among human beings, and the sort of color is largely alike. Color words is generally classified into three kinds: Basic Color Words, Color Words with Colors of Objects, and Color Words in Shades (Ding Feng, Jiang Lijun, 2005: 85-86).

3.2.1 Basic Color Terms

The basic color words are what specially utilized to represent things’ color. On behalf of the extensive colors, they have a special generality and are frequently used in communication. The general basic color words in English can generally be discovered in Chinese. People have the same concept of basic color because of their aesthesia of color. It refers to those color words which expresses the feeling of things. The basic color words has little difference between two languages. There are 赤橙黄绿青蓝紫,and there are red, white, black, green, yellow, blue, purple, gray, brown correspondingly.

3.2.2 Color Words with Colors of Objects

Color words with colors of objects are used to represent the color of natural objects. The color of them is distinctive, and its name represents the object and refers to a color. The natural object represents the natural color of the word. The physical color words are far more than the basic color words, and most English physical color words have the corresponding words in Chinese. For example, silver means“银白”, gold means “金色”, and lead-gray means “铅灰”(Ding Feng, Jiang Lijun, 2005: 86). These colors are widely employed in

life and literature.

3.2.3 Color Words in Shades

Color Words in Shades refer to the differences between light and shade by the natural light or white light from the sun shining on various colors. In English, we use the wor d “shade” to indicate a slight shade of this color. These kinds of words are: (1) deep expression: deep, dark; (2) light expression: light, pale; (3) clear expression: bright and vivid.

3.3 The Reason for the Difference between English and Chinese Color Words

Owing to the contrasts in geographical features, customs and folkways and religious faiths in different conditions, diverse colors have individual visual links and meanings for persons. Therefore, it is necessary to give greatly particular focus about the differences in translation. In addition, in English, words or phrases composed by color words often have their special meaning or idiomatic usage, which shouldn’t be neglected in the translating of color words.

3.3.1 Different Ethnic Beliefs Lead to Differences in color words

It is inextricable between color words and daily life, and each color word holds a unique aesthetic function. In aesthetic judgment, people develop a specific standard to the form factor of color, and each nation has a folkloric interest in color and even worship. Different nations comprehend this adoration distinctly correspondingly.

3.3.2 The Influence of Different Ways of Thinking and Expression on Color Words

Since each nation or country has its own unusual way of expression and thought, and this difference will affect people’s expression and cognition of things. There are many different concepts for the observation and use of color words. People in British culture are used to formal analysis, highlighting the subjective role and taking the subject as the center, while the thinking habits of the Chinese people are often grasped as a whole, starting from reality and paying attention to the integration of subject and object. For example, black tea is not called “黑茶” in China.

3.3.3 The Influence of Different Political Systems and Social Differences on Color Words

Language, a social phenomenon, proceeds and develops with the society. The innovation of the political system and the economic system, and the social diversity and unification, will advance its development. The same color word may add new meanings with the development of society, and the same social and cultural system can also be used with different color words. Color words are utilized regularly in economic and

politics. For example, red ink is the deficit and in the black is the profit.

4. The Comparison with English and Chinese Color Words

Because color words originated from people's conception and understanding of the natural scene they are familiar with, when they mention something, people can often think of its color. when some specific colors are mentioned, they often recall public of particular things. Therefore, it is safe to say that color words are connected with each other. In all countries or regions’ languages, there are abundant meanings about color words. Color words in English and Chinese are affluent in meaning and wide in utilization. There are some basic colors, such as red, orange, yellow, black, green, cyan, blue, purple and white. This paper aims to use six basic color including red, black, white, green, blue and yellow in the psychological association of meaning, symbolic meaning, positive and negative meaning, implication meaning etc.

4.1 Red

Red, as we all know, is an important color word in both cultures, while it has the contrasting meaning in some cases.

In Chinese, red is often linked with happiness and auspiciousness, such as the traditional red wedding symbol, red candle, red veil, and the red robe of the bride and groom (Deng Yanchang, 1989: 64). These expressions bring atmosphere of weddings festive and warmness, but also make people think of the day after the wedd ing over the more prosperous. In addition, “red” is often linked with politics by all accounts, which embodies the revolution and progress, such as “China’s red army” is the English expression of “红军”, “red regime” means “红色政权”.

However, from the viewpoint of westerners, red is the sign of blood and fire, which can be implied as a derogatory term, showing violence, blood, cruelty and fire, such as “red hands” is the translation of “血腥的手”. Red can even mean lascivious or vulgar, for example, “red light district” is “红灯区”. This is a well-known euphemism for the city’s sex scene. A representative example, the Dream of The Red Chamber, is one of the four masterpieces of China. It has two versions: Dream of The Red Chamber and The Stone Story. The latter is more widely known for foreigner because it considers the cultural differences between the two aspects of the red. The latter version is more likely to preserve the style of the original work. (Luo Feng, 2004: 152)

4.2 Black

Contrary to the metaphorical meaning of the word red, black is featured with identical meaning among

different cultures. It manifests death, suffering and grief for the most part.

In Chinese traditional psychology, black is always associated with “bad, dark, vicious and direful things”. For example, “gang, gangway, slang” often refers to gangsters or the language they communicate with in Chinese. The “black shop” is often associated with the “murder and robbery of the inn” in early vernacular novels,

The meaning of black in English is similar to that of Chinese. And some of them are even equivalent in meaning and form: “black market” refers to “黑市”(指非法交易), “black hand” means “黑手党”, “black hearted” is “黑心肠的”. Black also signifies disaster, gloom and misfortune such as the “black sheep”, which means “败家子，害群之马” in English. The first day students go to school is called black Monday, its Chinese expression is “黑色星期一”. On September 13, 1873, the stock market in New York City plunged, accompanied by the cosmopolitan economic crisis, and giant business buildings became known as Black Friday, namely“黑色星期五”.

4.3 White

The meaning of white has a great similarity in many cultures, which mainly refers to innocence and chasteness. However, there are some subtle disparities in some cases.

In traditional Chinese, it represents purity, justice, light and kindness. White is also related to funeral, evil, lowliness, poverty and other semantics. Besides, white still has derogatory senses that is linked with vain. The “white face” is opposite to the “black face”, symbolizing treachery and betrayal in traditional Chinese operas.

The symbolic meaning of white mainly rests with the color itself in the western culture, which is the manifestation of god and angels, purity and goodliness, happiness and beauty.

It was believed that sleeping in white pajamas would ensure a good night’s sleep in ancient Greece. The angels always own white wings and white rings suspended above their heads in the bible stories. White wedding gowns and gloves will be worn by brides. In a western story, there is a hero who wins the sympathy and love of children all over the world. She is called Snow White and is the representation of wisdom and beauty.

White also carries the meaning of goodwill, luck or peace in English. For example, an auspicious day can be represented as a white day, A kind lie can be represented as white lie, and a happy day can be represented as a day marked with a white stone.

In addition, white also reflects power in English such as The White House in the United States. White

hall refers to the British government on behalf of the British government, which is the mark of British power. The white paper is an official record drew by western countries.

4.4 Y ellow

In the Han, yellow manifests the emperor, the paramount power and status representing authority and majesty, which holds a bitterly crucial part in most Chinese people’s hearts. Except for the emperor, ordinary people cannot use yellow casually. Due to the similarity of yellow and gold, yellow symbolizes wealth, brilliance and auspiciousness.

In addition, when it comes to the word “yellow”, from Chinese people’s perspectives, it will be associated with vulgar, obscene and vulgar words related to sex, or with unhealthy books, works, songs and pictures. Fo r example, “yellow books” is the meaning of “黄色书籍” and “yellow music” is “黄色音乐”.

In English, yellow is connected with the clothes which is worn by Juda who betrayed Jesus. Therefore, its connotation is not auspicious. In addition, this color word also refers to the vulgar press and books. For example, yellow press refers to vulgar books, and yellow pages refer to the telephone book of shops, restaurants, merchants and organizations. Besides, yellow mainly means unreliable and timid. For instance, the timid person is yellow-livered.

4.5 Blue

The association of blue in various cultures is extremely distinct. Blue has little augmented meaning in Chinese, while in English it is a color with abundant meanings

Chinese people like to associate blue with good reverie and vision because of the sea and sky. Therefore, blue in Chinese culture gives people the association of “tranquility and happiness” like “blue dream”, refers to a wonderful dream.

Blue is special in English. Therefore, we should focus more on its special meaning in the course of translating. For example, “blue book” in American English refers to blue books containing the names of celebrities and governmental officials. Also, blue in English is often used to refer to a person’s mood of depression and sadness. Blue is also commonly employed in English to indicate high social status, power or royal people. Blue also has pornographic, vulgar and nasty meaning.

However, it is worth noting that some phrases in English containing the word “blue” do not have th e meaning of “忧郁”. For example, a blue movie does not refer to a sorrowful movie, but indicates an indelicate content, suggestive or descriptive action, which is equivalent to the Chinese word “yellow film” (Wang Ling,

2004: 92).

4.6 Green

Green symbolizes kindness, hope or vitality. Its symbolic meaning is almost the same. It is normal that green has become the topic of the environment (Jiang Bingqing, 2002: 66). It symbolizes the tranquility of the countryside and the harmony of the nature. For example, “green peace organization” is translated into “绿色和平组织” .

However, green has a quite distinct meaning in English, which refers to jealousy and envy. It is always transferred into “green-eyed” rather than “red-eyed” in Chinese. Furthermore, du e to the color of dollar bills, from American people’s perspectives, green represents fortune and power. Therefore, the dollar bill could be expressed as green back. Moreover, it is referred to young, ignorant and inexperienced unseasoned people. For examp le, the meaning of the sentence “the new teacher is green at her job” is that“这位新来的老师对她的工作还没有经验”.

5. Methods Used in Translation of Chinese and English Color Words

The translation is nothing more than expressing the cultural information of a language into another, that is for sure that every translation cannot be separated from culture. Through the disparity of color words, we can see that due to different national psychology or aesthetic standards, the symbolic meaning and emotional color of color words in these two languages are quite different, which is a big difficulty that English learners and translators must overcome. We should try to eliminate the obstacles and minimize the distortion in the process of communication. In the process of reproducing the source language of the target language, due to the differences, the cultural atmosphere of the target and the source is various. When understanding the original information and the author's creative intention, we will inevitably have subjective intention, and sometimes we can adopt unique processing methods to reflect our own style. When it comes to the disparities, we aim to try our best to hold common ground. On the premise to keep loyal to the original text, it is advisable for people to exert themselves to innovate.

5.1 Literary Translation

When giving the thought of the original text, the basic form and syntax structure about the translating should be accordant with the original. For instance, “White House” refers to “白宫”, “Red Cross” denotes “红十字会”, “green tea” implies “绿茶” and “yellow line” means “黄线”.

5.2 Free Translation

Free translation mentions that the comprehension and grasp of the idea of the original text, the slipping and rebuilding of the external structure of the former and then leading the translating to an exclusive and plain formation. In other words, to break through the shell of a language and dig out its connotative meaning (Xiao Aiping, 2001: 89). Free translation can be classified as many kinds, among which the two most essential parts are equivalence related to culture and function.

5.2.1 Cultural equivalence

Sometimes, diverse color words are utilized to convey the same thing. Therefore, translators should give more attention to the customary habits of color words in different national cultures to avoid dead translation when dealing with color words. For example, “红榜” is not translatable into red roll, the idiomatic representation in English is honorable, and the relative form of “红娘”is “go-between lover”, not red woman(Quan Yu, 2004: 83). And “black tea” cannot be translated into “黑茶”in Chinese, but should be “红茶”. It is because Chinese give emphasis about the content. This black tea refers to the color of the tea in the eyes of westerners because they follow the interest the appearance of the color. The tea is mostly black before the bubble, so foreigners call it black tea. And similarly, “brown sugar” is “红糖”, “brown bread” means “黑面包”, and “black and blue” means“青一块紫一块”.

This phenomenon is due to the different aesthetic tastes in English and Chinese cultures. Chinese pay close attention to the beauty of symmetry. Poems and couplets are the concentrated reflection of the desire of symmetry. The use of color words in English tends to be accurate.

5.2.2 Functional Equivalence

Functional equivalence is to transfer texts with specific colors about the original to that with the identical meaning but without cultural color in the target. The culture that is contained about the color in the former is decided by the specific background about history and culture. Therefore, if the reader lack of some specific knowledge or the background, it will have difficulty to comprehend the real intentions of the color word. Therefore, if the target language cannot express the color words of the original at first hand, functional equivalent translation method will be put to use. For e xample, “black leg” means “骗子”, “black dog” means “不开心的人”or “忧郁的人”, “black Smith” is “铁匠”, “white rage” means “震怒”, “a white lie” means “善意的谎言”, “a white night” refers to “不眠之夜” and “a white elephant” is “花消巨大却毫无实用价值的物品”(Zhang Junxing, 2004: 66).

6. Conclusion

It is proverbial that the translation of color words involves two languages as well as two cultures. The accurate translating of color words has an exactly essential impact on the understanding and acceptance of the people. For example, in the current international trade, the combination and decoration of colors is very delicate, such as Japanese avoid yellow and American avoid black. If people have some mistiness about that, it will bring harmfulness about the trade and even influence the impression about a country. Therefore, we should study and master the knowledge about the translation of color words with great care to accurately apply them in real life.

Previous researchers and scholars have completed lots of researches about color words from different viewpoint. This paper studies the translation and comparison of color words in English and Chinese, containing the definition, the difference and the comparison of color words, and the methods about how to translating them. Through the exploration of color words, this paper was studied to make tiny contributions to the foreign exchange and provide a reference to the intercultural exchange.

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