論漢語(yǔ)顏色詞的英譯

1、OUTLINEAbstract Key Words I. Introduction II. The Definition and Classification of Color Words2.1. The Definition of Color Words 2.2. The Classification of Color Words III. The Comparative Study of the Color Words 3.1. The Similarities of Color Words3.1.1. Red and 紅色3.1.2. Black and 黑色3.2. The Diffe

2、rences of Color Words 3.2.1. Red and 紅色3.2.2. Black and 黑色3.2.3. White and 白色 3.2.4. Yellow and 黃色3.2.5. Blue and 藍(lán)色3.2.6. Green and 綠色I(xiàn)V. The Translation Methods of Color Words 4.1. Literal Translation 4.1. Liberal Translation 4.2.1. Cultural Equivalence Translation 4.2.2. Functional Equivalence Tr

3、anslationV. Conclusion Bibliography 中文標(biāo)題、摘要、關(guān)鍵詞 On the English Translation of Chinese Color Words Author: Number: Tutor: Abstract: In the humans language, the unique charm that color words shows and displays makes people impressive. In the two languages, English and Chinese, there are so many expres

4、sions of color words. Maybe the same color has the same meanings. Maybe the same color has the different meanings, which is decided by the cultural factors. Therefore, in the process of translating Chinese into English, translators should try to translate color words according to the deeper meaning

5、of the relevant background knowledge rather than translate directly according to the literal meaning so that more mistakes could be avoided, be good at comparing meaning and connotation of common color words between Chinese and English language to make every effort to make fewer mistakes in the tran

6、slation process and to reduce mistranslation as far as possible. This paper tries to compare the meaning of color words commonly used and then further to find out the differences and similarities in both English and Chinese and to reach a conclusion about how to translate Chinese color words into En

7、glish in the end. In the translation of color words, translators must think of the cultural element in order that they can understand, translate and express color words accurately and properly communicate fluently. Key Words: color words; translation; Chinese; English; cultureI. IntroductionColor, a

8、n important field of mankind to understand the world, is closely related to human life. Color not only has physical attributes, but also rich cultural connotation and extension of meaning, thus color is an important subject in the study of language, culture and translation. Between Chinese and Engli

9、sh language, there are a lot of expressions of color that have special cultural connotations. As a result of the two different cultures of English and Chinese, the expressions of the same color from the two peoples have generality and also have otherness. Sometimes, even the two are opposite. Thus,

10、in the translation of these color words that express something, be sure to understand its real meaning. Usually, sometimes these color words do not mean the color but other special meanings which are extended or converted. This paper tries to find out the differences and similarities by the contrast

11、 of English and Chinese color words, and discusses the translation of these kinds of words on the premise of deepening understanding. II. The Definition and Classification of Color WordsThere are a large number of color words in Chinese and in English. But what human feel about color is consistent,

12、including the two nations. Of course, in different languages, how to classify or express for people is both consistent and different. The classification of color words in Chinese and in English is not only the same in general but also different. 2.1. The Definition of Color WordsColor words, in what

13、ever languages, are words used to describe the colors of the different kinds of things. This definition is well known around the world, from the scientific definition, color is the visual phenomenon which is caused by the launch or reflects of objects, or the penetration of light waves. It is one ki

14、nd of the basic characteristics of humans vision. The material world is full of all sorts of colors, almost nothing the same. The visible light such as sunlight, lights, etc. irradiates the objects; the objects abort and reflect the light waves selectively. Then, colors appear. (He Guoxing, 2004: 1-

15、2) Obviously, as a part of words, color words are used in writing to transmit information. In physics, it stands for the color reflected objects. 2.2. The Classification of Color WordsThe Chinese and the English have a lot in common in the cognition of color words. Although great differences existed

16、 in the number of colors vocabulary, the classification of Chinese and English color words is almost the same on the whole. English and Chinese Expressions on colors can be categorized into three kinds: basic color words, color words with colors of objects, color words in shades. (Jiang Feng & D

17、ing Lijun, 2005; 86)2.2.1. Basic Color WordsIn the late 1960s, two American scholars Brent Berlin and Paul Kay put forward a total universal inventory of eleven basic color words: white, black, red, yellow, green, brown, blue, pink, orange, gray, and purple, with the publication of Basic Color Terms

18、, Their Universality and Evolution. According to John I. Saeed, there are six color words in Chinese: black, white, red, yellow, blue and green. (Saeed, 1997: 74), That is to say that there are “黑, 白, 紅, 黃, 藍(lán), 綠” in Chinese.Basic color words refers to red(紅), yellow(黃)，white(白), black(黑), green(綠),b

19、lue(藍(lán))in this article. In western painting, oil painters use these six colors to tone variety of colors.2.2.2. Color Words with Colors of ObjectsColor words with colors of objects refer to words with the natural color of the object to describe the color. Like, gold/golden(金黃), silver(銀白), orange(橘黃)

20、, lead-gray(鉛灰), orange-red(橘紅), peach-pink(桃紅), and chestnut-brown(栗色), and so on. Such a kind of words is widely used in life and literary works. 2.2.3. Color Words in ShadesColor words in shades means colors show their differences under the natural light from the sun or white light, which usually

21、 indicates color aberration to some degree. This kind of words in English includes (1) deep/dark; (2) light/pale; (3) bright/rich/vivid.This paper mainly discusses the comparison and translation between Chinese and English of the basic color used commonly. Among these basic color words have their si

22、milarities and their differences, namely, the basic color words in Chinese and English are the main object to study and analyze in this article.III. The Comparative Study of the Color Words There are different kinds of colors. Colors are closely linked with peoples life. In human language, color wor

23、ds have their special charm. The color words are often used to describe the color of different things. Besides indicating the basic colors, such as black, red, white, yellow, green and blue, they also reflect the different cultural connotation in different languages. 3.1. The Similarities of Color W

24、ordsIn Chinese and English, some color words have the same meaning. This article mainly introduces the similarities of two colors, red and black.3.1.1. Red and 紅色Red, together with other words, not only derives a lot of language meaning of objective things, but also reveals the word, politics and cu

25、ltural connotations.In Chinese, the main symbolic meaning of “red” is festival, success, popularity with the attention. In national flag, the most color is red, so red is the color that we advocate mainly in Chinese culture, which shows the pursuit of Chinese in the spiritual and the material, such

26、as, hanging red lanterns, pasting red couplet and red “fu” word are the customs when Chinese people are in a festival day. When a man marries a woman, his family members will paste red “hi” in their rooms to represent happiness and joy. Being prosperous and lively is expressed as “紅火” in Chinese. Th

27、e flouring and lively place is called “紅塵”. The Chinese film Raise the Red Lantern is a tragedy that shows a picture of sad and miserable life of a woman in the feudal society, but here “Raise the Red Lantern” means “joy, festival”. Similarly, in the classic greatest masterpiece, A Dream of Red Mans

28、ions, the “red mansions” means prosperity and happiness.In English, “red” can also make abstract extension, and signify the attribute concept of things linked with red closely. For example, the word “red” in “to paint the town red” refers to the carnivals and celebrations, but with noises. “Red carp

29、et treatment” expresses the kind of courtesy or deference showing persons of high status. Especially, “red carpet”, the specific image, is used to express solemnity and nobleness. For example, the visiting princess was treated to the red carpet in Rome. Red is similar to Chinese, so it can also be u

30、sed to represent good luck, happiness and joy. A red-letter day means the Memorial Day or wedding day; “red-carpet” indicates grand reception and welcome.Sometimes, “red” is used to express feelings, such as indignation, anger, shyness, which is a common phenomenon in the two languages. “面紅耳赤(red-fa

31、ced)” means being angry, “臉紅(blush)” means shy , and so on. In English, “see red” and “l(fā)ike a red rag to a bull” mean being angry. For example, whenever anyone teased John about his weight, he saw red.In Chinese and English, “red” has another important symbolic meaning, that is, revolution, such as

32、red army, a red revolution, red hot political campaign.3.1.2. Black and 黑色The meaning of black in Chinese and English culture is the same. It stands for death, suffering and sorrow.In Chinese culture and historical tradition and psychology, black is linked closely with bad, darkness, evil, trick, et

33、c. For example, in the early vernacular novels, “黑店” is an inn where someone may be killed or money and goods may be robbed. And in English, it is not so different from Chinese; even some are equivalent in meaning and form. For example, “黑市” is translated into black market, which refers to the illeg

34、al trade. “黑手黨” is turned into black hand. “黑心腸的”is expressed as black hearted. “黑社會(huì)” indicates criminal society. “黑金政治” is money politics.Of course, like red, black can be used to express feelings, such as anger, glare, etc., which are mainly used in English, such as black in the face, look black a

35、nd so on.3.2. The Differences of Color Words In Chinese and English, most color words have different meanings. This article mainly introduces the differences of six colors, red and black, white, yellow, blue and green.3.2.1. Red and 紅色I(xiàn)n Chinese and English, “red” symbolizes revolution, but revoluti

36、on in Chinese is different from revolution in English. Revolution in Chinese is good, but revolution in English often has a derogatory meaning. In Chinese, “red” symbolizes revolution and press, such as the first regime of the Communist Party of china called red political power, the earliest armed f

37、orces called “red army”. Someone that asks himself to improve in politics and studies hard in business is “red” and so on. However, in English, it symbolizes radicands and violent revolution. For instance, red hot political campaign means intense political movement, a red revolution; red activities

38、mean left-wing radical movement. Even in Le Rouge et Le Noir, written by Stendhal, a French writer, “the red” means the anti-feudalism revolution. Usually, “red” in Chinese is good, but “red” in English often gives people something like sorrow, disgust and shame. For example, “the red light district

39、” refers to the area of a brothel in town, where people should not go. “Running a business in the red” means running at a boss.3.2.2. Black and 黑色I(xiàn)n Chinese, a “black” is often assigned to the meaning of illegality and bad luck. In our daily life, those residents who are unregistered are black resid

40、ents.In English, “black” has the meaning of unfortunateness, disaster, disgust, anger and so on. For instance, “black sheep” and “black Monday” are what the students call the first day of school. “Black Friday” is called by businessman on September 13, 1873, the New York stock market crash, along wi

41、th global economic crisis that year.3.2.3. White and 白色Both in Chinese and in English, there are many differences of the meaning of white.In Chinese culture, “white” is often linked with death and funeral. For example, “紅白喜事” is translated into weddings and funerals. “白(white)” refers to the funeral

42、 where people wear white clothes and white hat to show mourning. But in English culture, “white” is the color that people advocate, the symbol of purity, innocence, happiness and auspiciousness. For example, in western wedding, “white” is the main color. The bride wears white and holy wedding dress

43、and white veil to represent the purity of love and happiness of the wedding.But due to the continuous development of the language, there are exceptions in many Chinese and English words now. “White” is separated from their original meaning. “White” both in Chinese and in English, has its unique exte

44、nded meaning. In Chinese, “white” can express something without a price, blank, clear and so on. At this moment, “white” is no longer a color but a verb. For example, “白手” symbolizes empty-handed. “白紙” indicates blank paper. “白話” is translated into colloquialism. “白癡” is a fool, and so on.In English

45、, “white” can express innocence, goodwill, luck and honesty etc., like “a white day”, “white rage” and “a white lie”. Some words include “white”, and can also be translated into “white”, but the meaning is changed. For example, “white elephant” means something that is costly and burdensome is kept s

46、afely. There are many more, such as “White House”, the American government, “white sale”, “white war” and so on.3.2.4. Yellow and 黃色I(xiàn)n Chinese culture, in old times “yellow” symbolized the central regime and territory on behalf of the authority and majesty, which occupies an extremely important stat

47、us in the Chinese mind. In addition to the son of heaven, ordinary people cant use yellow. Traditionally, “yellow” is the color of royalty and proprietary. For example, “Huang Bang” is the son of heavens letters. But in English, “yellow” has nothing to do with these meanings.But in modern Chinese, t

48、he word, “yellow”, often appears in some derogatory terms to express dirty and degradation. Meanwhile, “yellow”, together with other words, makes up a lot of new vocabulary used widely. For instance, “yellow movies”, “yellow music” and so on. Most of these things are related to sex.In western cultur

49、e, on mentioning yellow, people will think about that Judas betrayed Jesus, so there is no doubt that the symbolic meaning of “yellow” is not good. It expresses press with no interest and books without literary value, such as “yellow press”, which is not pornographic but only sleazy meaning, “yellow

50、 pages” indicates the phone book of stores, restaurants, businesses and institutions, only because the page is yellow but there is no meaning of sex. At the same time, yellow has the meaning of being despicable and cowardly, such as “yellow dog”, “yellow-livered”.3.2.5. Blue and 藍(lán)色Chinese people lik

51、e the natural color of sea and sky, blue. “Blue” is often linked with beautiful dreams and longings, so blue in Chinese culture gives people associations of quiet and far-reaching implication and the pleasing scenery, such as blue dreams which refers to the beautiful dreams. However, blue is quite d

52、ifferent in English, which indicates melancholy and sadness. For example, he was blue over his dismissal(他因被解雇而情緒低落). “In a blue mood” and “having the blues” means sad and depressed, Blue Monday; “in blue fit” means shocked or angry. “Blue” is a noble color, used to represent high social status, or

53、someone is powerful or born in the purple or royal family. For example, “blue blood” refers to the noble origin.But it is important to notice that some of the phrases with the word “blue are not with the meaning of “blue” in English, such as a blue film, which is not a sad movie, but contains obscen

54、ity and hints or descript sexual behavior. It is equivalent to “yellow movies” in Chinese. 3.2.6. Green and 綠色The associations of “green” in English and Chinese are completely different. In Chinese traditional culture, the meaning of “green” is dual. First of all, it indicates righteousness and chiv

55、alrous action, because in the early time, after the long process of life with the green to protect themselves to survive. At the same time, people protect themselves from the natural enemies and other brutal man-eater by the blue, for example, Robin Hood who gathers in the mountain forest to help ot

56、hers. In English, “green” is a color word with very good association, which represents hope and spring, which is related to the environment. For example, “green consumerism”, it means that the consumers buy products which are not harmful to the environment.On the other hand, “green” stands for base.

57、 In ancient times, vulgar people wear green clothes, which expresses savage. Similarly, in English, the meaning of “green” is also not good, which means envy, childish and lack of training. For example, “a green hand” means no experience. “As green as grass” expresses childish. “A green eye” indicat

58、es jealous eyes. IV. The Translation Strategies of Color Words As an act of cross-cultural communication, translation is by no means a simple process of decoding and recoding, but an activity of communication. Translation should take cultures as translation. As a result, we can say that translation

59、is inseparable from the culture. The experienced translators and translation researchers are always pay more attention to the relationship between culture and translation, as Wang Zuoliang said: “The translator must be truly cultured.” (Wang Zuoliang, 1984: 7) From above comparison of color words in Chinese and English, it is easy to see that the differences of color words symbolic