the-difference-of-color-in-chinese-and-english-and-the-cause-of-the-difference--英语专业毕业论文设计.doc

The Difference of Color in Chinese and English and the Cause of the Difference

Background

Though color is few in number, to the large extent, it demonstrates the difference of the connotation of different language and culture. Thus, to people belong to different culture, color causes different associative meanings, and the connotation meanings of colors are not definitely the same, which causes the difference in different culture and language in using color words.

To the practical application of color words, according to Palmer(1984［1976］:75), any language, even if it has the similar color code with other language, but owning to the influence of culture, the contents it indicating are different from each other. This research paper is going to discuss the matter of the difference of the associative meaning of color both in Chinese and in English through method of comparison and contrast of the frequently used color words of red, yellow, blue, green, white, and black, and the reasons of the these difference.

Literature Review

Many research articles and books contrast and compare the difference of the color words in Chinese and in English, and some of them give the reason of why these differences are formed［ Xie and Zhang, 2004; Mu, 2010; Liang, 2004; Qing, 2003; Zhou, 2002; Zhou and Zhang, 2002; Zhang, 1999; Heider, 1971; Kay and Chad, 1978; Maclaury, 1991; ］however, nearly all these books just said the reason s which causes the differences of color words are culture belonging to different social communities in general. What these books failed to do is to focus on the specific reasons on what part of culture of a social community and the specific reasons of people or what not that influence the formation of these difference.

To find out the reasons of the formation of the difference, Mu(2010) compared and contrasted the color words, especially the frequently used color words respectively, and analyzed generally on the respect of culture. While Li (2003) just trapped in the study of frequently used colors and the study of people’s preference of using color words. And studies of color words are mostly via illustration and lack of systematical exploitation and analysis of the color words. Besides, Zhou (2002) collected large amount of language materials about color and discussed the different functions of the usage of color words in both Chinese and English through analysis, induction, and comparison. And he also brought up his own idea about how these differences formed.

Research Design and Methodology

To conduct this study, the following question was posed
What caused the different associative meaning of color terms in Chinese and English?

To investigate this question, the first thing need to do is to compare and contrast the color words both in Chinese and in English respectively.

RED

In Chinese traditional culture, Hong or Zhu (red)is often used to express the meaning of appreciation. It stands for improvement and pleasure. In Chinese people’s opinion, red symbolizes jubilation, luck, success, and prosperity. (Xie and Zhang, 2004) In ancient China, Zhu Men (the front door which was painted red) was usually used to represent the houses of aristocrats and the government officials. And Zhu Yi (red cloth) was the cloth the noble people wearing. Hong Ren is the one who is trusted by his superior and is often put in an important position. In traditional Chinese wedding ceremony, people used red paper-cut and red candles to decorate the house and both the bride and bridegroom must in red cloth, which means their married life is going to be very good and happy. During the Spring Festival, people glue on the wall the Spring Festival scrolls, which is red in color and hang red lanterns, in order to get some sort of good luck.

While in English, red is the color of blood and fire, which lead to the associative meaning of “dangerous” “bleeding blood” or “terror”. Thus, in English culture, red is a word with strongly pejorative meaning. It represents cruelty, disaster, mania, and what not. For example, “red battle” “red activity” “the red rules of tooth and claw” “see red” ”red-handed” “red-tape” “red tape” or “red-blooded”. (Bai, 1993)

However, red also presents the meaning of jubilation, such as the red-letter-day, and rolling out the red carpet for somebody.

Both in Chinese and in English, red has pornographic associative meaning. But there is a little difference between them, Chinese people prefer pink while English speaking people is more likely to choose scarlet.

YELLOW

In Chinese culture, Huang (yellow) has a great abundance of connotations. There are a lot of words related to yellow, which are rich in cultural connotation. In Chinese, yellow is always the color enjoying its popularity among Chinese people in ancient times. It often related to religion, royal power, and so on, and also symbolized sacredness, respect, and solemnity.(Song, 2009) Besides, Chinese people often associate yellow with death, for example Huang Quan, which means the place where people been after their death.

However, with the development of generation and the decline of royal family, yellow produces the pornographic associative meaning, especially after 1980’s, yellow is equal to pornography. And yellow is the representative of degeneration, obscenity.

While in English, yellow is often related to coward ice and fear, such as “turn yellow” “yellow belly” “yellow streak” “yellow-livered”. And in English, yellow also relates to betrayal, evil, for instance, “yellow dog” “yellow union” “yellow-dog contract” and so on. Besides, “yellow journalism” and “yellow press” (Chen, 2010a) in English are not the same as Huang Se Shu Kan (pornography) in Chinese. All the mentioned words about yellow are pejorative in English.

BLUE

In Chinese, there is not much associative meaning about blue. But in English, blue is rich in associative meaning. Blue stands for royal family, nobility, loyalty, justice, melancholy and also pornography. For instance, people use blue blood to describe aristocratic and blue-ribbon and blue stocking (Chen, 2010b) and so on. In Chinese, people use yellow to represent pornography, but in English, they use blue. For example, a blue joke, a blue movie.

GREEN

Both in Chinese and in English, green has the associative meaning of spring, life, youth, healthy, and environmental protection. Green also presents concord, friendship, peace, and hope. But there are also some differences between Chinese and English of the associative meaning.

In Chinese, Lv (green) is related to female and lasciviousness. Green is often used to describe female, such as “Lv Yun” which means the black hair of a female. Green symbolizes humble and heterodox (Xie and Zhang, 2004) in ancient times. And it is also associated with sex, such as “dai lv mao zi” which means be cuckolded and “Qing (green) Lou” means brothel. (Chen, 2010b)

In English, the associative meanings of green are money, lack of experience, jealous, deceit. American people call dollars as “long green”. “Green power” means the power of money. (Mu, 2010) “Green-eyed” means jealousy. And “green hand” means someone is lack experience about his or her work. Someone who is lack of experience can be called as “greenhorn”. Besides, English speaking people use green to describe people who are looking pale and unhealthy.

WHITE

White has same associative meanings in both Chinese and English, such as purity, nobility, fear, or illness. But many differences also exist in both Chinese and English.

Bai (white) is avoided as a taboo word in traditional Chinese, which show the abandonment and detestation of it. In Chinese, white is always associated with death and funeral representing unfortunate and sorrow. White is the main color in traditional Chinese funeral, and during the funeral, people are all in white---white hat, white shoes, and white cloth---to show their grief. (Chen, 2003)Also white has the associative meaning of treachery and evil, such as “Bai Lian Jian Xiong”(white face bad guy) who achieves high position by unscrupulous scheming. Besides, white in Chinese is used to describe people who is with little knowledge or people with no scholarly honor or official ank. People call man of letters as “Bai Mian Shu Sheng”(white face student) for they are lake of experience.

White in English is the symbol of God, Angel, happiness, joy, and morals. In English speaking countries, white symbolizes purity and kindness. Therefore, the color of wedding in these countries is white and the bride is in white, which is the symbol of pure love and happy married life. And another example is a white Christmas, a white day. (Yue, 2010)

What’s more, white also contains the meaning of justice and honest, which can be illustrate in such examples as white lie, white market or treat somebody white. But white also has pejorative associative meaning such as in applying to white feather, white elephant.

BLACK

Ancient Chinese people often utilize black to symbolize upright, firm and persistent, solemn and just, selfless. In Beijing opera, “black face” is the typical symbol of integrity, such as Bao in Song Dynasty.

While in English, black is the symbol of darkness, evil and demon. “Black day” is an unlucky day. “In black mood” means someone is in low mood. “Somebody’s future looked black” indicates that his or her future is gloomy. But in business English, “in the black” means gaining profit. (Ray, 1953)And black suit and black dress are the traditional cloth that is most advocated by English speaking people. “Black gown” is used to refer to the scholars.

The reasons of the formation of the difference

Through the comparison and contrast of the frequently used color words in different aspect, the reasons of the formation of the difference of color words between Chinese and English can be found. The following are the reasons.

Different colors have different symbolic meaning and associative meaning in different ethnic groups. This is because different ethnic groups live in different geographical environment, which cause different ethnic customs, thinking styles, religious beliefs and psychological ways of thinking.

1 The different origin of the meaning of colors

The worship towards heaven and earth of Chinese nation is dated back to ancient times. Yin-yang and the five-element thought is the origin of associative meaning of color word sin Chinese. Ancient Chinese thought that the universe was consist of five basic elements: metal, wood, water, fire, earth, and every element has its own color, that is metal—white, wood—green, water—black, fire—red, earth—yellow. These five elements and their colors are correspondence to five directions. White is west; green is east; black is north; red is north; yellow is middle. (Feng, 2005)
Yellow is the color of earth. Loess plateau is the origin and the basis of survival of Chinese nation, thus, Chinese culture is also called loess plateau culture. Among the five colors, yellow is the noblest one, so there are some statements such as Yellow Empire. The love of red in china originates from the worship of the God of Sun. during the day, the hottest time is noon, and at this time, sun is in the right south. The color of sun and its heat, in ancient Chinese people’s viewpoint, has a mysterious sense. Sun endows the universe life, so red symbolizes prosperity, and green is the color of east, which symbolizes growth of all lives, so Chinese people like red and green. White, the color of west, symbolizes fall, and black, the color of north, symbolizes winter. Ancient people don’t like fall and winter, because in fall, the leaves are all withered, and in winter, nearly all the creatures slumber. White and black are not enjoyed by people. They are the symbols of ominous and even death, for example, “the white event” which means somebody is dead and the funeral of his or her.

The British Isles are surrounded by ocean. In the past, British people depended on sea to make a living. Therefore, it is not hard to understand how much British worship the sea and hoe ardent they love the color of sea—blue. People, who make a living through fishing, not only depend on sea but also are in awe of the sea. Sometimes, tempest will take everything from them, even their lives, hence, the blue color sea, in their viewpoint, means melancholy. Their adoration of purple originates from Roman culture. The Roman Emperor who is in purple symbolizes nobility. The noble symbolic meaning of purple begins to be accepted by British after Rome conquered Britain. Thus we can see the different origin of meanings of colors is the reason of different associative meaning of color in Chinese and in English.

2 The influence of literature and legend

Literature, mythology, and legend can embody a nation’s cultural background and the way of thinking, because they come from people and are popularized among people. When they spread widely, they endow different associative meanings of color.

In France, there was a series of pornographic stories named as La Bibiotheque Blue. And in 1880’s, harlots in Europe were in blue cloth. Thus, blue has the associative meaning of pornography. (Xie and Zhang, 2004)

In Bible, the story of Noah and ark is known to everyone. Oliver branch is the symbol of peace, thus, green is given the associative meaning of peace. According to New Testament Revelation, there was a woman who sits on a beast of crimson. The woman dressed in scarlet—according to the written words on her head—the mother of harlots and of earth’s abominations. The Bible· Revelation relates scarlet with harlot. Hawthorne used to describe his heroin Hester who commit the guilty of adulteress in his novel The Scarlet Letter as scarlet woman, and a worthy type of here of Babylon. The scarlet letter A on the breast of Hester is the symbol of adulteress.

The religious status of Bible in English speaking countries is unshakable, and the associative meaning given by The Bible is indelible.

In China, the legend of Nv Wa making man (Feng, 2005) shows the antecedents’ contemplation of the origin of man. According to the legend, man was made of earth, and the color of earth was yellow, thus yellow was given the noble associative meaning.

The word “green—eyed” was first in Shakespeare’s famous tragedy Othello, the Moore of Venice. Green—eyed monster was used to describe jealous and suspicious. Thereafter, green—eyed has the associative meaning of jealous.

There are also many examples originate from legend and literature. For example, in Chinese classic novel All Men are Brothers, there was a man whose name was Li Kui the Black Whirlwind. Black was the character of Li Kui—power but recklessness. This kind of associative meaning is still used in nowadays, such as black big guy, who is strong but reckless.

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