词汇学正式论文

Multiple meanings of the color word “blue”AbstractWe are living in a world of a profusion of colors. We are probably attracted by multicoloured things. When you see somebody at the first sight, what impress you most maybe the color of him or her . As colors play a indispensible role in our daily life, color terms are also very important in the vocalbulary of every language. As time went on, people started to use color words to express their thoughts and feelings in the communication. With the development of the human society and culture, the meanings of the color words also enrich. On a basis of many researches and theory of the contrastive linguistics, this thesis analyzes the translation and the symbolic meanings of the color word “blue”. As the cultural backgrounds differ in different countries, we should pay more attention to the appropriate translation of the color words. Concerning the multiple cultural connot ations of the color word “blue”, the emphasis is on the translation of “blue”in different contexts in different countries. This paper is to help the readers with the different emotional colouring of “blue”, which appreciative, neutral and negative meanings are all included.Key words: blue; meaning; translation; cultural connotation; appreciative；neutral；negative摘要我们生活在一个色彩缤纷的世界。

我们可能被五彩缤纷的事物所吸引。

当你看到某人的第一眼,也许留给你印象最深刻的就是他或她身上的颜色。

因为颜色在我们日常生活中是非常重要的,因此颜色词也成为了每一种语言都很重要的词汇。

随着时间的推移,人们开始用颜色词来表达自己的思想和感情的交流。

随着人类社会的发展和文化,颜色词的含义也日渐丰富。

基于国内外许多学者对颜色词作出的深入研究和对比语言学的理论,本文分析了颜色词“blue”的翻译和象征意义。

由于不同国家的文化背景不同,我们应该更加注意相应的颜色词的翻译。

本文提到颜色词“blue”多样化的文化内涵,重点是把握“blue”在不同的国家的翻译。

本文旨在帮助读者掌握“blue”的感情色彩，包括了它的积极、中性和消极意义。

关键词：蓝色；意义；翻译；文化内涵；积极；中性；消极Chapter 1 IntroductionAs a word is purely arbitrary and conventional symbol without meaning anyconnection with what it refers to, it may sometimes happen that more than one meaning is attached to a word, which is known as polysemy (Zhang Yunfei, 2004, 109) According to the research, we can find that the color word “blue” is a polymous word. It has many different senses.(1) The Sky, Calmness and Friendliness:(2) Purity: (3) Nobility: (4) Authority and Power: (5) First-class: (6) Literary: (7) Charity: (8) Plan and Model: (9) Party: (10) Male: (11) The Degree “Very”: (12) Politically Conservative and Faithfulness: (13) Dismal:(14) Lower Social Status: (15) Obscenity (esp. in a film, joke or story) (16) Murder: (17) Complexion From Tiredness, Coldness, Sickness or Fear: (18) Uselessness and Illegalness: (19) Impossibility:(20) Danger and Prohibition: 21) Bruises:(22) Other Connotations: “Blue-sky market” is an open-air market; in America, the restaurant meal wit h the fixed price is called “blue-plate”; and “blue rinsed” refers to elderly, neatly dressed and conservative women who formed a group “blue-rinse brigade”; “blue tape” is a kind of wine “gin”; “to win one’s blue” implies to be elected as a delegate; “to blush like a blue dog” means to be a thick-skinned person and feel shameless. In America, “blue grass” first indicates a kind of music “June grass” in Kentucky and later is used to refer to the people and the state of Kentucky; and “Blue Hen State” is nickname of Delaware where the citizens are “Blue Hen’s Chickens”. (ZhangYun,2006, 69-73)From the list above, we can know that blue can not indicate only the appreciative meanings, like purity, nobility, power, first-class, literary, charity, faithfulness and plan but also the negative meanings like dismal, low status, obscenity, uselessness, impossibility, danger. In terms of the field, on the one hand, blue can indicate different meanings in the political, economic and cultural fields. In the political field, blue represents the Democratic Party in America or British and Canadian conservative party. In the economy field, blue can indicate profitable, like blue chip. In the cultural field, blue is probably linked with the ocean, so it has some favorable associative meanings, like blue print and blue blanket. On the other side, blue can indicate different meanings in the religion and emotion fields. In the religion field, blue represents sacredness, truth, and loyalty, like blue heaven. In the emotion field, blue can indicate not only sadness but also a sense of nobality and power, like blue blood and blue-eyed.Besides, color terms can be used to describe the abstract concepts, to make those daily expressions in various contexts more vivid and interesting. For instance, “blue print”denotes to a plan while “blue movie”implies that the movie is related with sex.(Jin Feng, 2010,18)Concerning the multiple cultural connotations, this paper devides all of the meanings of “blue” including its phrases into three catogories: appreciative meaning, neutral meaning and negative meaning.Chapter 2 Three Catogories2.1 Cultural ConnotationsDifferent people in different countries have different senses to colors. The occurrence of various associations of the color terms is closely related to the frequency being used. The more a color word is used, the more different connotations it has. (ZhangYun,2006, 87)2.2 Appreatiative meanings2.2.1 calmness and tranquilityFrom the perspective of color motion, blue is linked with sky, ocean, lakes, mountains, coldness. It makes people feel confident and secure, and demonstrates calmness and tranquility, which can sooth people. That’s why most of the police uniforms are blue beca use the color is not threatening. “Blue hour” means time after work, time to relax. “Blue blanket” des cribes how sunny sky looks like. So the peacekeeping forces of the United Nations wear “blue helmet or cap.” The friendly forces in a military exe rcise are named “blue forces”. In America, police is also called boys in blue due to the color of their uniforms. (Jin Feng, 2010,20) Bluegrass is a style of fast folk music that began in the Southern United States. We can see the definition in Collins Cobuild Advanced Learner's English Dictionary.2.2.2 faith, purity, and loyaltyIn the western religions, blue is a sacred color which symbolizes holiness, faith and loyalty. For instance, Virgin Mother Mary’s robe is blue to represent purity. It is sharply contrastive with the perception of yellow, which is a signal of disgrace in the eye of most westerners. A case in point is the yellow robe Judas wears when he betrays Jesus.2.2.3 charityIn Britain, “blue” has something to do with charity, like “bluecoat school”.2.2.4 fidelity and sincerityMany European and American people like blue color because it stands for fidelity and sincerity. True blue and coventry blue is extended to the faithful while it originally means never-faded blue dye. “A true blue” is a very faithful conservative supporter, and this term has been further considered to be “faithful and reliable”, consequently “True blue will never stain” implies an honorable person will never commit wrongdoings. Gradually, true blue means a man who keeps his word.”In addition, American wedding remains the customs of wearing something new, something old, something borrowed, something blue.2.2.5 profitable and safe.A “blue chip” company or investment denotes the sens e of being profitable and safe.2.2.6 first-class, the power and authority“Blue blood” is used to refer to a person of aristocrat origins. A blue-blooded person is from a royal or noble family. “Blue ribbon” is a small piece of blue material given to the first-prize winner of a competiti on, and “blue ribbon” service is the service of highest quality;“blue-chip” indicates the highes t quality like “blue-chip art”, a “blue-chip” company is the first-rate gambling company.Blue is gradually extended to the power and authority. For example, “blue book” in British English is metaphorically used as an official report, usually by a committee, printed by the British Government, similarly in American English, it refers to a book with blue cover that is used in American colleges for writing answers to examination questions. In Europe, “the blue channel” is a passage at an air port for passengers who have only travelled within the European Union. In the US, “blue room” can’t be literally understood as a room painted with blue but metaphorically a reception room in the White House where the president meets his relatives or intimate friends. The “blue house” is the residence of the President of South Korea.2.2.7 literaryBlue also stands for the pursuit of good things. Now blue-stocking refers to the well educated woman with considerably scholarly, literary, and intellectual ability or interest. “Blue-brick university” refers to those well know universities with fine tradition and high positions.2.3 Neutral Meanings2.3.1 extremely“Blue fear” and “blue fit” signify the state of being “very fearful” and “very angry”. Both “talk a blue streak” and “like blue blazes” are used on the informal situations, with the former signifying keeping talking without pausing, and the latter implying the degree of something, close to “extremely”.(Zhangyun, 2006,71)2.3.2 lower social statusBlue uniforms in both western and Chinese culture represent the middle or lower class. “blue collar” us ually is used to signify those perform manual labor; “Blue buttons” refer to the employees at the lowest rank in London stocking transaction center.2.3.3 sickness and bruises“Blue” could also be associated with the complexion. When someone feels cold or can’t breathe in a proper way, his or her skin will “go blue”. “Blue with cold” means it is so cold that the skin turns blue. The phrase “black and blue” indicates the bruises. A “blue baby” indicate a baby with a blue complexion from lack of oxygen in the blood due to a congenital defect of the heart or major blood vessels.2.3.4 partyBesides, blue is the color of the respective British and Canadian Conservative Parties. In the United States, it’s considered as the color for the Democratic Party while the Republican Party is represented by “red”.2.3.5 impossibility“Once in a blue moon” indicates hardly ever, the rare opportunity as the blue moon can hardly be seen. “Blue moon” in both English and Chinese are associated with the rare and precious opportunities or the rare beautiful things. Due to the rare chance to happen, “blue moon” symbolizes the rare opportunity.2.4 Negative Meaning2.4.1 danger and prohibition.Blue indicates danger and prohibition. Blue law means strict law. Furthermore, “blue ruin” is associated with disaster. “Blue pencil” is metaphorically used as deletion or modification of manuscript, which means denial of something. Generally, human beings are apt to avoid the food with blue coloring, for they are considered to be a sign of poison. “Blue cheese”, which is a kind of cheese with blue lines and a strong taste.2.4.2 depressed, upset or worrisomeBlue is used to indicate a person is depressed, upset or worrisome. Such as blue devils, a person who has the blues frequently. “i n a blue mood” means feeling upset.“Be /f all in the blue”means spiritless. “Cry the blues” means feeling depressed. The following phrases are also included. Sing the blues, look blue, in a blue funk, look through blue glasses, blue about the gills, things look blue. What’s more, "Blues" (Bruce) in the West refers to the slow and slow American black music, this music has its unique style, can express sadness and melancholy mood.2.4.3 morbid, dirty, obsceneBlue is also concerned with sex and morbidity. Blue has been considered to be as a synonym of “obscene” or “dirty” as in the “blue jokes”, “blue movies”, “blue talk” and “blue revolution”.2.4.5 murderBluebeard refers to a monstrous villain who marries seven women; he kills the first six for disobedience.2.4.6 uselessBlue also has a meaning of useless. In English, “blue sky”, besides its literal meaning, also involves new and interesting ideas which are not yet possible or practica l, as shown in the following instance: “The government has been doing some blue-sky thinking on how to improve school standards.” B lue-sky means unrealistic and worthless. “B lue in the face” has been applied as the idiom which means “to try to do something as hard and as long as people possibly can but without success or in vain. “Bluehackers”or lanckers exist in the computer science, denoting those who make the windows of computers turn blue by the use of the loophole of the computer systems. Currently the Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) is taken as a frequently used technical term.(Zhang Yun, 2006,72-73)2.4.7 accident, surpriseBlue has a meaning of accident, surprise. “A bolt from the blue”refers to thunderbolt out of a clear sky. “Out of the blue” denotes something happens unexpectedly and without warning. (Lin Xiaohong, 2012,85)Reference[1] 张韵斐. 2004. 现代英语词汇学概论[Ｍ]. 北京: 北京师范大学出版社.[2] 张云. 2006. 功能语义场视角下的英汉颜色词文化内涵对比[D]. 湖南: 湘潭大学.[3] Jin Feng. 2010. A Comparative Study of Engliah “Blue”and Chinese “Lan”Used in Metaphorical Expressions[D]. Shanghai: Shanghai Normal University.［4］柯林斯出版公司．柯林斯COBUILD 高阶英语学习词典: 英语版［Z］．北京: 外语教学与研究出版社，2006，6．［5］姜瑞．论西方人的结婚礼仪［J］．大众文艺，2009( 19) : 138．[6]林小红,2012.林小红: 基于语料库的汉语“蓝”与英语“blue”之隐喻对比[J] 重庆理工大学学报(社会科学), (11)。