英汉互译中颜色词的非对应翻译策略研究论文

A Study of E-C Color Term Corresponding TranslationStrategies英汉互译中颜色词的非对应翻译策略研究Abstract and Key WordsAbstract:Language is the reflection of culture. English and Chinese exist in two different cultures, and has its own history and society, living environmentand experiences, customs and religions, and so on. However, all of thesefactors result in the different associative meanings in same vocabulary ordifferent words, in other words, the culture-loaded words. In western andChinese societies, there are many words or phrases with same wordmeaning but different associative meanings which caused by culturaldifferences. In fact, the differences in associative meaning is actually thegap between cultural information. As people live in different environmentswith different cultural background and customs, for the same object orthing, they usually have different associations. This paper analyzes theinfluence of cultural difference on color associative meanings and itstranslation from perspective of vocabulary, through comparative analysison associative meaning differences in Chinese and western cultures and theinfluences in translation, this paper points out the importance of culturaldifferences in associative meanings and translation and thus put forwardsome translation methods for solving these problems in culture-loadedword translation.Key words: comparative analysis; basic color terms; cultural connotations; differences; reasons摘要：语言是文化的反映。

英汉两种语言存在于两种文化之中，因此它们有着各自的历史、社会、生活环境、生活经历、习俗和宗教等。

而这一切就导致了英汉两种语言中相同的词汇具有不同的联想意义，即文化负载词。

在西方社会和中国，有许多词汇或短语有着相同的字面意思，但却因为不同的文化而具有不同的联想意义.其实，联想意义的不同就是文化信息的鸿沟。

人们由于生活在不同的环境，有着不同的文化背景和习俗，对同一个事物通常都会有不同的联想。

本文通过对比分析不同文化间颜色词汇联想意义的差异，及这些差异对词汇翻译造成的影响，指出了注重这种差异的重要性，提出了解决由这些差异给翻译带来的问题的一些解决办法。

关键词：比较研究；基本颜色词；文化内涵；差异；成因CONTENTS1. Introduction (1)2. Definition of Color and Basic Color Terms (1)2.1 Definition of Color (1)2.2 Definition of Basic Color Terms (1)3. Comparative Analysis of Basic Color Terms between English and Chinese (2)3.1 Black and white (2)3.2 Red and Green................................................................. 错误！未定义书签。

3.3 Blue and yellow (4)4. Reasons for Differences in Associations of Basic Color Terms in English and Chinese (7)4.1 Geography Living Environment (5)4.2 Different Religion (8)4.3 Natural and Social Background (8)5. Strategies for Color Translation between English and Chinese5.1 Literal Translation ........................................................ 错误！未定义书签。

5.2 LIberal Translation ......................................................... 错误！未定义书签。

5.3 Amplification ................................................................. 错误！未定义书签。

5.4 Adaptation ...................................................................... 错误！未定义书签。

6. Conclusion (12)Bibliography (14)A Study of E-C Color Term Corresponding Translation Strategies1. IntroductionThe world is full of colors. There are blue sky, white cloud, green trees, red sun and so on. Our world is so connected with colors that colors play an important role in our life. Make an example of the following sentences: "Mr. White is a very white man. He was looking rather green the other day. He has been feeling blue later. When I saw him, he was in a brown study. I hope he will be the pink again." This is a classic description in English used to express sensations by using color terms.As a part of language, color terms carry a large amount of cultural information, such as history, religion, and customs. They are related to almost all aspects of social lives and play an important role in cultural communications. In this thesis, the author intends to make a comparative analysis of color terms between English and Chinese, finding their similarities and differences in culture. In this way, cultural understanding and communication will be realized.2. Definition of Color and Basic Color Terms2.1 Definition of ColorIn dictionary, Color is the element of art that is produced when light, striking an object, is reflected back to the eye. There are three properties to color. First is hue, which simply means the name we give to a color (red, yellow, blue, etc.). The second property is intensity, which refers to the strength and vividness of the color. For example, we may describe the color blue as "royal" (bright, rich, vibrant) or "dull" (grayed). The third property of color is its value, meaning its lightness or darkness. The terms shade and tint are in reference to value changes in colors.2.2 Definition of Basic Color TermsAccording to the survey, our eyes are able to distinguish seven million different colors, and for most of the colors we do not have any linguistic expressions availableat all. However, it is estimated that there are over three thousand color terms in English and more in Chinese. To categorize all the color terms is impossible. But generally speaking, color terms can be divided into two categories: basic color terms and object color terms. It is impossible to discuss them one by one, thus in this thesis, the discussion will take some of the basic color terms as "black, white, red, yellow, green and blue".3. Comparative Analysis of Basic Color Terms between English and Chinese3.1 Black and WhiteBecause of the special material nature, black makes people think of depression and freight. “Black” 黑色has the associative meaning of “Evil and Bad” in both English and Chinese cultures; In China, since ancient times, it metaphors the ferocious situation and cruel dominance as 乌云、黑暗、黑夜and so on, for people who cannot tell the right and wrong or good people suffer damage is 颠倒黑白; black also make people think of evil. For instance, in Chinese culture, people calls the criminal group into 黑社会. At the same time, in English, black also symbolize 痛苦、灾难bitter and disaster and it is connected with badness and evil. For example, a black day refers to an unlucky day倒霉的一天. Black-hearted shows 黑心的, black market means the exchange of goods or so that is forbidden by government. Blackground means people who says dirty words or mean and bullshit. 黑钱refers to money which comes from unclear ways without paying tax to the government.In both Chinese and English, black is not a good word, because it is often associated with darkness. In Chinese, we have such expressions as "黑暗,黑压压,黑灯瞎火,黑漆漆", while in English such expressions as "black future and blackout". "Black future" refers to the slim hope in the future. And "Blackout" refers to a period of darkness caused by a failure of the electricity supply. All of them are connected with "darkness".In both languages, "black" is a color full of sorrow, people have the custom of wearing black clothes for person's death. In the 14th century, there was a deadly bubonic plague in Europe, people named it the Black Death. As a result, the English people using black as the symbol of death and disaster. In addition, black is also associated with sadness and misfortune. "A black dog" means a sad person and "in ablack mood" means low spirited. "Black humor" and "black comedy" also come from this connotation, and they refer to a story or a play that is funny, but show the unhappiness of life. What's more, "Black Friday" refers to an unlucky day, because to the Christian, this is the Crucifixion. In Chinese, we are also using black in this sense, such as "黑色七月", "黑色的心情".In Chinese, the color term "黑" has some special meaning. "黑" is used to symbolize "loyalty, impartiality". For instance, "黑脸包公" refers to "being loyal and impartial". In Beijing opera, black facial makeup is the symbol of characters who are upright and impartial, such as "Bao Zheng(包拯), Li Kui(李逵)" .In English, there is an expression with "black" expressing a commendatory sense. In business English, "in the black" has a good meaning of running a business profitably. The opposite of it is "in the red", meaning running a business at a loss. These terms come from the color of the ink used in keeping accounts; deficit is recorded in red ink while surplus written in black ink.White has some similar connotations in both Chinese and English: purity, brightness and innocence. White is the sacred color in Christianism, because Jesus and his angels wear white dress in the belief. In Chinese, there are many phrases of "white" connected with purity, such as "洁白,白璧无瑕". Nurses are also called "白衣战士" because their white uniforms looks like angels. "white" and "白" also have the meaning of innocence. If someone is said to be "white-handed", he or she is honest or innocent. "Mark one's name white again" means making somebody innocent. Meanwhile, "清白,不白之冤" contains the same meaning. "White" and "白" also means "failure". In a war, the losing party will hang a "white flag" or "白旗" as a sign of accepting their failure.In Chinese, "白" refers to "reaction". For example, "白色政权" means the reactionary government; "白军" refers to the reactionary army. "白" is also reflected in the theatrical makeup of Beijing opera, and symbolizes the person who are sinister, crafty and evil, such as Zhao Gao (赵高) and Cao cao(曹操). In addition, there are some expressions such as "百搭,白费,白干", which has the meaning of bearing no results.In English, "white" is connected with politics and government, such as "The White House" is the symbol of the US and "the White Hall" is a street full of government organizations and "white paper" refers to the paper issued by western governments. What’s more, some expressions with "white" in English have theirspecific meanings. For example, "white" means "uselessness" in "white elephant". 3.2 Red and GreenRed is the color of blood, as well as the sun and fire. It is the sun and fire that made life easier in the early period of human history. Thus, in both English and Chinese, "red" and "红" are associated with "dignity, love, beauty, happiness", and so on."红" is the favorite color in China. It has become the representative color of China in the phrase "中国红". In Chinese, "红喜事" refers to wedding, birth and birthday and in the international sports games, the Chinese team is usually dressed in red. The following phrases are related to the above connotations: "满堂红" refers to the situation of a person achieving good results in all aspect; "红运" means good luck; "红粉佳人" refers to a beautiful and young woman. In English, "red" is often connected with success and importance. The phrase "give somebody a red carpet of reception" means making a warm welcome to some important person.As a result of differences of English and Chinese, "red" has some special meaning in English, such as in "red man" (北美印第安人), "red neck" (美国南部乡巴佬), "red-blooded" (沾满鲜血的) and "red eye" (便宜的威士忌). However, "红光满面" in Chinese does not mean "one’s face is very red" or "he is embarrassed", instead, it means "being healthy"."Green" is the color of almost all plants, and it is those green plants that have made it possible for human to exist on the earth. Therefore, both English and Chinese believe that the color green is not only a symbol of life, but also a sign of peace and hope. With the development of social economy, the pollution is becoming worser day by day, people began to realize the great importance of environmental protection, thus "green" and "绿" are closely connected with the environment, such as "green peace"(绿色和平组织), "green revolution"(绿色革命), "green party"(绿色消费).In Chinese, "绿" has some special meaning that is different from "green" in English. "绿" is often mentioned with female, e.g. "红男绿女". The hair of a female is called "绿云" or "绿鬓". What's more, the expression in Chinese "戴绿帽子" means to be a cuckold.In English, the color is one of the favorite colors, and many places are printed with green color and even US dollars are green color. Therefore, the green colorusually refers to money or fortune. For instance, "green back, green power" and "green pound". However, in English, green is often associated with jealousy and envy, such as "Green-eyed", "green with envy".3.3 Blue and YellowBoth in Chinese and English, blue is the color of sky and sea. But "蓝" in Chinese is not as complicated as "blue" in English.In Chinese, the color term "蓝" can be replaced by "青" in some cases, as a result, the blue sky is often called "青天" or "青云" in Chinese. The blue sky is high and extensive, far beyond the reach of people, thus "青云" is extended to mean a high official position as in "平步青云". Chinese also have an idiom "青出于蓝而胜于蓝" implying the pupil surpasses his master.In English, the color of blue is related with gloom. If somebody is said to be "in a blue mood", he or she feels gloomy and depressed. "A blue Monday" expresses people’s depression on the first day of work or school after a happy weekend. "Blue" is also associated with high social status. It is regarded as the symbol of nobleness. "He is a real blue blood" means he is from an rich family. What’s more, "blue" also refers to danger and prohibition. "Blue alert" warns people of the coming typhoon or air raid. While in English, some "blue" phrases have nothing to do with "蓝色" in Chinese such as "blue chip"(热门股), "blue-eyed boy"(宠儿), "once in a blue moon"(千载难逢), "blue coat"(警察).As people from English speaking countries and China live in the different cultural background in the long term, different social custom, cultural tradition and ways of thinking, value concept as well as geographical environment and regional appearance do not only lead to the different emphasis on color metaphor selection in the process of transition and communication in language information between different nations, it can even lead to the opposite metaphor meaning with the same metaphor object; in other words, it refers to the cultural clash which has the same metaphor object but with different pragmatic connotation.In both Chinese and English world, "yellow" is the color of sunflower, so that it brings the feeling of warming sunshine. It is the color of happiness, friendship and sunshine. But on some occasions, "yellow" is related with illness. In Chinese, there is "面黄肌瘦" and in English, "yellow blight"(枯黄病), "yellow fever"(黄热病). Infootball games, both "yellow" and "黄" imply warning. "A yellow card" or "黄牌" is a card held up by the football referee to show that a player has done something wrong. "A yellow line" is a line of yellow paint along the edge of a street in Britain, and it means one can park the car for a short time, while "double yellow lines" are two lines of paint that mean one cannot park there.In Chinese, yellow is the color of the soil, The Yellow River "黄河" is the start of Chinese ancient culture. The color yellow is the symbol of wealth, honor, and power. "黄道吉日" is a day suitable for doing some important things, such as holding weddings or opening ceremonies. In modern days, "黄" is often used to mean "pornographic", "obscene" or "filthy" as in "黄色书籍", "黄色电影", "扫黄", etc.. What’s more, "黄" in Chinese is also associated with "things visional or out of date". For example, "昨日黄花, 陈年黄历, 黄粱美梦".“Yellow” has different associative meanings in different cultures.In western culture, “yellow” has the associative meaning of “timid, shy and cowardly. In Chinese culture, “yellow” makes people think of “sexual, flirt and inferiority”, for instance, “黄色书籍/电影”, and so on. Like “yellow”, the word “blue” also have differen t associative meanings in different cultures. In Chinese culture, “blue” is associated with “quiet and beautiful”. However, in western culture, “blue” is associated with “frustration, depressed or in a blue mood”, and so on.In English, yellow is also associated with bad things. Firstly, yellow is used to mean "jealous", because Judas wore yellow dress. Secondly, yellow is also associated with "being coward". If someone is described as "be yellow" or "have a yellow streak", she or he is regarded as a coward.4. Reasons for Differences in Associations of Basic Color Terms in English and ChineseBy analyzing the different associative meanings of color words in different languages, it can get to the idea that the culture plays an very important role in the back of language. Different nations have different historical development and religious belief, and its cultural accumulation and sediment are not always the same and even different completely. And such kind of difference will result different effects in color words. From the above analysis, the different associative meanings in color vocabulary can reflect the following cultural differences.4.1 Different Geographical Living EnvironmentCertain geographical environment creates different cultures, and certain culture results in certain express ways. English and Chinese peoples are two nations that lived in different natural environment. Both of them belong to the different civilization systems. Most western countries are faced with ocean, for instance, the British people’s life depends on ocean to a great degree in the early times and forms the maritime civilization in the process of fighting against the ocean.China belongs to the Loess Civilization while English speaking countries belong to the maritime civilization. Therefore, both of them form regional cultures with different features, and the two nations, English and Chinese peoples attach different cultural associative meanings in sentences or words that are closely connected with their lives. For instance, in English it usually use cream or creamy as well s butter yellow to describe the light yellow color, because the butter and cream are the ordinary food of western people.Geographically, Britain lies in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north coast of Europe. The ocean feeds British people so that the color of ocean-blue is a popular and favorite color to British. There is an old saying that a person cannot choose to be blue-blooded, but he can choose to be one’s blue-eyed boy or a true blue to his party and country. And in Chinese, people get used to use 米色to express this color---light yellow, because rice 米is the main food of Chinese people. And white coal cannot translate into 白煤, in contrast, it refers to the water which is the origin of power. Because in most western countries, so many nations use water to produce electricity instead of col. And green back means dollar, which means the back of dollar is thegreen color. In a word, different Eco-system environment and different productivity method makes different nations had different favor in colors and its cultural connotation.Because of lacking of island, the agriculture production in the British cannot meet the needs of the population, people needed to make a living in the sea. For these reasons, people started to develop the stock raising, sailing and fishing. Just like Chinese indivisible relationship with the land, the close relationship with the ocean makes British people have more special understanding of the color "blue".4.2 Different ReligionIn the western world, Christianity had a great influence on British people. Christianity was founded in the early 1st century AD, and today it is the largest religion in the world with about 2 billion followers. For instance, "yellow" is a holy color in Christianity, for the father wears golden crucifix, and the holy cup used by Jesus in his last supper is also yellow. But on the other hand, yellow also has the negative meanings as "mean, coward and jealous", because Judas, the betrayer, is usually dressed in yellow.Buddhism was introduced into China in Han dynasty, and reached its period of great prosperity in Sui and Tang dynasties. Over two thousand years, Buddhist philosophy has made a great influence on Chinese culture. Many Buddhist expressions have become common words in Chinese. For example, "红尘" originally was a word of Buddhism, now we use "看破红尘" to mean seeing through the vanity of the world or being disillusioned with the moral world.4.3 Natural and Social BackgroundThere is a close relationship between human beings and their natural and social environments, and this relationship is reflected in language culture. Different natural and social background often causes different understanding of the color terms. For example, in English, "blue" refers to power and nobility, while in Chinese they are symbolized by "yellow". Britain is surrounded by the sea, so the color of the sea-blue is worshiped and it becomes a noble color. Chinese people originated from the area of Yellow River. Therefore, the color of "yellow" in Chinese is endowed with sovereignpower and position.While in the 18th century London literary circle, those women with scholar or literary often wore stockings, and the circle is called "The Blue Stocking Society". In this way, blue stocking becomes a symbol of a woman scholar and the color blue is endowed with the connotation of "scholarship".5. Strategies for Color Translation between English and Chinese5.1 Literal TranslationLiteral translation refers to translate word and profound connotation of the original text into target language according to the word meaning. In literal translation, it reserves contents and form, sentence rhetoric and other reflection methods of the original text. Literal translation is an translation strategy which seeks for the optimal maintenance in original contents and forms in translation. Its theoretical base can track back to the cultural scope. Language is the carrier of culture, its feature reflects cultural features in return. However, in essence, there is no absolute differences in different cultures. This is because regardless of nations and skin colors, people lived in a same world, standard of thinking and emotion as well as moral are basically the same, so do people’s understandings in the realist ic world. Despite of the fact that Chinese and English are two different language systems, there exists common features. This provides possibilities for literal translation.For instance, On"Iv。