语用学分析

Two Sides of the Same Coin in the

Perspective of Intercultural Communication Abstract: As we all know, we express our thoughts by means of language. However, while we using language, we convey culture at the same time. As for color, it’s a part of language, so it including culture, too. There are differences in the use of colors and color words between Chinese and English cultures. The different cultures bring different attitudes toward the same color because of different culture background, they reveal wide connotation of cultures. We should pay attention to observing not only their basic meanings, but also the deep and broad symbolic meanings. The symbolic meanings of color words often have different features in different language cultures. And some of them even have become taboos and adornments since the meanings of the color words are extended and transferred. Meanwhile, the cultural exchanges and the color views have similar phenomenon and coincidence in the languages.

Key Words: Color words; cultural differences; symbolic meanings; comparison Introduction

Color is an important part of our life. Color words help us to understand the world around, like our sense of taste and smell. The basic color words in English such as red, yellow, white, black, not only express the colors of objective things, but also the obstruct things. The color words have specified semantic meanings in different cultures. Without understanding of them, we will probably run into obstacles or make a fun of ourselves in communication. Therefore learning and grasping the symbolic meanings of color words are important. Good understanding of the symbolic meanings of color words can help us communicate effectively among people from different countries. This paper tries to illustrate the different symbolic meanings of color words in Chinese and English cultures by comparison and analysis of them.

Color and Culture

Color words, in whatever languages, are used for describing different things. The statistics show that there are more than 7 million kinds of colors can be recognized in the nature. However, the color names are very limited in the languages because there are only dozens of colors expressed in single-morpheme word. A number of color words are expressed by adding modifiers, for instance, crimson, pale red, apple green, azure, coffee color etc. Color words reflect the

different cultural connotations in different languages. People regard color words with special esteem in different countries. We should not only understand their basic meanings, but also pay attention to their deeply symbolic meanings. The symbolic meanings of color words have different features in different cultures.

Different Meanings of Same Color in Different Cultures

A. Red In Chinese culture, the color of red is popular for special events, holidays and ceremonials. In ancient times, when people got married, the bride always dressed in red, and wore “Hongtouga i(红头盖)”. The bridegroom always tied a red ribbon and wore a red flower in the front. And almost everything in the wedding had something to do with red color. Neolithic hunter considered red to be the most important color endowed with life—giving powers and placed red ochre into graves of their deceased. Neolithic cave painters ascribed magic power to the red color. It can be stipulated that they painted animals in red ochre or iron oxide to conjure their fertility. It is usually believed in China that red can against evil influence. Nevertheless, to Westerners, “red” is usually related to danger, war, blood, terror and sensuality. When the traffic lights turn red, it means danger and pause. Red card is widely used to punish players who act badly in sports and games. Scarlet is the color of bright red, yet its connotation meaning is libidinous or flagrant. Up to now, “red light district” in a few Western nations still implies whorehouse.

B. White and red are opposite in Chinese culture. White is a basic taboo word that reflects Chinese people abandon and disgust in both material and spiritual aspects. White symbolizes the death and ill omen in Chinese culture. The relative must wear mourning for the death of parents and relatives since ancient times. They worn the white mourning dress, and it is called the funeral. The relatives set up the white mourning hall. And they should hit the white long narrow flag while carrying a coffin to the cemetery. In English culture, the symbolic meanings of white color focus on color itself, such as snow, fresh milk and the color of lily. Westerners think white stands for grace and purity. When a woman wears a white wedding dress, she is a virgin. Sometimes a woman who is getting married for the second time she may not wear pure white. She may wear off-white or even some other color. On Christmas Day white-colored ornaments are seen everywhere in decorating Christmas trees and houses in most Western countries.

C. Black. The color of black has seriously mysterious senses in Chinese culture. It is a kind of serious tone. Its symbolic meaning seems comparatively complicated for the influence of Western