The Cultural Connotation and Translation of Color Words in English and Chinese

Zhen Jiahui

Abstract：This thesis focuses on the differences on the cultural connotation and translation skills of color words in English and Chinese and the causes of the differences， hoping to help use and translate color words correctly and understand the culture of English-speaking countries and then further promote Chinese-western cultural exchange.

Keywords：color words，culture，translation，communication

1 Introduction

n the face of global economic globalization， different languages interact with each other， and the color words of various languages are fruitful. Color words have a strong cultural connotation and are closely linked to social culture. The cultural connotations of the same word may have a very different implied meanings. In the English-Chinese communication， it is possible to facilitate communication between Chinese and English-speaking countries in business cooperation， friendship exchange and diplomatic activities. If you use the color words wrong， it may lead to unnecessary misunderstandings and even hinder the communication， or even a friendly relationship will be destroyed. In order to avoid some embarrassment and offence in communication， it is necessary to make a further study on color words.

2 Cultural connotation of color words in English and Chinese 2.1 Red

Red is the most powerful color on the Earth and it is rife with contradictions. Its universal meaning is “heat， blood， dangers and emotion” （Sarenqiqige， 2010： 23）. For example， in Chinese“紅眼病” means “envy”，“紅燈區(qū)”refers to “an area where prostitution earn money in sexual trade”， and“財政赤字”refers to the “financial deficit” （彭秋榮， 2001： 31）. In English， red is always connected with something bad. It represents cruelty， fever， disaster， blood. It is also a dangerous symbol of anger. For example， “red ruin” means “fire disaster”， “red battle” means “bloody battle”.

But in China， red has also been given the power to drive away evil demons by the Chinese citizens. In Chinese， red is also linked to happiness， luck and auspiciousness. About 6，000 or 7，000 years ago， the Chinese individuals dyed the sackcloth red to pray for luck and happiness. Chinese festivals like the Spring Festival are embellished red. On many important occasions like anniversary or wedding， Chinese people always use red paper， red flowers or red carpet to heighten the jubilant atmosphere.

2.2 Black

The black color often reminds people of things dark and gloomy. The word “black” in English and Chinese is a pejorative word， but it also has different cultural connotations in different situations. In English， black is always connected with illegal things. In addition， black also refers to “dignified， majestic and honored”. Black suits and black dress are the most popular and formal clothing in the west. On many solemn or formal occasions， dignitaries， businessmen and celebrities always wear black suits.

In Chinese， black is also used in derogatory sense. For example， “黑店” refers to “a hotel or an inn where tourists are always cheated”. “黑貨” refer to “goods bought or sold illgally”.

2.3 White

White is a color often associated with people who appear to be pure， innocent and light. （ZHANG Mei， Wu Fu-yong， 2017： 180）. In English， white always represents “pure and clean”. In western countries， brides wear white dress at the wedding to symbolize pure love. In English， “a white lie” refers to “a nice lie for protecting someone or for a good end”. “a white-handed person” refers to “a noble or well-educated person”. “white day” means “ a lucky day”.

White can express commendatory meaning in Chinese， but sometimes it can convey derogatory meaning. Its derogatory meaning is “l(fā)ow， reactionary， and stupid”. . For example， Chinese people decorate the mourning hall white and wear white clothes to express their sadness for the death of their family members. In the Chinese idiom “紅白喜事”， “白事” mainly refers to the funeral.

3 Translation of color words in English and Chinese

3.1 Free translation

“Free translation” is to translate the original meaning without the pursuit of the original language form.” （Jia Nan， 2017： 524） For the background and cultural differences， the color words in English and Chinese have some different implied meanings. The translation of color words needs to reflect these differences. For example， “紅茶” is translated into “black tea” in English and “眼紅” is translated into “green-eyed” in English because Chinese paper money is red while American one is green. “紅糖” is translated into “brown sugar” in English， and “the old man with grey hair” is translated into “白發(fā)” in Chinese.

For the differences in civil affairs， geography， thinking， religion and language between English and Chinese， we sometimes need to use free translation to keep its implication. The translation of color words has its own unique nature and difficulty and requires the translator to really understand the cultural traditions， values， customs， and grasp the meanings and connotations of the words. The meanings of color words are sometimes different in English and Chinese cultures. We need to use different translation methods to deal with these differences.

3.2 Literal translation with notes

Some color words can not be translated clearly and reproduced in literal translation， So we can translate them literally by adding notes. For example， “in the sentence “one day before their departure， he gave her a red bean， which is a token of their love and remembrance”， “red bean” is translated into “紅豆” in Chinese expressing ones love for others， “which is a token of their love and remembrance” is added to explain further. If only translated as “a red bean”， love can not be expressed so. Therefore， when we translate the color word， we should consider not only Chinese and English background carefully， but also the expression habits of two cultures. Only in this way can we translate the color word vividly.（梁燕華，2002： 152）

4 Conclusion

The focus of the thesis is Chapter 2 and Chapter 3 which analyzes the cultural connotation of some basic color words in Chinese and English and discusses how to use different translating skills to translate color words to convey the proper message. Language and culture are closely linked and language reflect a culture of a nation. The study findings show that the study of the cultural connotations of color words in English and Chinese can help Chinese and people form English-speaking countries understand and communicate with each other and promote cultural exchange .（裴蓓，2013： 179）

Bibliography

[1] Sarenqiqige. A Contractive Study on Terms of Color between Chinese and English [J]. Language. 2010（09）： 23-24.

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