中英文化中颜色词的象征意义比较

Comparison of basic color lexicon between Chinese and English culture

汉英语言中表示各种不同颜色或色彩的词语都很丰富,要注意观察它们本身的基本意义,更要留心它们含义深广的象征意义。颜色词的象征意义在不同民族语言中有不同的特点,有些甚至构成了人们对经过引申、转义以后颜色的崇尚和禁忌。这种差异源于各自民族的文化历史背景、审美心理的不同,是在社会的发展、历史的沉淀中约定俗成的,是一种永久性的文化现象,应该予以足够的重视。

Color lexicons are plentiful in both Chinese and English language. We should observe not only their denotative meanings but their symbolic meanings. The symbolic meanings of color lexicons have their own characteristics in different languages and some of them even become people＇s adoration or taboo after derivation and conversion. This difference results from the variations in history. culture and aesthetic mental sets peculiar to different ethic groups. And it is shaped by the development of society and history;therefore,it is an everlasting cultural phenomenon,to which we should draw enough attention.