英汉色彩词联想意义的文化诠释

A Cultural Analysis of the English and Chinese Colour Terms in Connotation

色彩词联想意义是由特定的民族文化所铸造的一种附加的或隐含的意义。由于语言具有承载文化的功能,色彩词联想意义的理解必须参照特定时代特定地域的民族文化,词汇是语言三大系统中最为活跃的部分,词无定义,义随文生。本文从文化语言学的角度探讨了英汉色彩词联想意义的共性与个性以及造成这些特点的民族文化心理。

Vocabulary is the most active part of a language,words do not have meanings,but people from different cultures have different meanings for them,the connotative meaning of color terms refers to the suggestive or implied meaning.Because of the interdependence and interinfluence between language and culture,the interpretation of word's meaning depends on the ethnic culture where the language is spoken.This paper discusses the similarities and dissimi-larities of connotation between Chinese and English color terms in a social-cultural perspective and analyzes the ethno-cultural causes which lead to the development of the diversified connotations.