论文总字数：57479字

摘 要

词汇是语言中最活跃的一部分。它可以直接反映了社会变迁和文化发展。也就是说,词汇是社会和文化的镜子,颜色词也是如此。因为我们的世界充满了色彩,因此大量的颜色词存在中英文语言中。然而,由于不同的民族有不同的环境,风俗习惯,思维方式和宗教信仰,在不同国家相同的颜色词可能有不同的含义。毫无疑问，这会产生跨文化交际的失误与误解。因此,为了对这些颜色词的文化差异能有一个更深的认识，以及更好的掌握跨文化交流和翻译,我们应该进一步提升跨文化意识。本文探讨了六种基本颜色词汇的文化内涵和典型用法并分析影响中英文颜色词内涵差异的因素。本文的主体部分聚焦英汉颜色词的文化内涵差异对英汉翻译的启示。最后提出一些翻译策略，旨在拉近文化距离,使跨文化交际更容易。

关键词：颜色词 文化内涵 文化差异 跨文化意识 翻译技巧

Contents

1. Introduction
2. Literature Review
3. Cultural Connotations of Basic Color Terms in English and Chinese
   1. Comparison of cultural connotation between “red” and “红”
   2. Comparison of cultural connotation between “white” and “白”
   3. Comparison of cultural connotation between “yellow” and “黄”
   4. Comparison of cultural connotation between “green” and “绿”
   5. Comparison of cultural connotation between “blue” and “蓝”
   6. Comparison of cultural connotation between “black” and “黑”
4. Factors Affecting the Difference of Color Terms in meaning between in English and Chinese

4.1. Different natural environment

4.2. Different social background

4.3. Different religion

1. An Illumination from the difference in cultural connotations between English and Chinese color terms to English -to- Chinese Translation

5.1 Importance of cultural awareness in the process of translation

5.1.1 The relation between cultural awareness and translation

5.1.2.Cultural non-equivalence existing in the process of translation

5.2 Methods of translation

5.2.1 Literal translation

5.2.2 Free translation

5.2.3 Substitution

1. Conclusion

1. Introduction

“Miss. Green is a white woman. Although she is a green hand in gardening, she is a very white woman. She never tells a lie. But today she looks very blue. What happened to her? I want to let her become pink again.”When reading this discourse, most of us might feel confused about what the speaker really wants to express. Though both the words and structure used in it are quite simple, the connotations of the color terms in question are not easy to grasp.

What do these color terms imply? How can we come up with the idiomatic Chinese version for these sentences so that everyone can catch their real meaning ? In what lights can we interpret these color? In this thesis, the author will discuss these questions and hope what has been analyzed will give you a good understanding of some basic English color terms.

Culture is a reflection of human life, a record of events and a product of history. At the same time, language is the carrier of culture and the important part of culture. That is to say, culture is the source of language and can influence the formation of language . In a word, people with different culture backgrounds may have a different understanding of a particular lexical item. Language and culture have a very close relationship. Without the knowledge of different cultures, it can be quite difficult to learn a foreign language well.

In a language, there are many culture-loaded words , among which are color terms. Just because the world is full of various colors, a great variety of color terms exist in a language. Different color terms not only contain various cultural connotations and extended meanings but also help us express our feelings about some objects and concepts. Thus, Color terms can be used either literally to refer to specific colors or to convey their cultural meanings metaphorically. In a sense, color terms are worth a thorough study in the process of a second language acquisition. Researches show that the world has as many as 7 million kinds of colors, but the words of colors are no more than hundreds. English and Chinese, as languages with a long history, are both rich in color terms. However, there is a special subset of color terms, known as basic color terms. According to Kay and McDaniel(1978), the “primary colors ” are “red, white, yellow green, blue and black”. These six color terms mostly represent people’s perception of colors in the world and they are endowed with more meanings than other colors. Based on their views, this paper focuses on the comparative study of the six basic color terms in English and Chinese.

Because of different geographic conditions, national customs, histories, politics and national psychology, the same color terms usually have different cultural associations and meanings in different languages. With the gradual intensification of globalization, communication and interaction between eastern countries and western countries are getting stronger. It is natural that misunderstanding in cross-cultural communication occurs from time to time. Thus appropriate translation of color terms is necessary in the process of communication. In order to have a successful communication with different people from different cultures, we should possess certain knowledge of certain color terms. In translation, we not only transform one language into another language, but also transfer one culture into another. Thus, it is important and essential for a translator to comprehend the connotations of color terms in Chinese and English. Further，in the process of translation about color terms, choosing proper translating methods is also equally important. The focus of the thesis is on the cultural differences in translation and some English-to-Chinese translation strategies.

The paper consists of four parts. Part one describes the connotation of color terms in English and Chinese, giving a relatively detailed depiction of the relationship between color terms and cultures. Part two discusses the causes resulting in the different understandings among color terms in English and Chinese. It analyzes the factors from the perspectives of natural environment, historical background , traditions and customs and religions. Then, part three illuminates the importance and necessity of cross-cultural awareness in the process of translation, while the latter pays much attention to the solutions to the cultural differences in the process of translating color terms and provides some translating strategies. And the last section is a conclusion .

2. Literature Review

We live in a colorful world. Color has been enthralling scientists for centuries. And language has always been the theme of social sciences’ researches. Because language has a close relationship with cultures, a lot of researches on the relationship between color terms and cultures have been conducted by human beings. Since centuries ago, many disciplines in science have made great contributions to color’s perception and color’s naming, such as cognitive science, physics, neurology, psychology, linguistics and anthropology. In terms of linguistics, some researchers like Bao huinan(2001), Luo feng(2003),Due Xuezeng(1999), Yang Defeng(1999) etc. have made a study of color terms in Chinese. They mainly discuss color terms in Chinese and their connotations in Chinese culture. Some other researchers like Berlin and Kay(1969), Mcdaniel(1978), P.et.al(1997), Saeed(2000), Casson(1997),etc. have made a study of color terms in English. They have concerned the basic color terms, color naming across languages, color shift, etc.

Along with the gradual intensification of globalization, interaction between eastern countries and western countries is getting stronger. Mutual comprehension has become the theme of the multicultural communication. Large numbers of theories based on contrastive studies focusing on colors and cultures have sprung up during the lengthy historical periods. Since the beginning of the 19^th centuries, we have gained a profound and penetrating insight into the characterized relationships between colors and cultures peculiarly to Chinese and English. Because of different geographic conditions, national customs, histories, politics and economy and national psychology, the same color terms usually have different cultural associations and meanings in these two languages. The debate centering on colors and cultures has gradually aroused the academic interest and attracted the attention of the masses at home and abroad. So it is important for learners to master different cultures in order to communicate with people abroad successfully.

Especially in cross-cultural translation, the awareness of cultural differences plays an important role. Since the beginning of 1990s, cultural studies have attracted much more attention in the international translation field. Cultural studies bring a broader perspective in translation and free the translators of the confinement of traditional conceptions and methods of translations. In an age of globalization, translation is shouldering the task of communication and national interaction. In this sense, the study of color terms’ translation is expanded and the master or improvement of this study will undoubtedly clear off the path to a better future of translation and cross-cultural communication .

3. Cultural Connotations of Basic Color Terms in English and Chinese

3.1. Comparison of cultural connotation between “red” and “红”

Red is one of the oldest colors in human society. Red is a color of blood and contains a mixed feeling of passion and excitement. Thus, no matter in English-speaking countries or in China, red always has something to do with celebrations, joyful occasions, love and beauty. In China, “红” is called “Chinese color”. The Chinese regard red as a lucky color, associated with good fortune and happiness in Chinese culture. For example, in Chinese traditional wedding ceremonies, people put up the character “喜”, the bride is dressed in red, and the bride groom wears a red flower on his breast. At the same time, red candles, red veil and all these red decorations all bring the festival atmosphere, which can make people think the days after wedding will become better and better. Even , when the birth of a baby comes, red eggs are given away to friends and relatives, which predicts the future of the baby will be happy and prosperous. At some traditional important festivals, especially spring festival, red lanterns and red scrolls are supposed to be invited, red flags are stood up, red banners are pasted on the doors as forms of celebration, which indicates the Chinese “红红火火”. Similarly, in the “开门红”, the red color means the good fortune. Moreover, the following are some Chinese old expressions related to “红” with the above connotations. “满堂红” means the situation of a person achieving good results in all aspects. “披红挂彩” suggests celebrating something joyful in a Chinese traditional way. “红人” is a favorite with somebody in power. We also have “红娘”, which is to do with the happy wedding. Thus, the color red has important connotation in Chinese culture. This is also true in English-speaking countries. In English, red is also the color of life as well as the color of sun. For example, the “red-letter days” refers to holidays. On calendars, we can find that such days are always printed in red, rather than those ordinary days in black. During red-letter days, western people can go out for drink and have a good time. Similarly, “to paint the town red ” often refers to some excessive binges and so on, especially those revels in the bars and night clubs. “The red carpet” is a special official welcome that is given to an important guest. Red is also connected with certain emotions about aggravation, violence, danger and shyness in both English and Chinese. In English, “red” , the color of blood, reminds people of violent revolution and dangerous occasions. Such color may let people feel a kind of fear. Red has such strong meaning in English because of the story of the Bible. In the Bible, there’s a dragon, whose first head is red. And this head is the devil’s head of Santa. So in English, red is always associated to bloodshed, violence. In westerners’ eyes, red symbolizes a brutal, bloody, disaster and so on. In Chinese, there are some expressions such as“白刀子进去，红刀子出来”, “杀红了眼”, and “刺刀见红” . Such phrases are used to describe rage and violent actions. There are many expressions in which “red” and“红”are connected with “danger”, “violence ”and “shyness”. For instance, “To become red-faced” shows embarrassment or shyness, as it does in Chinese“脸红”.“Red battle” refers to the battle in which blood is shed. “Red activities” means violent activities. “Red rules of tooth” is the law of the jungle, in which the strong lives on the weak. “red” and“红”can also express “power” and “nobleness”. Red has the connotation of success in Chinese. It is often used to refer to a popular person who has achieved fame or success in a certain field. In ancient China, red is related to rank and class. For instance, Chinese high officials in ancient times always were characterized with red clothes, called “朱衣” or “赤衣”. The houses of the Chinese high officials and noble lords were called “朱门”, meaning the gates painted in red. In English, the color “scarlet”, which is a kind of red, has also the association with power. This is because cardinal wears scarlet robe. Cardinal, on the highest class of clergymen, is the symbol of authority. Thus the scarlet robe he wears has become the signal of power and dignity.

However, The color terms “red” in English and “红” in Chinese are not the same with connotations in many ways because of different cultures. In China, “红”has the symbol of revolution, communism and political loyalty. In such expressions as “红军” and “红色政权”, “红” implys the connotation of revolution. We can find the Chinese national flag,“五星红旗”, is red because it means Chinese independence is achieved by the blood of the revolutionaries. Similarly, during the Cultural Revolution, there come forth a lot of expressions related to“红”, for example, “红太阳”represents Chairman Mao, “reds under the bed” refers to communists or left-wing activists. Nevertheless, “red” in English has some specific usages. For instance, “Red Nose Day” is a day on which an appeal is made for donations for research into sudden infant death syndrome, marked by the distribution of plastic red noses to donors. “Red tape” refers to official rules that seem unnecessary and prevent things from being done quickly and easily. “Red lining” refers to the area that is lined by the American financial institution as a sign of no housing loans. All these are apparently not equivalent in the connotations of “红” in Chinese.

3.2. Comparison of cultural connotation between “white” and “白”

In both Chinese and English, white has certain similar connotations: brightness, purity and innocence, etc.

In Chinese, the connotation of purity can be shown in some expressions, such as“洁白”, and“白璧无瑕”. Because white is the color of white, Chinese “白雪” and English “white snow” have the same connotations. In English, white is also regarded as a color of purity under the tradition of Christian. That’s why westerners prefer to wear white clothes. Maybe, when speak of white, the first image that comes into our mind is the “snow white in Andersen’s fairy tale, the little princess standing for the beauty and kindness. Further,“white” and “白”have also the connotation of innocence. In English, “a white spirit” refers to people who are innocent, especially girls. And in celebrations for God or Halloween’s Day, people would like to wear white clothing to show their sincerity. In China, “白” in the expressions like“不白之冤”and “清白无辜” contains the same meaning. Meanwhile,“white” and “白”have also the connotation of brightness. Here brightness is a general word including happiness, luck, perfection, prosperity and so on. In China, ancient people tended to believe white is the opposite of the black. So in ancient times, people believed that the white animals or things, such as “白鹿”, “白鹤”, “白狼”, “白雁”, “白天鹅” and others, were the symbols of good luck and fortune. That’s why we tend to call nurses and doctors as “白衣天使” or “白衣战士”. In English, old Christians used to adopt the most sanctified color. And they believe angels in the heaven must be in white. So people who want to rise to paradise after death are always dressed in white. In a sense, in the West, White is the color of death . In China, we also use the “白” in “红白喜事” to mean funeral affairs. In Chinese funeral, people wear white hats, white mourning apparels and white shoes, with a white rope tied in the waists. Besides the basic connotations mentioned above, white is also connected with peace and failure. “白旗” or a “white flag”is considered as a sign of accepting a failure. A white war is a peaceful war without bleeding.

However, white and “白” also have some extended meaning. Chinese “白” is not necessarily equal to“white” in English. In Chinese culture, “白” is the symbol of being reactionary. “白区”is the area governed by Kuomindang,“白色政权”is the reactionary government and “白军”refers to the reactionary army. In ancient China, white was never the color of official robes because of the customary of practice of taking white as the color of mourning dress. So the color term“白”has also been used to refer to “illiterate or commoner”as in “白衣”and “白丁”. Besides, “白” also indicates poverty, which originates from an old tale. “白衣举人” is a successful candidate from a poor family in the imperial examinations at the provincial level in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. In addition, “白”can be used to mean “in vain” as in “白搭” and “白费事”,“for nothing”as in“白送”，“incorrect” as in “白字连篇”，“plain and unadulterated”as in“白开水”and “白肉”. In English, “White”also has its specific meanings. Taking“white elephant” for instance,“white” can be used to indicate “uselessness”. It is an expression originating from ancient Rome: the king gave the white elephants to the subjects whom he disliked as a kind of punishment, because the white elephants ate so much that his master could hardly bear the burden. Currently, it means the possession that is useless and often expensive to maintain. Now“white”in English also means coward. White also has the meaning of “kindness and good intention”.“A white witch” is a sorceress with “white spirit”, who does good deeds to others;“A white sheep”is usually used as a metaphor indicating a good person among a gang of evil ones.

3.3. Comparison of cultural connotation between “yellow” and “黄”

In ancient China,“黄” is one of the most respected color . Yellow was the color of the land on which Chinese people have been living generation after generation. To ancient Chinese people who were mainly engaged in farming, it is self-evident that soil is of great importance. What’s more, in Chinese, “黄”has the same pronunciation as “皇”, and to be dressed in yellow was the right of the emperor while other people were forbidden to wear yellow clothes. Otherwise they would be regarded as the reactive. So “黄” was also called “the king color” and color term “黄” has been used to symbolize imperial power. There are many terms connected with it, such as “黄袍”, “黄榜”,“黄袍” and so on. The yellow color is also a holy color in Taoism and Buddhism.“黄道吉日”is a day suitable for doing some important things, such as weddings and opening ceremonies. In English yellow also has something to do with power and honor as well as in Chinese. Because in the English-speaking countries, yellow is also the color of gold and the sun. It’s a holy color in Christianity. We can find its origin from many old English traditions in Bible: the Holy Grail used by Jesus in his final dinner was yellow; When Jesus Christ came back to Saint Father, his green palms in the human world turned into a golden halo.

Although in Chinese and in English the connotation of yellow may be not always be equivalent, “yellow”and “黄”are both used negatively on some occasions. In English culture, yellow may remind people of a tale of Judas, who betrayed Jesus and he was wearing yellow clothes. Therefore, yellow is the symbol of a bad thing. It is connected with cowardice, beggary, meanness, betray and something like that. For instance, “a yellow dog” refers to someone who is despicable. In Chinese, no matter how holy a color “黄”was in ancient times, nowadays, it is often used to mean pornographic, obscene, filthy or vulgar, taking the expressions “黄色书籍”,“黄色电影”,“黄色录像”,“扫黄”for examples. But we should notice that “yellow press” in English does not mean pornographic books or magazines. It refers to books with no interests or newspapers that publish sensational news on purpose. In English, if people want to express the meaning of the “黄”in“黄色书籍”, they prefer to use “blue jokes” as “下流的笑话”.

In Chinese culture,“黄”has more connotations than yellow in English. For example,“昨日黄花”,“陈年黄历”and “黄粱美梦”are used figuratively to mean things in the past, out-of-date dogmas and unrealistic imagination respectively. “黄”can also be used to indicate failure. We have expressions such as “买卖黄了”，“这宗生意黄了”.

3.4. Comparison of cultural connotation between “green” and “绿”

Green, in the middle of spectrum, is the color of almost all plants in their prime. It always gives people a comfortable and hopeful feeling. Therefore, both native speakers of English and those of Chinese believe that the color green is not only a symbol of life and vigor, but also a sign of peace and hope. It also has some connotations like being new and young. We have heard the Chinese expression“绿油油的田野”, we would naturally think of the field covered with green plants. The expression“Greenhouse”in English is just a vivid terms to human’s future purpose in the society. “Greenhouse”is not a green building but a glass building constructed for growing plants that need warmth, light and protection. Along with the environmental pollution worse and worse, people have began to realize the great importance of environmental protection, thus“green”and“ 绿 ”are closely connected with the environment.

The green color is also a symbol of passing, which is alike in Chinese and in English. In the expressions“green light”,and its equivalence in Chinese“绿灯”, both mean a traffic light allowing vehicles and pedestrians to go forward.

Though the color term“green”and“绿”have some overlaps in cultural connotations, there are also a lot of cultural gaps between these two color terms because of separation in geographical regions and differences in their races. In Chinese “绿” has some associations that are not possessed by “green” in English. For example, in Chinese culture, “戴绿帽子” often indicates a cuckold not necessarily a green hat. In English, “green” has not such a meaning. We can conclude that “绿”is used to mean degrading, humble or bad reputation in China. What’s more, we can find that “绿”is often connected with females. More examples are as follows, the house a female lives in is called “翠楼”；the window of a girl’s room is called“绿窗”;“绿云”and“绿鬟”are used to mean the hair of a female.

In English, green often implies immature. It is often used to indicate lacking in experience, training or knowledge. For instance ,“green apple”,“green corn”,“Green hand”and “green horn”, all of which mean a person who is not experienced or mature. While “green” in Chinese has no such a meaning. Green also has some negative connotations. In the USA, because the color of dollar is green, green also suggests money and bank. Thus, there is “green power” referring to the great effect of money. Moreover, “green”has the meaning of being jealous or envious. For example, “to look through green glasses at somebody” means to be jealous of somebody. In Shakespeare’s famous tragedy“Othello”, there is a “green-eyed monster”, which is a symbol of being jealousy.

3.5. Comparison of cultural connotation between “blue” and “蓝”

The color blue is the color of sky and sea, so it often arouses the feelings of calmness, distance and justice in Chinese. In Chinese culture, we often hear “蓝天”which often stirs people’s longing and imagination for the future, so“蓝”is considered as a color of inspiration. In some cases, Chinese ancient poets tend to replace the “蓝天” with “青天”or ”苍天”. Meanwhile,“青天” in Chinese often refers to a just judge or an upright magistrate, which produces a nickname of ancient non-corrupt officials, “青天大老爷”. Because blue sky is usually high and far beyond the reach of ordinary people. Thus “青云” is extended to mean a high official position as in “平步青云”. But we should notice that in “鼻青脸肿”, here “青” means someone who was beaten by someone else and his or her face was black and blue, which indicates someone feels pain in the face.

In English, blue is much complicated in its connotations. Firstly, blue is usually associated with unhappy feelings. If somebody is“in a blue mood”or“has the blues”, he or she may feel gloomy , depressed and sad . Similarly, this meaning is the same as in the phrase “a blue Monday”, which is the first day of work or school after a pleasant weekend. The same as in , which names a jazz music created by the black. people call this kind of music “the blues”. This music came into being in the early age of American history and was primarily sang by the black slaves, who are forced by endless works and unfair treatment by white people. So when they felt sad and tired, especially when they missed their hometown, they would sing sad songs to express their sadness. Later on, this type of song got the name: blues. Besides, blue in English is often associated with noble, power, rank and wisdom. For instance, “a person with blue blood” connotes that the person was born in a rich family and has a high mark. For another instance, in the western countries, people will be given a blue ribbon when they win the first place in some races. Here the blue ribbon can represent an honor and the rank.

Besides all meanings mentioned above, blue in English is also used in some other senses,. such as the phrase “a blue joke”, which has the same meaning as the Chinese “黄色笑话”; “blue law”is a law to control sexual morals, the drinking of alcohol, and working on Sundays. Other examples are as follows: “blue button” refers to the broker who are permitted to do stocking transaction; “to drink till all is blue” carries the meaning as being widely and heavily drunk;“blue-collar”workers are those who do hard or dirty work with their hands compared with “white-collar” workers; a“blue-chip”company or investment is profitable and safe, etc.

3.6. Comparison of cultural connotation between “black” and “黑”

Black, as the color of night, is one of the most hackneyed colors. Both in Chinese and English, this color has much the same with the connotation of culture. First of all, Black is regarded as a mysterious color. In Chinese traditional culture, the nether world are dark places without any light. And it is said to be homes for all the wicked people to return to after they die. The same as in Holy Bible, black suggests devil evil, painful and unfortunate, so it is also called the color of death. Hence, black is associated with death and darkness both in Chinese and English. People in western countries and China always have a custom----dressed in black when they attend a funeral. All the same black suits can show their mourning to the dead. But in Chinese ancient times, people used to wear white for the dead. Because of the development of technology and globalization, Chinese culture are affected by western culture, nowadays many Chinese also wear black to the funeral. As death is an unfortunate thing and always makes people sad, black is also associated with sadness and misfortune. For example, in Chinese, we use black in this sense, such a“黑色的心情”,“黑色七月”, etc.. In English,“Black Friday” refers to an unlucky day. “Black-letter day”or“black day” is a day when something sad or disastrous happens.

Besides, black represents the illegal both in Chinese and English. Chinese phrases like “黑道”,“黑货”,“黑市”,“黑手”，“黑社会”,“黑暗势力”,“黑幕”,“黑帮”,“黑名单” show that black in Chinese is also related to the feature of the bad and evil. In English ,there are also phrases like black party, black market, blackmail having the same meaning as the Chinese character “黑”.

Black is often connected with anger. We have such Chinese expressions as “气得脸铁”and “怒目而视”, here “青” means “黑” in someone’s face. there is a similar expression“turn black with rage”, which shows the angry literally. The same meaning can be found in the phrase“to look at someone black”, indicating looking at someone angrily. These terms in both the east and west mean being very angry and giving somebody a dirty look. Thirdly, black also has good meanings like dignity and justice both in English and Chinese. In the popular legend of China, black face of Bao Zheng and the black type of facial make-up of Zhang Fei, Li Kui on the traditional Beijing opera, all these characters give “黑” a meaning of justice and selfishness. In English-speaking countries, black suits and black dresses are traditional clothes and black is the favorite color of people in medieval age.

However, here also exist some non-equivalence of the meaning between black and “黑”. Because of some historical events, Chinese “黑” has some special connotations. In the Cultural Revolution, “黑” was used to refer to reactionaries, as an opposite to “红”, such as “黑组织”,“黑后台”,“黑爪牙”,“黑纲领”，“黑材料”,“黑五类”and so forth. In this sense, “黑” has something to with politics. Another example is “黑线”，which does not mean the black line, but the wrong politics and counter-principles. Black also has some cultural connotations restricted to the English language. As to money, “in the black” indicates that there is still some money in one’s bank-account, or means somebody is not in debt. Here, black conveys a positive message. Similarly, “on the black” means a company is having a profit;“Black figure nation”refers to nation which manages a trade successfully and “interest in the black” is a phrase meaning that someone has obtained interest after some investment.

4. Factors contributing to the Difference of Color Terms in meaning between in English and Chinese

Some Chinese and English words denote the same act, event, or object, and their connotative meanings are much alike, so native English speakers and Chinese speakers can translate and understand most of mutual language literally. However, despite these similarities, peoples in different areas may have many different cultures and their special events. That is to say, one language may be greatly different from another. Today’ s discussion will be the reason that causes such differences. Usually, the differences between these two cultures can be illustrated from the following three aspects: different natural environment, different customs and habits and different religions.

4.1. Different natural environment

Language, as an organic part of a nation’s culture, can be shaped by the natural and physical environment. So do the color words. Also, the meaning of color terms will be influenced by the natural and physical environment. For example, in ancient China, yellow is the color of land and has the similar sound with the old emperor. And Chinese nation has been living along the yellow river for thousands of years. We believe the yellow river and yellow soil are the source of human. So yellow plays an very important role in China. Therefore, the Chinese choose yellow as the symbol of crown and nobility. However, English choose blue. For the English, they can not have the same association with yellow. The favor for blue of English originates from their living condition. The sea is around the Great Kingdom. Blue , as the color of sea, becomes the most adorable color of the nation. Thus, blue is endowed with the implication of nobility.

4.2. Different social background

Different traditions and customs tend to result in different cultural connotations of certain color terms. This can be well illustrated in the wedding and funeral ceremonies. In China, “红白喜事” refers to two things, wedding and funeral. Since red symbolizes prosperity and happiness. The bride and groom will wear red. The bridal chamber is often decorated with red paper cuttings, because red has long been a favorite color for Chinese people. As the color of the sun and fire, red is used to symbolize happiness, good luck, success and popularity in Chinese culture. And when it comes to the funerals, people will wear white to express their sadness for the dead. However, in English-speaking countries, the custom about this ceremony is strikingly different. The bride often wears the white dress and hold white flowers, because they believe white represents purity for love from ancient times. So white wedding has become a traditional custom and is followed by people. And when they come to a funeral, they will put on black clothes for black indicates a meaning of solemnity. The expression “in the red” means someone is in debt. Because the old Chinese didn’t have such a habit as the English man, Thus, this special meaning of red only belongs to the English. Therefore, we can find that customs and traditions play an important in the connotation of color terms.

4.3. Different religion

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