There are countless colors in the world, and each color has its own unique physical properties, which are vividly reflected in language.
Color cognition is one of the most basic cognitive categories of human beings. There are obvious similarities in human cognition of color. Reflected in the language, that is, although the number of words expressing color varies greatly in different languages, the basic words expressing color, such as black, white, red, yellow, green and blue, are interlinked and very consistent in many languages.
However, due to the differences in cultural customs, geographical location, historical traditions, religious beliefs, national psychology and thinking habits of all ethnic groups, color words sometimes show the unique "personality" of all ethnic groups, with a significant cultural imprint. This makes it possible to translate color words in different ways.
Next, let's compare the similarities and differences of some common color words in English and Chinese.
A. Red (red)
Whether in English-speaking countries or in China, red is often associated with celebrations or festivals. Because in the calendar, these days are often in red font. Therefore,
Red letter day: it means "anniversary" or "happy day"
Red also refers to "debt" or "loss", because people always use red pen to register negative numbers. So there are these phrases:
Red number: deficit
deficit
Deficit: loss
Red entry: deficit entry
Red balance: deficit difference
In addition, there are such things as
Red cent: a penny; Red gold: pure gold; Stock market red tip: refers to the latest stock market information.
Words with the word "red" commonly used in Chinese may not be translated into English. For example:
Brown sugar: brown sugar
Black tea: black tea
Red list: honor roll
Red beans: love peas
Hongyun: Good luck.
Dividend: dividend
Red event: wedding
Red wine: red wine
Red ruins: fire
Red campaign: bloody battle
Red sky: rosy clouds
B. Black (black)
In English, there are often meanings of "bad", "bad" and "evil". For example:
Black money: black money (refers to money from improper sources and not paying taxes to the government)
Black market: black market trading or black market (refers to the secret trading of goods or foreign exchange prohibited by the government, or illegal speculation in the market); Black market price is derived from this: black market price.
In addition, in English, contrary to the meaning when accounting in red ink, black can also mean profit. For example:
Profit, money, surplus
Another example.
Black number country: a country with a surplus balance of payments.
Surplus interest: interest receivable
C. Blue (blue)
In English, it usually means unhappiness and melancholy. For example:
Melancholy: Depressed
It is also often used to indicate high social status, power, or birth to a noble or royal family. such as
He is a real aristocrat. He is a real aristocrat. )
Blue-eyed boy: an employee favored and specially cared for by management.
Blue moon: a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity
Blue in economic vocabulary has many different meanings. For example:
Blue book: blue book
Blue sky market: open-air market
Blue-collar worker: a worker engaged in manual labor
Blue chips: hot securities
Blue button: a metaphor for a broker who has access to stock trading.
Blue return: blue income tax return (only applicable to honest taxpayers)
Blue-chip interest rate: Britain's preferential credit rate
Blue law: blue law (referring to American law prohibiting business transactions on Sundays)
Blue law: blue law (refers to the stock issuance control law enacted by American States to manage stocks)
Blue sky bargaining: haggling all over the sky (refers to making unrealistic or unreasonable demands in negotiations or other transactions, which makes it impossible to reach an agreement)
D. Green (green)
In English, green is often used to express "jealousy", such as
Jealous; jaundiced
Green also said "fresh" or lack of experience and training, such as:
Green meat: fresh meat
Novice: Novice
Green also has the following meanings in the financial field:
Green back: US dollar bills (because the back of the dollar is green) (used in spoken English)
Green Power: "Power of Money" or "Consortium"
Green stamp: refers to the American relief voucher, which is named after being printed in green.
Green list refers to the detailed comparison table of government budget.
Green pound: Green pound (refers to the high exchange rate pound stipulated in * * * internal calculation of agricultural product prices. )
E. White (white)
In English, white often reminds people of innocence, such as:
White War: A war without smoke often refers to "economic competition".
Some things are named after their white color, such as
White goods: refers to household appliances with large volume and high unit price. These objects are often painted white, hence the name.
White money: silver coins
White coal: hydropower generation
White elephant: expensive but useless things or things that the owner doesn't need but can't get rid of.
White sale: big sale
White road: white street (refers to the brightly lit business district in the city)
F. words composed of other colors. For example:
Grey market: semi-black market
Gray zone: a gray zone (referring to an area with serious unemployment)
Pink slip
Yellow pages: yellow pages (referring to classified phone books, not yellow pages. )
From the above example, we can see that there are four ways to translate color words:
(1) literal translation. Translate according to the word form of the original text. For example:
White House White House
Red number: deficit
Yellow pages: yellow pages (referring to classified phone books, not yellow pages. )
(2) Change color words. According to the habit of translating into the target language (English-Chinese translation is Chinese), use color words familiar to readers to change the color words of the original text. For example:
Black tea black tea
Black and blue are black and blue (not black and blue)
(3) There are no color words in the original text, so appropriate color words can be added to the translation according to Chinese expression habits. such as
He didn't waste his energy. He didn't waste his energy. (edited by Hua, a new practical English-Chinese course, Hubei Education Press)
Her eyes are moist. Her eyes are red. (same as above)
(4) Free translation. Some color words have extended meanings because they are idioms. At this time, according to the meaning of the original text, we can completely ignore the color words in the original text and translate them into the target language with appropriate words. For example:
Red beans love peas.
Pink slip
Novice: Novice text
1) red
Red light festival generally refers to "memorial day" or "festive day". No matter in China or abroad, red generally symbolizes a happy day, as it does in most parts of China! Like getting married! Everything is red, symbolizing prosperity! Ha ha!
But sometimes it has other special uses.
Other commonly used ones are!
Red deficit
Deficit deficit
At a loss
Deficit entry
Deficit difference
However, these red words in Chinese have other expressions in English.
I think this is heavy!
Brown sugar, black tea, black tea, red list, honor list, red beans, love beans, red good luck, dividend distribution, red wedding wine, red ruins fire, red battle, bloody battle, red sky rosy clouds.
2) Black
In English, there are often meanings of "bad", "bad" and "evil". For example:
Black money: black money (refers to money from improper sources and not paying taxes to the government)
Black market: black market trading or black market (refers to the secret trading of goods or foreign exchange prohibited by the government, or illegal speculation in the market); Black market price is derived from this: black market price. In addition, in English, black can also mean profit, which is contrary to the meaning when accounting in red ink. For example:
Black numbers/in the dark: profits, money-making and surplus are another example: black number countries: interest in the dark: interest receivable.
3) Blue
In English, it usually means unhappiness and melancholy. For example:
Melancholy: Depression is also often used to indicate high social status, power, or birth to a noble or royal family. He is a real aristocrat. He is a real aristocrat. )
Blue-eyed boy: an employee favored and specially cared for by management.
Blue moon: once-in-a-lifetime opportunity economy, blue means many different things. For example:
Blue Book: Blue Sky Market: Open-air Market Blue-collar Workers: Manual Workers Blue-collar: Hot Securities Blue Button: refers to brokers with access to stock trading blue tax returns: blue income tax returns (for honest taxpayers to file tax returns).
Blue-chip interest rate: Britain's preferential credit interest rate blue law: blue law (referring to American law prohibiting commercial transactions on Sundays)
Blue law: blue law (refers to the stock issuance control law enacted by American States to manage stocks)
Blue sky bargaining: haggling all over the sky (refers to making unrealistic or unreasonable demands in negotiations or other transactions, which makes it impossible to reach an agreement)
4) Green
Green in English is often used to mean "envy", such as green-eyed: jealous/jealous. Green also means "new" or inexperienced and lacking in training, for example:
Green meat: fresh meat a green hand: novice green also has the following meanings in the financial field:
Green back: US dollar bills (because the back of the dollar is green) (used in spoken English)
Green power: "the power of money" or "consortium" green stamp: refers to the American relief voucher, which is named after being printed in green.
Green list refers to the detailed comparison table of government budget.
Green pound: Green pound (refers to the high exchange rate pound stipulated in * * * internal calculation of agricultural product prices. )
That's right. Don't forget the most familiar green hand!
5) white (white, I can't see, I don't need a white watch)
In English, white often reminds people of innocence, such as:
White War: A war without smoke often refers to "economic competition".
Some things are obtained because of their white color.
White goods: refers to household appliances with large volume and high unit price. These objects are often painted white, hence the name.
White money: silver coins
White coal: hydropower generation
White elephant: expensive but useless things or things that the owner doesn't need but can't get rid of.
White sale: big sale
White road: white street (refers to the brightly lit business district in the city)
These are too important! Hehe: lol::lol::lol:
Source: bbs.kaoyan.com Postgraduate Entrance Examination Forum. ※
6) Words composed of other colors
Grey market: semi-black market
Gray zone: a gray zone (referring to an area with serious unemployment)
Pink slip
Yellow pages: yellow pages (referring to classified phone books, not yellow pages. )
True colors; Start painting natural colors.
Primary colors; primary colour
Solid color
complementary colour
Popular colors; fashion color
International color international fashion color
Basic color
Similar color
pleochroic
true color
shads
Secondary color mixing
contrast color
cool tone
warm colour
Neutral color; intermediate color
subdued colour
Rich in color
Forward color forward color
lose one's original qualities
Expansion color
Shrinkage color
Background color
surface colour
Transparent color transparent color
Metallic color metallic color
Emphasis color
Color matching; Color combination and matching
Mixed tone color
Red red
Scarlet, carmine
Pink; Soft red; Roses bloom pink.
Plum; Crimson; plum
Rose rose
Peach blossom; pink
Cherry red
Salmon pink orange
Garnet garnet red
Purplish red; Jujube red
Lotus red lotus red flower
Purple pink light lotus red
Hongdouhong
capsanthin
Sorghum red
Poppy red hibiscus red
Lake; Rouge red carmine
Salmon salmon red
Tortoise red, tortoise red.
Cadmium orange conch red
Ruby red
Agate red
Coral coral red
Bronze red, gold red
iron oxide red
rust red
chrome red
brick-red
Red earth red
Purplish red; Wine red; Purplish red (burgundy)
Pruning; Mulberry is deep purple.
Henna brownish red
Crimson; Dark red, dark red
Bright red; Blood red; Bright red is bright red.
Scarlet blush
Silver pink beige
Crimson crimson
Light red light red
Orange orange
Yellow yellow
Deep orange orange
Light orange light orange; Transparent orange
Lemon yellow; lemon
Corn yellow corn
Olive yellow olive yellow
Straw yellow
Mustard yellow mustard
Apricot yellow
Yolk York yellow; yolk
Rattan yellow
Ivory nude
Sunshine yellow
Khaki; Yellow brown;
Sand yellow
Golden yellow; golden
deep yellow
sepia
Blue yellow
Grayish yellow and sallow; lark
Cream cream
Yellow cream
Bright yellow cadmium yellow
Goose yellow light yellow
Medium yellow
Light yellow, light yellow; amateur
Pale yellow primrose; jasmine
Green green
Bean green and pea green; pea green
Light bean green;
Olive green; Chinese olive
Tea green; colonize
Lush green;
Apple Green Apple Green
Forest green
Moss green
Grass green grass green
Grey Lake Green Agate Green
Crystal green crystal
emerald green
Stone green mineral green
Turquoise and spearmint; emerald green
malachite green
Dark green green black; jasper
Emerald black
Dark green oil; Dark green; chinese green
dark green
Green dark green
Turquoise azure; green
Blue-green blue-green
Yellow yellow green
Grayish green;
Brown-green Brin
Medium green; puttinggreen
Light green light green
pale green
indigo
Blue blue
Sky blue; Blue sky; sky blue
Moonlight blue moon blue
Ocean blue
Lan hai hai LAN
Lake blue acid blue
Deep lake blue, bright blue
China Lake is blue and bright blue.
Snow blue
peacock blue
Sapphire sapphire; Jewel blue
Pink blue, pink blue
Purple blue purple blue; navy
Navy blue navy blue
Royal blue
Dark blue black
Purple blue purple blue
Lavender blue Dutch blue
ultramarine
Dark gray-blue ash
Deep blue; Bile blue
Bright blue
Medium blue, medium blue
Light blue light blue
Light blue; Light blue
Purple purple; violet
Violet violet
Amethyst in amethyst.
Grape purple grape
Tomato peel purple wine berries; aubergine
Rose purple rose purple
Lilac lilac
atropurpureus
Deep red, deep red and purple.
Deep purple; dark purple
Violet raisin
Blue-purple royal purple
purple light
Dark purple
Light purple, gray purple
Lavender purple; light purple
Pale white, purple, purple gray
Purple heliotrope
Snow lilac
Crimson purple black
Deep crimson purple
Light crimson purple light
Black, black.
Carbon black; Charcoal black
Dark; pitch-black
Dark black
White, white.
ivory
Oyster white
Bismuth oxynitrate
Jade white
silvery white
Wool white
ivory
Grayish white; shell
snow-white
Gray white
pure white
White is white; creamy white
Pink and white pink and white
Light purple and white lilac white
Gray gray
silver gray
charcoal gray
Soot smoke gray
Hazy gray
Black, gray, black
Golden gold
Yinyin
Bronze bronze; bronze
Camel camel; sandy beige
Beige in beige; Cream; Grey sand
Kaqikaqi
Cream cream
Bean paste-colored tea color
Crystal color crystal
Fluorescent rainbow color
Iris iridescens; rainbow
Brown brown
Dark brown brown; russet
Light brown light brown
Coffee. Coffee
Amber amber
I hope it helps you.