英语版中国文化学习:中国文化中的色彩与意义

编者按：不同的色彩在中国文化中所表达的含义是不同的，中国文化博大精深，对色彩的概念也不尽相同，下面来看一看英语版的色彩解说。

Green with envy? Feeling blue? Irrespective of whether you’ve been forced to pour over the symbolism of a certain shade of gray, perhaps as part of a literature degree, most Westerners have a decent idea of which colors equate to which emotions. But the Chinese palette is an entirely different animal, with the potential to ruin the best intentions – just try giving your Chinese girlfriend a white rose on Valentine’s Day.

White白 (bái) — symbolizing bereavement, bad luck, death, failure and stupidity

Since time immemorial, white has been the dominant color displayed at Chinese funerals, the so-called “白事 (báishi)”, literally, white affairs, while those of lower intelligence, more colloquially known as "idiots", are referRed to as “白痴(báichī)”. When hard work achieves no results and all one’s efforts prove to be in vain, Chinese people often say —“白忙了(báimángle)” or “白费力 (báifèilì)”.

Red 红 (hóng) — symbolizing enthusiasm, fervor, and luck. During a traditional Chinese wedding, it is considered auspicious for the bride and bridegroom to dress in red, in anticipation of a blissful, argument-free union. Red lanterns, red couplets and red papercuts blanketed with the Chinese character “囍(shuāngxǐ, double bliss)” are ubiquitous. Red even makes its way into the lexicon in a term used for female matchmakers, “红娘 (hóngniáng)”, literally, Red Ladies.

Yellow 黄 (huáng) — the brightest color, symbolizing royalty, solemnity and sacredness.The dragon robe, the official garb of the feudal emperor in Chinese society, is yellow, and the color's symbolism extends to representing imperial power and sovereignty. On the other hand, Yellow represents pornography. "adult movies" are referred to as "yellow movies" in China.

Black 黑 (hēi) — symbolizing sublimity, equality, righteousness, and solemnity

In traditional Chinese plays and dramas, actors whose faces are painted black are playing the role of righteous and just characters. “包公(bāogōng)”, renowned as the most impartial judge in Chinese history, is easily recognized by his black face.

Green 绿 (Lǜ) — symbolizing life, peace, vitality, and youth. Green has similar connotations in both Chinese and Western culture. The colour appears in agriculture-related Chinese phrases, such as “绿洲 (lǜzhōu)”/oasis and “ 绿茶 (lǜchá)”/green tea. But “绿帽子 (lǜmàozì)”, literally, "green hat", is an exception. Most men are afraid to wear a green hat — as to do so suggests their girlfriend or wife is cheating on them.

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