摘 要

在人类语言中，有许多词句与颜色相关。色彩和颜色词与文化紧密相关，有其特有的魅力。然而，不同文化背景下的不同民族的人对同一颜色有着不同的理解。导致这些差异的原因有习俗，语言习惯，历史背景，心里原因和环境等因素。在中西文化中，颜色和颜色词的使用也不尽相同。不同的文化使颜色词有了不同的象征意义。我们应该更注意探究不同文化中更深远的象征义来更好地理解文化差异。
本文主要研究中西文化中颜色词的象征意义。第一部分试图从中西文化对比的角度去分析探究各种民族文化发展对颜色词的象征意义的影响。第二部分具体地分析引起中西颜色词象征意义差异的原因。第三部分将根据颜色来分类,并在每种颜色中分别分析其在英汉文化中的特殊象征意义。

关键词：颜色词；象征意义；中西文化
 
Abstract

In human languages, a host of words and phrases are related with color. Color and color words have their unique charm and are related closely to many aspects of culture. However, different peoples with different culture backgrounds have different opinions on the same color term. The reasons which result in the differences involve customs, language habits, background of history, psychological status and environment. In Chinese and English cultures, the uses of colors and color words are also diversified. Different cultures endow colors with different symbolic meanings. It’s essential for people to be aware of the deep and broad symbolic meanings in different cultures. 
This paper is intended to make a tentative discussion on the symbolic meanings of color words in Chinese and Western culture. The paper is divided into three parts.  The first part tries to explore the influence of various ethnic and cultural developments to the color symbolism of the word from the perspectives of the contrast between Chinese and Western cultures. In the second part, the paper tries to analyze the reasons which cause the differences of symbolic meanings of color words between English and Chinese. In the third part, this paper will be classified by color words and it focuses on analyzing the special symbolic meaning of each color in English and Chinese.

Keywords: Color words; Symbolic meaning; English and Chinese culture

Chapter 1 Introduction
We are now living in a splendid and colorful world. What comes first into our eyes is the colors in nature. It is a present from the nature. We cannot imagine what the world would be like if there is no color of great variety. Colors are closely related to people’s life and emotion. People need color terms in order to satisfy the necessities in communication and daily life. Since color is a kind of visual feature of human eye, people in different cultures have the same reflection of colors. Basic colors such as red, orange, yellow, green, blue-green, blue, purple in English are equal to 赤，橙，黄，绿，青，蓝，紫 in Chinese.