论文题目中英颜色词文化内涵差异研究系别英语系专业英语外贸年级2011 级学号201124062103 学生姓名指导教师完成时间2015 年 4 月肇庆学院教务处制毕业论文An Exploration into Connotative Difference between Chinese and English Color WordsA Thesis Submitted to the School of Foreign Languages of Zhaoqing University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Bachelor of English By: Deng Xianwen Supervisor：Li TongApril 2015 学术诚信声明本人所呈交的毕业论文，是在指导教师的指导下独立完成。研究工作所取得的成果、数据、图片资料均真实可靠。除文中已注明引用的内容外，不包含任何其他人或集体已经发表或撰写过的作品或成果。对本论文的研究做出重要贡献的个人和集体，均已在文中以明确的方式标明。本毕业论文的知识产权归属于培养单位。本人完全意识到本声明的法律结果由本人承担。本人签名：日期：Abstract Language is the essential component and representation of national culture, which was created and developed via hosting its own culture features in the process of historical development. Color words are the indispensable part of national culture as well. Territory, custom, politics, religion and value difference results in connotative meanings of color words difference between Chinese and English culture. The paper is focus on analyzing the explanation and cultural connotation of color words “Red”, “Green” and “Blue ” as follow. Firstly, it introduces the Sapir Wolfe hypothesis as well as the Berlin and Kay basic color theory. Then the similarities and difference description and cultural connotation of Chinese and English basic color words “Red”, “Green” and “Blue ” are presented. The third is the causes of cultural similarities and difference of the three color words. Including the difference between natural environment, tradition and customs, philosophic and religious views. Last but not least, the enlightenment from the contrast that the interaction of color words connotation and cultural influence is what causes the similarities and difference among them. Key words: basic color words “ Red” , “ Green”and “ Blue” ; cultural connotation similarities and difference; causes; interaction i.II 内容摘要各民族在其历史发展过程中创造和发展起来的具有本民族的特点文化，称为民族文化，而语言既是民族文化的重要组成部分，也是民族文化的表现形式。颜色词是民族文化中不可或缺的一部分，因为地域、风俗、政治、宗教以及价值观等方面的不同，中英文化中对应的颜色词也代表不同意义，以至于基本颜色词常会引起误解。本文对比总结“红、绿、蓝”在英汉中的阐释及与文化内涵，作出了以下的分析：首先，叙述了萨皮尔沃夫假说以及柏林与凯伊基本色彩理论作为论述依据；其次，对比分析中英共有的基本颜色词“红、绿、蓝”描述及其文化内涵共性与差异；然后，从中英文化共性与差异上分析“红、绿、蓝”文化差异形成的原因，包括自然环境差异、传统与习俗差异、哲学观差异和宗教差异；最后，做出总结分析，由此得出颜色词内涵与文化相互影响相互渗透是其产生异同的深层原因的启示。关键词 ：基本颜色词“红、绿、蓝” ；文化内涵共性与差异；原因；相互影响渗透i.III Outline Thesis Statement: This thesis analyses the cultural similarities and difference between Chinese and English basic color words “Red”, “Green” and “Blue ” on the basis of Sapir Wolfe hypothesis as well as the Berlin and Kay basic color theory, and points out the necessity and significance of it. Also, the paper analyzes the causes of similarities and difference between those color words which causes interaction between different culture . 1. Introduction 2. Theoretical Basis 2.1 Sapir Wolfe Hypothesis 2.2 Berlin and Kay s Theory of Basic Color Words 3. Cultural Connotations Study on Color Words between Chinese and English 3.1 Common Color Words “Red”, “Green” and “Blue ” in Chinese and English 3.2 Cultural Connotations Similarities and Difference between Color Words “Red”, “Green” and “Blue ” of Chinese and English 3.2.1Color Word Red /“红”3.2.2Color Word Green /“绿”3.2.3Color Word Blue /“蓝”4. Contrast of Cultural Connotation Causes between Chinese and English Color Words 4.1 Causes of Chinese and English Cultural Connotation Similarities 4.1.1Cultural Perception 4.1.2Cultural Experience 4.2 Causes of Chinese and English Cultural Connotation Difference 4.2.1Nature Environment Difference 4.2.2Tradition and Customs Difference 4.2.3Philosophic Difference 4.2.4Religious Views Difference 5. Conclusion i.IV Table of Contents1. Introduction. 1 2. Theoretical Basis . 2 2.1 Sapir Wolfe Hypothesis . 3 2.2 Berlin and Kays Theory of Basic Color Words . 4 3. Cultural Connotations Study on Color Words between Chinese and English . 4 3.1 Common Color Words “Red”, “Green” and “Blue ” in Chinese and English. 5 3.2 Cultural Connotations Similarities and Difference between Color Words “Red”, “Green” and “Blue ” of Chinese and English. 5 3.2.1 Color Word Red/ “红” . 5 3.2.2 Color Word Green/ “绿” . 6 4. Contrast of Cultural Connotation between Chinese and English Color Words . 8 4.1 Causes of Chinese and English Cultural Connotation Similarities . 8 4.1.1 Cultural Perception . 9 4.1.2 Cultural Experience . 9 4.2 Causes of Chinese and English Cultural Connotation Difference . 9 4.2.1 Nature Environment Difference. 10 4.2.2 Traditions and Customs Difference . 10 4.2.3 Philosophy Difference . 10 4.2.4 Religious Views Difference . 11 5. Conclusion . 12 Bibliography . 13 1 1. Introduction Life is filled with knowledge and can be described with abundant vocabulary to increase the value of it. However, even the talented learners could hardly understand all the meaning of color words when describing mood or issues. For example, I learnt from my high school teacher once describing a lady as follows: “ Lucy is a very white lady. She was looking rather green the other day and was in a brown mood when I saw her. I wish she ll soon be in a pink mood again.”When classmates read this sentence they were confused though the grammar was precise and vocabulary was simple. The primary causes is that we can t understand what those color words represent under different cultural backgrounds. Thus, the same color words may indicate different meanings between Chinese and English because language is originated from life and influenced by culture. “ There is something behind language and language cannot exit without culture. ”(Linguitism:89). The significance of indicating the exact color to describe issues is indispensible. There are around 7,000,000 different colors exist in the world but only around 3,000 English and 2,300 Chinese color words are generated to be known. As the amazing developing speed of nature and human society ever-growing, it would be even difficult to categorize the color words into clear-cut types. Even though, researchers have divided color words into two categories: basic color and object color. In this essay we just analyze three basic color words “Red”, “Green” and “Blue ” in contrast views. Since Plato did systematic researches on color words thousands of years ago, many researchers fellow his path to complete the study. According to Berlin and Kay s basic color theory, eleven colors are concluded in English of basic color words, and they are white, black ,blue, orange, purple, pink, green, red, brown, yellow and grey. Based on Berlin and Kay s theory, Chinese professor Yao Xiaoping and Liu Danqing have done a deep research on Chinese color characters and they divided color words as follow characters: 黑，白，红，黄，绿，青，紫，粉红，灰，褐，橙. Therefore it appears eleven basic color words and we only contrast three of them which are red/ 红， green/绿 and blue/2 蓝. There are five chapters in the essay. Chapter One is the general introduction of the whole essay. Chapter Two will focus on theoretical basis from Sapir Whorf hypothesis as well as Berlin and Kay s theory on color words. The first assumption is aiming at stating the relations between language and culture which provides the real meaning when basic color words are used in a specific language situation. The later indicates the color group that divided scientifically. Three pairs of basic color words “ red/红，green/绿，blue/蓝”will be contrasted in Chapter Three in English and Chinese in common. It also make contrast of basic color words similarities and dissimilarities in this chapter. Chapter Four indicates the reason why basic color words includes of initial similarities and differences. Last but not least, the effect of color words symbolize in daily life are put forward in an essential place. 2. Theoretical Basis Color word study has been continued for a long period. Not until the eighteenth century did two contrasting philosophy theories about the development of the color system of a given language come into being. In the meanwhile, two questions about color word study were put forwarded by Professor Yang Yonglin as following: (1)Is the color-coding system of a language linguistically universal and semantically evolutionary? (2)Is it something linguistically relative and semantically culture-determined? (杨永林20002b:4) Therefore, in order to due with the two questions, two relative theories were developed to full fill the contrastive study of cultural connotations of English and Chinese basic color words. They are Sapir-Whorf hypothesis as well as Berlin & Kay s theory of basic color words. 3 2.1 Sapir Wolfe Hypothesis During the nineteenth century, color words are considered to have the nature of linguistic relativity and semantic culture-peculiarity. There states two opposite assumption that on the one hand, the “ civilized”society in Europe acknowledged more on color words definition and meanings than the “ primitive ”society while on the other hand disagreed. However, two splendid American anthropologists and linguist Edward Sapir and his student Benjamin Lee Whorf made great progress on the hypotheses concerning language, thought and culture. Whether language could help assisting the method of thinking and different languages may being able to express the unique way of understanding the world as following two points of the theory: (1)Language may determine our thinking patterns. (2)Similarities between languages are relative, the greater their structural differentiation is, the more diverse their conceptualization of the world will be. In fact, during to the exaggeration of influence of language on human beingsthought and other ways, not much linguists could accept the first theory. Not until early 1920s to the late 1960s did the theory is widely accepted. However, the road to success is always full of thorns. Though Sapir-Whorf hypothesis made a great effort on the study of the relationships between language and thought, language and culture, some linguists questioned degree of influences as well as the possibilities that people have common thoughts of the world. The importance of Sapir-Whorf hypothesis which made great progress on the development of the relationship between language and thought can not be denied. However, more scholars chose to believe the study on color words is the typical cross-cultural example to prove linguistic relativism. Not until 1960s when Berlin and Kay assumed that it is linguistic universality and semantic evolution that characterize the system of color words in general did the theory been mostly accepted by scientists of related study fields. 4 2.2 Berlin and Kay s Theory of Basic Color Words Seventy years after the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis was put forward, two linguists Berlin and Kay published their seminal and classic book on the study of relevant field, Basic Color Terms: Their Universality and Evolution. Four basic criteria are divided to judge whether a color word is basic or not in a given language as following: (1)The meaning of color word cannot be speculated from itself. (2)Its meaning does n t contain that of any other color words. (3)Its application should be wide, not just restricted to a special kind of objects. (4)It must be psychologically salient for informants. Indices of psychological salience include: a tendency to occur at the beginning of elicited lists of color words; stability of reference across in formants and across occasions of use, andoccurrence in the idiolects of all informants. (from Berlin and Kay 1969:6) Focus on those principles, Berlin and Kay made an conclusion that there are different numbers of basic color words in different languages after investigating ninety-eight languages. Eleven basic color words are distinguished through different languages. They also established the set of principles mentioned above to judge the distributional restrictions of color words in a given language to help explaining the relationships between language and words. 3. Cultural Connotations Study on Color Words between Chinese and English Having discussed the history of studies on color words and two foundational theories on the last two chapters, with the way of contrastive compare on cultural connotations of English and Chinese basic color words will be described in the third chapter. 5 3.1 Common Color Words “Red”, “Green” and “Blue” in Chinese and English According to the theoretical basis above, we focus on discussing three group of color words in Chinese and English which are Red/ 红，Green/绿，Blue/蓝. In fact, cultural connotation has no precise definition. We will mainly discus the metaphorical meaning, associative meaning, symbolic meaning, emotional meaning and other extended meanings of basic color words. As for the researches on related filed, Geoffrey Leech has proposed that the meaning of a word consists of seven types: conceptual meaning, thematic meaning, connotative meaning, stylistic meaning, affective meaning, reflected meaning and connotative meaning. The last five meaning are called associative meaning cause they are all open-ended, indeterminate. (Leech.1987:21-23) In the meanwhile, Chinese linguist Zhu Guangqian also pointed out that a character has associative meanings and contextual meanings besides its literal meaning. 3.2 Cultural Connotations Similarities and Difference between Color Words “Red”, “Green” and “Blue” of Chinese and English According to the general introduction of basic color words Red/ 红，Green/绿，Blue/蓝 above, in the following pages we are going to contrast the three pairs of color words specifically in two languages. Both similarities and difference will be discuss in each chapters.3.2.1 Color Word Red/“红”Color Red “红” is the favorite color of Chinese nations and became the culture symbolization and spirit reliance of people in China. For a long period of time in Chinese history, people usually connect “红”as good luck, happiness, generous, vitality, elegance, etc. For example, ancient people made walls and doors into red color as well as 6 cabinets, they dressed their babies with red bellyband （红肚兜）and covered the bride with red veil（红盖头）. Everywhere is in red when Chinese new year s coming. “春联”which means Spring festival scrolls, “窗花” which indicates windows paper, “鞭炮”named as firecracker and lucky money put into a red envelop called“大红包” , etc. None of those are not in red color symbolizing good fortune. Except for the celebrating meaning in Spring festival of “红”, it also symbolizes embarrassed, shy or danger. For example, “眼红” means jealousy; “脸红” means shy; “亮红灯” shows danger or prohibition. Apart from this, “红” also shows political sense in Chinese during the revolution period. “红色政权”，“红军” ，“红色根据地”and so on. In English, though color “ Red”is indicating congratulation or jubilance like “ red carpet”for welcoming or Christmas decorations for celebration, negative meaning is more used to their lives. Western countries usually connect red as bloody symbolic which means bleeding, danger and violence for example “ red in tooth and claw” （残酷无情， 血淋淋） ; “ a red tag to a bull” （斗牛的红布，易激起怒火之事）; “ have red hands ” （杀人犯); “ red alert” （空袭报警） ; “ a red flag” （危险信号旗） . “ Red” also contains specific racial overtones like redskin is the pedagogue for North American Indians. In nowadays fast developing acknowledgeable society, Chinese and Western people gradually formed different cognition to red color. Red is used to show lovesick or love in both Chinese and English. However, it would be difficult to understand the meaning when some Chinese sentences are used to translate in English such as: “一颗红心”should be translated into loyal to the Party, having socialist virtues instead of “ a red heart ” . Red also symbolizes deficit in economy. The character “红” in Chinese doesn t usually mean “ red” in English. For example: 红豆-love pea; 红茶-black tea. 3.2.2 Color Word Green/“绿”Green is the color of nature and life. During the tradition of Chinese culture, green(绿) has two symbolic meanings, on the one hand, it means chivalrous. For example, those people who against the feudal rule are named “绿林好汉” . On the other hand, 7 ancient Chinese believed that green is the color showing inferiority. Slaves in Han Dynasty as well as prostitutes after Yuan Dynasty were wearing green hats because of their servile state. Husbands whose wives have paramour are called “戴绿帽” showing predicament. In English, green shows more positive aspects for example: vividness, hope, refreshment, vitality and so on. “ In the green wood ” means that people are at the prime of life; “ a green wound”means that a new wound; “ keep the memory green”means that never forget something. Meanwhile, “ green” also symbolize illness and lack of experience or exercise. For example: “ look green” means that the person is in bad look while “ a green hand ” means freshman. Recently, “ green”is used to symbolizing environmental friendly and protection. It reminds people to help revising the atmosphere from countryside and reducing pollution. 3.2.3 Color Word Blue/“蓝”England is ocean culture while China is cultivating culture, the color of vast ocean and shiny sky is blue. China has some cultural connotations on color “ blue” - “蓝” as follow: Firstly, “蓝”means broadness. When we view the boundless sea and endless sky, the amazing blue will easily release our minds. Secondly, it symbolizes scholars. Back to Chinese 18 to 20 century, the word “蓝衫” (or “秀才) was used to name those people who have passed the imperial examination at the country level, because there was a tradition during the Confucian period that scholars were always dressed in blue clothes. Thirdly, “蓝”means being upright. In Chinese, “蓝”is the synonymy of “青” ， for example: “青天”means blue sky, “青出于蓝而胜于蓝” indicates that the pupil has surpassed his teacher. Lastly, “蓝” symbolizes a plan, especially a good one such as “蓝图” , is the future conception. In English, the symbolizes of “ blue” would be far more than Chinese. First of all, it symbolizes distance, calmness and justice. “ Blue” is often used in quiet and saint places such as hospital, church, office, etc. Second, “ blue”means high ranking and privilege. “ Blue blood”was used to refer to nobleman particularly during the Middle Ages. In 8 traditional England wedding, the following is required to give the bride: “ Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue” ( bluemeans dignity in the sentence). Till now, “ blue book” in modern Britain is used for indicating on parliamentary or Privy Council report meanwhile Americans are noting famous people s names on it. Thirdly and the most ordinary connotation of “ blue” is depressed, sad and gloomy. People in London were to believe that it s dismal and melancholy what brings stormy and boring life at sea to them through foggy weather. Therefore, “ in the blues” , “ look blue” means sadness on people s mood. Americans named “ blue Monday” so as to judge the beginning of a week is in depression. Last but not least, “ blue”in English also shows obscenity when indicating films, magazines, jokes or stories. For example, “ blue films” , “ blue jokes” may usually contain filthy and vulgar aspect. 4. Contrast of Cultural Connotation between Chinese and English Color Words As the above compare on cultural connotations of the three basic color words “ Red” , “ Green ”and “ Blue” , we may try to find out that what causes the similarities and difference between the two languages. As the following passages, we will discus about the reasons why there exists lots of similarities and difference of cultural connotations between the two languages. similarities and dissimilarities to cultural connotations in the two languages. 4.1Causes of Chinese and English Cultural Connotation Similarities In the following chapters, we will discuss the causes of Chinese and English cultural connotation similarities. We will figure out what kinds of reasons are contained in the culture development. Under the two different cultural backgrounds, it would be important to understand the factors what causes the connotative similarities phenomenon. 9 4.1.1 Cultural Perception Perception is a biological term helps finding out how people understand the world. It is the organization, identification, and interpretation of sensory information in order to represent and understand the environment so that it can make sense. (Schechter, Daniel,2011) Because we can distinguish messages from the world into a common conception, it would not be difficult to understand the common connotations of basic color words in English and Chinese.4.1.2 Cultural Experience Famous linguist Layoff once said that: “ color categories are determined jointly by the external physical world, human biology, the human mind, plus cultural considerations ” . It precisely concluded the different connotations of basic color word between Chinese and English. Furthermore, some similar culture in Chinese and English is based on common connotations of color words. According to our contrast above, we may easily find out that “红” in Chinese usually symbolizes a positive aspect while “ Red”in English often used in a negative aspect. However, when using decorations on festivals, both Chinese and English countries prefer to use “ Red” in a way to welcome or celebrate. The main reason of the way people celebrating using common color is that they have the same cultural experience. There is no doubt that human shares the same experience and gradually it forms as a cultural way, in the meanwhile, culture itself influences people s living experience. Therefore, the same cultural connotation reflects from the similar cultural experience. 4.2 Causes of Chinese and English Cultural Connotation Difference In the following discussions, four types of cultural difference among the development of color words study are being performed. Only when we walk deep enough into the discovery of cultural connotation phenomenon can we minise the misunderstanding of color words.10 4.2.1 Nature Environment Difference Every country has its own culture influenced by many aspects. The most fundamental criteria that develops the dissimilarities between Chinese and English culture would be the difference between their nature environment. China is a country focus much on agriculture than any other things that the color of earth are highly acknowledged while English people considered sea as their object to symbolize things from the aspect of ocean color. For example, English people would use “ blue”to show priority, dignity and power while Chinese people prefer using yellow following their people s skin and the color of the ground. “ Blue” also symbolizes sadness and depressed in English culture but Chinese doesn t use in this way. It is the nature environment what causes the difference between Chinese and English. 4.2.2 Traditions and Customs Difference Different countries vary from each other in traditions and customs that formed thousands of years ago. The connotation of culture accumulated by everyday s experience of human beings into traditions and customs has its own value and unique characteristic which others could hardly imitated. Thus, different countries has its particular emotion difference of traditions and customs. For instance, Chinese wedding ceremonies usually dressed a bride in red “旗袍”while pure white wedding dresses are more preferred to western traditions. The red color symbolizes happiness and wishes in Chinese traditions while white means saint and best wishes in English customs. 4.2.3 Philosophy DifferenceChina is a country with more than two thousands of years. Through such a long period of time, special philosophy in understanding of basic color word are naturally formed by Chinese. The most prominent idea in ancient Chinese philosophy is the Supreme Ultimate, which reflects the law of universe and the idea of harmony. It divided a circle into two equal black and white parts with an “ S” in the middle of it named as 11 “ Yin” and “ Yang” . The two equal parts each with a spot in the middle of them shows the great harmony among the universe. The whole universe includes the Yin and the Yang, which should keep each other into a balance way reflects the law of the universe and the human history. In ancient China, basic color not only stands for directions but also means five elements. Green stands for the east, white for the west, red for the south, black for the north and yellow for the center. Spring is usually linked to the eastern China, which means the “江南”area showing green color. Color red represents summer because in ancient Chinese philosophy, summer is believed to belonging to the south of China as well as symbolizing fire in the five elements. Autumn is related to metal that white stands for this season, black for winter as water corresponding to these months. As western culture doesn t exist “ Five Elements”theory like Chinese, the famous ideologist Aristotle states that basic colors were related to some basic elements in the world and he also thought that the colors “ black” or “ white” together forms some other simple colors( Wikipedia ). Black is the transmitting color of elements during its process. Mixtures of the simple colors have been formed in other visible color forms. Though his idea influenced the way people thinking on western countries, it s not as deep as Chinese counterpart philosophies. 4.2.4 Religious Views Difference It is believed that religion can explain the emotions about life in many western countries. What the nature of life and death is and how universe is created are concluded in the religion theories to expound the relationship between human beings and nature, personality and society. In ancient China, there existed a native religion named Taoism that people named after the color “ purple” in order to worshiped the Taoists. For example “紫皇帝” (the Jade Emperor); “紫书” (Taoism scripture). Chinese people respect the color “ yellow”because they consider it as the color of ground and such saying that “黄道吉日”(a lucky day) is appeared in the Lunar Calendar. 12 However, western countries use “ yellow”in a more negative way. According to Bible, yellow is the symbolize color of the noble and people may easily associate the color with something bad. 5. Conclusion This essay is aiming at comparing the cultural connotations of three groups of basic color words in Chinese and English. In the very beginning, the theoretical basis of Sapir Wolfe Hypothesis and Berlin and Kay s Theory of Basic Color Words are introduced. The relations between language and culture is explained in the beginning and became the foundation theory basis of Berlin and Kay s Theory of Basic Color Words in the following 20 century. Three groups of color words “ Red” , “ Green” and “ Blue” are contrasted in the essay. In order to memorize the development and achievements of the previous studies, this thesis reviews the history of it. In the study of anthropological perspective, Magnus and cross-culture psychologist River firstly confirmed the assumption that language indeed influenced by culture and language study should depend on its cultural setting. Not as systematic as the study on color word in western countries, Chinese made later and fewer progress on the research of it. However, Professor Zhang Peiji who firstly began to discuss the translation of English color words in his book 英语声色词与翻译and Professor Yang Yonglin who performed an experiment of color among college students and made a further and systematic study on color basing on 中国学生汉语色彩语码认知模式研究 had made great dedication on the color word study in China. The main body of this thesis contrasts three pairs of color words in Chinese and English. Each of their cultural connotations are performed by their similarities and dissimilarities between two different languages. Every language is based on its own culture, meanwhile every culture reflects the society clearly. Therefore, it is important to understand the causes of this phenomenon. Thus, the causes of similarities and difference between Chinese and English basic color words are discussed in the following paragraphs. What causes the similarities of the 13 phenomenon are based on the similar perceptions of colors and cultural experience. The reasons why difference appears to be shown on the color words includes nature environment, traditions and customs, religions and philosophy views. Having understood the cultural background of different languages helps us to understand the cultural connotations of color words precisely. Bibliography 1 Bartlett, Elsa Jaffe. The acquisition of the meaning of color terms: a study of lexical development . In R.N.Campbell & P.T.Smith(eds). Proceedings of the NATO conference on the psychology of language.M.New York: Plenum.1978 2 Berlin, Brent and Paul Kay Basic color terms: their universality and evolution. M.Berkeley: University of California Press. 19911969 3 Bornstein, Marc H, The influence of visual perception on culture. American Anthropologist, 77(4).M.1975 4 Collier, George A. Review of Basic color terms . Language 49(1).J.1973 5 Lakoff, Robin. Language and woman s place. Language in Society. M.1973 6 Leech, G. Semantics.M. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books Ltd.1978 7 Newton, Sir Isaac Opticks, or a treatise of the reflections, refraction, inflections, and color of light.M. New York: Dover Publications, Inc.1952 8 Schacter, Daniel (2011).Psychology. Worth Publishers. 9 Palmer, F.R. Semantics. Cambridge: CUP.M. 1983 10 胡文仲 .文化与交际 M. 北京：外语教学与研究出版社，1994 11 陈文萃 .论英汉基本颜色词的相似性J.太原理工大学学报 ,2004(1) 12 刘丹青 .现代汉语基本颜色词的数量及序列J.南京师范大学学报 ,1990(3) 13 刘云泉 .语言的色彩美 M. 安徽：安徽教育出版社 ,1990年第 1 版14 吴东平 .色彩与中国人的生活 M. 团结出版社， 2000（第一版）15 张岱年 .色彩词语联想意义楚仑 J.北京：语言教学与研究，1998(3) 14 Acknowledgements On the completion of my thesis, I would like to express my greatest gratitude to all whose kindness and advice have made this work possible. I am greatly indebted to my supervisor, Miss Li Tong, for her constant encouragement and guidance. In the beginning, I got lost in choosing the topic of my essay. It was Miss Li who provided me helpful guidance that I gradually found my way in finishing my paper. Without her precise instruction, it couldn t have reached its present form. Secondly, I want to thank my foreign teacher Paul and Fillip who gave me professional advice from foreign language department. Finally, I would like to send my gratitude to my family especially my father who constantly reminds me of completing the process of my essay. Last but not least, the furthest help from my classmates and friends are appreciated.