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1、The Symbolism of Red and Black in Chinese and Western CulturesColor plays a vitally important role in the world in which we live. Color can sway thinking, change actions, and cause reactions. It can irritate or soothe your eyes, raise your blood pressure or suppress your appetite. When used in the r
2、ight ways, color can save on energy consumption. When used in the wrong ways, color can contribute to global pollution. As a powerful form of communication, color is irreplaceable. Red means stop and black means serious Traffic lights send this universal message. Likewise, the colors used for a prod
3、uct, web site, business card, or logo cause powerful reactions. Take red for example: Red is the basic color of homage in Chinese culture, which shows Chinese in spiritual and physical pursuing. Red can symbolize many things, from blood, to love, to infatuation. Basically red symbolizes strong emoti
4、ons, or things of strong emotions rather than intellectual ideas .For example, red can symbolize excitement, energy, speed, strength, danger, passion, and aggression.Take red for example: Black comedy: creating comedy out of a tragic event or situation. Black coffee: coffee without milk. Black belt:
5、 the highest awarded belt in the martial arts. Blackball: voting against someone in a secret manner to prevent him or her from becoming a member of a club. Blackmail: to demand payment or action by means of a threat. Black sheep: a bad character in an otherwise respectable group. Black day: a bad da
6、y, or often used before the name of a particular day to symbolize a tragic event, black Tuesday or black Friday for example. I. The Symbolic Meanings of Red in Chinese and Western Cultures 1. 1The Symbolic Meanings of Red in Chinese Cultures Red is the basic avocation color of our country cultures.
7、It has manifested the Chinese on spiritual and the material pursue.它象征着吉祥、喜庆，if the person which facilitates the other people happy marriage calls 红娘，喜庆日子要挂大红灯笼、贴红对联、红福字；男娶女嫁时贴大红喜字，we often say some place lively and prosperously ,so we call it 红火；形容繁华、热闹的地方叫红尘；它又象征革命和进步。 The Chinese Communist Party
8、initial political power is called “红色政权”，最早的武装叫“红军”， The person requests progresses in politics and ,in the service studies ,we call it“又红又专”等；它也象征顺利、成功，if persons circumstances are very good, we call it 走红、红极一时，得到上司宠信的叫红人，分到合伙经营利润叫分红，给人发奖金叫送红包等；它还象征美丽、漂亮，如指女子盛妆为红妆或红装 ，把艳妆女子称为红袖，指女子美艳的容颜为红颜等。Red sym
9、bolizes the jubilation, the success, auspicious, loyal and prosperous in Chinese minds .古代对日神的崇拜。古 代达官贵人的住宅是朱门，朱门酒肉臭， 路有冻死骨（杜甫自京赴奉先县咏怀五百字）；他们穿 的衣服是朱衣； 乘的车子叫朱轩。在传统京剧里，关羽的一张大红脸象征着他耿直、忠义的 品格。在 传统婚礼上张贴的是大红喜字，给新娘遮,脸的是红盖头，新娘穿的吉 服是大红袄，新郎胸前佩戴的是大红花等 等。These red clothing not only bring the jubilation to the w
10、edding ceremony the atmosphere , simultaneously also was suggesting newlyweds marry the after day to be able to cross prosperously. During the Chinese， 红 火形容旺盛、热闹，而红尘则指繁华的人世；红利是企业分给股东的 利润或是给职工的奖金； 红包是表示奖励或祝福的财礼，虽包的是金钱， 但绝无庸俗之嫌。至于红颜指年轻美貌的女子，则是 人所共知的了。 由于红象征着成功，如大红人、大红大紫等，且在视觉上给人 以强烈刺激，所以在当代汉语 里它是政治色彩
11、最浓的一个颜色词，使用得很频繁，象征着革命和进步。如：红旗、红军、红心 、红小鬼、 红卫兵、红色政权、又红又专、红色娘子军、红色根据地 等等。此外， 红枫象征革命热情，红烛象征奉献精神等。在文革 期间，甚至用红海洋来表示革命。1.2 The Symbolic Meanings of Red in Western Cultures 西方文化中的红色（red）则是一个贬意相当强的词，是火、血的联想，它象征着残暴、流血，如（1）The red rules of tooth and claw残杀 和暴力统治，（2）red revenge血腥复仇，（3）a red battle血战 ；它又象征激进、暴力
12、革命，如（1）red hot political campaign激烈的政治运动，（2）a red revolution 赤色革命，（3）red activities左派激进活动；它也象征危险、紧张，如（1）red alert空袭报警，（2）a red adventure story一个令人紧张的冒险故事，（3）a red flag危险信号旗；它还象征着放荡、淫秽，如（ 1）a red waste of his youth他那因放荡而浪费的青春，（2）a red light district花街柳巷（红灯区），（ 3）Is she really soared as she is painted
13、？难到她真的象人们所描绘的那样放荡吗？红是血与火的颜色。在西方，Red（红）常用作贬义， 表示残酷、 狂热、灾祸、烦琐、血腥等意 。如：red hands （血腥的手，杀人的手）； be caught redhanded（当场被捕）；“redheaded （狂怒的）； redlight district（红灯区、 风化区）；redneck（乡巴佬，美国 南部农民）； redruin（战祸）；red skin（对北美印第安人的贬称）； redtypist （官样文章，官僚作风 ，文牍主义）。Red Alert（红色 警报， 紧急警报）是几年前由Westwood（西屋）公司制作的一种即 时战略 游
14、戏，游戏的最终目的是击溃红军，占领苏联。从这里可以看出，Westwood （西屋）公司利用西方 民众一贯惧怕“Red（红）的心态，在Red上大作 文章。它暗指如果苏联不被消灭，红色政权将会给世界 带来动荡和灾难。50 60年代，国产名牌红灯牌收音机曾一度远涉重洋，销往国外。但是由于红 灯直 译为英语含有风化区的意思，导致红灯牌收音机在国外滞销。 后来改了译名才畅销起来。这也是中西 方对红的内涵的不同理解所致。Color plays a vitally important role in the world in which we live. Color can sway thinking, c
15、hange actions, and cause reactions. It can irritate or soothe your eyes, raise your blood pressure or suppress your appetite. A great many counties has different meaning about colors. Red is rather negative word in western culture. Set red as exampleEuropean: Danger (stop signs), love (hearts), exci
16、tement (for sale signsChina: Traditional bridal color, good luck, celebration, happiness, joy, vitality, long life, summoning, and the direction south. Chinese saying goes when something is so red, it is purple - red purple brings luck and fame.Japan : lifeIndia : PurityEastern : Joy (with white)Heb
17、rew : sacrifice, sinChristian : sacrifice, passion, loveUSA : Christmas (with green), Valentines day (with white)South Africa : MourningAustralian aboriginals : the land, earth, ceremonial ochreCherokees : successHopi : the direction SouthRomans : Red flag signified the onset of battle we only know
18、a few meaning about red, which has a large number of other meanings .Such as: Energy, strength, passion, eroticism, cheerfulness, courage, element of fire, career goals, fast action, lust, desire, blood, vibrancy, driving forces, risk, fame, love, survival, war, revolution, danger, aggression, stren
19、gth, power, determination, emotional intensity, sex, provoking, dynamic, stimulating, courage, bravery, good-tasting, force, leadership, drama, excitement, speed, heat, warmth, violence, attention, generosity, romance and so on. Red stimulates metabolism, increases respiration rate, perspiration, ap
20、petite and raises blood pressure. Red is a strong masculine color. Red tends to promote images and text, making objects appear larger and closer, though less than yellow colored objects. Bright red can be annoying if used over large areas and is useful as a iconic color to encourage people to act qu
21、ickly .Red is useful for promoting products associated with energy . drinks, cars, sports and games. Care is needed for using red in proximity with green . as the old adage goes”Red and green should not be seen without something in between.” Mixing bright blue and bright red is also not recommended
22、. the combination is very tiring on the eye. Light red means joy, sexuality, passion, sensitivity, love, indecision Dark red means willpower, rage, wrath, tenseness, vigor, anger, leadership, courage, yearning, malice, wrath and so on .Except these, red has also different meanings today in western c
23、ulture .It symbolizes blood, cruel .For example, a red battle, the red rules of tooth and claw, red revenge.:It symbolizes violet ,revolution. For example, red -hot political campaign, a red revolution, red activities. It symbolizes danger, nervous. For example, red alert, a red adventure story, a r
24、ed flag. It symbolizes passion and lust. For example, a red waste of his youth, a red light district, is she really so red as she is painted? Red has more personal associations than any other color. Recognized as a stimulant red is inherently exciting and the amount of red is directly related to the
25、 level of energy perceived. Red draws attention and a keen use of red as an accent can immediately focus attention on a particular element. Red is the color of fire and blood, so it is associated with energy, war, danger, strength, power, determination as well as passion, desire, and love. Red is a
26、very emotionally intense color. It enhances human metabolism, increases respiration rate, and raises blood pressure. It has very high visibility, which is why stop signs, stoplights, and fire equipment are usually painted red. In heraldry, red is used to indicate courage. It is a color found in many
27、 national flags. Red brings text and images to the foreground. Use it as an accent color to stimulate people to make quick decisions; it is a perfect color for Buy Now or Click Here buttons on Internet banners and websites. In advertising, red is often used to evoke erotic feelings (red lips, red na
28、ils, red-light districts, Lady in Red, etc). Red is widely used to indicate danger (high voltage signs, traffic lights). This color is also commonly associated with energy, so you can use it when promoting energy drinks, games, cars, and items related to sports and high physical activity. Light red
29、represents joy, sexuality, passion, sensitivity, and love. Dark red is associated with vigor, willpower, rage, anger, leadership, courage, longing, malice, and wrath.II. The symbolic Meanings of Black in Chinese and Western Cultures2.1The symbolic Meanings of Black in Chinese CulturesThe black was u
30、nreliable in ancient times. Black had the serious mystical feeling in Chinese culture, it was a kind of grave and the serious tone. Its symbolic significance appears in the western culture and shows complex.一方面它象征严肃、正义，如民间传说中的黑脸包公，传统京剧中的 张飞、李逵等人的黑色脸谱；另一方面它又由于其本身的黑暗无光给人以阴险、毒辣和恐怖的感 觉。它象征邪恶、反动，如指阴险狠毒的人
31、是黑心肠，不可告人的丑恶内 情是黑幕，反动集团的成员是黑帮、 黑手，把统治者为进行政治 迫害而开列的持不同政见者的名单称为黑名单，它又表示犯罪、违法，如 称 干盗匪行径叫走黑道，称杀人劫货、干不法勾当的客店叫做黑店，违禁 的货物交易叫黑货、 黑市，用贪赃受贿等非法手段得来的钱叫黑钱 等。2.2The Symbolic Meanings of Black in Western Cultures黑色（black）是西方文化中的基本禁忌色，体现了西方人精神上的摈弃和厌恶。它象征死亡、凶兆、灾难 ，如（1）Black Mass安灵弥撒，（2）to wear black for her father为她
32、父亲戴孝，（3）black words不吉利 的话，（4）a black letter day凶日；它象征邪恶、犯罪，如（1）Black Man邪恶的恶魔，（2）a black de ed极其恶劣的行为，（3）black guard恶棍、流氓，（4）blackmail敲诈、勒索；它也象征耻辱、不光彩，如 （1）a black mark污点，（2）black sheep败家子， （3）a black eye丢脸、坏名声，它还象征沮丧、愤怒， 如（1）black dog沮丧情绪，（2）The future looks black前途暗淡，（3）He gave me a black look。 他怒
33、气冲冲地看着我。早期被贩运到美国的黑人被称为“Negro。 随着近几十年来反种族歧视 斗争的胜利，黑人不但反对被 称为Negro， 也反对与其他少数民族一道被 称为colored people （有色人种）。 他们选择Black 来代表自己， Black is beautiful （黑就是美）已成为相当时髦的口号。在黑人文化里， 与他们有关的一切事物几乎都被冠以Black（黑）一词。 Black English （黑人英语）； Black and Tan（拥护 实行黑人和白人在政治 上按比例选举代表的）；“Bbelt（黑人聚居带）；Black capitalisms（ 黑 人 资本主义）；Bl
34、ack nationalism（黑人民族主义）；Black studies （黑人文化研究）；black terror（黑人拳击选手）, 仍然以Black（黑色）为例。Black（黑）既象征死亡、罪恶和灾难， 同时也象征庄重、威严和尊 贵。black suit 和black dress是西方人最崇尚的传统服装。在庄重场合，达官贵人、 社会名流都喜欢身着黑色；交响乐 团的成员几乎都是黑色西服，以显示尊严和肃穆；在酒店、餐饮服务业中， 黑 色西服是高 层管理人员的着装； Blackball是盛装舞会，有别于穿着随 意的Disco舞会。Black is an excellent technical
35、color and it assists in targeting a sophisticated high-end market or a youth market to add mystery. Over a large area, black can be depressing. Though black backgrounds can enhance perspective and depth, they diminish readability of text. Web site of art and photography is useful to help other color
36、s to vibrate.Black is the color of the night, and “evil”. Black can also be a color of elegance or class. Black can also represent ideas such as power, sexuality, sophistication, formality, wealth, mystery, fear, evil, unhappiness, death, style, sadness, remorse, anger, and mourning. Considered as h
37、e negation of color, black is conservative, and goes well with almost any color except the very dark. It also has conflicting connotations. It can be serious and conventional. The color black can also be mysterious, sexy, and sophisticated. Black is the absence of color. In clothing, black is visual
38、ly slimming. Black, like other dark colors, can make a room appear to shrink in size and even a well-lit room looks dark with a lot of black. Black can make other colors appear brighter. In most Western countries black is the color of mourning. Among young people, black is often seen as a color of r
39、ebellion. Black is both positive and negative. It is the color for little boys in China. Black, especially combined with orange is the color of Halloween. In early Westerns the good guy wore white while the bad guy wore black. But later on good guys wore black to lend an air of mystery to them. Blac
40、k is used to convey elegance, sophistication, or perhaps a touch of mystery. The use of black in familiar phrases can help a designer see how their color of choice might be perceived by others, both the positive and negative aspects. Positive aspects: now lets understand about positive blackBlack ti
41、e - formal (as in formal party attire) Black belt - expert (especially in martial arts) Blackwash - bring things out in the open in the black - having money, doing well in business Men in black - government agents Black box - equipment or apparatus Pitch black - dark as night, very black Negative as
42、pects: now lets understand about negative blackBlack out - Loss of consciousness or the act of erasing something Blackout - loss of electricity or turning out the lights Black eye - damage such as damage to ones reputation, slander, unpopular Black-hearted - evil Blackguard - a scoundrel Black sheep
43、 - an outcast from a family or from society Black market - illegal trade (goods or money) Blackmail - obtaining something by threat Blacklist - list of people or organizations to boycott, avoid, or punish. Black is the basic of color of taboo in western culture. It shows westerners disgusting in spi
44、rituality It symbolizes death, omen, and disaster. For example, Black for a funeral or for evil; black Mass, to wear black for her father, black words, a black letter day. It symbolizes evil, criminal .For example, black man, a black dead, black guard, and black mail. It symbolizes humiliation, dark
45、. For example: a black mark, black sheep and a black eye. It symbolizes gloomy and anger. For example, black dog, the future looks black, He gave me a black look.III. The Analysis of the Symbolic meanings of Red and Black in each fieldColor may generate another level of meaning in the mind. This sym
46、bolism arises from cultural and contemporary contexts. As such, it is not universal and may be unrelated to its natural associations. For example, greens associations with nature communicate growth, fruitfulness, freshness and ecology. On the other hand, green may also be symbolic of good luck, seas
47、ickness, money and greed all of which have nothing to do with green plants. These associations arise from a complex assortment of sources. Furthermore, color may have both positive and negative symbolism. For example, although blue is the beautiful color of the sky on a sunny day, it can be symbolic
48、 of sadness or stability. Idiomatic American English reflects these traits in phrases such as “singing the blues” and “blue chip stocks.” Red is another example of dual symbolism. On one hand, as the color of fire and blood, it is an energizing, aggressive and bold color. In direct contrast, red is used for “STOP” signs throughout the world today. Although there are no absolutes, there are logical sources for the range of complex and sometimes contradictory psychological/cultural meanings of colors. These may arise from any of the following. 3.1Cultural associationsThe color of currency, tra
