英语颜色词习语之我见.doc

英语颜色词习语之我见
于靖 摘 要: 颜色习语是语言精华的重要组成部分,其形象生动,蕴含丰富的比喻意义与文化内涵,是英语中值得关注的一种文化现象。本文从英语颜色习语的常见结构、修辞特征及其表达趣味性等方面对英语中的颜色词习语进行探你的脸黑得跟煤似的。
She looked as pale as death when she went into hospital.
她进医院时面如死灰。
It was dreadful to see him lying there as white as a sheet and in such pain.[4]
看见他脸色苍白痛苦地躺在那里,让人心惊肉跳。
类似的结构还有:
as white as snow雪一样的白
as green as grass天真的、丝毫不懂得人情世故
as black as thunder勃然大怒
as dark as pitch漆黑一团
as brown as berry(舒服地被太阳)晒黑、黑黝
二、颜色词习语的修辞特征
英语中的颜色词习语由于具有一词多义和模糊的语义特征,常产生引申意义,它在英语修辞中占有一定的地位,常有比喻、暗喻、夸张、拟人等修辞作用。

例如:The mention of that man’s name is like a red rag to a bull.
提到那个人的名字,就越发义愤填膺。(就像拿块红布给斗牛似的)

例如:Red tape has delayed the progress of our program.
繁杂的公示程序延迟了我们计划的进展。(因为英国政府机关长期习惯用红带子捆扎文件,所以red tape就用来比喻为繁琐的“公事程序”)
They did their best to keep the blue ribbon of the trade.
他们全力以赴以保持他们在本行业中享有的最高荣誉。(the blue ribbon常引申为“最高荣誉”)

例如:On boat-race night the college students paint the town red.
在赛艇那天晚上,大学生们兴高采烈、欢呼雀跃。
Cracking jokes and bottles,he drunk until all his blue.
他又开玩笑又喝酒,直到喝得酩酊大醉。

例如:When he blames her for wasting money he conveniently forgets that he regularly loses half his own wages by betting on the wrong horses――It’s the pot calling the kettle black[5].
他责怪她浪费钱时,他却若无其事地忘了自己一贯地在赛马下赌注时押错了宝而输了一半的薪水――真是锅嫌壶黑。
三、颜色词习语的趣味性
人们的生活离不开