3.3 The Origin of Chinese Idioms 9

Chapter 4 A Study on Color Idioms Translation from the Perspective of Functional Equivalence Theory 11

4.1 General Connotations of Color Terms 11

4.1.1 Reasons for Multilevel Connotations of Color Terms 11

4.1.2 Development of Cultural Connotations Color Terms 12

4.1.3 Cultural Connotations of Color Terms 13

4.2 Strategies of Chinese Color Idioms Translation 15

Chapter 5 Conclusion 19

References 20

Chapter 1 Introduction

Language and culture are interrelated and interact on each other. Since idioms are abstracted from languages and are quintessence of a language, they withstand the test of time and gain great popularity from people in various nations. Therefore, idioms bear great cultural imprints and are often called “ the living fossils of national cultures ”. As colors are closely bound up with social life, people create plentiful color idioms in order to express economically and meaningfully, such as “绿草如茵”, “白鸡窝里拿不出黑蛋” and so on. These color idioms are much more vivid to imply figurative meanings and cultural connotations. But it causes a question that it is relatively difficult for English readers to achieve accurate and complete understand of deep cultural connotations contained in color idioms. Hence, the author intends to take a study of the translation of Chinese color idioms from the perspective of Nida’s Functional Equivalence Theory and put forward some effective translation strategies.源:自'吹冰.·论,文;网·www.chuibin.com/

1.1 Research Background

With the rapid development of China’s economy, the status of China has improved a lot and it has played a more and more important role in global stage. However, compared with economy and politics, there indeed exists a cultural non-equivalence. Thus, it is every Chinese posterity’s responsibility to promote the diffusion of Chinese culture.

China is one of the countries with the longest history and a magnificent culture. On the basis of inscriptions on bones or tortoise shells of the Shang Dynasty, Chinese characters have a history more than 3000 years. They provide fertile ground for the development of Chinese idioms. People create a great number of vivid idioms with the features of nationality, civil, metaphor, integrity and harmony. Together with the craze for Mandarin fever, these idioms have become a powerful and fantastic window to display the distinct Chinese culture. 

Chinese people have had a rich cognition toward color since antiquity. And under the influence of religious thoughts, ethnic culture and color association, various colors are endowed with different symbolic meanings, thus the particular Chinese color civilization is formed. Take the “of Yin-yang and Five-color Theory” for example. The ancients considered the five colors (cyan, red, yellow, white and black) as “Pure Colors” which are colors of all objects in nature and society. “Pure Colors” is corresponding to “Five-element Theory” that reflects simple philosophic thoughts and prominent wisdom of the ancients. Moreover, as a kind of cultural symbol, colors have penetrated into every aspect of social life, including fashionable apparel, furniture layout, and product design. They have influenced people’s life thoroughly. Therefore, color terms are generally applied in idioms, the reflection of social life. Throughout all of the idioms, it is not difficult to find that color idioms take a great proportion and hold an important position in Chinese idioms.