在日常生活中，色彩是最富有表现力的语言，不仅能表现某种品格、传达某种情绪，而且已成为最敏捷、最通俗的交流工具。人们借用色彩来抒发自己的情感，丰富自己的语言。  
     中西方在运用色彩表示意义方面也存在着明显差异。中国的吉庆色为红色，西方的婚礼色为白色，圣诞色为红、绿、白；中国的明黄为天子的象征，西方的皇家与主教的衣着为紫色。在英语中，表示色彩的词汇可以用来表示人的情绪和性格，还可以用于象征、借代和比喻。例如：He was born in the purple（他出身于高贵家族）这里purple（紫色）的意思是华丽、富贵；She　is so jolly green（她实在幼稚得可笑）这里green（绿色）表示幼稚；I  have  had the blues all day（我一整天都心绪不佳）blue（蓝色）比喻情绪低落。下面，我们将讨论一下英语中色彩词汇的引伸含义及其翻译问题。   

    一、表示人的情绪和性格。  

　　Blue：蓝色，表示忧郁，情绪低落。例如：  

    Mary has felt blue ever since her boyfriend left for Europe./ 自从她男朋友到欧洲去以后，玛莉一直感到闷闷不乐。　  

    But the blue did occasionally bother all the adults./ 但是大人们也免不了会偶尔感到心情不佳。  

    Black：黑色  

    (1)表示恶毒、凶狠、邪恶的。例如：  

  　I am not so black as you  painted me./ 我并不像你描写的那么可怕。　　　　　  

    Without answering his questions, she gave him a long, black stare./ 她没有回答他的问题，反而恶狠狠地瞪了他好一会儿。  

    Othello entered the chamber, full of the black purpose which he had meditated of putting his lady to death./ 奥赛罗怀着要害死他夫人的邪恶念头，走进了屋里。　  

  　(2)表示令人沮丧，情绪低落。例如：     

　  Don’t talk to him, he is in black mood now./ 别跟他说话，他现在情绪低落。  

    That was one of my black days./ 那是令我沮丧的一天。  

  　(3)表示怒气冲冲。例如：　  

    He was black and blind with hatred of her./ 他怒气冲天，茫然，对她恨之入骨。  

    Why, how very black and disagreeable you look./　瞧你那怒气冲冲不快活的样子。  

    Green：绿色  

  　(1) 表示嫉妒。例如：  

    Alice’s girlfriends were green with envy when they saw her new dress./ 艾丽丝的女朋友们看到艾丽丝的新衣服时，非常嫉妒。  

    (2)表示幼稚。例如：  

    You are still as green as grass, Jon./ 乔恩，你还很幼稚。  

    He is rather green, but a couple of years in the army will make him wiser./ 他还相当缺乏经验，不过在部队呆上几年会使他聪明些。  

    Do you see any green in my eye?/ 你以为我幼稚可欺吗？  

    Red：红色，表示愤怒。例如：  

    She is red with anger./ 她气得满脸通红。  

    see red：愤怒欲狂  

    When I hear of cruelty to animals it makes me see red./ 当我听到如此惨忍对待动物，气得我怒不可遏。  

    Pink：粉红色  

    All the family is in the pink./ 全家人的身体都好极了。  

    Children are always feeling in the pink./ 孩子们总是快乐无忧。　  

    Purple：紫色　  

    become purple in the face/ 气得脸色发紫，狂怒  

    He referred to me as the enemy and used to go purple in the face at  the very mention of my name./ 他以前视我为敌人，只要一提到我的名字，他就气得脸色发紫。  

    White：白色  

    (1)表示纯洁，善意。例如：  

    So this was "our son"—this handsome young man with aristocratic and the white smile and broad shoulders./ 这就是“我们的儿子”－－这个五官高贵，笑容纯洁，体格魁梧的漂亮小伙子。  

    (2) a white lie：无恶意的谎言。例如：  

    Though I believe in telling the truth, I think a white lie is sometimes justified.             

　　虽然我认为应该说实话，但我认为不怀恶意的谎言有时也是无可非议的。  

    二、色彩词汇所表示的其它含义　    

    Blue：  

    (1) out of the blue：突然，出乎意料的。例如：  

    The old coins were lost for years， then they turned up one day, quite out of the blue./ 丢失了多年的古币终于找到了，真是出乎意料。　　  

    (2) once in a blue moon：难以得到的。例如：          

    You get a chance like this only once in a blue moon./ 这种机会真是千载难逢。　  

    (3) blue in the face：无济于事。例如：  

    You can shout till you are blue in the face, I’m not going to change my mind.  

　　你再大喊大叫也无济于事，我是不会改变我的主张的。  

    (4) till all is blue：没完没了地。例如：  

    You can talk till all is blue but I shall not believe it./ 你可以没完没了地说下去，但是我是不会相信你。  

    Black：  

    (1) black and blue：鼻青脸肿  

    Mrs Ford is beaten black and blue, you can’t see a white spot about her./ 福特太太被打得遍体鳞伤，全身没一块好肉。  

    (2) black and white　  

    a. 白纸黑字：  

    He insisted on putting the agreement down in black and white./　他坚持要把这项协议白纸黑字写下来。　  

    b. 黑白影片　  

    On television, I like colour for something, and black and white for others.  

　　在电视上，有些节目我喜欢彩色的，有些我却喜欢黑白的。  

    c. 是非分明；绝对化。  

    Everything is black and white to Bill; if you are not his friend, you are his enemy./ 比尔把什么都看成是绝对的，你若不是他的朋友，便是他的敌人。　  

    (3) know black from white：精明机敏，有判断力。例如：  

    He is so experienced that he knows black from white./ 他经验丰富，所以很有判断力。  

    (4) paint sb black：往某人脸上抹黑。例如：  

    "I’m glad for my own sake, that he is not so black as he is painted."/ 我为我自己感到高兴，高兴他不是象你说的那么坏。  

    (5) black out：涂掉，掩蔽。例如：  

    Darkness was blacking out both sea and jungle./　暮蔼渐渐地掩蔽了海洋和丛林。  

    (6) in sb’s black books：得罪某人。例如：　  

    I am in lady Agatha’s black books at present./ 眼下我得罪了亚加沙夫人。  

    Green：  

    (1) give sb the green light：为某人开绿灯。例如：  

    Mother gave us the green light to go on camping trip./ 母亲为我们的宿营旅行开了绿灯。  

    (2) 充满活力，强壮：  

    Though in the green, he may not equal to the task./ 尽管他还年富力强，但他也许不能胜任这个工作。  

    The beat—looking grass lying around isn’t enough to make their lives green./ 四周的草坪毫无生气，不足以为他们的生命增添活力。  

    (3) 青草地，青菜：  

    I hope to have seen him on the green tonight./ 我希望能在青草地见到他。  

    Had I not eaten the plate of greens, Granny would not allow me out again./ 假如我不吃完那盘青菜，奶奶是不准我再出来的。  

    Red：  

    (1) red-handed：当场捉住  

    They came out of the bank carrying the money and the police caught them red-handed./ 他们带着赃款从银行里出来，被警察当场捉住。  

    (2) go into the red：欠债，出现赤字  

    This has meant they went heavily into the red./ 这就意味着他们出现了严重的赤字。  

    (3) be out of  the  red：盈利  

    We will soon be out of the red./ 我们不久就要转亏为盈了。  

    Pink：完美的。例如：  

    pink love/ 完美的爱情    

    Their new cook seemed to be the pink of perfection./ 他们的新厨师看来是好到了极点。  

    One day, she was pink and flawless；another pale and tragical./ 有时她娇妍，完美，而有时她就灰白，凄楚。  

    Purple：  

    (1)缥渺：  

    Throughout that night I lay in the purple limbo between sleeping and waking./ 我在半睡半醒的缥渺的幻境中度过整夜。  

    (2)华美的  

    This is the unsounded purple sea of marching billows./ 这是一个浪涛滚滚的不安宁的华美的大海。  

    Yellow：  

    (1)晴朗：  

    The yellow afternoon had the warm breath of summer./ 晴朗的下午已经有夏日的温暖气息。  

    (2)废物，窝囊：  

    I can’t even talk about it, except to you, because anybody else would think I was yellow./　除你之外，这种事不能对别人说，因为他们会觉得我窝囊。　  

    (3)卑鄙无耻：  

    It’s really yellow./ 这真是卑鄙的勾当。  

    White：  

    (1)表示吉利，幸福：  

    They choose a white day for their engagement./ 他们选择吉日订婚。　  

    We can’t forget those days marked with a white stone./ 我们难以忘怀那些幸福的日子。　  

    (2)call white black：颠倒黑白。例如：  

    He is the kind of person who calls white black./ 他就是那种颠倒黑白的人。  

    三、与其它词组成复合词  

    Blue：  

    blue book/ 蓝皮书（英政府文件），blue collar worker/ 蓝领工人，blue film/ 色情影片，blue stocking/ 学者、书呆子，blue -jacket/ 水兵，blue blood/ 高贵血统，blue law/　清教徒法规，blue-ribbon/ 名著佳作  

    Black：  

    black box/ 黑匣子，black death/ 黑死病，black sheep/ 败家子， black tea/ 红茶，black comedy/ 黑色喜剧，black list/ 黑名单，black magic/ 妖术，black market/ 黑市  

    Green：  

    green back/ 美钞，green book/（英）绿皮书，green fingers/（英）园艺技工，green hand/新手、没有经验的人，green house/ 温室，green power/（美）金钱力量，green room/ 演员休息室  

    Red：  

    red-blind/ 红色色盲，red cap/（美）车站搬运工，red head/ 红头发人，red blooded/ 勇敢、充满活力  

    Pink:  

    pink-eye/火眼，pink lady/ 白兰地、柠檬汁调制成的鸡尾酒，pink slip/ 解雇通知书，pink tea/（讲究仪式的）午后茶会  

    White:  

    white terror/ 白色恐怖，white light/ 白光，公正无私的判断，white magic/ 戏法，魔术，white night/ 不眠之夜