“色彩习语”的“颜”外之意

“色彩习语”的“颜”外之意

   威县第一中学  王敬之                     

众所周知，在英语中表示颜色的词除了表示颜色之外，还可以用来表示姓氏，如：White(怀特)，Green(格林)，Brown(布朗)，Black(布莱克)，等等。其实，这些词的用法远远不止这些。它们经常构成一些“色彩习语”（Color Idioms），且在口语中日渐流行。如Colour一词就可构成如下几个短语：⑴ have a high colour 脸色红润 ⑵ off colour 身体不适，精神不好 ⑶ see sb. in his true colours 看清某人的真面目  ⑷ with flying colours 出色地，成功地完成。对于英语学习者来说，了解这些习语所载的“文化信息”很有必要。同时，也正是这些“色彩习语”的“颜”外之意，使得英语语言本身更加丰富多彩。本文对一些常见的习语分类作如下介绍：

1.       Blue（蓝色，青色）

I’m feeling rather blue today. 我今天情绪很低落。

Don’t speak such blue languages to a lady. It’s impolite.

不要对一位女士说那种下流的话，这是不礼貌的。

He is one of those who are full of blue-sky ideas.

他是那种脑子里装满不切实际念头的人。

The blue press is forbidden publishing. 黄色报刊禁止发行。

I haven’t seen you in a blue moon. 我很长时间没见你了。

He is well educated and blue. 他受过良好的教育且见多识广。

John turned up out of the blue yesterday. 昨天约翰出乎意料之外地出现了。

He is the manager’s blue-eyed boy. 他是经理的亲信。

The soldiers were drunk till all was blue. 士兵们喝得酩酊大醉。

He said he had the blue blood and he wanted to find one that had the same blood as his wife.

他说他有高贵的血统，所以他想找一位和他一样血统的人作他的妻子。

另外常见的还有：a bolt out of blue 青天霹雳；blue-collar workers 蓝领工人；once in blue moon 千载难逢；blue coat 警察；blue jacket 水兵等等。

2．Brown（棕色）

    He is a brown nose. 他是一个马屁精。

Look! She is in a brown study. 瞧！她正沉思默想呢。

It was tied up in brown paper. 这东西包在牛皮纸里。

I like tea with brown sugar. 我喜欢加红糖的茶。

He’s brown off with his job. 他厌烦他的工作。

All guests praised that the hostess did it up brown.

所有的客人都夸女主人把一切做得十分完美。

另外还有：brown ware 陶瓷；brown rice 糙米；brown-stone district 富人住宅区； as brown as a berry 皮肤晒得黝黑的等等。

3．Pink（粉红色）

    You look in the pink of health. 你看上去非常健康。

The children were tickled pink with their new dress. 孩子们穿上新衣服很高兴。

The hostess is in the pink of politeness to us. 女主人真是客气极了。

There is nothing in the pink of perfection in the world. 世上没有十全十美的东西。

另外还有：pink slip 解雇通知书；pink lady鸡尾酒；pink tea 午后茶会等。

4．Red（红色）

He has been in the red. 他已经负了债。

He has been out of the red. 他已偿清了债务。

Whenever someone played a joke on him, he saw red.

每当有人开他的玩笑时，他就发火。

Stop chasing red herrings and get back to the points.

别东拉西扯了，谈正事吧。

It takes weeks to get through the red tape.

完成这些繁琐的手续需要几个星期。

Though he is somewhat red-blind, he is a red-blooded young man.

虽然他对红色有点色盲，但他却是一个充满活力的年轻人。

They caught the thief red-handed while he was just putting the diamonds in his pocket.

    当小偷正要把钻石放入口袋的时候，被当场抓获了。

    When the president visited the foreign countries, he was given the red-carpet treatment and welcomed by a great crowd.

总统出国访问时，受到了隆重接待和许多人的欢迎。

另外还有：a red-letter day大喜日子，纪念日；red-eye 廉价威士忌酒；red cap 火车站的搬运工等。

5．White（白色）

    Last night I had a white night.  昨晚我失眠了。

    A motorcar would be a white elephant to him, because he cannot drive it.

    汽车对他一点用都没有，因为他不会驾驶。

I would rather tell my mother a white lie than tell her the truth and upset her.

我宁愿善意地撒谎，也不愿告诉妈妈真相，使她心烦。

He was once the great white hope of the Party.

他一度是党中深孚众望的人。

The great man often thinks of his white days in his life.

这位伟人常常想起他一生中的幸运时光。

I don’t want to hear your promise to pay me. I want your promise in black and white.

我不想听你口头上答应我付我钱的允诺，我只想让你白纸黑字写下来。

We attended a wonderful speech on the white war made by a famous professor.

我们听了一位著名教授所作的关于经济战的精彩演讲。

另外还有：white feather胆怯；a white sepulcher 伪君子；white coffee加牛奶或奶油的咖啡等。

6．Black (黑色)

Yesterday was a black day for me.

昨天对我来说是个倒霉的日子。

Which would you like, black coffee or black tea?

你喜欢喝什么，浓咖啡还是红茶？

After the fight he was black and blue all over.

打过架之后，他浑身青一块紫一块的。

Jack was a black sheep and was driven out of his home.

杰克是个败家子，被逐出了家门。

That will be a black future. 那将是个毫无希望的未来。

After a long walk, he wore a black sweat.

长途跋涉后，他出了一身臭汗。

She looked black at her husband, but said nothing.

她怒视着丈夫，什么也没说。

He went into black for losing the chance of going to college.

他为失去这次上大学的机会而深感痛惜。

He knew that it was a black mail, but he had to pay 500 dollars for it,

他知道是敲竹杠，但他还是不得不为此付了500美元。

另外还有：a black deed昧良心的行为；black ice薄冰；black studies黑人学等。

7．Green (绿色)

He is a green youth, so he dare say and do everything.

他初出茅庐，什么都敢说敢干。

Last year we spent a green winter.

去年我们度过了一个温暖无雪的冬天。

Do you see any green in my eye? 你认为我幼稚可欺吗？

The boys were green with envy when Joe bought a new car.

乔买了一辆新车，这些男孩子们忌妒得脸发青。

Mother gave us the green light to go on the camping trip.

妈妈准许我们继续进行野营旅行。

He is fortunate, rich and successful, in one word, now he is in the green tree.

他是幸运的、富有的、成功的。总之，现在他一切处于佳境。

From the appearance, we can see that the old man is still in a green old age.

从外表看，我们能看得出这位老人仍然精神矍铄。

另外还有：look green脸色苍白；to keep one’s memory green记忆犹新；green paper美钞；Christmas greens圣诞节的绿色植物等。

8．Yellow (黄色)

You’re yellow.＝You’re afraid. 你害怕了。

He is a yellow dog, and nobody would like to get along with him.

他是个卑鄙小人，没有人愿意和他相处。

He is a yellow-bellied guy. 他是一个胆小的家伙。

The woman was single-minded. She was always in the yellow with others.

这个女人心胸狭窄，老是妒忌别人。

另外还有：the yellow press低级报刊；a yellow streak生性怯懦的人等。

9．Purple （紫色）

She was born to the purple, and look down upon the poor. 她出身王室，瞧不起穷人。

In his article, there are some purple patches. 他的文章中，有一些华而不实的片段。

Hearing of the matter, he turned purple with rage. 听说这件事，他气得脸色发紫。

10．Grey （灰色）

She’s gone grey within a few weeks. 几星期内她的头发就变白了。

It’s a grey day today. What would you suggest doing? 今天阴天，你提议做什么？

To him, life seems grey and joyless.  对他来说，生活似乎阴郁没有乐趣。

“色彩习语”在一定程度上与英语国家的经济文化背景密切相连，熟悉和使用这些习语将有利于提高英语学习者的学习兴趣和运用语言的能力。