【正文】 , black, red, green, blue, purple, pink, brown, gray and orange. However, in Chinese, the basic color terms just include white, black, red, green, yellow, blue, purple, brown and gray. Though it seems that there are fewer Chinese basic color than English, in fact, Chinese is also one of the richest and most colorful languages in the world. Color words can be used either literally or metaphorically to convey their meanings, so it is also an important problem of the research of language and culture, and worthy to be studied thoroughly. 2． Cultural Connotation Differences between English and Chinese Color Words Due to the respective cultural background and tradition, some phrases containing color words have far surpassed their original meanings, forming different connotations in cultures. The difference of the connotation of the color between 12 different cultures is determined by each different national and historical background, the different traditions and habits, the different peoples’ life experience, and aesthetic psychology of culture. With the increasing richness of language and the increasing improvement of human mind, color word has extended and escaped gradually and has their own symbolism. For example: red is warm and imaginative, symbolizes celebration and progress. Green is the color of life, a symbol of life, balance and peace. Blue is the symbol of quiet and tranquil, it is the color of truth and harmony. Only by understanding the English and Chinese cultural background knowledge to grasp the deep meaning of the colorword vocabulary in both languages, we can be carried out more efficiently and more smoothly exchange. The Sense of the Basic Colors in Chinese Red The most important color for Chinese is the red color. In China, red color is our country’s basic cultural color. It shows the Chinese material and spirit pursuit. It is the color of good luck and is used for decoration and wedding dressing, the brides always wear a red cheongsam or a red wedding dress at wedding ceremony, because in the Chinese traditions, the red color stands for the propitious sign. It is a lucky symbol which can bring happiness and make the brides and grooms’ life better and better. For another example, the money to children or bonuses should be wrapped in red paper, is called by in Chinese Spring Festival “red envelope”. The publication of the list of the candidates of the results to be published list of college enrollment and advanced character is called “red board”. Red is also the color of fire, and the fire gives hot warm booming, thriving and flourishing. Thus it also contains fortune of people, including the success of the cause, the smoothness of the career, the rapid increase of wealth. For example, good luck is called “red luck”. The human condition is very good, and someone who is very popular with others, which are called “being red”. Work, study, production, operations and other activities achieve success at the beginning, which is called “begin with a red door”, and so on. Another example, at the APEC meeting of Shanghai, all the leaders wear the Chinese traditional clothes. All the clothes are of 13 the same style, but the colors are different. Chinese leader chooses the red clothes, while most of the western leaders wear clothes of other kinds of colors. From this example, we can see that the important connotation of red for the Chinese in various aspects of the intercultural munication. Red is also the color of the “revolution”, the banner of revolution is a “red flag”. Red symbolizes the revolution of the proletariat, MarxismLeninism, socialism and munism, the Communist Party. As a result, the Communist Party’s revolutionary regime is called “red political power”, revolutionary base is called “red base” or “red zone”, leadership of the Communist Party of the revolutionary army is called the “red army”, and a high degree of loyalty to the revolutionary cause has been hailed as “red heart”. These expressions have the typical characteristics of Chinese culture. However, in the Chinese culture, red also symbolizes the meaning of envy or jealousy. In Chinese “red eye”, “illness of red eye” means envy and jealousy. Yellow Yellow occupies a very important position in ancient China, is the representative the rights and the rule at the all dynasties and the color of the royal family. For example, the basic color of the emperor’s clothing is yellow. “Yellow robe” is the robes of the emperor, and the emperor ascended the throne called “with yellow robe”, and so on. Yellow is influenced by ancient Chinese feudal superstition, and it is also the symbol of the gods of heaven or the underworld. For example, Acting in the days of the election depends on “yellow calendar”. “Good day in yellow calendar”, it is appropriate to act in the good days. “Yellow paper” is the paper that people fete for the dead. “Yellow spring” refers to the underworld or someplace like this. The above is formed by the impact of ancient Chinese history and cultural thinking. Yellow is also the symbol of vigilance. Yellow is bright eyecatching, usually used to reminder from the attention and alertness. For example, trackman repair and do the maintenance work on the highway, always dress in yellow clothes, which aims at attracting the drivers’ attention. Before the traffic lights turn from green to red light, yellow light will get light firstly, in order to alert vehicles and pedestrians “red light 14 would light up and the road is about to cutoff the line。 “yellow line” is the yellow lines prohibit or restrict parking on both sides of the road. To help the user quickly identify and classify mercial telephone number, phonebook is always printed by yellow paper, known as the “Yellow Pages”, and so on. It is the modern times that we conn