颜色喜好看个性

【原文】

People and ColorsOne person chooses a bright red car, but another prefers a dark green. One family paints the living room a sunny yellow, but another family uses pure white. One child wants a bright orange ball, but another wants a light blue one. Psychologists and businessmen think these differences are important.

In general, people talk about two groups of colors: warm colors and cool colors. Researchers think that there are also two groups of people: people who prefer warm colors and people who prefer cool colors.

The warm colors are red, orange, and yellow. Where there are warm colors and a lot of light, people usually want to be active. People think that red, for example, is exciting. Sociable¹ people, those who like to be with others, like red. The cool colors are green, blue, and violet². These colors, unlike warm colors, are relaxing. Where there are cool colors, people are usually quiet. People who like to spend time alone often prefer blue.

Red may be exciting, but one researcher says that time seems to pass more slowly in a room with warm colors than in a room with cool colors. He suggests that a warm color, such as read or orange, is a good color for a living room or restaurant. People who are relaxing or eating do not want time to pass quickly. Cool colors are better for offices or factories if the people who are working there want time to pass quickly.

Researchers do not know why people think some colors are warm and other colors are cool. However, almost everyone agrees that red, orange, and yellow are warm and that green, blue, and violet are cool. Perhaps warm colors remind people of warm days and the cool colors remind them of cool days. Because in the north the sum is low during winter, the sunlight appears quite blue. Because the sun is higher during summer, the hot summer sunlight appears yellow.

People associate colors with different objects, feelings, and holidays. Red, for example, is the color of fire, heat, blood, and life. People say red is an exciting and active color. They associate red with a strong feeling like anger. Red is used for signs of danger, such as STOP signs and fire engines. The holiday which is associated with red is Valentine's Day. On February 14, Americans send red hearts to people they love.

Orange is the bright, warm color of leaves in autumn. People say orange is a lively, energetic color. They associate yellow, too, with happiness. Because it is bright, it is used for signs of caution³.

Green is the cool color of grass in spring. People say it is a refreshing⁴ and relaxing color. Machines in factories are usually painted light green.

Blue is the color of the sky, water, and ice. Police and Navy⁵ uniforms are blue. When people are sad, they say "I feel blue." They associate blue with feelings like unhappiness and fear.

Violet, or purple, is the deep, soft color of darkness or shadows. People consider violet a dignified⁶ color. They associate it with loneliness. On Easter Sunday people decorate baskets with purple ribbons.

White is the color of snow. People describe white as a pure, clean color. They associate white with a bright clean feeling. Doctors and nurses normally⁷ wear white uniforms. On the other hand, black is the color of night. People wear black clothes at serious or formal ceremonies.

Businessmen know that people choose products by color. Businessmen want to manufacture⁸ products which are the colors people will buy. Fox example, an automobile⁹ manufacturer¹⁰ needs to know how many cars to paint red, how many green, and how many black. Good businessmen know that young people prefer different colors than old people do and men prefer different colors than women do.

Young children react to the color of an object before they react to its shape. They prefer the warm colors - red, yellow, and orange. When people grow older, they begin to react more to the shape of an object than to its color. The favorite color of adults of all countries is blue. Their second favorite color is red, and their third is green.

On the whole, women prefer brighter colors than men do. Almost everyone likes red, but women like yellow and green more than men do. Pink is usually considered a feminine¹¹ color. Blue is usually considered a masculine¹² color. As a result, people dress baby girls in pink and baby boys in blue. However, it is dangerous to generalize¹³ because taste changes. For example, years ago businessmen wore only white shirts; today they wear many different colors, including pink.

If two objects are the same except for color, they will look different. Color can make an object look nearer than a blue object. For example, red letters on a blue sign look as though they are in front of the sign. Bright objects look larger than dark objects. However, they are actually the same size. Large or fat people who want to look smaller or slimmer wear dark clothes. When they wear dark clothes, they look smaller and slimmer than they are.

In conclusion, color is very important to people. Warm and cool colors affect how people feel. People choose products by color. Moreover¹⁴, color affects how an object looks. It is even possible that your favorite color tells a lot about you.

 

1 sociable   

adj.好交际的，友好的，合群的

参考例句：

• Roger is a very sociable person.罗杰是个非常好交际的人。
• Some children have more sociable personalities than others.有些孩子比其他孩子更善于交际。

2 violet   

adj.紫色的；n.紫罗兰

参考例句：

• She likes to wear violet dresses.他喜欢穿紫色的衣服。
• Violet is the color of wisdom,peace and strength.紫色是智慧的，和平的和力量的颜色。

3 caution   

n.小心，谨慎，警告；vt.告诫，警告

参考例句：

• You should exercise extreme caution when driving in fog.在雾中开车要极为小心。
• There is no need for such caution.不必如此小心谨慎。

4 refreshing   

adj.使精神振作的，使人清爽的，使人喜欢的

参考例句：

• I find it'so refreshing to work with young people in this department.我发现和这一部门的青年一起工作令人精神振奋。
• The water was cold and wonderfully refreshing.水很涼，特别解乏提神。

5 navy   

n.海军，海军人员，海军军力，藏青色

参考例句：

• My brother is in the navy.我兄弟在海军服役。
• He has transferred from the army to the navy.他从陆军转到海军。

6 dignified   

a.可敬的，高贵的

参考例句：

• Throughout his trial he maintained a dignified silence. 在整个审讯过程中，他始终沉默以保持尊严。
• He always strikes such a dignified pose before his girlfriend. 他总是在女友面前摆出这种庄严的姿态。

7 normally   

adv.正常地，通常地

参考例句：

• I normally do all my shopping on Saturdays.我通常在星期六买东西。
• My pulse beats normally.我脉搏正常。

8 manufacture   

n.产品，制造，制造业；vt.制造，加工；vi.参与制造

参考例句：

• The equipment is of our own manufacture.这设备是我们自己制造的。
• Plastic is an important manufacture.塑料是种重要产品。

9 automobile   

n.汽车，机动车

参考例句：

• He is repairing the brake lever of an automobile.他正在修理汽车的刹车杆。
• The automobile slowed down to go around the curves in the road.汽车在路上转弯时放慢了速度。

10 manufacturer   

n.生产厂商，制造公司，厂主

参考例句：

• A manufacturer can amplify the demand of a product by advertising widely.厂商能用大做广告的方法来扩大人们对产品的需求。
• Prices are laid down by the manufacturer.价格是由厂商制定的。

11 feminine   

adj.女性的，女子气的

参考例句：

• He has a very feminine voice.他的声音非常像女人。
• She was a very feminine person.她是个很有女性气质的人。

12 masculine   

adj.男性的，男子的，男子气的

参考例句：

• She has a rather masculine voice.她的声音有点男性化。
• The ceremony is exclusively masculine.典礼上清一色的全是男人。

13 generalize   

vt.概括出；vi.形成概念

参考例句：

• When we use "he",we generalize for both sex.当我们用he时，我们泛指男女。
• Since I do not know the details,I can only generalize about the matter.由于不了解详情，我对此事只能泛泛而谈。

14 moreover   

adv.再有，此外，而且

参考例句：

• The rent is reasonable, and moreover,the location is perfect.这房租合理，而且地点优越。
• The task is difficult, and moreover,time is pressing.任务艰巨，并且时间紧迫。