英语畅谈中国文化50主题 12

　　12. Red — China’s Favorite Color
A: Chinese people also like the red color a lot. China used to be called the red country in the past. Even now, Chinese people like to refer ourselves as Chizi, meaning the red descendant¹.
B: Traditionally, red represents the motherland and authority. Official uniforms of the Tang Dynasty were red. In the Qing Dynasty, different shades of red were used on official caps to show different ranking. Even nowadays, headlines of official documents are still painted in red. This is why they are called red-head documents.
A: Red is also a highly-regarded color among ordinary people.
B: yes, because it represents happiness. For example, the word double happiness used for weddings is red. The bride wears red clothes, which is different from the white gowns of the west. During Chinese spring festival, people will give Hongbao or red packets with money inside to the children as well wishes. Couplets hanging on both sides of the doors are written in red. Even the outfit² of Zhongkui, the door god whose portrait is hung on the door is red. The word red equals prettiness. The expression ‘hongyan’meaning red color is a synonym³ of a beautiful girl. Red is also one of the most popular words used in the names of Chinese women.
A: You told a lot about how people like the red color. In traffic lights as well as in soccer, red means stop prelimination.
B: This is how the westerners like to use the red color. Because red is very bright, it is good for warning purposes. But it doesn’t really have any negative meanings. In China, the red color was abused during the Cultural Revolution in the 1960s. The country was overwhelmed⁴ with red flags、posters、 unbans and Mao’s badges⁵, etc., and was therefore called a red sea.
A: Ironically, although there was worship of red, no one dared to wear red clothes. Everyone was in either green or blue uniforms. That’s why westerners refer to the Chinese as blue ants at that time.
B: I guess red clothes were somehow associated with the meaning of beauty in the red color. During those special years, beauty was considered bourgeois⁶. So anyone who dared to wear red would be drowned in the red sea.

1 descendant   

n.子孙，后裔，弟子

参考例句：

• He is a descendant of Confucius.他是孔子后裔。
• He is a lineal descendant of the company's founder.他是公司创始人的直系后裔。

2 outfit   

n.（为特殊用途的）全套装备，全套服装

参考例句：

• Jenney bought a new outfit for her daughter's wedding.珍妮为参加女儿的婚礼买了一套新装。
• His father bought a ski outfit for him on his birthday.他父亲在他生日那天给他买了一套滑雪用具。

3 synonym   

n.同义词，换喻词

参考例句：

• Zhuge Liang is a synonym for wisdom in folklore.诸葛亮在民间传说中成了智慧的代名词。
• The term 'industrial democracy' is often used as a synonym for worker participation. “工业民主”这个词常被用作“工人参与”的同义词。

4 overwhelmed   

[ overwhelm ]的过去式

参考例句：

• She was overwhelmed by feelings of guilt. 她感到愧疚难当。
• If (one was) overwhelmed by passion, it could lead to serious blunders. 当感情完全淹没理智时，就可能铸成大错。

5 badges   

n.徽章( badge的名词复数 )；象征；证章；[美国俚语]警察

参考例句：

• Mayors wear chains round their necks as badges of office. 市长们戴着象征职位的项链。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The badges come in twenty different colors and shapes. 这种徽章有20种不同的颜色和形状。 来自辞典例句

6 bourgeois   

adj./n.追求物质享受的(人)；中产阶级分子

参考例句：

• He's accusing them of having a bourgeois and limited vision.他指责他们像中产阶级一样目光狭隘。
• The French Revolution was inspired by the bourgeois.法国革命受到中产阶级的鼓励。