顏色詞除表示其具體實際的色彩外，還會由于不同國家的不同文化而具有不同的涵義。例如a white day可譯為”白色的日子”，但在英國，白色往往表 示”純真”、”崇高”、”吉祥”、”幸?！敝?。a white day意為”吉日” 或”喜慶的日字”。此外，英語中與顏色詞在一起組成的復(fù)合詞或帶有顏色詞的詞組往往有其特殊意義或習(xí)慣用法，這些都是在翻譯顏色詞時不可忽略之處。下面就各種顏色詞分別舉例略作說明。
　　1.RED(紅色)
　　(1)The president was treated to the redcarpet in Rome.
　　總統(tǒng)在羅馬受到了隆重的接待。
　　(2)It was a red-letter day in the history of Chinese revolution.
　　這是中國歷史上值得紀(jì)念的日子。
　　(3)A thief was caught red-handed in the act of breaking open alock.
　　一個竊賊在砸開鎖時被當(dāng)場抓獲。
　　(4)You said that l am very good. ls my face red?
　　你說我很好，真使我難為情了。
　　(5)When he started criticizing my work,l really saw red.
　　當(dāng)他批評我的工作時，我就冒火、發(fā)脾氣。
　　(6)There is too much red-tape in obtaining an identity card.
　　領(lǐng)身份證的手續(xù)實在太繁瑣了。
　　(7)They had to sell the firm because for years they had operated it in the red.
　　因為經(jīng)營這家公司幾年來一直虧損，所以他們只好把它賣掉。
　　(8)We’ll soon be out of the red.
　　我們很快就會扭虧為盈。
　　(9)Every time he comes to New York,he wants to paint the town red.
　　每次來紐約，他都要痛飲一番。
　　2. GREEN(綠色)
　　(10)He is still green to his job.
　　他對其工作尚無經(jīng)驗。
　　(11)Do you see any green in my eye?
　　你認(rèn)為我幼稚可欺嗎?
　　(12)lf you want to be a successful gardener,of course you’ve gotto have green fingers.
　　假如你想當(dāng)個稱職的園工，那你就得有園藝技能。
　　(13)She is a green hand in teaching English.
　　在英語教學(xué)中，他還是個生手。
　　(14)Mother gave us the green light to go on the camping trip this summer.
　　媽媽準(zhǔn)許我們今年夏天去野營一次。
　　(15)He has a green wound in the left breast.
　　他左胸上有一新傷口。
　　3. BLUE(藍(lán)色)
　　(16)He is proud of his blue blood.
　　他因出身名門貴族而驕傲。
　　(17)Things are looking extremely blue.
　　情況極其不妙。
　　(18)True blue will never stain.
　　真金不怕火煉。
　　(19)She ran and ran until she was blue in the face.
　　她跑啊跑啊，累得臉色發(fā)青精疲力竭。
　　(20)lt’s once in a blue moon that you get a chance like that.
　　你得到的是個千載難逢的機(jī)會。
　　(21)He can read like a blue streak.
　　他看書極快。
　　(22)The bad news came like a bolt out of the blue.
　　這消息來得如青天霹靂。
　　(23)John arrived out of the blue.
　　約翰突然來了。