实用英语口语：色彩用语系列（四）白

说了黑，免不了要说白，这对反义词似乎总也分不开，比如“黑白颠倒”，“黑白分明”，“混淆黑白”等等。

1. weddings and funerals 红白喜事

To most Chinese and westerners, whit has certain similar connotations: purity, innocence(清白，无辜). 西方的婚礼习惯以白色为基调，Lily white（像百合一样洁白）就是bride dress的那种颜色。但中国的婚礼习惯以红色为基调，白色是葬礼的颜色，所谓"披麻戴孝"嘛。"红白喜事"就是指婚礼和葬礼喽！这个如果按照字面直译，估计没有多少老外能懂，反而是翻译成weddings and funerals 一目了然。

2. Every white hath（has）its black. 金无足赤

我们常说“金无足赤，人无完人”，这句话在英语中就是Every white hath（has）its black. 啦。下次你听到别人评论一个优秀人物的缺点时，不妨把这句话卖弄一下。

3. Your face is as white as a sheet. 你的脸色好苍白。

中国人说脸色发白，外国人也一样。要是面色惨白，我们也可以说，Are you under the weather？Your face is as white as a sheet。

4. 最后，奉送大家一些有关“白”的短语：
white lie善意的谎言（谎言常常弄巧成拙，即使是善意的）
white sale 家居用品减价出售（通常是窗上用品等白色的东东）
white elephant 昂贵又无用之物 （这个大家都知道了，翻译的经典反面例子）

说到翻译，汉语中很多词都带个“白”，但是此白非彼白，翻译的时候可是要注意哦！In some cases, 白may refer to the color, but the English equivalent of the term or expression usually does not have the word white, as in 白菜(Chinese cabbage), 白熊(polar bear), 白蚁(termite). In other cases, 白 has nothing to do with the color at all; the meaning might be something like "in vain(徒劳)", as in 白费事(all in vain, a waste of time and energy), 白送(give away, free of charge, for nothing). Or 白 might mean "plain, unadulterated(白丁)", as in 白开水(boiled water), 白肉(plain boiled pork). It might even have more generalized meaning that is apparent, as in 坦白(to confess, to make a clean breast of things, to be frank), 白痴(idiot), 白话(vernacular), etc. the important thing to remember is that not all that is 白is "white".。