Abstract: This paper investigates the way the Chinese color word of bai(white) is translated into English. 129 lexical items related to the color of bai were extracted from A Chinese-English Dictionary and 45 more items from journals and magazines. These items were then categorized according to lexical meanings and extended meanings. Based on the analysis of the data, it was found that bai, in addition to one lexical meaning, nine extended meanings need a special treatment in translation practice. It hence follows that the liberal translation tends to be employed more frequently than literal translation in the translation of the Chinese color word of bai.

Key words: bai, color words, semantic analysis, categorization, translation strategies

摘要：本文旨在探讨颜色词“白”的翻译。研究语料包括从《汉英词典》提取的129个与“白”相关的词条和选自期刊和杂志的45个词条。这些词条按本义和语用义进行了分类，归纳起来，“白”有一个本义和九个语用义。通过对其相应的英译分析，本文认为，在英译翻译过程中，无论是传递“白”的本义还是语用义，意译更适合翻译汉语中的颜色词汇。

关键词：白，颜色词，语义分析，分类，翻译策略