颜色词除表示其具体实际的色彩外，还会由于不同国家的不同文化而具有不同的涵义。与颜色词在一起组成的复合词或带有颜色词的词组往往有其特殊意义或习惯用法，这些都是在翻译颜色词时不可忽略之处。下面就各种颜色词分别举例略作说明。
1. RED:
(1)The president was treated to the redcarpet in Rome.
总统在罗马受到了隆重的接待。
(2)It was a red-letter day in the history of Chinese revolution.
这是中国历史上值得纪念的日子。
(3)A thief was caught red-handed in the act of breaking open alock.
一个窃贼在砸开锁时被当场抓获。
(4)You said that l am very good. ls my face red?
你说我很好，真使我难为情了。
(5)When he started criticizing my work,l really saw red.
当他批评 我的工作时，我就冒火、发脾气。
(6)There is too much red-tape in obtaining an identity card.
领身份证的手续实在太繁琐了。
(7)They had to sell the firm because for years they had operated it in the red.
因为经营这家公司几年来一直亏损，所以他们只好把它卖掉。
(8)We’ll soon be out of the red.
我们很快就会扭亏为盈。
(9)Every time he comes to New York,he wants to paint the town red.
每次来纽约，他都要痛饮一番。
2. GREEN:
(10)He is still green to his job.
他对其工作尚无经验。
(11)Do you see any green in my eye?
你认为我幼稚可欺吗?
(12)lf you want to be a successful gardener,of course you’ve gotto have green fingers.
假如你想当个称职的园工，那你就得有园艺技能。
(13)She is a green hand in teaching English.
在英语教学中，他还是个生手。
(14)Mother gave us the green light to go on the camping trip this summer.
妈妈准许我们今年夏天去野营一次。
(15)He has a green wound in the left breast.
他左胸上有一新伤口。
3. BLUE:
(16)He is proud of his blue blood.
他因出身名门贵族而骄傲。
(17)Things are looking extremely blue.
情况极其不妙。
(18)True blue will never stain.
真金不怕火炼。
(19)She ran and ran until she was blue in the face.
她跑啊跑啊，累得脸色发青精疲力竭。
(20)lt’s once in a blue moon that you get a chance like that.
你得到的是个千载难逢的机会。
(21)He can read like a blue streak.
他看书极快。
(22)The bad news came like a bolt out of the blue.
这消息来得如青天霹雳。
(23)John arrived out of the blue.
约翰突然来了。
(24)A rainy day always gives me the blues.
下雨天总是使我心情抑郁。
4. BROWN:
(25)The leaves browned slowly.
树叶渐渐枯了。
(26)We are all of us done brown.
我们都上当了。
(27)When she gives a dinner party,she always does it up brown.
她举行宴会，总是办得很出色。
(28)l’m browned off,sitting here all day with nothing to do.
我整 天坐在这儿没事干，感到抑郁无聊。
(29)Aim at one bird, don’t blaze into the brown.
瞄准一只打，不要射击鸟群。
(30)l tried to attract his attention,but he was in a brown study.
我企图吸引他的注意力可是他仍在沉思默想。
5. BLACK:
(31)The black dog is over him.
他意气消沉。
(32)Tom is the black sheep of his family.
汤姆是个败家子。
(33)Next time l see him, l’ll give him a black eye.
下次我见到他一定打他一顿。