Color and Life

梁小明

What is your favorite color？ Do you like yellow， orange， red？ If you do， you must be an optimist1， a leader， an active person who enjoys life， people and excitement. Do you prefer grays and blues？ Then you are probably quiet， shy， and you would rather follow than lead. You tend to be a pessimist2. At least， this is what psychologists3 tell us， and they should know， because they have been seriously studying the meaning of color preference4， as well as the effect that colors have on human beings. They tell us， among other facts， that we do not choose our favorite color as we grow up—we are born with our preference. If you happen to love brown， you did so， as soon as you opened your eyes， or at least as soon as you could see clearly.

Colors do influence our moods—there is no doubt about it. A yellow room makes most people feel more cheerful and more relaxed than a dark green one； and a red dress brings warmth and cheer to the saddest winter day. On the other hand， black is depressing5. A black bridge over the Thames River， near London， used to be the scene of more suicides6 than any other bridge in the area—until it was repainted green. The number of suicide attempts immediately fell sharply； perhaps it would have fallen even more if the bridge had been done in pink or baby blue.

Light and bright colors make people not only happier but more active. It is an established7 fact that factory workers work better， harder， and have fewer accidents when their machines are painted orange rather than black or gray.

你最喜欢什么颜色？你喜欢黄色，橙色和红色吗？倘若如此，你准是一个乐观的人，一个领导者，一个享受人生、乐于交往、容易激动、积极向上的人。你偏爱灰、蓝系列色彩吗？那么，你很可能缄默、羞怯，你宁愿被别人领导而不愿意领导别人。你有悲观者的倾向。至少，这是心理学家告诉我们的——心理学家应该是这方面的专家，因为他们一直在认认真真地研究色彩偏爱的意义以及各种色彩对人的不同影响。他们告诉我们许多东西，其中之一是我们并不是在成长过程中挑选自己偏爱的色彩——我们的这种偏爱与生俱来。假设你碰巧喜欢褐色，当初你一睁眼看到这个世界，或至少当你看清这个世界的时候，你就喜欢上褐色了。

色彩的确影响我们的情绪——这一点毫无疑问。大多数人在一个黄色的房间比在一个深色的房间更感到愉悦松弛；一件红色的衣服在最凄凉的冬日也能给人温暖和振奋。而黑色却使人压抑。伦敦附近的泰晤士河上曾经有一座黑色的桥，在这座桥上自杀的人数比这一地区任何一座桥都多。后来人们把它漆成绿色，企图自杀的人数立刻骤减；倘若将这座桥漆成粉红色或浅蓝色，下降幅度也许会更大。

浅色或艳丽的色彩不仅使人们更加愉悦也更积极向上。事实证明，如果把工厂里的机器油漆成桔黄色而不是黑色或灰色，工人就会干得更勤奋、更出色，事故也会更少。

[1] optimist n. 乐观主义者，乐观者 [2] pessimist n. 悲观主义者，厌世者

[3] psychologist n. 心理学家 [4] preference n. 选择，优先，偏爱

[5] depressing adj. 令人压抑的；令人忧郁的 [6] suicide n. 自杀

[7] established adj. 建立的；确定的； 既定的