『新东方在线托福听力』为托福考生准备了ETS托福TPO/Official 27 Lec 4听力练习：What does the professor imply about the usefulness of the theory of primary colors?原文题目答案解析，TPO/Official 27 Lec 4听力原文范文音频翻译。

托福TPO/Official 27 Lec 4听力原文What does the professor imply about the usefulness of the theory of primary colors?【新东方在线】

旁白：听一段工作室艺术的演讲。

Narrator: Listen to part of a lecture in a studio art class.

教授：好的，你们可能知道，原色是，理论上来说，是可以用来制作其他颜色的基础颜色。

Professor: OK. As you probably know, primary colors are, theoretically speaking, the basic colors from which all other colors can be made.

但是，你会发现，当你开始完成你绘画项目时，这三个原色——红、蓝、黄——往往不能做出最好的次生色。

But as you'll find out when you start working on your painting projects, the three primary colors – red, blue, yellow – don't always make the best secondary colors.

将红色和蓝色混合在一起，你可能永远不能得到一个很棒的紫罗兰色。

Combining red and blue, you will probably never get a fantastic violet.

而获得一个漂亮的紫罗兰，你可能需要加一点白色。

To get a nice violet, you'll have to add white.

将黄色和蓝色混合在一起，你也可能无法获得一个满意的绿色。

Combining yellow and blue, you will almost never get a satisfactory green.

You are better off using a pure green pigment.

原色的概念，尤其是红、黄、蓝是原色的这个说法，在200年前并不存在。

The idea of primary colors, and specifically the idea of red, yellow and blue being THE primary colors, didn't exist until about 200 years ago.

在那之前，关于颜色的主导性理论是由艾萨克•牛顿提出的。

Until then, the dominant theory about color was one that had been proposed by Isaac Newton.

牛顿对于颜色给与了一个科学的、客观的解释。

Newton gave a scientific and objective explanation of colors.

他用一个棱镜将白光分解成光谱上的不同颜色。

He used a prism to break white light down into the various colors of the spectrum.

并且，他建立了理论，说不同的颜色从本质上来说是不同波长的光。

And he theorized, rightly so, that different colors are essentially different wavelengths of light.

But he made no mention of primary colors.

这个概念是来自于，或者至少是由一个叫做约翰·沃尔夫冈·冯·歌德的人发布的。

That idea came from, or was at least published by a man named Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.

他写了很多有名的小说、戏剧、诗歌。

He wrote many famous novels, plays, poems.

那么，他是怎么开始思考颜色的呢？

So why did he start thinking about colors?

歌德是西方文学浪漫主义运动中的一员。

Well Goethe was part of the Romantic Movement in western literature.

并且它是一个彻头彻尾的浪漫的人，指的是他按照他所受到的精神及感情上的影响来解释事物，和从它们科学的特性上来解释它们是截然相反的做法。

And he was a Romantic, through and through, meaning that he explained objects and phenomena in terms of the spiritual, emotional impact they had, as opposed to explaining them in terms of their scientific nature.

他拒绝客观地理解颜色，更喜欢主观的理解颜色。

He rejected an objective understanding of color, in favor of a more subjective understanding.

他相信，当我们看到颜色的时候，它会激起我们的情绪。

He believed that when we see color, it stimulates our emotions.

不同的颜色对于不同的人吸引出或者激发出不同情感。

And different colors appeal to or inspire different emotions in different people.

教授：颜色理论在心理学上也被用到。

Professor: Well, color theory is used in psychology too.

一些心理学家用他们领域中的颜色理论去诊断或者治愈病人。

Some psychologists do use their field's version of color theory to diagnose and treat patients.

不管怎样，歌德做了一些实验，试图去找出什么颜色对应什么情绪。

Um… anyway, Goethe conducted a number of experiments trying to figure out which colors corresponded to which emotions.

从那个目的来看，他并不成功。

And in terms of that goal, he wasn't very successful.

但是，事实上他的实验指出了颜色之间的关系，当放到别的颜色旁边时颜色是怎么变化的。

But his experiments actually did show a lot about the relationships between colors themselves, about how colors change when placed next to other colors, about how they interact with one another.

研究光学和色彩学的科学家们现在仍然对他的发现感到惊奇。

Scientists studying optics and chromatics today still marvel at his findings.

但是歌德没有真正能够在颜色和情绪之间，建立起清晰的联系。

But Goethe wasn't really able to establish a clear connection between colors and emotions.

随后以在1806年，他收到一个相对无名的德国艺术家，一个叫做菲力普·奥托·荣格的画家的来信。

Then in 1806, he received a letter from a relatively unknown German artist, a painter named Philipp Otto Runge.

在信里面，荣格概述了他自己的颜色理论，尤其是他针对颜色和情绪之间联系的理论。

In the letter, Runge outlined his own color theory, specifically the connections he made between colors and emotions.

他的理论是关于颜色象征着什么，在红黄蓝基础上不同颜色激发的不同情感。

And his ideas about what colors symbolize, about the emotions that different colors inspire were based on the colors red, yellow and blue.

荣格选择红黄蓝和我们从现代色彩学所知道的原因是无关的，这和荣格复杂的象征主义系统有关，和他对于大自然的经验，尤其是他对于一天不同时间段（白天、早上、中午和晚上）光的质量的感受有关。

Runge's choice of red, yellow and blue had nothing to do with what we know from modern-day chromatics, it had to do with Runge's complex system of symbolism, his experience of nature, particularly with his experience of the quality of light at various times of the day, morning, noon and night.

所以，每一个颜色都有一个特别的象征价值。

So each color had a specific symbolic value.

4年以后，歌德发表了名为《色彩课程》的一本书。

Well, four years later, Goethe published a book entitled Color Lesson.

在《色彩课程》中，歌德巧合地引用了相同的颜色作为原色。

In Color Lesson, Goethe COINCIDENTLY cites the same colors as primary colors.

在那个时候，歌德已经是一个非常著名的作者了，所以他能够很容易地普及原色的这个概念，尤其是红、黄、蓝作为原色的概念。

At this point, Goethe was already a well-known author, so he was easily able to popularize this idea of primary colors, and specifically the idea of red, yellow and blue as THE primary colors.

教授：他在书的末尾加入了荣格的信。

Professor: Well, he did put Runge's letter in the book, at the end.

但是，他加入了一个免责声明，暗示荣格的来信对他的作品没有影响。

But he added a disclaimer implying that Runge's letter didn't influence his work.

很明显，歌德说的正是他只是碰巧在同一时间想到了相同的理论。

Apparently, what Goethe was saying was that they just HAPPENED TO come up with the same theory at the same time.

What does the professor imply about the usefulness of the theory of primary colors?

Why does the professor mention Isaac Newton?

According to the professor, what were the results of Goethe’s experiments with color?

According to the professor, why did Runge choose the colors red, yellow, and blue as the three primary colors?

What does the professor imply when he says this:

Narrator 
Listen to part of a lecture in a studio art class. 
Professor 
OK. As you probably know, primary colors are, theoretically speaking, the basic colors from which all other colors can be made. But as you’ll find out when you start working on your painting projects, the three primary colors – red, blue, yellow – don’t always make the best secondary colors. Combining red and blue, you will probably never get a fantastic violet. To get a nice violet, you’ll have to add white. Combining yellow and blue, you will almost never get a satisfactory green. You are better off using a pure green pigment. 
The idea of primary colors, and specifically the idea of red, yellow and blue being THE primary colors, didn’t exist until about 200 years ago. Until then, the dominant theory about color was one that had been proposed by Isaac Newton. Newton gave a scientific and objective explanation of colors. He used a prism to break white light down into the various colors of the spectrum. And he theorized, rightly so, that different colors are essentially different wavelengths of light. But he made no mention of primary colors. That idea came from, or was at least published by a man named Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. 
Goethe was a well-known author. He wrote many famous novels, plays, poems. So why did he start thinking about colors? Well Goethe was part of the Romantic Movement in western literature. And he was a Romantic, through and through, meaning that he explained objects and phenomena in terms of the spiritual, emotional impact they had, as opposed to explaining them in terms of their scientific nature. He rejected an objective understanding of color, in favor of a more 
subjective understanding. He believed that when we see color, it stimulates our emotions. And different colors appeal to or inspire different emotions in different people. 
Student 
That sounds like psychology. 
Professor 
Well, color theory is used in psychology too. Some psychologists do use their field’s version of color theory to diagnose and treat patients. Um… anyway, Goethe conducted a number of experiments trying to figure out which colors corresponded to which emotions. And in terms of that goal, he wasn’t very successful. But his experiments actually did show a lot about the 
relationships between colors themselves, about how colors change when placed next to other colors, about how they interact with one another. Scientists studying optics and chromatics today still marvel at his findings. But Goethe wasn’t really able to establish a clear connection between colors and emotions. 
Then in 1806, he received a letter from a relatively unknown German artist, a painter named Philipp Otto Runge. In the letter, Runge outlined his own color theory, specifically the connections he made between colors and emotions. And his ideas about what colors symbolize, about the emotions that different colors inspire were based on the colors red, yellow and 
blue. Runge’s choice of red, yellow and blue had nothing to do with what we know from modern-day chromatics, it had to do with Runge’s complex system of symbolism, his experience of nature, particularly with his experience of the quality of light at various times of the day, morning, noon and night. So each color had a specific symbolic value. 
Well, four years later, Goethe published a book entitled Color Lesson. In Color Lesson, Goethe COINCIDENTLY cites the same colors as primary colors. At this point, Goethe was already a well-known author, so he was easily able to popularize this idea of primary colors, and specifically the idea of red, yellow and blue as THE primary colors. 
Professor 
OK. As you probably know, primary colors are, theoretically speaking, the basic colors from which all other colors can be made. But as you’ll find out when you start working on your painting projects, the three primary colors – red, blue, yellow – don’t always make the best secondary colors. Combining red and blue, you will probably never get a fantastic violet. To get a nice violet, you’ll have to add white. Combining yellow and blue, you will almost never get a satisfactory green. You are better off using a pure green pigment. 
The idea of primary colors, and specifically the idea of red, yellow and blue being THE primary colors, didn’t exist until about 200 years ago. Until then, the dominant theory about color was one that had been proposed by Isaac Newton. Newton gave a scientific and objective explanation of colors. He used a prism to break white light down into the various colors of the spectrum. And he theorized, rightly so, that different colors are essentially different wavelengths of light. But he made no mention of primary colors. That idea came from, or was at least published by a man named Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. 
Professor 
Well, color theory is used in psychology too. Some psychologists do use their field’s version of color theory to diagnose and treat patients. Um… anyway, Goethe conducted a number of experiments trying to figure out which colors corresponded to which emotions. And in terms of that goal, he wasn’t very successful. But his experiments actually did show a lot about the 
relationships between colors themselves, about how colors change when placed next to other colors, about how they interact with one another. Scientists studying optics and chromatics today still marvel at his findings. But Goethe wasn’t really able to establish a clear connection between colors and emotions. 
Then in 1806, he received a letter from a relatively unknown German artist, a painter named Philipp Otto Runge. In the letter, Runge outlined his own color theory, specifically the connections he made between colors and emotions. And his ideas about what colors symbolize, about the emotions that different colors inspire were based on the colors red, yellow and 
blue. Runge’s choice of red, yellow and blue had nothing to do with what we know from modern-day chromatics, it had to do with Runge’s complex system of symbolism, his experience of nature, particularly with his experience of the quality of light at various times of the day, morning, noon and night. So each color had a specific symbolic value. 
Student 
But he didn’t mention Runge? 
Professor 
Well, he did put Runge’s letter in the book, at the end. But he added a disclaimer implying that Runge’s letter didn’t influence his work. Apparently, what Goethe was saying was that they just HAPPENED TO come up with the same theory at the same time.

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