1  Most people can see at least a million different colours, but have you ever thought why they're important? Colours often have meanings and act as signs. They're a way of communicating, even when we don't notice them.

1大多数人可以看到至少一百万种不同的颜色，但是您是否想过为什么它们很重要？ 颜色通常具有含义并充当迹象。 即使我们没有注意到它们，它们即使是一种交流方式。 

2  The development of colours in the environment may be linked to the science of evolution. As living organisms developed a sense of vision, they were able to explore the environment around them. As vision developed and living creatures became able to distinguish colours, fruits began to use them to attract animals to propagate their seeds. Flowers developed bright colours to attract pollinators, and venomous or poisonous animals were able to use their bold shades as a warning. 

2环境中颜色的发展可能与进化科学有关。 随着活生物体发展出一种视力，他们能够探索周围的环境。 随着视觉发展并能够区分颜色的生物，水果开始使用它们吸引动物传播种子。 花发展了鲜艳的色彩来吸引传粉媒介，有毒或有毒动物能够将其大胆的阴影作为警告。 

3  Humans have also evolved to use these signs to interpret the world. Colour is often an indication that tells us when fruit or vegetables can be eaten, that they're not unripe or rotten. We've also developed our own colour signals to communicate. The red of a traffic light or a warning sign tells us about potential dangers or the precautions we need to take. Electrical wires use different colours to tell us how to connect them safely.

3人类也进化起来使用这些迹象来解释世界。 颜色通常表明何时可以吃水果或蔬菜，它们不是未成熟的或腐烂的。 我们还开发了自己的颜色信号进行交流。 交通信号灯或警告标志的红色告诉我们有关潜在的危险或我们需要采取的预防措施。 电线使用不同的颜色告诉我们如何安全地连接它们。 

4  Colours can be used as signifiers in more complex ways. Meanings can be transferred into different contexts – food products are sometimes labelled with red, yellow or green according to their nutritional content, borrowing the colours from traffic signals. Some signs are less obvious. Consumer brands use different colours in their logos, packaging, products, and advertising to send us messages about their values. For example, luxury goods often use dark but intense colours as a mark of quality, while those aimed at children use bold, bright colours.We might only notice this if companies use the 'wrong' colours. Studies have shown that people are less likely to buy something if it's branded with an inappropriate colour. 

4种颜色可以以更复杂的方式用作指示符。 含义可以转移到不同的情况下 - 有时根据其营养含量将食品用红色，黄色或绿色标记，从交通信号中借用颜色。 有些迹象不太明显。 消费者品牌在其徽标，包装，产品和广告中使用不同的颜色向我们发送有关其价值的消息。 例如，奢侈品经常使用深色但强烈的颜色作为质量的标志，而针对儿童的奢侈品则使用大胆，明亮的颜色。我们只有在公司使用“错误”颜色时才注意到这一点。 研究表明，如果人们以不适当的颜色品牌购买商品，人们就不太可能购买东西。 

5  Whether human-made or natural, and whether we consciously notice them or not, colours tell us a lot about the world around us. 

5无论是人造还是自然，无论我们有意识地注意到它们，颜色都告诉我们很多关于我们周围世界的信息。