高级英语修辞Figures of speech

Figuresofspeechareformsofexpressionthatdepartfromnormalwordorsentenceorderorfromthecommonliteralmeaningsofwords,forthepurposeofachievingaspecialeffect.Ineverydayspeechandwritingandinliteraturethechieffunctionsoffiguresofspeechareprobablytoembellish,toemphasizeortoclarify.Theyareusedtogivetoneoratmospheretodiscourse,toprovidevividexamples,tostimulatethoughtbystartlingthereaderorlistener,togivelifetoinanimateobjects,toamuse,ortoornament.Figuresofspeechexistinalmostendlessvarietyandmanyarecloselyrelatedorintricatelyoverlap,hencenocompletelysatisfactorysystemofclassificationhaseverbeendevised.Thefollowingmaybeconsideredoneoftheserviceableclassificationsofthepresentday:1.Figuresofresemblanceorrelationship.Thesearethemostimportant,interesting,andfrequentfiguresofspeech.2.Figuresofemphasisorunderstatement.Thechieffunctionoftheseistodrawattentiontoanidea.3.Figuresofsound.4.Verbalgamesandgymnastics.Someofthesearerareandminorfigures.1.Figuresofresemblanceorrelationship1)Simile:afigurethatinvolvesanexpressedcomparison,almostalwaysintroducedbythewordlikeoras.Thetwothingscomparedmustbedissimilarandthebasisofresemblanceisusuallyanabstractquality.a)Ascoldwaterstoathirstysoul,soisgoodnewsfromafarcounty.(Proverb)b)Thewaterlaygrayandwrinkledlikeanelephant'sskin.(NancyHale)c)Myverythoughtswereliketheghostlyrustleofdeadleaves.(JosephConrad)2)Metaphor:Thesubstitutionofonethingforanother,ortheidentificationoftwothingsfromdifferentrangesofthought.Itisoftenlooselydefinedas“animpliedcomparison”,“asimilewithout‘like’or‘as’”.Metaphorisconsideredbymanythemostimportantandbasicpoeticfigureandalsothecommonestandthemostbeautiful.a)Boysandgirls,tumblinginthestreetsandplaying,weremovingjewels.b)Thetownwasstormedafteralongsiege.c)Snowclothestheground.d)Heswambravelyagainstthetideofpopularapplause.句法、结构上看隐语：名词性、动词性、形容词性、副词性、介词性e.g.1.名词性Iamanalbumofsnapshots,random,awholeshowoftrailers剧照ofoldfilms.(表语)2.动词性shedidnotsomuchcookasassassinatefood.Itescapes/strikes/upsetsme.（物质过程代心理过程）Idon’tthinkI’mdistortinghisargument.YetIwaswoundup.Itick.Iexist.3.形容词性theairwasthickwithabrasschorus低声合唱.(theairisaliquid.)空气在低音合唱中显得十分凝重。Iexpectatreaty,afull-fledgedtreatyonmedium-rangemissiles.完整的协议（Thetreatyisfull-fledged.Thetreatyisabirdorananimal.）4.副词性Heclamberedafter跟随hersheepishly.温顺Heclamberedafterherlikeasheep.像绵羊（喻底不定）5.介词性Arightextremistgroupissuspectedofbeingbehindthekilling.幕后操纵屠杀(空间意义映射到抽象“操纵”)SanderswasarrestedwithinhoursofreturningtoBritain.(“behindhours”空间意义映射到时间先后顺序上”语义结构上看隐喻：tenorandvehicle,thecomponentsofametaphor,withthetenorreferringtotheconcept,object,orpersonmeant,andthevehiclebeingtheimagethatcarriestheweightofthecomparison.ThewordswerefirstusedinthissensebythecriticI.A.Richards.InthefirststanzaofAbrahamCowley’spoem“TheWish,”thetenoristhecityandthevehicleisabeehive蜂窝:Wellthen;Inowdoplainlysee,ThisbusyworldandIshallne’eragree;TheveryhoneyofallearthlyjoyDoesofallmeatsthesoonestcloy;Andthey,methinks,deservemypityWhoforitcanendurethestings,Thecrowd,andbuzz,andmurmuringsOfthisgreathive,thecity.1.tenor,vehicle,ground看过《西游记》的人都知道“唐僧肉”之可贵，妖魔鬼怪都捉而啖之，好处是延年益寿，妖可成仙。现在居民说的“唐僧肉”是指城市的绿化草地，它是城市之肺，有利于供应阳光，空气和水，可以让人延年益寿的。2.Tenor,vehicle,Thebuildingwasabarn.3.VehicleHeputhisbackagainstthesuitcase.(Therockisasuitcase.)4.TenorHesonhadbeendamagedinacrash.(Humanobjectisanobject.)ThefaintwhisperofrainAthintrickleofsmoke他给高松年300瓦特的眼光射得很不安。（《隐喻学研究》束定芳）Anoteofwarning:Avoidmixingfiguresofspeech.a)Thisisnotthetimetothrowupthesponge,whentheenemy,alreadyweakenedanddivided,areontheruntoanewdefensiveposition.(mixedmetaphor;amixtureofprize–ringandbattlefield)b)ThereiseveryindicationthatNigeriawillbeatowerofstrengthandwillforgeahead.(mixedmetaphor;amixtureofafortressandaship)3)Personification:afigurethatendowsobjects,animals,ideas,orabstractionswithhumanform,character,orsensibility.Therearethreechiefkindsofpersonifications:a)Thatproducedbytheuseofadjectives.theblushingrose;thethirstygroundb)Thatproducedbytheuseofverbs.thekettlesings;thewavesdancedc)Thatproducedbytheuseofnouns.thesmilesofspring;thewhisperofleaves4)Metonymy:换喻thesubstitutionofthenameofonethingforthatofanotherwithwhichitiscloselyassociated.a)Thepenismightierthanthesword.(Hereyouhavetheinstrument(penorsword)asanameforthepeoplewieldingit.)b)Grayhairsshouldberespected.(thesymbol(grayhair)asanameforthepersons(oldpeople)symbolized)c)Heistoofondofthebottle.(=Heistoofondofdrinking;thecontainer(winebottle)asanameforthething(wine)contained)d)IhaveneverreadLiBai.(thepoet(LiBai)asanameforthethingmade(poemswrittenbyLiBai))5)Synecdoche:提喻commonly,thenamingofaparttomeanthewhole,asinhandsformenwhodomanuallabour,afleetof50sailsforafleetof50ships.Butvariousothersuchsubstitutionsarealsoincludedintheterm.a)Haveyouanycoppers?(=Haveyouanymoney?)(coppersstandforcoinsoflowvaluemadeofcopperorbronze;hereitisthenamingofthematerial(copper)forthethingmade(coin))b)Heisapoorcreature.(thenamingofthegenusforthespecies)c)HeistheNewtonofthiscentury.(thenamingofanindividualforaclass)Note:Synecdochecaneasilybemistakenformetonymy.6)Antonomasia:换称the