FiguresofSpeech(Chen)

FiguresofSpeechAims•Toknowaboutthemostfrequently-usedrhetoricaldevices;•Tobeabletoidentifythemostfrequently-usedfiguresofspeech;•Toknowtheimportanceofrhetoricaldevicesinthelanguageuse.FiguresofSpeech•Definition:TheFigureofSpeechisakindofartwhichdealswithhowtomanipulatethelanguageeffectively.•Byfiguresofspeech,wereferheretothoserhetoricaldevicestermed“tropes”inclassicalrhetoric.Tropeshavetodowiththewaywordsaremadetomeanotherthanwhattheynormallyimply,andthereforeinvolvedeviationfromtheordinaryandliteralmeaningofwords.Theyarewaysofmakingourlanguagefigurative.Weusewordsinnon-literalsensestolendforcetoanidea,toheighteneffect,ortocreateatmosphere.•Eachfigurehasitsownformandcharacteristics,anditsownwayofachievingeffect.Sometimestwoormorefigurescanbeusedtogetherforgreaterimpact.•Aknowledgeofthesefigures,andhowtheyarebestusedwillbeofhelptousnotonlyindeepeningourunderstandingofwhatweread,butalsoinappreciatingmorefullythefinerpointsofawriter’sstyle.Intheprocess,wemightevenlearntowritebetterourselves.1.Simile(明喻)•Ithasfourbasiccharacteristics:1)Comparativewordssuchas“like”,“as”;2)Twothingsinvolvedincomparison;3)Thetwothingsmustbesubstantiallydifferent;4)Thetwothingsshouldbesimilarinatleastonequality.•Itschieffunctionistodrawsharppicturesinthemindthroughcomparisons,togivedeeperinsightintothings,personsandideasthroughsuggestiveassociation,ortoexplainabstract,complicatedideasinsimple,concreteimagery.Simile•JimandBillyareaslikeastwopeas.•Andthewhiningschoolboy,withhissatchelandshiningmorningface,creepinglikesnailunwillinglytoschool……(Shakespeare)•Recordsfelllikeripeapplesonawindyday.Simile•Heissomethingofapoliticalchameleon.•Habitmaybelikenedtoacable;everydayweweaveathread,andsoonwecannotbreakit.•Notew:Asimilemustpossessthequalityoffreshnessandoriginality.Itwouldbebettertoavoidusingsimileslike:ascoldasice,asgoodasgold,asstrongasanox,ascunningasafox,asfreshasarose.2.Metaphor(暗喻;隐喻)•Ametaphorisoftenlooselydefinedas“animpliedcomparison”or“asimilewithoutcomparativewords”.Itschieffunctionistovivifyanideathroughcomparison,togiveinsightintothingsandpersons,ortoexplaincomplicatedideasinsimpleimagery.Comparedwithsimiles,itusuallyrequiresgreaterabilityonthepartofthereadertomakeoutthehiddenassociationorinsightinmetaphors.Metaphor•Dressislanguage.•Successfullivingisajourneytowardsimplicityandtriumphoverconfusion.•Moneyisthelensinacamera.•Ahousedividedagainstitselfcan’tstand.----A.Lincoln•Iskimoverthebooktotastethetoneofit.•Atlasthefeltarayofhope.Metaphor•Theparksarethelungsofourcity.•Inforeignpolicy,flyingsolocanberiskybusiness.•Theautodealerhijackedbuyersintopurchasingunwantedaccessories.•Whenavirusentersacellithijacksit,andmakeitdowhatitwants.Compare•Thenewsisasadaggertohisheart.•Joefoughtlikealion.•Thenewsisadaggertohisheart.•Joewasalioninthebattle.Compare•Learningmaybelikenedtoclimbingupamountain./Learningisclimbingupamountain.•Thegossipwaslikeanetthatstrangledher./Shewasstrangledinthenetofgossip.Metaphor•Efficiencyisunderminedinajungleofredtape.•UncheckedviolencehasalreadydulledthelusteroftheBigApple.Thedauntingtaskbeforeitsleadersistopreventitfromrottingtothecore.•Image-makersafterall,cannotaltertherawmaterialtheyworkwith:theycanonlypolishit.“Myjobistopresentthebestreality.Weignorethebadpointsandpresentthegood.”3.Metonymy(转喻;借代)•Metonymyisthesubstitutionofthenameofonethingforthatofanotherwithwhichitiscloselyassociated.Itsfunctionistoexpressanideabrieflyandeffectivelybycompressingmuchintoasinglewordorashortnounphrase.•tongue-eloquence;•grayhairs-oldpeople;•sword-waranddestruction;•brain-knowledge,wisdomorreasonMetonymy•Hemusthavebeenspoiltfromthecradle.•ItalycannotbevanishedinwarfarenorGreeksinstudies.•Whatislearnedinthecradleiscarriedtothegrave.•Thepenismightierthanthesword.•Whenthewarwasover,helaiddowntheswordandtookupthepen.Metonymy•Hispursewouldnotallowhimthatluxury.•Hetooktothebottle.•Hehasbeenappointedtothebench.•Shetooktheveilat20.•HereadsShakespeare.Metonymy•Thewholecitywentouttohailthevictorioustroops.•Hehasundoubtedlythebeststableinthecountry.•Sheradonisahotelnotedforitsgoodtable.•Withoutmilitaryleverage,peacefulmediationwasnotworking.•Somecountriesuseoilsupplyaspoliticalleverage.•Hisheartruledhishead.4.Synecdoche(提喻法)•Synecdocheisthesubstitutionofapartforthewhole,asin“sails”for“ships”and“hands”for“menwhodomanuallabor”,orthewholeforthepart,asin“vehicle”for“engine”and“smilingyear”for“spring”.•TheabstractfortheconcreteorviceversaIhavehisear,ofcourse.(=obediencetome)•ThespeciesforthegenusorviceversaThechildrenwerefrightenedbythecatsinthezoo.(=tigers,leopardsandlions)•NameofthematerialforthethingmadeOntheboards(=stage)Haveyouanycoppers?(=coinsmadeofcopper)Synecdoche•Morehandsareneededatharvesttime.•Wehaddinnerattendollarsahead.•Hehasmanymouthstofeedinhisfamily.•Theycounted50sailsintheharbour.•Heisavaliantheart.Synecdoche•Heearnedhisbreadbydoingoddjobs.•Thepoormanisnowleftwithoutaroof.•Alltheplantsinthecoldcountryareturninggreeninthissmilingyear.•Allthewitandlearningoftheworldwereassembledthere.•Thelegscouldhardlykeepupwitht