FiguresofSpeechFiguresofSpeech.ABriefIntroductionⅠFiguresofspeecharewaysofmakingourlanguagefigurative.Whenweusewordsinotherthantheirordinaryorliteralsensetolendforcetoanidea,toheighteneffect,ortocreatesuggestiveimagery,wearesaidtobespeakingorwritingfiguratively.Nowwearegoingtotalkaboutsomecommonformsoffiguresofspeech..FormsofFiguresofSpeechⅡ1.Simile（明喻）1).DefinitionItisafigureofspeechwhichmakesacomparisonbetweentwounlikeelementshavingatleastonequalityorcharacteristicincommon.2).SimilemarkerTomakethecomparison,wordslikeas,as...as,asif,asthough,as…so,similarto,tobeararesemblancetoandlikeareusedtotransferthequalityweassociatewithonetotheother.3).Examples:NewChinaislikearedsunrisingintheeast.∣∣∣SubjectsimilemarkerreferenceHere“NewChina”iscalled“subject”or“tenor”,“aredsun”iscalled“reference”or“vehicle”and“like”iscalledthe“indicatorofresemblance”or“similemarker”.Shespokehurriedly,asifherhearthadleapedintoherthroatattheboy’swords.4).Someidiomsasfreshasarose,braveasalion,cunningasafox,proudasapeacock,ascoldasice.5).TheusageofsimileinpassageSocomparedwithanyordinarybeamoflight,thelaserbeamisaveryorderlyaffairindeed.It’slikeamilitarymarch—everyoneinstep.Inanordinarybeam,theweavesarelikethepeopleonacrowdgoingtoafootballmatch,justling(拥挤)andbumping（碰撞）intooneanother.2.Metaphor(暗喻)1).DefinitionItislikeasimile,alsomakesacomparisonbetweentwounlikeelements,butunlikeasimile,thiscomparisonisimpliedratherthanstated.(CondensedSimile)2).ComparisonbetweensimileandmetaphorSimileMetaphorThenewsisasadaggertohisheart.Thenewsisadaggertohisheart.Joefoughtlikealion.Joewasalioninthebattle.Learningmaybelikenedtoclimbingupamountain.Learningisclimbingupamountain.Thegossip（流言）waslikeanetthatstrangled(扼死)her.Shewasstrangledinthenetofgossip.★Comparethefollowingexamples:A1)Themachine-gunshotdowntheenemylikeamower(割草机)cuttingdownthegrass.A2)Themachine-gunmoweddowntheenemy.B1)Theparksofourcityarelikehumanlungs.B2)Theparksarethelungsofourcity.3).OtherusageofmetaphorMetaphorsareusednotonlyafterverbtobe,andnotonlynounscanbeusedmetaphorically.Seeourtextbook.★Identifythesimilesandmetaphorsinthefollowing;thenconvertthesimilesintometaphorsorexpandthemetaphorsintosimiles.1.Heisawolfinsheep’sclothing.2.Hisvoicesoundedlikeathunderinthehall.3.Moneyisalensinacamera.4.Slimycanalscreptlikegreensnakesbesidetheroad.5.ApplicationsforjobsfloodedtheEmploymentAgency.6.Hitler’sattackinPolandin1939waslikelightning.3.Personification(拟人)1).DefinitionsItistotreatathingoranideaasifitwerehumanorhadhumanqualities.2).Examples:☆Thesunkissedthegreenfields.☆Thethirstydesertdrankupthewater.☆Theinterviewwasover.MaryThompsonsaidgood-byetothemanager,turnedbackandsteppedoutmerrilyandlight-heartedly.Thegatesmiledafterherandthesunstretchedoutherarmstogreether.4.Metonymy(换喻)1).DefinitionIthastodowiththesubstitutionofthenameofonethingforthatofanotherwithwhichitiscloselyassociated.2).Examplescrown—king,theWhiteHouse—theAmericangovernmentthecradle—_____________,thepen—_______________thesword—_____________,purse—________________Thepenisstrongerthansword.Whatislearnedinthecradleiscarriedtothegrave.Havingfinishedthelawschool,hewascalledtotheBar.DownUnder:AustraliaIvan:theRussianpeopleJohnBull:EnglandUncleSam:theU.S.Athebar:thelegalprofessionthebench:positionofjudgeFleetStreet:theBritishpre...
