高级英语修辞.doc

1. 生动形象的Simile(明喻)英语词格simile（明喻）是一种最简单、最常用的修辞方法，也是运用最为广泛的一种修辞手段。在此文学作品中尤其如此。文学词典（A Dictionary of Literary Terms）对明喻是这样定义的：A figure of speech in which one thing is likened to another, in such a way as to clarify and enhance an image. It is explicit comparison (as oppose to the metaphor where comparison is implicit) recognizable by the use of words “like” or “as”. 这个定义对明喻的界定既有权威性又有普遍性，许多论述英语修辞的书籍或文章在讲到明喻时，其叙述都没有超出这个概念。 根据定义，明喻是一种表现一事物像另一事物的修辞格。说得通俗点，也就是大比方，既把要描述的事物本体（A）用比喻词语另一种具有鲜明的同一特征的事物喻体（B）联系起来。常用的比喻词有as(如), like(像), seem(似乎), as if(好像), as though(好像), such as(像.一样)等。其基本格式是“A is like B”或“A is asas B”。Simile在英语中应用的很广泛，用以状、写景、抒情、喻理，可收到生动形象、简明明了、新鲜有趣的修辞效果。先看引自大学英语精读（College English, 董亚芬总主编，下同）中的几个例子。The cheque fluttered to the floor like a bird with a broken wing. (College English, Book 1, Unit 3) 支票像只断了翅膀的小鸟似的飘落在地板上。 一位孤苦伶仃的老人在生日那天，满心欢喜地期待她的女儿来给她祝寿，至少给她寄份生日礼物，最终等到的却是一张冷冰冰的支票。此句形象地描述了老人收到支票后的心情她多么失望，就让那张令她伤心的支票随风飘落吧！这个比喻的比喻词是like。Praise is like sunlight to the human spirit we cannot flower and grow without it. (College English, Book 2, Unit 10)对于人的精神来说，赞扬就像阳光一样：没有它我们便不能开花生长。作者借助明喻形象地说明赞扬的作用，赞扬对于人的精神如阳光对于生命一样重要，对于我们来说是不可或缺的。此句的比喻词也是like。Under the bundle tottered the old woman, her face as while as a linen sheet. (21st Century College English, Book 1, Unit 4)包袱底下，正是那位步履踉跄的老妇人，她的脸白得像块亚麻布。这句话传神地刻画出洗衣女大病初愈后苍白的面色。这句话的比喻词是as。英语中有许多谚语包含着美妙的明喻，闪烁着语言艺术的光彩。这些谚语多数以like和as 作为比喻词。例如：Wit without learning is like a tree without fruit.有天资而无学识，好比树木不结果实。Choose an author as you choose a friend.择书如择友。Use a book as a bee does flowers.读书如蜜蜂采花。明喻通常表示本体和喻体之间的相似性，从而道出两种食物之间的关联。由于这个原因明喻常用来广告语言中，能使我们了解商品，给我们具体、形象的概念，读来颇感亲切，易于为大众所接受。如下面这则衣服广告：Light as a breeze, soft as a cloud.轻盈如微风，柔软似白云。这则广告中两个明喻的运用，把衣服的质地感和穿着的舒适感体现出来了，使广告的魅力倍增，谁会不为之慷慨解囊呢？Cool as a mountain streamcool fresh Consulate.凉爽如山间清泉清凉甘爽的Consulate香烟。这是Consulate牌香烟的广告。广告将该香烟比做山间溪流，言下之意是，Consulate牌香烟犹如山间溪流那样清新、甘爽、提神、醒脑.通过比喻吧该烟的特点表现的淋漓尽致，世人难以忘怀。另外，值得注意的是英语中有许多成语含有明喻，其结构为as+形容词+as+名词（第一个as可以省略）。例如：（as）blind as a bat 目光如豆，完全看不见东西的（as）cool as cucumber 泰然自若（as）cold as a marble 冷若冰霜（as）busy as a bee 像蜜蜂一样忙（as）firm as a rock 坚如磐石（as）light as a feather 轻如鸿毛（as）mute as an oyster 噤若寒蝉（as）strong as a horse 健壮如牛有些含明喻的最成语用like构成。例如：Like a duck to water 如鱼得水Like a hen on a hot griddle 像热锅上的蚂蚁Like a cat in a hole 瓮中之鳖以上是明喻最典型的体现格式：A is like B和A is asas B。英语中的明喻可以多种格式体现，其他的格式或句型还有：1、 虚拟句型。最常见的是用as if 或者as though 作比喻词，另外还有其他一些形式。例如：My handwriting looks as if a swarm of ants, escaping from an ink bottle, had walked over a sheet of paper without wiping their legs. (Sydney Smith)我的笔迹，看起来像一群蚂蚁从墨水里逃出来，没有把脚抹干净就在智商四散奔跑过似的。笔迹像蚂蚁爬的痕迹，比喻的恰如其分and the fattest woman I have ever seen in my life dozing in a straight-backed chair. It was as if a sack of grain was support by a matchbox.还有一位我生平所未曾见过最胖的女人做早一把直背椅子上打瞌睡，那简直像一口袋粮食放在一个火柴盒上一样。“一口袋粮食放在一个火柴盒上”比喻（含夸张）得多么生动。The dogs were in full cry, their noses down, their tails up, so close tighter that they might have been one great yellow and white moving carpet.那群狗吠叫着追猎，低着头，翘着尾巴，一条挨着一条，看上去就像一块黄白交织的活动的大地毯。本句也是虚拟句型的明喻，词组sothat起比喻词的作用，连接本体和喻体。I see students taking premedical courses with joyless determination. They go off to their labs as if they were going to the dentist. (21st Century College English, Book 1, Unit 4) 我看到学生们带着毫无欢乐的决心在修医学预科课程。他们去实验室，就像是去看牙医。He was a beautiful horse that looked as though he had come out of a painting by Velasquez. (Ernest Hemingway: For Whom the Bell Tolls)那匹马很漂亮，像是维拉斯凯兹油画上的马变活了。2、 What型常见的句式有两种：A is to B what C is to D 和what C is to D,A is to B。例如：Carlos Lehder was to cocaine transportation what Henry Ford was to cars卡洛斯 雷德与可卡因的贩运的关系，正如亨利 福特与汽车的关系卡洛斯 雷德是著名的哥伦比亚毒袅（Colombian drug lord）,.亨利 福特是美国汽车大王，本句通过喻体（福特）说明本体（雷德）。此明喻起说明的作用。Judicious praise is to children what the sun is to flowers.明智的表扬对于孩子的作用，就像阳光对于花朵的作用。The pen is to a writer what the gun is to a fighter.作家的笔犹如战士的枪。Intellect is to the mind what sight is to the body.智力对思想犹如视力对于身体一样重要。在这个明喻句式中，系动词可以改用实义动词的do，介词to改为for，而成为A does for B what C does for D。这里what 引导的是一个宾语从句。例如： Marx did for the development of society what Darwin did for the development of the biology.马克思对社会发展的贡献和达尔文对生物学发展的贡献一样。第二个句式是把what 从句提到句首尔形成的。例如：What the blueprint is to the builder the outline is to the writer.提纲对于作家犹如蓝图对于建筑师简直是一样重要。What blood vessels are to mans body, railways are to the country.铁路对于一个国家的作用正如血管对于人体的作用。What sculpture is to a block of marble, education is to the soul.教育之于心灵，犹如雕刻之于大理石。What salt is to food, that wit and humor are to conversation and literature。 妙语与幽默之于会话和文学，恰似盐对于事物一样。以上两例中what置于句首，后面的主句一般由that 连接，但也可以省去。3、 than型。Lear: that she may feel李尔：让她也感觉到 How sharper than a serpents tooth it is 一个负心的孩子比毒蛇的牙齿还要多么 To have a thankless child! Away, away! 世人痛入骨髓！去！去！ (William Shakespeare: King Lear) A fool can no more see his own folly than he can see his ears. (William M.Thackeray)愚人之不知其愚，犹如其不能自视其耳。 We have no more right to consume happiness without producing it than to consume wealth without producing it. (Bernard Shaw)我们不创造幸福便无权享受幸福，正如不创造财富也就无权享用财富。Man cannot help craving for expression any more than birds can help singing.人之不能不舒其胸襟，犹如鸟之不能不啭其歌喉。So she shows she seems the budding rose，Yet sweeter far than is earthly flower当她出现，看来犹如含苞的玫瑰，但却远比尘世的花儿馥郁.4、and型 这是一种特殊的明喻句，常见于英语谚语。其中and的作用相当于like，不可把它理解为“和”、“与”等义。例如：A word and a stone let go cannot be recalled.说出来的话犹如抛出的石，是收不回来的。Love and cough can not be hid.恋爱如同咳嗽，难逃他人耳目。Words and feather are tossed by the wind.语言如羽毛，风刮到处飘。Truth and roses have thorns about them.智力如玫瑰，全身都带刺。Kings and bears often worry their keepers.国王和熊一样，总是照料的人坐立不安。4、 动词型I compare his genius to a lightning flash.我将她的天才比作闪电。He treats his daughter as the apple in the eye.他把女儿当做掌上明珠。Samuel Johnson regarded a dictionary as a watch.塞缪尔 约翰逊把词典看做钟表。Passions are likened best to floods and streams;The shallow murmur, but the deep are dumb.激情最像洪水与溪流：水面喧声淙淙，水滴无语无声.Sitting still, he might have been taken for a very pretty girl masquerading in male attire, but when he moved, his little agility suggested a tame panther without the claws. (Ethel Lilian Voynich: The Gadfly)要是静静地坐在那儿，人家准会当他是一个女扮男装的很美的姑娘；可是一行动起来，他那柔软而敏捷的姿态，就要使人联想到一只驯服的没有利爪的豹子了。Clan in his nightshirt, his neck poked forward, his back rounded, he resembled some long white bird. (John Galsworthy: The Man of Property)他穿了一身睡衣，脖子向前伸出来，弓着背，那样子活香一只长身白鸟。可引导明喻的动词还有to be similar to, consideras,serveas,honoras, respectas. 等。与英语simile 相对应的汉语修辞格是“明喻”。汉语“明喻”是比喻（包括明喻、隐喻和借喻）中的一种，也是最平易的一种。基本格式和英语simile 完全相同，即“甲事物像乙事物”。需要加此描写刻画的事物（本体）、用以比喻的事物（喻体）和比喻词都出现，明白地表示出本体和喻体的比喻关系，所以称“明喻”。常用的比喻词有：像、好像、如、犹如、仿佛例如：还似旧时游上苑，车如流水马如龙。 （李煜忆江南）客有吹箫者，依歌而和之。其声呜呜然，如怨，如慕，如泣，如诉，余音袅袅，不绝如缕，舞幽壑之蛟龙，泣孤舟之嫠妇。 （苏轼前赤壁赋）我们容易伤风和妒忌，我们烦腻，心薄得像嘴唇，而嘴唇有薄又阔，像一张拍卖行长开的旧唱片。 （王佐良诗）于是夜晚的松花江，像一条嵌花的闪光的银链，静静地垂挂在这一片浩瀚的沙滩裸露的胸前。 （张抗抗夏）看了卡拉玛姐妹的舞蹈，世人深深地体会到印度的优美悠久的文化艺术:舞蹈、音乐、雕刻、图画.都如同一条条的大榕树上的树枝，枝枝下垂，入地生根。（冰心观舞记）饮食店里的职工们当然不止女经理的这盘挫折，只见她第二天早晨起来眼睛肿得和水蜜桃一样，看什么都不顺眼，看见馒头、花卷、包子、面条都有气。（古华芙蓉镇）值得注意的是，有些句子中虽然有“像”、“好像”这类比喻词，但这个句子不一定有明喻。例如：人总是有感情的，不爱别人就是因为太爱自己，要我想他那样爱自己，对旁边人都没有感情，我会僵了，活不成了。（莫应丰将军吟）这个句子中的“我像他”不是明喻，因为“我”和“他”系同类，不能设喻。构成明喻必须要有本体、喻体和比喻词，并且本体和喻体之间是“相类”的关系，在本质上是不同的事物。2、含而不落的Metaphor(隐喻) Metaphor（汉译名为“隐喻”或“暗喻”），也是一种比喻，它不用比喻词，直接把甲事物（喻体）当做乙事物（本体）来描述，其比喻关系隐含在句意中，从而更生动、更深刻地说明事理，增强语言的表现力。Websters New World Dictionary 的解释是：A figure of speech containing an implied comparison, in which a word or phrase ordinarily used of one thing is applied to another.这个解释的意思是说，隐喻是一种隐含着比喻的修辞格，其通常的基本用法是，表示某一事物的词和短语被用来表述另外的一种事物。由于比喻是隐喻的，因此它的本体和喻体的关系必然十分紧密。与simile 相比较，metaphor 不但不需要as，like之类的比喻词，有时甚至可以连本体也不出现。基于这种情况，有些词典或著作常常对metaphor和simile同时论述，称之为“浓缩的明喻（a compressed or condensed simile ）”。如A Dictionary of Literary Terms 对metaphor的定义就是如此：A figure of speech in which one thing is described in terms of another. The basic figure in poetry. A comparison is usually implicit; whereas in simile it is explicit.下面用实例对这两种修辞格做一比较：1a. Life is like an isthmus between two eternities. (Simile) 生活像永恒的生死两端之间的峡道。（明喻）1b. Life is an isthmus between two eternities. (Metaphor) 生活是永恒的生死两端之间的峡道（隐喻）2a. Happiness is like sunshine: it is made up of very little beams. (Simile) 幸福像阳光，它由非常细小的光束构成。（明喻）2b.The sunshine of happiness is made up of very little beams. (Metaphor) 幸福的阳光由非常细小的光束构成。（隐喻）Metaphor在英语里运用极为广泛、频繁。请看下面几例：Police work on inner city streets is a domestic Vietnam, a dangerous no-win struggle fought by confused, misdirected and unappreciated troops. (Gordon Witkin)市中心贫民区的治安工作是异常国内的越南战争，有一支思想混乱、指挥失灵、无人赏识的部队进行的异常危险的、只输不赢的斗争。这是一例典型的隐喻。人们对警方的工作（本体）可能了解不深，但在美国，人们对越南战争（喻体）的体会即具体又痛切。本体、喻体同时出现，通过三个相似点（confused，misdirected, unappreciated）, 痛陈警察的不平和苦衷，可望引起公众对警察的同情和理解。文中Vietnam 指 the Vietnam war。For years her cries of “fish for sale” were in vain. She had no home, no family, no friendsand her life was a basket of unsold fish, (Humphrey Hawksley)多年来，她“卖鱼啦”的叫喊声全然白费。她无家可归，无夫无子，无亲无友她的生活就是一篮没卖出来的鱼。把卖鱼妇的生活比喻成一篮没有卖出的鱼，激起人们对卖鱼妇无限同情。This century man has started to look into the working of that other universe which is inside himself the human brain. (Isaac Asimov: What Is Intelligence, Anyway)本世纪人类已经开始研究自身内部的另外一个宇宙的活动了，这另外一个宇宙就是人脑。作者用隐喻向读者表明：“人脑”就是一个“宇宙”，它奥妙无穷，有待人类进一步研究探索。While most of us are only too ready to apply to others the cold wind of criticism, we are somewhat reluctant to give our fellow the warm sunshine of praise.(Janet Graham: The Profits of Praise)我们大多数人动不动就对别人刮起批评的寒风，不知为什么却都不愿意把表扬的温暖阳光给予我们的同伴。此句把大多的批评比喻为“冷风”，把表扬比喻为“温暖的阳光”，本体和喻体的关系由of含蓄表达，都是喻体在前，本体在后。Benedick: Would you buy her that you inquire after her?Claudio: Can the world buy such a jewel?培尼狄克：您这样问起她，是不是要把她买下来？克劳狄奥：全世界所有的财富，可以买得到这样一块美玉吗？这个例子中本体和比喻词都没有，直接由喻体jewel代替本体her（Beatrice）。Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed and some few to be chewed and digested (Francisco Bacon: Of Study)一些书浅尝即可，另一些书却要囫囵吞下，只有少数的书才值得咀嚼和消化。此句的本体是book， 喻体无疑应当是food，因为只有食物才能“浅尝”、“吞下”，或者被“咀嚼”、“消化”。但是作喻体的food一词却没有出现，喻体之意则折射隐含在有关进食的几个动词之中。Iago：How poor are they that have not patience! What would did ever heal but by degrees? (William Shakespeare: Othello)伊阿古：没有耐性的人多么可怜！什么伤口不是慢慢地平复起来的？Beware of little expenses. A small leak will sink a great ship. (Benjamin Franklin)当心小彼得费用。小漏不堵也会沉大船。以上两例不是用词或短语而是用句子进行比喻，前一句为本体，后一句为喻体。1、 metaphor的结构英语metaphor的运用格式灵活多样，它可体现在任何句子成分上，如主语、谓语、表语、定语、或者状语。在表达上它可以是一个单词、一个词组、一个句子，甚至是一个段落。常见的有以下几种结构：（1） 用 to be 连接本体（the tenor）和喻体（the vehicle），喻体一般体现在句子的表语部分。这是metaphor最基本的结构方式。To me the pageant of seasons is a thrilling and unending drama. (Helen Keller: Three Days to See)对我来说，四季的绮丽变幻犹如一出动人心弦永无完结的戏剧。在这个句子中pageant是本体，drama是喻体，用is将二者连接起来。其结构的核心就是The pageant is a drama.下面的例句也是如此：Macbeth: out, out, brief candle! Life is but a walking shadow (William Shakespeare: Macbeth) 麦克白：熄灭了吧，熄灭了吧，短促的烛光！ 人生不过是一个行走的影子.All the worlds a stage, and all the men and woman merely players.大千世界是个舞台，所有男男女女不外是个角色。Money is a bottomless sea, in which honor, conscience, and truth may be drowned.金钱是无底的海洋，荣誉、良心和真理都可以淹没在其中。Habit is a cable; every day we weave thread, and soon we cannot break it. 习惯是缆索，每天我们都编上一条线，不久我们便扯不断了。（2） 用of连接本体和喻体，这是metaphor另一结构， 其中的介词of表示同位关系。I fall upon the thorns of life! I bleed!我落入生活的荆棘，我淌血。His eyes came out of his head like a prawns, and once more his moustache foamed up against his breakwater of nose.他的眼睛像对虾一样鼓出来，胡子再一次泡沫似的向上翘起，抵住他那防波堤般的鼻子。The Dutchman was six-foot, a great red-faced, hot-tempered treck-ox of a man. 那荷兰人身高六尺，大块头，红胸膛，急脾气，简直是一条拉车的公牛。 句中的of连接喻体treck-ox和本体a man。这个metaphor的实质就是a man is a treck-ox. 下列例句也是如此。 He nodded toward the corner to where the giant stood, his thick arms crossed on his hogshead of a chest. 他朝那彪形大汉站着的墙点了点头。大汉那粗壮的胳膊交叉在他那大桶似的胸前。（3） 用动词或形容词表示比喻。no one, least of al I, anticipated that my case would snowball into one of the most famous trial in U.S. history.谁也没有料想到，尤其是我，更没有想到我的案子会越搞越大，以致成了美国历史上最闻名的审判之一。The street around the three-story red brick law court sprouted with rickety stands selling hot dogs.在红砖砌成的三层楼法院周围的街道上，突然摆满东倒西歪的摊位，出售热狗。Her hostility melted. 她的敌意消解了。以上都是动词型的隐喻。Would snowball（滚雪球）是把“案件”比喻“雪球“；sprouted（萌发出）是把“法院周围的街道”比喻成“树木”；melted（消融）是把人的“敌意”当作“冰霜”来描写。再如：A modern Japanese woman, they say, instead of trying to enrich her inner self, is in a mad scramble to ape anything that is new and foreign fashions, cosmetics, hairdos, hairdos, rock-and-roll.他们说，现代日本妇女，不是努力丰富自我的精神，而是拼命模仿新的洋的事物-时装，化妆品，发式，摇摆舞。下面3例都是形容词的隐喻：He has the microwave smile that warms another person without heat他有一种微波式的微笑，不加热就能使别人温暖。.I have got one of my Sahara thirsts on tonight.今晚我又觉得想撒哈拉沙漠那样干渴。 By this hour the volcanic fires of his nature had burnt down, and having drunk no great quantity as yet he was inclined to acquiesce.到这时候，他天性中那种暴烈的火焰已经燃烧殆尽，酒还喝得不多，他就打算加以默认了。形容词型的隐喻，喻体和本体的关系表现为修饰语和中心词的关系。Microwave smile使用微波来比喻微笑，拜师温暖又不灼热。其他也是如此。2、 metaphor的设喻方法。每一巧妙而令人难忘的比喻都来自生活的时间和作者丰富的想象。尽管metaphor有千千万万，但在本体和喻体的关系方面，也就是metaphor的设喻方法。归纳起来大致有以下三种。（1）以一种形象具体的事物去比喻另一形象具体的事物。“Now what I want is, Facts. Teach these boys and girls nothing but Facts alone are wanted in life.”The speaker, and the school master, and the third grown person presents, all backed a little, and swept with their eyes the inclined plane of little vessels then and there arranged in order, ready to gave imperial gallons of facts poured into until they well full to the brim.“我说，我所要的就是事实。对这些男学生和女学生只教给他们事实。事实才是生活中所需要的惟一的东西。” 那位讲话的人、校长和在场的第三位成年人都稍稍向后退了一步，用眼睛扫视当时当地按高矮整齐排列的小瓶小罐， 也就是对这些小瓶小罐，他们准备用许多行家标准加仑的事实加以灌注，直到灌满为止。此例以“小瓶小罐”（vessels）比喻男女学生。The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is its natural manure.自由之树常以爱国志士和暴君的血来浇灌，这些鲜血是自由之树的天然肥料。此例以“肥料（manure.）”比喻革命志士与暴君之血。Books are the ever-burning lamps and accumulated wisdom.好书乃积累智慧的长明灯。此例把书籍比喻成“长明灯”。（2）用形象具体的事物，比喻抽象的事物或概念。Its the same with Negro in America. That shoe the white mans system has pinched and rubbed and squeezed his soul until it has almost destroyed him.美国黑人的情况也是这样。百人制度这只鞋夹紧了他的灵魂，世人手磨难，几乎要把他毁掉了。用夹紧黑人灵魂的一只“鞋子”来比喻美国的人制度，这是典型的以具体事物比喻抽象事物。请再看一例：It facts are the seeds that later produce knowledge and wisdom, then the emotion