英汉时间的空间隐喻对比研究

A Contrastive Study of TIME AS SPACE Metaphor
between English and Chinese
Abstract

During the past 2,000 years, much attention has been given to the study of metaphor by language scholars. Traditionally, metaphor was viewed simply as a figure of speech in language use. With the increasing advance of cognitive linguistics, contemporary metaphor claims that metaphor is not merely a matter of language rhetorical device, but a mode of thought and an effective cognitive tool for human to know abstract things in terms of concrete ones. Since space plays an important role in language and the human conception of space seems to structure other parts of the conceptual system through metaphorical mapping, this thesis tries to make a comparative study of TIME AS SPACE metaphor between English and Chinese by horizontal axis and vertical axis based on the contemporary theory of metaphor. It shows that both English and Chinese share the same central TIME AS SPACE metaphor at the conceptual level, and there exist some differences in the specification of the metaphorization because of their different views on observer orientations. The great similarities in the representation of time in terms of space at the conceptual level between English and Chinese give a support to the universal status of TIME AS SPACE metaphor across languages and cultures. Understanding the similarities and differences in the metaphor between these two languages will promote the intercultural communication between English and Chinese cultures.

Key Words: comparative study; spatial metaphor; cognition; general character;
individuality

摘  要

两千多年来，隐喻的研究1直受到语言学者的关注。传统上，隐喻更多地被认为是1种用来修饰语言的修辞表达。随着认知语言学的兴起,隐喻不仅被看作是1种运用语言的方式，还是人们通过具体事物去抽象事物的1种思维方式和认知工具。在认知语言学领域里，空间占有极其重要的地位，人们往往借助对空间的概念认知去认识和构建其它抽象复杂的概念系统或事物。因此，本文以认知隐喻理论为基础，从水平层面和垂直层面两个方面对英汉时间的空间隐喻进行对比研究。通过对比分析，发现英汉时间的空间隐喻有很多相似之处，同时因为文化的差异也存在着1些不同点。这种相似处为时间的空间隐喻在语言和文化中的普遍性提供了有利的证明。而了解英汉这两种语言的相同点和不同点将促进中英文化间的交流。

关键词：英汉对比、空间隐喻、认知、共性、个性

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