The Figure of Speech摘要辞格在修辞手段中占有很重要的地位,他指的是对一个词的普通和主要意义的偏离。
对于文字工作者来说,正确使用辞格能使文章更生动,更有可读性。
对于英语学习者来说,不但要会使用辞格,还要了解其英文名称。
本文从明喻,隐喻,转喻,夸张,反语,拟人等几方面介绍了这几种辞格的定义及用法,并结合作者的亲身实践讨论了记忆这些专业术语的方法,最后对修辞学这门课程做了简单总结。
关键字修辞学辞格记忆方法Abstract The figure of speech play a important role in the rhetoric, it is means that deviating from general and main meaning of a word. For a word troop,the text will be more vividly if he using the figure of speech properly. For a English learner, he should not only understand the knowledge, but also remember the spell of the professional language. This paper introduce the definition about simile , metonymy, metaphor, synecdoche, irony and personification. Meanwhile, the author discuss the way to remember the professional language combine with her practise, at last ,the paper gives a simple conclusion to the rhetoric class.Key words: rhetoric the figure of speech artificial memory1.Introduction of some general conceptsWords used in their original meanings are used literally,while words used in extended meanings for the purpose of making comparisons or calling up pictures in the reader's or listener's mind are used figuratively. There are various ways of using words figuratively. They are called figures of speech. Among the most common of them are:1.1 Simile It is a comparison between two distinctly different thing and the comparison is indicated by the word as or like:My love's like a red , red rose.That man can't be trusted. He's as slippery as an eel.The old man's hair is as white as snow.In the above three example people and things of different categories are compared: a woman and a rose, a man and an eel, and hair and snow. But each pair have one similarity: loveliness, slipperiness and whiteness. The discrepancy between the two things compared makes their similarity all the more striking.1.2 Metaphor: It is the use of a word which originally denotes one thing to refer to another with a similar quality. It is also a comparison, but the comparison is implied, not expressed with the word as or like. In sentences like " He is the soul of the team" and " Irrigation is the lifeblood of agriculture", soul and lifeblood are used mataphorically.1.3 Metonymy It is substituting the name of one thing for that of another with which it is closely associated. Thus the crown can stand for royalty, the White House for the American government, the bottle for wine, and the bar for the legal profession. When metonymy is well used, brevity and vividness may be achived:Sword and cross in hand, the European fell upon the America.When the war was over, he laid down the sword and took up the pen.His purse would not allow him that luxury.1.4 Synecdoche When a part is substituted for the whole or the whole is substituted for a part, synecdoche is applied:The farms were short of hands during the harvest season.He had earn his daily bread by doing odd job.The poor creature could no longer endure her sufferings.In the above sentences hands stands for men, bread for food or living expense, and creature for a woman.Metonymy and synedoche are similar as both involve substitution. Sometimes they can hardly be distinguished from metaphor, which in a way is also substitution.1.5 Irony It is the use of words which are clearly opposite to what is meant, in order to achieve a special effect. Suppose you plsnned an outing on a certain day, expecting it to be fine; but when the day came it was raining heavily. If you said,"What fine weather for outing!" you were speaking ironically. If a barbarous act was called civilized or cultural, irony was used.1.6 Personification It is to treat a thing or an idea as if it were human or had human qualities. In poetry personification is very common: Youth is hot and bold,Age is weak and cold,Youth is wild, and Age is tame.____William ShakespearIn these lines Youth and Age are described like two person.2 . My own way to distinguish the conception about figure of speechAccording to my learning experience of figure of speech, many classmates feels that distinguish the conception about "Metonymy", "Synecdoche" and " Metaphor" are quite difficult, as well as I am. But after I looking into these words, I find something interesting and I get my own way to remember them. The study fruit as follow:2.1 Metonymy Firstly we should know the conception of the word. It is means that substituting the name of one thing for that of another with which it is closely associated. Secondly, we should pronounce the word inChinese, it is sounds like mo tuo mi ni, means mini-motorcycle. The key is that mini is closely associated with motorcycle compare with car or other motor vehicle.So when I see the word metonymy I can associate with the conception .2.2 Synecdoche I use the same way as the first one to understand the word. Firstly, synecdoche means that a part is substituted for the whole or the whole is substituted for a part. In Chinese, we may pronounce it like xi ni duo che , xi ni stands for Sydney,the whole phrase means that in Sydney ,there are many many cars (the transport is terrible like in Beijing or Shanghai's), so think more further, it is also means that in cosmopolitan city ,as well as Sydney ,there are a lot of cars. In this place, Sydney is a part substituted such big and modernize city.2.3 Metaphor Actually, I have to admit that the motorbike helps me a lot. We can speak metaphor in Chinese as mo tuo fei, follow the concept of metaphor, it is comparison between two different kinds of substance,and it is used without as or like. So in the Chinese phase, motor and fly are two conception of matter, but when we driving a motorbike speedy we will feel like fly in the sky, at the same time, we should pay attention, I haven't use as or like in the phase.3. ConclusionTo conclusion, I remember these word using associating mode , it is main about using partial tone between English and Chinese.I find it is a powerful way to help us understand and remember these words. I pass the writing exam by use this method that all created by myself. So I write down then share with my classmates.All in all, I leaned a lot from rhetoric class including knowledge and ideation.参考书目:《英语写作手册》(A handbook of writing)《现代英语修辞学》(Modern English rhetoric)。