| Metaphor is traditionally recognized as a rhetoric device, an ornament of language. However, this theory is far from the essence of metaphor. "Conceptual Metaphor" first raised by Lakoff and Johnson (1980) studies metaphor from the cognitive perspective. According to this theory, metaphor is a thinking method and is a cognitive in nature, which is playing an important role in people's daily life. Many basic conceptual systems and ways of thinking which humans depend on are metaphorical in nature.In this thesis,a comparative analysis is conducted between English and Chinese metaphors from the cognitive perspective, focusing particularly on the cognitive nature and working mechanism of metaphor and its cognitive functions. We will first prove that abstract thinking is realized by means of metaphor in English as well as in other languages, thus proving the pervasiveness of metaphor and the existence of conceptual metaphor. On the other hand, because language can not be independent of social and cultural environment, we can assume that there should be some differences in different language systems.On the basis of other previous scholars' research findings, this thesis attempts to make a comparative study of metaphorical expressions in English and Chinese based on the cognitive linguistic theory, embodied philosophy and mapping theory. A large number of human body metaphors closely related to our daily life are cited, expecting to find out the similarities and differences between these two languages. Finally, the significance of the research is explored, focusing on its application to foreign language vocabulary teaching and thus improving the students'communicative competence by realizing the cultural factors in languages.
|
PDF Full Text Request