A Cognitive Approach To Metaphors And Metonymies In The Analects

This is a study of metaphors and metonymies in The Analects carried out within the framework of cognitive linguistics. It is assumed that metaphors and metonymies are to a large extent culture-specific because the domains of experience are not necessarily the same in all cultures; that by investigating the conceptual metaphors rooted in a certain culture we can find out the conceptual system underlying the culture and understand the essence of the culture.This study has the following two objectives: (1) to excavate the conceptual metaphors and metonymies in The Analects, not only by analyzing superficial figurative expressions in the work but also by pondering over the ideology in it; (2) to probe into the impact of Confucius'ideology on Chinese culture and philosophy in metaphorical perspective.As for research methodology, the study utilizes the natural and authentic texts in The Analects, classifying the metaphors and metonymies into several types and uncovering the underlying conceptual ones. Since the examples chosen are of Chinese version, English translation is provided based on some authoritative translations of The Analects.The findings of the research are as follows: (1) There are five major conceptual metaphors in The Analects: AN IDEAL SOCIETY IS A HARMONIOUS FAMILY; LEARNING THE TRUTH IS WALKING ON A WAY; PEOPLE AREPLANTS/ANIMALS/INANIMATE OBJECTS; SHANG/XIA Metaphors and ABSTRACT CONCEPTS ARE CONCRETE OBJECTS. From these we can see that Confucius emphasizes a harmonious society– not only the harmony among human...