| Metaphor, a hot topic in recent years, has been studied by scholars from various perspectives. Yet, because of the complexity of metaphor and the limitations of researches, the development of metaphor theory has not been successful. With the emergence of cognitive linguistics the research on metaphor has made a substantial progress.Based on experientialism, cognitive linguistics regards metaphor as a cognitive as well as a linguistic phenomenon. On one hand, the experiential basis of metaphor and the similar structures of human brain and body make it possible to understand metaphors in different languages; on the other, metaphor interpretation is culture-specific.The present study is to contribute to the contemporary theory of metaphor understanding by placing English and Chinese metaphor in a broader cross-cultural context. The thesis expounds on this topic in five parts. Chapter one is a brief introduction to the topic, through which the necessity and significance of the present study emerge. In Chapter Two, the author first provides an overview of metaphor studies, in which both the development and deficiency of metaphor understanding theories are discussed, and then, introduces in detail the conceptual metaphor theory proposed by Lakoff and Johnson, which paves the way for later discussions. Chapter Three and Chapter Four investigate the convergence and divergence of English and Chinese metaphors and explore the psychological, physiological and cultural reasons behind such phenomena. The Conclusion Chapter points out the implications and limitations of the present research. |
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