How Does Conceptual Metaphor Construct Textual Coherence In Science Fiction

Traditional studies on metaphor mainly focus on the lexical and syntactic levels and there is little research on conceptual metaphor from the textual level.With the re-recognition of the essence of conceptual metaphor,extensive studies on metaphor have been thriving.In recent years,although the application of metaphor in text has initially increased,there are few studies that apply Conceptual Metaphor Theory to analyze its textual function in a specific literary work,let alone in the the science fiction.Based on this research background,this thesis explores the role of conceptual metaphor in constructing textual coherence in science fiction,and "Folding Beijing" is a case of study.Firstly,metaphors are sorted out manually and their connotations are explored in Folding Beijing.Secondly,metaphors are classified based on systematicity of conceptual metaphor,aspects of a concept and overlapping entailments.Besides,this thesis analyzes metaphors according to Conceptual Metaphor Theory,and probes into the concrete methods of constructing textual coherence through conceptual metaphors.The findings of this study are as follows:firstly,conceptual metaphor is an indispensable means to construct textual coherence which can be achieved through its own characteristics.And it can achieve textual coherence by its interaction with other metaphors as well.Secondly,there are mainly two types of textual coherence.One is local coherence and the other is global coherence.For local coherence,conceptual metaphor can facilitate coherence construction by means of its systematictity,shared entailments and so forth.For global coherence,it refers to the role of conceptual metaphor in constructing the theme of the text,which is mainly constructed through the close connections between conceptual metaphors belonging to the same theme and sub-theme,so as to maintain overall coherence of the text.Thirdly,in the process of constructing textual coherence in science fiction,local metaphor constitutes and serves global metaphor.In the meanwhile,global metaphor dominates and determines local metaphor.They interrelate and interact with each other,playing a crucial role in the construction of textual coherence in science fiction.To conclude,Conceptual Metaphor Theory not only has a powerful explanatory power for textual coherence,but also provides a new perspective for the study of metaphors in science fiction.