A Comparison Between Some Frequently Used Figures Of Speech In English And Chinese

Figures of speech, an indispensable branch in rhetoric, are language forms that are typically regarded as methods to achieve special effects that transcend the literal meaning in specific language contexts, or in other words, figures of speech are the departure from the linguistic "norms" of everyday language in some way. Therefore, words can be used in context to form meanings other than their literal definition.English and Chinese belong to different language families, and great disparity exists in word formation, sentence structure, and word order. However, most of the commonly used figures of speech in English can find the same or similar devices in Chinese. Even if the classification or definition of some figures of speech seems to differ greatly in English and Chinese, the essence will not change that the two languages share the same or similar rhetoric.In spite of the superficial similarities, different cultural backgrounds and social customs and habits affect one's use of rhetorical techniques, so it is necessary to be aware of the difference of rhetorical operation in English and Chinese. It is not unusual to see different figures of speech selected for expressing the same notion in the two languages. So some figures of speech, though identical in essence, will definitely have some differences in structure and usage.Considering the rhetorical similarities and the distinctions in English and Chinese, it is necessary to conduct a comparative or contrastive study in order to gain a deeper insight into the subject.My thesis comprises three chapters, with an introduction outlining the development of rhetoric in the West and in China, hi the introductory remarks, the major features of present-day rhetoric have been discussed, and the following section lays the groundwork for the subsequent study by means of a brief introduction of the relevant concepts, definitions and development of figures of speech.The first chapter is a comparison between metaphors in English and Chinese, which elaborates on the definition as well as usage in both languages. In addition, examples both in English and Chinese are furnished to find out the differences and similarities, thus the respective characteristics of metaphors in the two languages are clearly demonstrated.The comparison in euphemism is discussed at considerable length in the second chapter. With the support of relevant theories, I use examples both in English and Chinese to illustrate the important notions pertaing to the research on euphemism.The third chapter draws attention to two figures of speech: hyperbole and litotes. I hope to find differences and similarities in these rhetorical devices. Many examples are cited in this chapter todemonstrate the great similarities found in the comparison in hyperbole and litotes.An adequate knowledge of rhetorical devices in English and Chinese will help deepen the understanding of their respective features. Moreover, this knowledge can be of great help in translation practice and the rendering can be made accurately and vividly to readers. The study of figures of speech plays an important part in rhetorical research, and consequently, we can hope that the analysis of specific figures of speech will form a deep and concrete impression on the readers.Tang Xiaochun (Foreign Linguistics and Applied Linguistics)Directed by Professor Zheng Linxin...