| This dissertation attempts to propose an analysis of the embodied and metaphorical senses of front/back orientation in the domains of space and time. The experiential grounding and working mechanisms behind the understanding and using of front/back orientation in Chinese and English would be touched upon to throw light on the universal metaphorical thinking of human beings. Front/back orientation arises from human beings' bodily experience of space, which leads to a corresponding image schema. Such understanding is projected onto the understanding of front/back orientation in a general spatial sense, i.e. not confined to human body. Many other physical and mental entities are endowed with front/back orientation to better interpretation their spatial locations and . motions. Furthermore, such spatial senses of front/back orientation are projected onto the domain of time, in which its spatial implications of its temporal features would be given a comparatively thorough analysis. All the corresponding analyses would be approached in terms of trajector/landmark gestalt, which could make them more concrete and vivid to understand.This dissertation is composed of five chapters.Chapter One serves as an overview of this dissertation, which presents to readers... |
