The Study Of Metaphors In Chinese Political Discourse: Based On The Report On The Work Of The Government

The theoretical framework of this thesis is the conceptual metaphor study in cognitive linguistics and the language theories in Critical Discourse Analyses. Language is the prime medium of practicing ideology and power, and has a great influence on society. Metaphorical language is more powerful in constructing ideologies.The thesis discusses functions of metaphors in Chinese political discourse, with the Report on the Work of the Government in 2005 as the data. It tries to explain the way and the function that metaphors are used in the political discourse. It focuses on the three dominant and prominent conceptual metaphors, namely the STATE IS A FAMILY, the STATE CONSTRUCTION IS A JOURNEY and the BUILDING metaphor.The paper concludes that the three conceptual metaphors serve favorable ideological functions, cultivate intimacy and spiritual encouragement, maintain social stability and social order, promote social progress, and unite the people's thoughts in the socialist modernization drive.