Interpersonal Function Of Conceptual Metaphors From The Perspective Of Appraisal System

With the development of cognitive linguistics recent years, Lakoff and Johnson (1980) propose that metaphors not only exist in our languages, but also in the thought and actions that we live by. Conceptual metaphors (CMs) are employed abundantly in American president speeches since they can effectively deliver addresser's thoughts and standpoints as cognitive means. The main interpersonal function of CMs in political speeches is to concrete abstract emotions and attitudes and persuades audiences to accept addresser's standpoints, thus achieve resonance. The Appraisal System Theory (Martin,2008) as an important analysis method of interpersonal meaning mainly studies the relationship between addresser and audiences, the delivery of interpersonal meaning and the influence of addresser on the audiences. Current studies concerning interpersonal function of CMs are mostly confined within systemic functional grammar framework; however there are relatively fewer researches from the perspective of appraisal system.The paper applies appraisal system theory to the study on interpersonal function of CMs in Obama's 2008 presidential campaign speeches (Obama's Speeches). It begins with the collection of 871 metaphorical expressions from 20 speeches. Secondly 10 types of CMs are generalized. Then the interpersonal function of CMs is analyzed in terms of Attitude Resources and Graduation Resources in the light of appraisal system put forward by Martin in 1990s so as to understand the way Obama uses CMs to deliver his political attitudes, interact with the audiences and win their supports.The paper reaches the following conclusions:1) CMs play roles in leading and influencing audiences'opinions in Obama-audiences interaction mainly because CMs concrete addresser's attitudes in the process of projecting people's attitudes from source domain onto the target domain, furthermore, the partial nature helps to highlight the desired characteristics, thus to achieve alignment with the audiences; 2) Obama adopts three positive attitudinal resources to promote his political standpoints and persuades the audiences to consolidate the Addresser-audience Interaction, among which CMs function as affect resources to concrete and simplify abstract emotions, facilitating the communication with the audiences, then as judgment resources to make the assessment preferable to the addresser to win audiences'approval, obtaining more supports, and finally as appreciation resources to highlight the desired characteristics and shared values and filter other needless aspects, stimulating the resonance with the audiences; 3) Obama uses positive graduation resources to strengthen the intensity of his positive attitudes and negative graduation resources to debase the capability of competitors, reinforcing the alignment with the audiences.The research applies appraisal system theory to the study on interpersonal function of CMs. On the one hand, the research expands the application scope of appraisal system; on the other hand, it is a creative trial to explore a deeper connotation of CMs. Moreover, it helps better understand Obama's political point view and public speaking skills. Pedagogically this research provides additional reference material for teaching American culture and the English language.