Metaphor,a potent rhetorical work of art,has demonstrated amazing tenacity in transcending times and influencing cultures.This unique unit of discourse has been the possession of almost all cultures utilized for multipurposes and goals.A vast amount of material has been written on metaphors,their use in literature and what they reveal.Due to its persuasive function,metaphors in political discourse have been in years the scholarly attention and explored fully.Studies are largely focused on influential speeches delivered by Presidents or political figures,while few works have entered into the arena of news discourse in light of their rhetorical function and influential force.Thus,it is author’s assumption that the present study of metaphor,via political news discourse and with a new approach,would be a rewarding practice from both pragmatic and cognitive perspectives.This thesis,on the theoretical basis of conceptual metaphor and under the guidance of Critical Metaphor Analysis,chooses relevant news reports from China Daily,New York Times and Philippine Daily Inquiry to conduct a comparative study on the differences and similarities among metaphor uses in the three newspapers and further explore the social factors behind them.Through quantitative and qualitative analysis,the following findings are achieved.In the three newspapers,a wide range of metaphors are employed with dispute,war,journey and building metaphors being the dominant ones.And there are also other types of metaphors like family,partner,circle,plant,religion,etc.Besides,the comparative analysis suggests that the similarities lie in the fact that each of the four dominant metaphors used in the three newspapers are structured on the same conceptual metaphor respectively while the differences exist in the internal details of each conceptual metaphor.And the reasons contributing to these similarities and differences are rooted in each country’s unique social factors including history,ideology and religion,etc.It is the author’s hope that the exploration of metaphor in political news discourse under CMA frame exhibits two new aspects—the more comprehensive analytical approach,i.e.CMA and a more comprehensive comparative study based on political news reports.It is also hoped that this research could provide new and more effective ways to a better understanding and appreciation of linguistic power revealed in the words and expressions and serve as a framework for later studies. |