A Study Of Multimodal Metaphor In The Animated Film Spirited Away From The Perspective Of Conceptual Blending Theory

Multimodal metaphor is a kind of metaphor presented in different modes.At present,many scholars have done a lot of research on multimodal metaphor in films,but few have done in-depth analysis of multimodal metaphor in Japanese animated films from the perspective of cognition.As is known to all,Japanese animated films have much influence in the world,and their development has distinctive national characteristics,which are worthy of attention and research.Therefore,this study selects the representative Japanese animated film Spirited Away as the research object.Based on conceptual blending theory and related linguistic theories,this study adopts the qualitative and quantitative research methods to analyze the 40 multimodal metaphors collected from three aspects: types and characteristics,metaphorical themes and meaning construction.Specifically,this paper focuses on the following questions:(1)What are the blending networks of the multimodal metaphors in Spirited Away,and what are the characteristics of their mode configuration patterns?(2)What metaphorical themes are expressed by these multimodal metaphors? How are these metaphorical themes expressed in different mapping types?(3)How are the meanings of the multimodal metaphors constructed in Spirited Away?The findings are as follows:(1)The multimodal metaphors in Spirited Away are classified into four blending networks: simplex network,mirror network,single-scope network and double-scope network,with the proportions of 5%,22.5%,52.5% and 20%respectively.It can be seen that the multimodal metaphors in the film are creative and complicated.Picture mode in the film is the main mode in the presentation of the multimodal metaphors and realization of the metaphorical meanings,and language and sound modes are the secondary modes.(2)Four major metaphorical themes are expressed by the multimodal metaphors: growth,man and nature,man and society,and labor.Different mapping types show that the picture mode in the film is used to create virtual characters and scenes,the language mode further supplements the picture mode,and the sound mode creates the scene atmosphere and characters’ emotions.These three modes work together to present the metaphorical themes of the film.(3)The meaning construction mechanisms of the multimodal metaphors in the film are four blending networks formed by the interaction of various mental spaces.This study broadens the research scope of cognitive linguistics,provides a case reference for multimodal metaphor research,verifies the feasibility to analyze multimodal metaphor in films from the perspective of conceptual blending theory,and also provides a new angle for audiences to appreciate the film,which has certain theoretical reference value and practical significance...