ResearchProposal.doc

山西师范大学研究生 心理语言学 课程考试试题（卷） 2011 2012 学年第 2 学期平时成绩考试成绩课程总成绩院 （所）： 外国语学院 专 业：外国语言学及应用语言学 年 级： 2011级 _学 号： 211107020 姓 名：李师师 _- How to Comprehend the Metaphors in Classical Chinese Poetry Based on Pragmatic Theory. Introduction Figurative language shows very important role in our everyday language usage. Figurative language is language that means one thing literally but is taken to mean something different. It is ubiquitous aspect of language. Cacciari and Glucksberg (1994) note, “figurative language is no longer perceived as merely an ornament added to everyday, straightforward literal language, but is instead viewed as a powerful communicative and conceptual tool” Recent years some researchers have pay more attention to this aspect. This research is based on the pragmatic theory. The research is focused on the metaphor in poetry only. This research aims that to show the Chinese how to comprehend the metaphor in Chinese poetry then how to translate it to English. In recent years, psycholinguists have studied in the figurative language in any details. . Literature review Recent years many researchers have focused on the comprehension of figurative language. Many researchers in abroad focus on the one type figurative language then do some research. They pay attention to the processes of figurative comprehension. The definition of the figurative language is to translate something abstract or unfamiliar into something concrete or familiar. The function of figurative language is that allows reader to visualize what is otherwise obscure. There are many types of figurative language such as metaphor, idiom, metonymy, proverb and indirect speech act. Researchers use different theory to explain and analysis the processes of figurative comprehension. Most psycholinguists focus on indirect speech acts and metaphor. Before introducing the research, we give the some basic terms and definitions which the research will be used. Austin (1962) defined some terms of speech acts. He defined three types of speech acts. Locutionary act: the act of saying something. Illocutionary act: the action performed by saying the sentence.Perlocutionary effect: effect of the utterance on the listener. Metaphor is the commonest of all figures of speech. It is another figure that is based on the resemblance of one thing to another. It is similar to a simile in that it is made between two things that are essentially unlike but are alike in a certain respect. It differs from simile in that the comparison is implied or indirect instead of being formally expressed as in simile. Most researchers do research in indirect speech acts based on the conventions. In theory of indirect speech acts, Grice (1975) identified four conventions (which he calls “maxims”) governing conversations. Grice holds that we strive to be informative, clear, relevant, and truthful. Based on the Grice theory, this study will show the processes of figurative language comprehension. Also Grice theory is a base of pragmatic theory. However, there are many models or approaches to examine the processes of figurative comprehension. Conceptual metaphor theory is advanced by Lakoff and Johnson (Lakoff & Johnson, 1980; Lakoff, 1987). According to this theory, many researchers do some research on the metaphor. They hold that we use metaphors to make sense of our experience. Gibbs shows that when we encounter a verbal metaphor it automatically activates the corresponding conceptual metaphor. For the comprehension of metaphors, Glucksberg design a model that states that metaphors are class inclusion statements. According to Glucksberg, we understand metaphors much the way we understand literal speechby retrieving information from the lexicon, selecting the part that is germane, and identifying a relationship between the lexical representations that have been retrieved. The foreign researchers pay attention to find out different models to show the processes of comprehension of figurative language, Chinese researchers pay attention to the diversity of the two languages, the different understanding of figurative language comprehension. Through the research, they can give some suggestions for translation and language learning. This study focuses on comprehension the figurative language. This research based on the pragmatic theory; the research mainly focuses on the comprehension of the metaphor in Chinese classical poetry and how to translate it into the target language. . Research methodology research questions The research will aim at demonstrating how to comprehend the metaphor using pragmatic theory using Chinese classical poetry as an example. The research wants to examine the pragmatic theory of figurative language comprehension. Honeck presents a similar view (Honeck, 1997; Honeck & Temple, 1994) for understanding of figurative language: they identify the literal meaning, recognize that it does not satisfy the communicative context, and then use the literal meaning and inferences to arrive at the figurative meaning. From the theory, we can notice that the analysis is based on the literal meaning; then turned to the figurative meaning. There is one implication - if the literal meaning is acceptable, we should not comprehend the figurative meaning. Chinese and English are two kind of totally different language. Chinese is a language of parataxis; English is a language of hypotaxis. So as a non-native speaker, we comprehend the metaphor always in a Chinese viewpoint. So the research aims to let the learners can comprehend the metaphor in a proper way. . Research participants There are two main subjects of this research. First, the researcher will choose ten famous poems and their translations. Through the analysis, we can find whether the translators can correctly comprehend and translate the meaning of the metaphor or not. When they face the problem, they will choose what translation strategies to avoid the misunderstandings of the meaning of the metaphor. Second, the researcher will choose a class of English major sophomores to do some poetry translation. The researcher will choose the same poems to let the students do the translations. Then collect the material and analysis them. The researcher will make a comparison between the two participants. . Research instruments This part will introduce the details of the research. In Chinese classical poems, most lines of poems have many imagoes. The metaphor is a good way for poet to perform the imagoes. The research is will choose some famous poems in Tang Dynasty. Now show the list of the poems: 1.杜甫 旅夜书怀 飘飘何所似，天地一沙鸥。“What am I like who am everywhere wandering? A gull between heaven and earth hovering”-“Nocturnal Reflections White Traveling” 2. 贺知章 咏柳 碧玉妆成一树高,万条垂下绿丝绦。“Emerald fashioned into a tall tree. Hung with myriad silk braids of green”-“The Willow” 3. 王之涣 凉州词羌笛何须怨杨柳，春风不度玉门关 “Why should the Mongol flute complain no willows grow? Beyond the Jade Gate Pass vernal wind will never blow” (tr. XuYuanchong) 4. 杜甫 月夜香雾云鬓湿， 清辉玉臂寒。“Your balmy, cloudy curls the misty air bedews; your fair, smooth arms are chilled in silver hues”-“The Moonlit Night” 5. 白居易 长恨歌回眸一笑百媚生， 六宫粉黛无颜色。“Turning her head, she smiled so sweet and full of grace, That she outshone in six palaces the fairest face”-“The Everlasting Regret” 6. 王昌龄 芙蓉楼送辛渐 洛阳亲友如相问， 一片冰心在玉壶。 “In Luoyang should my folks and friends ask after me, Tell them a hearts in jade pot, pure as it can be”-“A Farewell to Xin Jian at FuRon Tower” 7. 杜甫 春望烽火连三月，家书抵万金“The raging flames of war for three months on end hold, A news from home now values more than any amount in gold” - “A Spring Sight”(tr. 刘军平) 8. 李商隐 夜雨寄北何当共剪西窗烛，却话巴山夜雨时。“When by our window can we trim the wicks again, And talk about this endless, dreary night or rain?”(tr. 许渊冲) 9. 王昌龄 出塞 但使龙城飞将在，不教胡马度阴山。 “If we had more intrepid generals like LiGuang, Towards Yin Mountain the northern tribes would not move in on”-“Off the Fortress” (tr.刘军平) 10. 柳宗元 江雪千山鸟飞绝，万径人踪灭。“From hill to hill no bird in flight, from path no man in sight”- (tr. 许渊冲)Through these ten poems, the researcher will analysis the metaphor in the lines. Try to examine the pragmatic theory of metaphor comprehension. The researcher also collects the students translations of the ten poems. There are many problems about the comprehension of metaphor. . Research result Through the analysis, the researc