英语修辞手法总结

1、【精品文档】如有侵权，请联系网站删除，仅供学习与交流英语修辞手法总结.精品文档.chapter seven figures of speech(I) 修辞手法resemblance (or relationship)（相似）I.simile: 明喻1.difinition: A simile is a figure of speech in which two quite different things are compared because they appear to be similar in at least one characteristic. Simile is introd

2、uced by “like” or “as”for example: 1). Beauty is as summer fruits, which are easy to corrupt .(Francis Bacon)2). I know it helped put me at ease when I felt like the new kid at school at my first ecomonic summit in Ottawa in 1981 (Ronal Reagan)3). New China is like a red sun rising in the east. ( Ed

3、gar Snow)4). It is with words as with sunbeams-the more they are condensed, the deeper they burn. 阳光 浓缩5). She spoke hurriedly, as if her heart had leaped into her throat at the boys words.(Thomas Hardy)In a simile there is uaually at least one similarity between the two things compared. But sometim

4、es, the similarity may not be mentined, this kind of simile is called OPEN SIMILE.eg, The man is like a pig. But we can see another way of simile. The similarities are shown directly and specifically. This simile is called CLOSED SIMILE.eg. The man is as fast as a pig.2. function : simile owns a gre

5、at effect on rhetorical functions, especially when it is used to describe or illustrated more vivid and some sophisticated theoretical ideas easier to understand. For example:1) Mother was short and plump and pretty. Her eyes were blue, and her brown hair was like a birds smooth wings.2) The mothers

6、 stayed back in the kitchen washing and drying, putting things away, recrossing their traceless footsteps like the life time journeys of bees, measuring out the dry cocoa for breakfast3) He was ten feet long, thin as a curve, a muscled ribbon, brown as fruit-wood,soft-furred, alert. His face was fie

7、rce, small and pointed as a lizards; he would have made a good arrowhead. There was just a dot of chin, maybe two brown hairss width, and that the pure white fur began that spread down his underside. He had two black eyes I didnt see any more than you see a widow. ( Annie Dillards weasel)4) Habit ma

8、y be likenned to a cable;every day we weave a thread, and soon we cannot break it.5) Rise like lions after slumber 像雄师般奋起反抗In unvanquishable number- - 亿万成群不可挡-Shake your chains to earth like dew 睡梦中锁链套身上-Which in sleep had fallen on you- 摔掉它，化为灰烬You are many-they are few. 他们一小撮，你们千万人 （Percy Bysshy S

9、helley）6) The man who has not anything to boast of, but his illustrious ancestors, is like a potato-the only good belonging to him is under ground. (Overbury) (一个人如果只有以他的功勋卓著的先祖为自豪，而再没有什么可以值得自夸的话，那他就像个土豆，因为他唯一的好处只能是深埋于泥土中。)II. Metaphor 暗喻，隐喻1. definition: Metaphor is a figure of speech in which one

10、thing is described in terms of another . Metaphor is the basic figure in poetry. In a metaphor , a comparison is usually implicit, whereas in a simile it is explicit. So a metaphor is also referred to as a compressed or condensed simile.2.division: 2.1 visible metaphor: It is a metaphor in which bot

11、h the primary term(tenor) and the secondary term(vehicle)manifest themselves in the context. The typical acknowledging word is to be For example: Police work on inner-city street is a domestic Vietnam, a dangerous no-win struggle fought by confused, misdirected and unappreciated troops.2.2 invisible

12、 metaphor: It is a metaphor in which the vehicle does not manifest itself directly and completely, but reveals itself indirectly by certain verbs OR a metaphor in which the tenor does not manifest itself directly, but is represented by the vehicle so as to leave some room for the readers imagination

13、 .For example: 1)In foreign policy, flying solo can be risky business.(Douglas Stanglin)2)Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested(Francis Bacon)3) The spring, the head, the fountain of your bloodIs stopped; the very source of it is stopped. (Macbet

14、h)4) without showing sufficient presence of mind even to throw off his great-coat, he leaped into the boiling caldron. (The Return of the Nature) 5) He was one of a class rapidly becoming extinct in Wessex, filling at prsent in the rural would the place which during the last century, they do occupie

15、d in the world of animals.( The Return)3.derivative metaphors : 3.1 sustained metaphor: two or more vehicles are employed to describe the same tenorEg. Beauty is but a vain and doubtful good;A shining gloss that faded suddenly;A flower that dies when first it begins to bud;A brittle glass thats brok

16、en presently3.2 extended metapor: initial comparison is made and then developed so as to expand the author s ideasEg. All the worlds stage,And all the men and women merely players:They have their exits and their entrances;And one man in his time plays many parts3.3 dead metaphor: used often and beco

17、me standarized as a way of referrying something, it has become lifeless and lost its figurative strength.Eg, as light as a feather, the river of time, as cunning as a fox, the mountain of work, as poor as a church mouse,a wave of enthusiasm, to spend money like water, a ripple of existent, She is a

18、peacock. the hand of God, the silver moon, the eye of the storm, to come to the point , river head, at arms length , the mouth of a river, beat about the bush, the heart of the matter, top dogIII. analogy 类比，比拟An analogy compares two things in not only one similarities, but also as many similarities

19、 as possible and then develop them so as to make the comaprison more outstanding and effective.For example: Like a callus on the foot in a shoe thats too tight sooner or later, if you dont take the shoe off, a callus will form on the foot and begin to wear out the shoe. It is the same with the Negro

20、 in America and now a callus has formed on his soul, and unless that system is adjusted to fit him, too, that callus is going to wear out that system. IV. allusion 引喻 some person or event either historical or fictional, that has dramatic and vivid connotation and is often used in speech and writing.

21、 English allusions are mostly resulted from mythologie, legends, fables, fairy tales, the Bible, famour literature works, historical figures or events.Eg.Utopia, phoenix, Cinderella, Shylock, Homer, to cry wolf, the apple of discord,open sesame, ugly duckling, a sphinx riddle, to meet ones Waterloo,

22、 to pull a Pearl Harbour on somebody,1.Romeo: Well, in that hit you miss; well not be hit with Cupids arrow-she has Dianas wit.2.Kangaroo Island.you can escape from the rush of life and become a modern day Crusoe.(an ad)3.Highly infectuous, this wolf in sheeps clothing can be tamed but not eradicate

23、d.V. Antonomasia 借代，换称It has to do with substitution. It has two forms . one is epithet, or the name of an office or designation is substituted for a proper name. eg. The Bard for Shakespeare, the Pontiff for the Pope . Another one is that a proper name is made to stand for an idea or characteristic

24、 associated with the name. eg. Solomon for a wise man, Judas for a traitor, Daniel for a wise and fair judge, Hercules for a strong and brave man, Hitler for a tyrant, the Rubicon for an irrevocable step, pandemonium for turbulent disorder or lawless confusion, the little Corporal for Nopoleon , (Ki

25、ng )Lear: Now, our joy,Although our last , not least; to whose young loveThe vines of France, and milk of Burgundy,Strive to be interessd (The vines of France for the King of France and milk of Burgundy for the Duke of Burgundy)VI. metonymy借代，换喻 it has to do with the substitution of the name of one

26、thing for that of another. This substituted name maybe anattribute of that other thing or be closely associated with it. In other words, it involves a “change of name”.the substituted name suggesting the thing meant.Eg. Uncke Sam for USA, Fleet Street for British Press, the Pentagon for the US Dfens

27、e Department, Foggy Bottom for US State Department, Hollywood for American film-making industry, 10 Downing Street for the residence and office of the British Prime Minister, Ivan for Russian people ,Have you read any Shakespeare?I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat.(Winston Chur

28、chill)Each of the following sentences contains metonymy.Underline the words or phrase used metonymically explain it in your own words.1.What is leant in the cradle is carried to the grade.2.Give every man your ear, but few your voice.3.These foreign exports are every interested in old China.4.The li

29、ttle girl has a nice-looking pigtail.5.Many people like rosy cheeks.6.The tourists wre exhausted and took a rest under the shade.7.When the war was over, he laid down the sword and took up the pen.8.His purse would not allow him to live a luxurious life.9.Uncle Sam and John Bull are two developed co

30、untries.10.The Wall Street definitely has more say in their policy making.VII.synechdoche提喻：a word literally denotinga part is used to stand for thewhole, or a specific word is used to stand for and abstract one or vice verse.Eg. 1.He could hardly earn his everyday bread.2.Great minds think alike. 3

31、.The authorities were greeted.4.He has a smooth tongue. 5.Bell, book and candke shall not drive me back(Shakespeare King John)VIII.Personification拟人Eg. 1.Save that from yonder ivy-mantled tower 只有，那边裹着长春藤的塔上The moping owl does to the moon complain 郁郁不乐的鸱枭向月亮哀告Of such, as wandering near her secret bo

32、wer 有谁在她隐秘的闺房边闲逛Molest her ancient solitary reign. 把她古老而偏僻的领地骚扰 （黄杲忻 Thomas Gray: Elegy Written in A Country Church-yard2. besides, the Kettle was aggravating and abstinate it wounknt hear of accomodating itself kindly the knobs of coal; it would lean forward with a drunken air, and dribble, a very

33、idiot of a kettle. 3.The traffic crawled like a wounded snake.4. .and presently a monstrous pumkin-like moon arose on the other hand. (T. Hardy)5. A dead man, he said, was nomire than a dead fish.Chapter eight figures of speech (II)Emphasis and Understatement(强调与低调陈述)Emphasis I. Inversion 倒装Eg.1. Li

34、ttle does he know how much suffering he has caused.Equally strange was his behavior to his son.Most true is it that “beauty is in the eyes of the gazer.”-Jane Eyer2. Treat was the labor; priceless the road.-David CopperfieldII. climax 阶升： the arrangement of a series of ideas which go from the least

35、important with steady strengthening of emotion and tone.Eg. 1. It is an outrage to bind a Roman citizen; to scourge him is a crime; to put him to death is almost parricide.2. Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested.3. The energy, the faith, the dev

36、otion which we bring to this endeavor will light our country and all who serve it, and the glow from that fire can truly light the would John F Kennedy Inaugural AddressII. Anticlimax 突降 the opposite of climaxEg. (King Arthur) whence flow those Tears fast down thy blubberd cheeks, Like swollen Gutte

37、r, gushing through the streets?2. I am told several pickpockets are here. Let them remember that the eye of God is on them, and also that there are a number of policemen in the house.3. It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune , must be in want of a w

38、ife.IV. contrast 反衬 ： to set in opposition (two objects of like nature, or one with, rarely to, another) in order to show strikingly their different qualities or characteristics and compare their superiorities or defects.Eg. 1. Rose have thorns, and silver fountains mud;Clouds and eclipses stain bot

39、h moon and sun,And loathsome canker lives in sweetest bud.All men make faults William Shakespeare : sonnet352.Thy beauty shall no more be found; Nor in thy marble Vault, shall soundMy echoing Song; then worms shall tryThat long preservd Virginity:And your quaint Honour turn to dust;And into ashes al

40、l my Lust.The Graves fine and private place,But none I think do there embrace. Andrew Marvell: To His Coy MistressV. Hyperbole (exaggeration)夸张： deliberately exaggerates the truth . its usually employed by use of numerals, adjectives, adverbs ,prepositional phrases, by maximizing /minimizing the mea

41、ning of words, by converting negative words into positive ones, by being used together with other figures. The employment of hyperbole is based on the need of the content of a discourse and should be congruous in tone with the context.Eg. 1. Hamlet: I loved Ophelia: forty thousand brothers could not

42、, withal their quantity of live, make up my sum.2. For her, there was no one but Bart, and Bart was the worldWaves high as mountains broke over the reef.It is a crime to stay inside on such a beautiful day.Here was wealth beyond computation, almost beyond imagination. H.L.Mencken3. For she was beaut

43、iful -her beauty make the bright would dim, and everything beside seemed like the fleeting image of a shade. P.B.Shelley4. But I had no need to be venturous ; for I had no want of food, and of that which was very good too; especially these three sorts, Viz, goats, pigeons, and turtle or tortoise; wh

44、ich added to my grapes, Leaden hall Market could not have furnished an table than I , in proportion to the company Robinson Crusoe5. To persons of limited spheres, miles are as geographical degrees, parishes as counties, counties as provinces and kingdoms. -T. Hardy: Tess of the DUrbervilles6. Hotsp

45、ur: I do not care: Ill give thrice so much land To any well-deserving friend;But in the way of bargain, mark ye meIll cavil on the ninth part of a hair. -Henry IV7. If his wit be not apt to distinguish or find differences, let him study the schoolmen; for they are cymene sectors. -F. Bacon: Of Studi

46、esVI. Irony 反语: the meaning literally expressed is the opposite of the meaning intended and which aims at ridicule, humour or sarcasm. Sometimes irony used to show peoples intimate feelings, but inmost cases it is used to criticize or expose bad and ugly things. In certain context, it can hold the r

47、eaders attention and deepen his impression.Eg. 1.This hard-working boy seldom reads more than an hour per week.2.Robbing a widow of her savings was certainly a noble act. (one word form an Irony is called Antiphrasis)3. Water, water, everywhere,And all the boards did shrink; Water, water, everywhere

48、,Not any drop to drink. -S.Coleridge :The Rime of the Ancient Mariner VII. Innuendo 暗讽： oblique hint, allusive remark. It is a figure of speech in which moderate and allusive words and tone are used to make comments or pass criticisms upon things. So it is often referred to as “mild satire”.Eg. 1. T

49、he weatherman said it would be warm. He must take his readings in a bathroom.2. He is a man who is most dependable when you are not in need.3.Europe is a curious place. It boasts it had a “common market”, but it is unable to sort out its agriculture mess, and when the marketers gather as they did re

50、cently in Athens, they find they have nothing in common.4. The principal difference between a cat and a lie is that a cat had only nine lives. Mark TwainUnderstatementI. Litotes(Meiosis)含蓄悖反，曲言法： to express the meaning indirectly Eg. 1. It wasnt easy. 2. Then the Gestapo caught me and interrogated m

51、e, it wasnt frightfully amusing.3. Her mind was less difficult to develop.-Pride and Prejudice4.It is not very unwise in us to go on spending the little money weve got when I can keep down expenditure by an honest occupation.-The Return of the Nature5. Last week I saw a woman flayed, and you will ha

52、rdly believe how much it altered her person for the worse. A Tale of a Tub6. Lear: And my poor fool is hangd! No, no, no life! Why should a dog, a horse, a rat, have life, And thou so breath at all?Thoult come no more. Never, never, never, never, never! II.Oxymoron 矛盾修饰法，精警 a figure of speech in whi

53、ch apparently contradictory terms are combined to produce an epigrammatic effect. Its a kind of flexible employment of antonyms or quasi-antonyms. When contradictory terms are used together, they can reveal the relationship between two things which are opposite or quasi-opposite to each other in mea

54、ning. The rhetorical function of oxymoron: 1.For sharp contrast eg. 1) No light, but rather darkness visible. (John Milton Paradise Lost ) 2) Four months or so of torturing ecstasy in his society( Tess of the dUrbervilles)3) There was an audible stillness, in which the common voice sounded strange.2

55、. for humor or satire:Eg. 1) for what says Qinnapalus? Better a witty fool than a foolish wit!(Twelfth Night)2) Leonato: You will never run mad, niece.Beatrice: No, not till a hot January. (Much Ado about Nothing)3) O Hero But fare thee well, most foul, most fair! Farewell,Thou pure impiety and impi

56、ous purity.( Much Ado about Nothing)4) of this festive composition each boy had one porringer, and no more. (Oliver Twist)5) I like a smuggler. He is the only honest thief.3. for describing the surroundings or atmosphere:Eg. 1) He sat there and watched them, so changeless changing, so bright and dar

57、k, so grave and gay.2) Why, then. O brawling love! O loving hate. (Romeo and Juliet)General forms of oxymoron: Adj + n. or n.+ adj. eg. genial scorna.+ a. eg. resolute and restrainedn.+n. eg. a love-hate relationshipadv. +adj. eg. falsely truev.+adv. eg. so changelessly changingv.+ adj. eg. live deadphrases: day in night, the silence like a rolling