1、FIGURES OF SPEECHAn expression of language by which the usual or literal meaning of a word is not employed1.Simile&metaphor p Simile is a figure of speech which makes a comparison between two unlike elements having at least one quality or characteristic in common.The comparison is purely imaginative
2、,that is,the resemblance between the two unlike things in that one particular aspect exists only in our minds,in our inward eye and not in the nature of the things themselves.p A metaphor,like a simile,also makes a comparison between two unlike elements,but unlike a simile,this comparison is implied
3、 rather than stated.Like,asMoney is a lens in a camera.And then the whining schoolboy,with his satchel and shining morning face,creeping like snail unwillingly to school.(Shakespeare)Records fell like ripe apples on a windy day.Her lips were red,her looks were free,Her locks were yellow as gold.Her
4、skin was white as leprosy,The Nightmare Life-in-Death was she,Who thicks mans blood with cold.她的唇色鲜红，她的表情不羁。她的枷锁黄如金。她的皮肤白如麻风。梦魇般的死中生命是她的存在，用冰冷浓稠了的血液。The hallway was zebra-striped with darkness and moonlight.All the worlds a stage,And all the men and women merely players;He has one over the eight.Met
5、aphor a)freshness and originality b)aptness c)consistency He was a lion in the battle.The ship of state is on the rocks.He fought bravely.The nation is in danger.To stick to good plain English if we cannot think up fresh and original comparison.Her beautiful long hair was pitch-black.A metaphor is a
6、pt and appropriate if the comparison implied heightens effect or enhances the subject.The seeds of rebellion were kindled in secret.When we are using two or more metaphors to illustrate the same subject,consistency in metaphors becomes relevant and important.The flames of rebellion were kindled in s
7、ecret.I skim over the book to taste the tone of it.At last he felt a ray of hope.And so,anticipating no literary treat,I plunged into the forest of words of my first manuscript.My weapons were a sturdy eraser and several batteries of sharpened pencils.My armor was a thesaurus.And if I should become
8、lost,a near-by public library was a landmark,and the Encyclopedia of Social Sciences on its reference shelves was an ever-ready guide.Instead of big trees,I found underbrush.Cutting through involved,lumbering sentences was bad enough,but the real chore was removal of the burdocks of excess verbiage
9、which clung to the manuscript.(S.T.Williamson:How to Write Like a Social Scientist)1st set:plunge-_-_-_2nd set:forest-_-_-_-_3rd set:weapons-_-_-_-_get lostlandmarkguidetreesunderbrushburdockslumberingbatteriesarmorcutting throughremoval2.Personification I ran across a dim photograph of him the othe
10、r day,going through some old things.Hes been dead twenty-five years.His name was Rex.and he was a bull-terrier.A great misfortune crept over the whold city.She is the favored child of Fortune.Words pay no debts.p personification is a figure of speech that gives human form or feelings to animals,or l
11、ife and personal attributes to inanimate objects,or to ideas and abstractions.3.Metonymy p Metonymy is a figure of speech that has to do with the substitution of the name of one thing for that of another.This substituted name may be an attribute of that other thing or be closely associated with it.I
12、n other words,it involves a change of name,the substituted name suggesting the thing meant.The glories of our blood and stateAre shadows,not substantial things;There is no armour against fate;Death lays his icy hand on kings;Sceptre(节杖)and Crown Must tumble downAnd in the dust be equal madeWith the
13、poor crooked Scythe（镰刀）and Spade（铲子）.(J.Shirley)A.Names of persons 1.John Bull:2.Uncle Sam:3.Ivan:4.John Doe:England,or the English peopleThe United States of Americathe Russian people ordinary American citizenThe alarm went out for a John Doe who stole the diamonds from the store.警察发出命令，搜捕一个从商店里偷盗钻
14、石的家伙。B.Animals 1.British Lion:2.the bear:England or the English governmentThe former Soviet union or the Soviet governmentC.Parts of the bodygray hair:old ageHer heart ruled her headUse your brains.feelings or emotionswisdom,intelligence,reasonD.Professions 1.the bar:2.the bench:3.the veil:4.the pre
15、ss:He has been called to the bar.He has been appointed to the bench.She took the veil at 20.Hes meeting the press this morning.What has the press to say to this?the legal profession;position(office)of judge or magistrate;vocation of a nun;newspapers;newspaper reporters;E.Locations of government,of b
16、usiness or industrial enterprises 1.Downing Street:2.The White House:3.Capitol Hill:4.the Pentagon:5.Kremlin:6.Fleet Street:7.Wall Street:8.Madison Avenue:9.Hollywood:10.Foggy Bottom:the British government or cabinetthe President or Executive branch of the U.S.governmentthe Legislative branch of the
17、 U.S.government.the U.S.military establishmentthe government of the former Soviet Unionthe British pressU.S.financial circlesAmerican advertising industryAmerican film-making industryU.S.State Departmentp both figures of speech involve substitution,only metonymy involves substitution of the name of
18、one thing for that of another closely associated with it,whereas synecdoche involves the substitution of the part for the whole,or the whole for the part.4.SynecdocheA.The part for the whole They were short of hands at harvest time.Yet there were some stout hearts who attempted resistance.He paid th
19、e workers$5 per head.The legs could hardly keep up with the tanks.B.The whole for the part Name of country for group of people of that country2.Vehicle for engine,machine for mechanism of machine itself,etc.3.Person for part of his body-Australia beat Canada at cricket.(=the Australian team beat the
20、 Canadian team)-The car conked out.-The planes flamed out!-Then he cut me open and took out the appendix and stitched me up again.(=cut his abdomen open)C.The species for the genus,or the genus for the species Alas,that Spring should vanish with the Rose!(Edward Fitzgerald)b.What a despicable creatu
21、re he is.(rose=flowers in general;species for the genus)(creature=man;the genus for the species)D.Name of material for the thing made a.He walked the boards for a living.b.She was dressed in silks and satins.c.Better be jocund with the fruitful GrapeThan sadden after none,or bitter,fruit.(the boards
22、=the stage)(Silks and satins=dresses made of silk and satin)(grape=wine)E.The container for the thing contained or vice versaa.The kettle is boiling.b.Two beers,please.(kettle=the water in the kettle)(beers=two glasses of beer)F.The thing worn for the wearerI arrived at the school just three feet ta
23、ll and fatly wrapped in my scarves.The playground roared like a rodeo,.Old boots,ragged stockings,torn trousers and skirts,went skating and skidding around.The rabble closed in;I was encircled.5.EuphemismI hereby sentence you to five years in prison.He had been sent to the big house.He had been sent
24、 up the river,He was now living at the governments expense.(the circumstances might differ.)The Euphemism is a recognition by man of mans own imperfection,and at the same time a recognition by man that he belongs to better things.It is play acting,but none the worse for that.It is a false word subst
25、ituted for the true word in order to soften the shock of reality.1)to be to avoid hurting peoples feelings:Death,Illness,Old Age,etc.to die 2.old age,senility 3.old people 4.mad;feeble-minded 5.stupid pupil 6.fat peopleto pass away;to depart;to go to sleep;to go to heaven getting on(in years);past o
26、nes prime;feeling ones age;second childhoodsenior citizensnot all there;soft in the head;of unsound mind;simple-minded a slow learner;under-achieverweight-watchers 2)to avoid using the true words which are considered crude and indecent in polite conversation.to urinate or defecate 2.Mens lavatory 3.
27、Womens lavatory go to the bathroom;do their business;answer natures call;Gents;the john;the washroom;head(Navy):water closet(W.C.)Ladies;the powder room:Mrs.Jones3)to soften harsh reality dismiss,sack 2.Penniless 3.in debt 4.the poor 5.unemployed mother 6.living on dole 7.slums on welfare benefitssu
28、b-standard housingpink slipin difficultiesthe have-notsout of pocketwelfare mother lay off;ease out;give(get)the walking ticket,hard up;in reduced circumstances;badly offin embarrassing obligation to.the underpriveledged;the disadvantagedon relief4)to uplift these professions by name a maid,housekee
29、per,2.chief waiter,waitress 3.real estate agent 4.hairdresser 5.janitor 6.undertaker 7.rat-catcher domestic help;day-help;live-in helpcaptain;hostessrealtorbeautician superintendent;custodianmortician exterminating engineer;pest control operator5)Be used to cover up the true nature of events,deceivi
30、ng the public with nice-sounding and pseudo technical words.(Political and Military activities)1.lies 2.aggression 3.retreat,terminological inexactitude pre-emptive action;phased withdrawal(1)labor strike:(2)putting up barriers to free-trade,as a form of protectionism:(3)forcible removal of ethnic m
31、inorities from a region or country:(4)shelling or bombing of ones own troops(or allied troops)through poor aiming or through wrong judgement or wrong identification:(5)manicurist:(9)person who takes care of aged or very young people:an industrial actionmanaged tradeethnic cleansing accidental death
32、or casualties caused by friendly firea nail techniciana caregiver6.Irony Irony is a figure of speech that achieves emphasis by saying the opposite of what is meant,the intended meaning of the words being the opposite of their usual sense.Thats really a great stupid idea.There is no easy job in langu
33、age learning.as wise as a man of Gothamas welcome as a stormas slender in the middle as a cow in the waist7.Overstatement and Understatement Vingo sat there stunned,looking at the oak tree.It was covered with yellow handkerchiefs 20 of them,30 of them,many hundreds,a tree that stood like a banner of
34、 welcome billowing in the wind.AHHHH,the jet age.Breakfast in Paris,dinner in Hang Kong,luggage in Peoria.Had Cleopatras nose been shorter,the whole face of the world would have been different.When a woman loves a man her body has the odor of a thousand apple trees in blossom.The long lashes of her
35、eyes fan the fires of his heart to flame.”(a gypsy poes)the deliberate use of overstatement or exaggeration to achieve emphasis.1)Intensification of feeling or emotion(强化感情，增强感染力)In the dock,she found scores of arrows piercing her chest.b.For she was beautiful her beauty madeThe bright world dim,c.A
36、nd I will love thee still,my dear,Till a the seas gang dry.And I will love thee still,my dear,And the rocks melt wi the sun.And I will love thee still,my deer,While the sands o life shall run.万箭穿心她那么美丽她的美使得整个艳丽的世界黯然失色亲爱的，我将永远爱你，直到海水全枯竭，直到海水全枯竭呀，亲爱的，太阳熔化了岩石，亲爱的，我将永远爱你，只要我还有一息。2)Elevation to Heroic or
37、 Mythical Status(刻画人物，生动形象，活灵活现。)He ran down the avenue,making a noise like ten horses at a gallop.A man with a mouth like a mastiff,a brow like a mountain and eyes like burning anthracite that was Daniel Webster in his prime.犹如十马奔腾 这个人的嘴像猛犬一样噘着，额头像小山一样突兀，他的眼睛像燃烧着的煤球一样灼亮这就是时值壮年的丹尼尔韦伯斯特.3)Exaggeratio
38、n of the atmosphere(描景壮物，渲染气氛，给人以深刻印象)a.Stand still in Shanghai for two minutes and ten million people will rush at you like pins at magnet.在上海静静地站上两分钟，就会有一千万人向你冲来，就像铁屑冲向磁铁一样。b.In its wake,budget cuts and food shortages have hit the new nation of Russia and prices have shot out of this world.物价高涨，直冲
39、九霄 4)Humour or Ridicule 幽默风趣，令人发笑，讽刺嘲弄，入木三分。Splendid cheeses they were,ripe and mellow,and with a two hundred horse-power scent about them that might have warranted to carry three miles,and knock a man over at two hundred yards.He is so mean,he wont let his little baby have more than one measle at a
40、 time.这些奶酪妙极了，酥软香甜，四溢的香味足有200马力那么强大，保证3英里以外都可以闻到，200码远处站着的人，也会被它的香味熏倒。他吝啬极了，竟然不肯让他的小婴儿一次出一粒以上的麻疹。they would sit staring at the copper,with eager eyes,as if they could have devoured the very bricks of which it was composed.A lie can travel half way around the world while the truth is putting on its s
41、hoes.Polly,I love you.You are the whole world to me,and the moon and the stars and the constellation of out space.Miss Bolo went straight home in a flood of tears and a sedan chair.A drop of ink may make a million think.辞格兼用 他们常常坐在那儿，眼睛急切地盯着饭锅，仿佛要把砌锅台的砖一块块吞下去充饥似的。overstatement+simile当真理刚刚穿上鞋子，谎言就就已经
42、走了半个世界.Overstatement+personification波莉，我爱你。对我来说，你就是整个世界，是月亮，是星星，是整个宇宙的星宿。Overstatement+climax 波洛小姐泪如泉涌，坐着轿子径直回家去了。Overstatement+metaphor+Syllepsis 一滴墨水写成的文字可以让千百万人思索。Overstatement+metonymy+antithesis We are none of us getting any younger.We are both of us getting much old.A figure of speech which co
43、ntains an understatement of emphasis,and therefore the opposite of hyperbole.Often used in everyday speech and usually with laconic or ironic intentions.比较结构2）虚拟语气3）双重否定他最愿意帮朋友或邻居的忙。我知道他是诚实的，我还希望我能说他是能干的。“难道你看不出我可能跟这事有关吗？”苏比说，口气不是没有讥讽，但态度却友好，仿佛一个要交好运的人。No one was more willing to do a favour for frie
44、nd neighbour than he.I know he is honest,and I wish I could add he were capable.“Dont you figure out that I might have had something to do with it?”said Soapy,not without sarcasm,but friendly,as one greets good fortune.1)用反说代替正说:用否定词（词缀）加上与本意相反的词 not bad=very gooda.The face wasnt a bad one;it had wh
45、at they called charm.The face was sweet;her charm conquered everybody.b.If Saddam Hussein goes out of power,no tear is to be shed.c.A final agreement to set up trade offices with consular functions came after high-pro by Seoul at last months Asian Games in Beijing.A generous Korean contribution to t
46、he cash-short event didnt hurt.Now analysts expect last years$3.1billion in indirect two-way trade to leap quickly to a$5-billion-a year clip.(diplomatic language)2.使用分量不足或低调的词，即从事物的大小、力量的强弱和结果的好坏的角度，故意减小或缩小事物的重要性，以弱说代替强说，句子常常用a kind of,something,scarcely,hardly,almost以及形容词或副词的比较级等表示评判的审慎，强度的减弱。Duri
47、ng last years Central Park Bicycle Race,five of the racers were attacked and had their bikes stolen while the race was in progress.This is something of a handicap in a bicycle race.There is also poverty,convincingly etched in the statistics,and etched too,in the lives of people like Hortensia Cabrer
48、a,mother of 14,widow.“Money,”she says with quite understatement,“is kind of tight.But I manage.”贫困，不容置疑地深深印在统计数字中，也印在像卡布雷拉那样的人们生活中，她是14个孩子的母亲，一个寡妇。“钱，”她安详而含蓄的说，“有些紧，不过我能对付。”3.弦外之音（不直接陈述或回答，而用弦外之音婉转表达）a.-Do you think all the programs are good?-Some of the programs are interesting.But others could be
49、better.加强语气，给人留下更深印象幽默，讽刺Space for imaginationHumor,ironyThe big pondIf the Hanafi Muslims had played out their recent adventure in a Muslim land such as Iraq or Syria instead of washington D.C.,they would certainly be much less comfortable today.a.-How are you this morning?-Just able to be around.b
50、.Still,the band manages to eke out a living.Gross revenue for 1979 have been estimated as high as$4 million.c.You may have something of a Roosevelt,something of a Newton in yourself,you may have something very much greater than either of these men manifested waiting your help to give it expression.你
