英语本科毕业论文论修辞在英语广告中的应用

1、本科毕业论文论修辞在英语广告中的应用学生姓名： 学生学号： 200310206042 院（系）： 外国语学院 年级专业： 2003级英语本科2班_指导教师： 二七年五月on the use of rhetoric in english advertisementqing yanlingunder the supervision ofliao hongschool of foreign languages and culturespanzhihua universitymay 2007contentsabstractikey wordsi摘要ii关键词iiintroduction1i. adve

2、rtisement2a. the definition of advertisement2b. the function of advertisement2ii. rhetoric3a. the definition of rhetoric3b. the function of rhetoric3iii. an analysis of rhetoric in english advertisement4a. simile4b. metaphor5c. pun6d. personification8e. parallelism10f. rhyme10conclusion14acknowledge

3、ments15bibliography16abstractadvertisement is a popular cultural phenomenon in peoples daily life. it not only provides the information about products and stimulates the purchasing power, but also enriches peoples ideological life.rhetoric is one kind of important expressive device in language. it r

4、efers to interpreting abstract and complex ideas or processes through simple and concrete methods. since rhetoric is full of imagination, it can promote the transmission and communication of emotions and ideas.rhetoric exists in writings with various styles, especially, in advertisements. rhetoric p

5、lays a very important role in english advertisement, acting as a key element for the success of an advertisement. the thesis, based on the respective studies of the definition of advertisement and rhetoric, makes a careful analysis of the use of main rhetorical devices in english advertisement, incl

6、uding simile, metaphor, pun, personification, parallelism and rhyme, targeting at promoting the further development of advertisement.key wordsenglish advertisements; rhetoric; function摘要广告是人们日常生活中最常见的一种文化现象，不仅提供产品信息，刺激购买力，而且丰富人们的精神生活。修辞是一种重要的语言表达手段，是用简单具体且充满想象的方法将抽象复杂的思想或进程阐释出来，能够促进情感的传递和思想的表达。修辞存在于

7、各种文体之中，尤其在英语广告中起着极为重要的作用， 是影响英语广告成败的关键。 论文从分析广告及修辞的定义和功能出发，认真研究了主要修辞手段在英语广告中的作用，包括明喻、暗喻、双关、拟人、平行和押韵等修辞手段，旨在推进广告的进一步发展和提高。关键词英语广告; 修辞; 功能introductionnowadays, concerning with advertisement, different people have different opinions. for most of the people, the distinct feature of advertisement is that

8、 advertisement is a combination of content and style. that is to say, a good advertisement not only has attraction in content, but also has charm in style. obviously, the determinative factor of a good or a bad advertisement is whether the use of rhetoric is appropriate or not. it can be found that

9、the use of rhetoric plays a very important role in advertisement. without the use of rhetoric, absolutely, there is no good advertisement. therefore, it is necessary to make an analysis and study on this subject.the whole thesis is concerned about the use of rhetoric in english advertisement, and th

10、e thesis is divided into three parts. the first part talks about the definition and function of advertisement. the second part illustrates the definition and function of rhetoric. the third part makes a carefully study on the use of main rhetorical devices in english advertisement, such as, simile,

11、metaphor, pun, personification, parallelism and rhyme.i. advertisementas for advertisement and products, some people believe the successful selling of products cannot be separated from advertisement. advertisement keeps people informative about the price and function of products; whats more, adverti

12、sement can help to improve products brand awareness and its reputation.a. the definition of advertisement“advertisement is the nonpersonal communication of information usually paid for and usually persuasive in nature about products, services or ideas by identified sponsors through the various media

13、.” (liu xiuyu, p3, 2002)advertisement has taken many different kinds of forms from ancient times. at the beginning, advertisement evolved to take a variety of forms and to permeate nearly every aspect of the society. advertisement devices include many kinds, such as, banners at sporting events, bill

14、boards, and internet web sites, logos on clothing, magazines, newspapers, radio spots, and television commercials. the people are overwhelmed by a lot of advertisements. it is said that the individuals can expect to be exposed to more than 1,200 different advertisement messages each day. therefore,

15、advertisements are popular in peoples daily life.b. the function of advertisementenglish advertisements can encourage competition, guide consumption, promote sales, and transmit information. for instance, advertisement tells a consumer the information about a specific product, brand or service and h

16、elps him or her to understand and evaluate the information. moreover, by making people aware of products, services and ideas, advertisement promotes sales and profits. advertisement is one of the major forces that can help improve the standard of living. the people, no matter in urban or rural areas

17、, are overwhelmed by a lot of advertisements. advertisement makes peoples environments more colorful and vigorous. meanwhile, it can also enrich peoples cultural life and transmit information which contributes to social and cultural prosperity. ii. rhetoricrhetoric can be found in any forms of writi

18、ngpoetry, prose, drama, fictional and non-fictional writing, advertisement. the understanding about the definition and function of rhetoric is helpful for the use of rhetorical devices. a. the definition of rhetoric aristotle was one of the most famous thinkers and orators in greek. in his famous bo

19、ok, rhetoric, rhetoric was defined as “the art of persuasion”. (tang yin, p1, 2004) whereas, john locke, the noted english philosopher of the latter part of the 17th century, said that “rhetoric was the science of oratory, the art of speaking with elegance, and force”. (tang yin, p1, 2004)in present

20、 day, the meaning of rhetoric has been extended. rhetoric assumes the following characteristics, that is, the elaborated and exaggerated language, the art of using language effectively and persuasively, the skills of using language effectively, the structure of verbal communication.b. the function o

21、f rhetoricrhetorical devices are variations of literal or ordinary forms of expressions. their function is to make the thought more striking and effective. a fresh and suitable rhetorical device appeals to the imagination, creates mental pictures and makes the speech or writing vivid, impressive and

22、 interesting. rhetorical devices can make language more vivid by using the simple words to express complex meanings. by the use of rhetoric, even abstract ideas can become concrete. rhetoric can make the modified subjects more prominent, distinctive, and specific. by the use of rhetoric, the languag

23、e can give people more space to imagine. whereas, without the use of rhetoric, the language is boring and there is no vigor in the language.for example:light as a breeze, soft as a cloud.in the sentence, the writer used a kind of rhetorical devicessimile. simile is a figure of speech in which two es

24、sentially unlike subjects are compared. simile often signals itself by “like” or “as”. by using simile, it helps the writer to better communicate with his readers. it is easy for the readers to understand and remember the sentence. iii. an analysis of rhetoric in english advertisementseveral kinds o

25、f rhetorical devices are frequently used in advertisement, and it is necessary to study them one by one by giving definitions and making illustrations. all of the examples studied below are constrained within english advertisements.a. simile“simile is a way of comparing one thing with another of exp

26、laining what one thing is like by showing how it is similar to another thing and it signals itself in a text, with the words as or like.” (hu zhuanglin，p286，2001) a simile is made up of four parts: “the tenor”, “the vehicle”, “the comparing word” and “the ground”. “the tenor” is the subject of simil

27、e. “the vehicle” is the thing compared to or the part transported. “the comparing word” is the simile marker such as, “like, as, than, as if, similar to.” “the ground” is the common properties owned by “the tenor” and “the vehicle”.for example:breakfast without orange juice is like a day without sun

28、shine. (sun yijuan)this is an advertisement for “orange juice”. it can be found that, in this advertisement, “orange juice” is “the tenor” and “sunshine” is “the vehicle”. the word “like” signals that the advertisement makes use of the rhetoric devicesimile. thus by using simile, the advertisement m

29、akes the products characteristic more vivid and lively. if the “orange juice” really has such an effect, the customers are eager to drink this kind of juice at breakfast. precisely, this advertisement is a good example in simile craftsmanship. it can not be imagined what the world will be look like

30、without sunshine. the importance of “orange juice” is no less than “sunshine”. since the significance of this kind of “orange juice” is so great, nobody would refuse to drink it. thus this advertisement touches the customers heart and greatly promotes the sale of this kind of “orange juice”.another

31、example: featherwater, light as a feather. (sun yijuan)this is an advertisement for “featherwater” eye-glasses. “featherwater” is just a brand. in this advertisement, “the tenor” is the “featherwater” eye-glasses and “the vehicle” is “feather”the word “as” is the simile marker in the advertisement.

32、however, the association between “the tenor” and “the vehicle” is hidden, which means that even wearing a pair of “featherwater” eye-glasses for a long time will not make eyes and noses out of shape. the weight of the “feather” eye-glasses is equal to the weight of a feather. this advertisement can

33、easily win the customers hearts. for most of customers, they can not help buying this kind of glass for it gives them such a good opportunity to enjoy the beautiful world. in this advertisement, the use of simile makes the hidden association between the tenor and the vehicle become clear to customer

34、s. this advertisement successfully stimulates customers to buy the product. in the process of illustrating the advertisement, the force and the beauty of the advertisement can be appreciated.b. metaphor “metaphor can also transfer qualities from one thing to another. there is a formal difference bet

35、ween metaphor and simile, however, in metaphor the word like or as do not appear. a metaphor, like a simile, also has a comparison between two unlike elements, but unlike a simile, this comparison is implied rather than stated.” (hu zhuanglin，p287，2001)metaphor is not explicitly signaled, so they ar

36、e more difficult to identify. for metaphor plays a quiet important role in advertisement, to some extent, it helps advertisement composers communicate with the customers more effectively. in metaphor, one thing is directly compared to another thing, without the marker“like ” or “as”. thus the relati

37、onship between them is implied in other words is unstated. therefore, the use of metaphor makes the language more vivid and also makes the product it advertising more attractive. metaphor is a kind of rhetoric devices which is favored by most advertisement composers. the following is a good example.

38、 youd better off under umbrella. (sun yijuan)this is an advertisement for a travel insurance agency. in this advertisement, “umbrella” refers to the travel insurance agency. in the advertisement, “the vehicle” is not stated. in fact, “the vehicle” is the staff of the “umbrella” agency. no matter it

39、is raining or shining, if the customers carry an umbrella with them, the umbrella will be very useful to them, for it protects them from being influenced by the bad weather. in most peoples minds, the word “umbrella” is always linked with safety and protection. while the customers are traveling, the

40、re are some unpredictable factors existing during their journey. just imagine that no matter what happens, there are always someone waiting for customers, listening to customers and comforting customers. they are not anyone else and they are the staff of “umbrella”. by using metaphor, the companys i

41、mage is more vivid. the advertisement would leave a deep impression on the customers. c. pun “pun is the humorous use of a word, or of words which are formal or sound alike but have different meaning, in such a way as to play as two or more of the possible application.”(tang yin, p120, 2004) there a

42、re many words in the english language which look or sound alike. in all, it can be divided into three kinds. homonymy refers to the phenomenon that words have different meanings, but the same forms, that is, words are identical in sound or spelling but different in meaning. on this occasion, it can

43、be divided into three kinds, which are homophone, homograph and complete homographs. when two words are identical in sound, they are homophone. when two words are identical in spelling, they are homograph. when two words are identical in both sound and spelling, they are complete homographs. pun jus

44、t takes advantage of these characteristics of language. however, it is not easy to make a successful and impressive pun in an advertisement. except for its own meaning, the word used as a pun is usually closely related to the characteristics of a certain product or the brand name of a product. such

45、coincidence doesnt occur often. here are several classic examples of puns used in advertisements. for example:im more satisfied. (liu xiuyu, p51,2004)this is an advertisement for the cigarettes of “more”. some people hold that pun is only a kind of literature game. however, in fact, it is a traditio

46、nal rhetoric device in advertisement. by using pun, advertisements will easily be remembered by the readers. in addition, filled with wit and humor, puns help advertising products win favor from readers. in this advertisement, “more” not only refers to this kind of cigarette, but also implies that t

47、his kind of cigarette can bring customers pleasure and a feeling of happiness and satisfaction. the advertisement composer grasped the characteristics of this kind of product and made use of the rhetoric devicepun. this advertisement has a strong humorous sense and attracts customers attention, stre

48、ngthening the effect of advertisements. “more satisfied” means that this kind of cigarette can give customers more pleasure and happiness than the other kinds of cigarette. thus this advertisement makes a sharp comparison between its products and the other products. by this kind of comparison, the c

49、ustomer will choose this kind of cigarette undoubtedly. it goes without saying that this advertisement sets a good example of using pun in english advertisement. the next coming advertisement is also an excellent advertisement in the fields of using pun in english advertisement. for example:from sha

50、rp minds, come sharp products. (chen chini, )this is an advertisement for “sharp” typewriter. it means that owing to “sharp minds”, “sharp products” come into being. in the sentence, the word “sharp” has two levels of meaning. the superficial meaning refers to “sharp” typewriter; the deep meaning re

51、fers to those persons who design this kind of typewriter and those who use this kind of typewriter. by using pun, this advertisement effectively shortens the distance between the advertisement composer and the customers. under such kind of occasion, the customers can not help buying this kind of pro

52、ductthe “sharp” typewriter. they can not resist the charm of “sharp” typewriter since it exaggerates its product appropriately. the advertisement makes the customers attention shift from other objects to sharp typewriter in a short time. this advertisement motivates the customers to buy “sharp” type

53、writer. what a magic power pun has! another good example is as the following.spoil yourself and not your figure. (sun xiaoli, p75, 1995)this is an advertisement for ice-cream. in the advertisement, the meaning of “spoil yourself” is enjoying yourself to your hearts content. “spoil not your figure” m

54、eans that the customers need not worry about their figures. absolutely, eating this ice-cream will not make the customers become fat. by using pun, this advertisement successfully attracts customers attention and motivates them to buy the ice-cream. this advertisement impresses the customers greatly

55、. english advertisement has the function of guiding consumption. this advertisement gives the functions charm full play.d. personification“by definition, personification is a figure of speech that gives human form or feelings to animal or life and personal attributes to inanimate objects or to ideas

56、 and abstractions”. (feng cuihua，p177，1995)personification is one of the most frequently used rhetoric devices in english advertisement, for it can greatly shorten the distance between the advertisement composer and customers, creating a kind of harmonious atmosphere between them. undoubtedly, adver

57、tisement composers will employ the rhetoric device in the english advertisement. for example:flower by interflora speaks from the heart. (liu xiuyu, p51, 2004)this is an advertisement for “interfloa” flower. in this advertisement, “interfola” flower was personified by the advertisement composer. the

58、 advertisement composer endows this kind of flower with life. in most peoples minds only close friends speak to each other from the heart. by using personification, this advertisement makes the customers feel cordial. this advertisement touches the customers hearts. english advertisement has the function of promoting sales. this advertisement gives the functions charm full play. undoubtedly, the advertisement sets a good example in using personification. and there is anot