英语修辞手法完整版FiguresofSpeech

1、Figures of speech:1. Simile 明喻；直喻: an explicit comparison between two things using like or as. Subject or (tenor); reference (vehicle); simile marker (indicator)Indicator: like, as, as if, as though, asas, asso, similar to, to bear resemblance to.e.g: I wandered lonely as a cloud. (Wordsworth, Daffo

2、dils)My luve (love) is like a red, red rose. (R. Burns)The old mans hair is as white as snow. 1. simile Doctors usually liken the heart to a pump. Life is poetically compared to the morning dew. I should smell it the way a cat smells a mouse. love and cough cannot be hid.(A and B)2. Metaphor (conden

3、sed simile) 隐喻My luve (love) is a red, red rose.Joe fought like a lion. (Simile)Joe was a lion in the battle. (metaphor)The machine-gun mowed down the enemy. (Metaphor)2. metaphor Miss Green gave him an ice-cold look. He has a heart of stone. The journalists and correspondents stormed the speaker wi

4、th questions. Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed andsome few to be chewed and digested.3. Metonymy 转喻转喻 借代借代 It is substituting the name of one thing for that of another with which it is closely associated. I have never read Lu Xun. (His works) Sword and cross in hands, the European

5、 fell upon the American continent. But the judge had no stomach for bureaucratic infighting, particularly with the Pentagon, and not much feel for how to fit secret information into policy debates. Beijing refused the new peace plan. 3. metonymy The surgeon convinced her that she could only be saved

6、 by a timely scalpel. He believed that the gun is more important than the bread. A bold slipped out through the back door. The crown should not yield to the cross. without sweat, without bread.4. Synecdoche提喻法（一种修辞方法，以提喻法（一种修辞方法，以局部代表全部和以全部指部分）局部代表全部和以全部指部分） When a part is substituted for the whole

7、or the whole is substituted for a part, synecdoche is applied. In harvest season my farm needs more hands.(labor, men) Germany beat Argentina 2 to 1 in this exciting football match. I would have some grape at dinner. The flowers are blossoming to welcome the smiling year.5) Personification 拟人拟人 It i

8、s to treat a thing or an idea as if it were human or had human qualities. In poetry works personification is very common. e.g.: The match will soon be over and defeat is staring us in the face. Youth is hot and bold, Age is weak and cold, Youth is wild, and Age is tame.note: Genereally, metonymy cov

9、ers some field of synecdoche; or synecdoche, which emphasizes much the relation between the part and the whole, is a special type of metonymy. So sentence like The kettle is boiling can be considered example of metonymy. But some scholars think the relationship between the container and the content

10、forms example of synecdoche. 6) Hyperbole夸张法夸张法( overstatement) (Understatement) In overstatement the diction exaggerates the subject, and in understatement the words play down the magnitude or value of the subject. Overstatement is also called hyperbole. (exaggeration)e.g.: She is dying to know wha

11、t job has been assigned her. Daisy is clever beyond comparison.She is cried her eyes out.7. euphemism 委婉语；委婉说法委婉语；委婉说法 It is the substitution of a mild or vague expression for a harsh or unpleasant one. Tom is a bit slow for his age in the class. Business Class/ Economic Class(Airplane) a) His belov

12、ed parent has joined the heavenly choir. (lit.) b) His dear father has passed away (gone). c) His father has died. d) His old man has kicked the bucket. (sl.)7. euphemism solid-waste ecologist; sanitary engineer beautician; hair stylist meat technologist domestic manager (engineer) Many were between

13、 jobs. military involvement 8). Alliteration 头韵；同音韵错误症头韵；同音韵错误症 It refers to the appearance of the same initial consonant 辅音的；一致的；和谐的sound in two or more words, such as “proud as peacock” and “blind as bat”. Alliteration is often used in poetry to give emphasis to words that are related in meaning:

14、e.g. The river runs round the rock. I see also the dull, drilled, docile, brutish masses of the Hun soldiery plodding on like a swarm of crawling locusts.9) Contrast对比对比 e.g.: water and fire are good servant but bad master. Let both sides explore what problem unite us instead of laboring those probl

15、ems which divide us.(John F. Kennedy) comparison（相似）（相似）/contrast (相反相反) 10) Parallelism 排比排比 The repetition of syntactical similarities in passages closely connected for rhetorical effect. The repetitive structure lends wit or emphasis to the meanings of the separate clauses, thus being particularl

16、y effective in antithesis 对立面；对照；对仗对立面；对照；对仗 (parallel structure) e.g.: We shall fight him by land, we shall fight him by sea, we shall fight him in the air. (W. Churchill)11) antithesis对仗对仗 A figure of speech in which sharply contrasting ideas are juxtaposed in a balanced or parallel phrase or gram

17、matical structure. 对偶对偶(contrast+parallelism) John Drydens description in “The Hind (female red deer )and the Panther (a leopard) ”: “Too black for heaven, and yet too white for hell.” Many are brash, but few are brave.12). Onomatopoeia ,n,mtpi拟声；声喻法拟声；声喻法 The formation or use of words such as buzz

18、or murmur潺潺声潺潺声 that imitate the sounds associated with the objects or actions they refer to. e.g: He pounds the door noisily. She dumps the book on the ground. scratch; crash;crush;screech尖叫声尖叫声. explosive consnants. 13) Allusion.ln 暗示 提及 援引典故 An implied or indirect reference to something assumed t

19、o be known, such as an historical event or personage, a well-known quotation from literature, or a famous work of art. An allusion is a figure of speech that makes a reference to, or representation of, people, places, events, literary work, myths, or works of art, either directly or by implication13

20、. allusion Holy Bible; Greek Mythology; The Divine Comedy (by Dante). W. Shakespeare (To be or not to be is a question); F. Bacon; John Milton; William Wordsworth; . 14) Irony讽刺讽刺 反语反语 It is the use of words which are clearly opposite to what is meant, in order to achieve a special effect. Suppose y

21、ou planned an outing on a certain day, expecting it to be fine; but when the day came it was raining heavily. If you said, “What fine weather for an outing!” You were speaking ironically. If a barbarous act was called civilized or cultural, irony was used. They are almost as wise as the wise men of

22、Gotham. (*Gotham: a place famous for there were many dull men there. ) Satire sta/ sarcasmsrkzm15. Sarcasm讽刺；挖苦vSarcasm is a sharp, bitter, or cutting expression or remark; a bitter gibe or taunt,usually conveyed through irony or understatement. vMost authorities distinguish sarcasm from irony; howe

23、ver, others argue that sarcasm may or often does involve irony or employs ambivalence.矛盾情绪v 修辞sarcasm 和ridicule Sarcasm: (讥讽，挖苦)A form of wit that is marked by cutting, often ironic remarks and is intended to make its victim the butt of contempt or ridicule. 一种措辞巧妙的话语，以运用讽刺性语言为特征，意在使被讥讽者成为被人蔑视或讽刺的对象

24、这种修辞手段重在语气（tone）上,是尖刻的，辛辣的。比如鲁迅的不少杂文就属于这种辛辣的讽刺，如“别的且不说罢，单是学艺上的东西，近来就先送一批古董到巴黎去展览，但终“不知后事如何”；还有几位“大师”们捧着几张古画和新画，在欧洲各国一路的挂过去，叫作“发扬国光”。听说不久还要送梅兰芳博士到苏联去，以催进“象征主义”，此后是顺便到欧洲传道。我在这里不想讨论梅博士演艺和象征主义的关系，总之，活人替代了古董，我敢说，也可以算得显出一点进步了。（拿来主义）v16. Ridicule: （嘲笑）Words or actions intended to evoke contemptuous 轻蔑的；侮辱的

25、laughter at or feelings toward a person or thing ve.g.Bryan mopped his bald head in silence.Bryan, ageing and paunchy, was assisted vSarcasm is speech or writing which actually means the opposite of what it seems to say. Sarcasm is usually intended to mock or insult someone.vIf you ridicule someone

26、or ridicule their ideas or beliefs, you make fun of them in an unkind way.vIrony is a subtle form of humor which involves saying things that you do not mean. Sarcasm is a strong form of irony. It attacks in a taunting and bitter manner, and its aim is to disparage, ridicule and wound the feelings of

27、 the subject attacked. For example, laws are like cobwebs, which may catch small flies, but let wasps break through. A transferred epithet or hypallage 换置换置is the transfer of epithet from one noun to another. The ploughman homeward plods his weary 疲倦的way -Thomas Gray She had another sleepless night

28、yesterday for the coming exam. Its a busy day for Tom.17) Transferred Epithet(修修饰饰转移转移)18. Synaesthesia,snsi 通感通感 牵连感觉；牵连感觉；共同感觉共同感觉 Synaesthesia refers to the mixing of sensations or the stimulation of one sense that produces a mental impression associated with a different sense. A stimulation of o

29、ne sensory or cognitive pathway leads to automatic, involuntary experiences in a second sensory or cognitive pathway A sensation produced in one modality when a stimulus is applied to another modality, as when the hearing of a certain sound induces the visualization of a certain color. Posner lipsti

30、ck: music to your lips Johnsons Baby Powder: the soft smell. The light is braying like an ass. What a noisy scarf it is ! Sweet Thames ! Run softly, till I end my song. 甜蜜的泰晤士河，柔软的流淌着，直到我的歌声终止。 I caressed the darkness with cool fingers. 我用我冰凉的手指轻抚着黑夜 There be none of Beautys daughters With a magic l

31、ike thee; And like music on the waters Is thy sweet voice to me. -G. Byron Soft music like a perfume and sweet light. Golden with audible odors exquisite精致的；细腻精致的；细腻的；优美的，高雅的的；优美的，高雅的. Swathe me with cerement for eternity. A. Symons: The Opium Smoker19) Oxymoron. ,ksmrn (矛盾修辞矛盾修辞)把意义相互对立的概念组合在把意义相互对

32、立的概念组合在短语短语中，它是中，它是短语层次短语层次上的上的修辞格修辞格 In oxymoron apparently contradictory terms are combined to produce a special effect. e.g.: The coach had to be cruel to be kind to his trainees. e.g. Creative destruction; tearful joy;love-hate relationship; the sound of silence 20) paradox反论 把意义相互对立的把意义相互对立的概念概

33、念巧巧妙地组合在句子中，它是妙地组合在句子中，它是句子层次句子层次上的上的修修辞格辞格 Apparently self-contradictory statement whose underlying meaning is revealed only by careful scrutiny. Its purpose is to arrest attention and provoke fresh thought. When a paradox is compressed into two words, as in “living death,” it is called an oxymoron

34、. e.g. The child is father of the man. Not having a fashion is a fashion. 21) Punpn双关语：双关语：A joke or type of wordplay in which similar senses or sounds of two words or phrases, or different senses of the same word, are deliberately confused. 一旦拥有，别无所（锁）求一旦拥有，别无所（锁）求 This rock is gneiss, but dont tak

35、e it for granite. (which reads (with a US accent) similarly to This rock is nice, but dont take it for granted; gneiss and granite are both types of rock) Long time no sea! “My Faith is gone!” cried he, after a stupefied moment.22) Parodyprdi 仿拟仿拟 诙谐的改编诗文诙谐的改编诗文 (A literary or artistic work that imi

36、tates the characteristic style of an author or a work for comic effect or ridicule. ) (Failure is the mother of success) Necessity is the mother of Invention. Like son, like father. (Like father, like son.) Like mother, like daughter. 23) Rhetorical question反反问问. The rhetorical question is usually d

37、efined as any question asked for a purpose other than to obtain the information the question asks. For example, Why are you so stupid? is likely to be a statement regarding ones opinion of the person addressed rather than a genuine denjn真实的，真正的；诚恳的 request to know. Shall I compare thee to a summers

38、day? 24) Litotes latotiz间接肯定法 曲言法 Litotes is the use of a negated antonym to make an understatement or to emphatically affirm the positive. 利用否定的形式，表达肯定的意思 I will in no wise cast out means I will certainly receive.“ Moreover, the attempt is not unsuccessful. If “not bad” = “very good” Litotes is use

39、d.25) Zeugmazjugm 轭式修饰法 A single word which is made to modify or to govern two or more words in the same sentence, with properly applying in sense to only one of them, or applying to them in different senses. (two different words linked to a verb or an adjective which is strictly appropriate to only

40、 one of them.) He left in a huff and a taxi. She dropped a tear and her pocket handkerchief. Syllepsis: The use of a word in its figurative and literal sense at the same time or where a single word is used in relation to two other parts of a sentence although the word grammatically or logically appl

41、ies to only one. When a single word that governs or modifies two or more others must be understood differently with respect to each of those words. A combination of grammatical parallelism and semantic incongruity, often with a witty or comical effect. Not to be confused with zeugma. Note: Originall

42、y, syllepsis named that grammatical incongruity resulting when a word governing two or more others could not agree with both or all of them; for example, when a singular verb serves as the predicate to two subjects, singular and plural (His boat and his riches is sinking). In the rhetorical sense, s

43、yllepsis has more to do with applying the same single word to the others it governs in distinct senses (e.g., literal and metaphorical); thus, His boat and his dreams sank. In the following example, rend 撕碎；分裂；强夺 governs both objects, but the first rending is figurative; the second, literal: Rend yo

44、ur heart, and not your garments.衣服 Joel 2:13 You held your breath and the door for me Alanis Morissette Fix the problem, not the blame. Dave Weinbaum Syllepsis is a form of ellipsis, and like ellipsis the sense of the word is repeated, but not the word itself. The difference from ellipsis is that th

45、e sense varies in its repetition. zeugmaA general term describing when one part of speech (most often the main verb, but sometimes a noun) governs two or more other parts of a sentence (often in a series).Zeugma is sometimes used simply as a synonym 同义词 for syllepsis 一语双叙法 though that term is better

46、 understood as a more specific kind of zeugma: when there is disparity in the way that the parallel members relate to the governing word (as a vice or for comic effect). Zeugma comprises several more specialized terms, all of which employ ellipsis 省略and parallelism (among the governed members of the

47、 sentence). The zeugma figures are of two types: those in which the governing word is the main verb (in which case these are subsequently categorized according to the position of that governing verb), and those in which the governing word is another part of speech (usually the subject noun). Zeugma

48、figures: Position of Governing Verb: prozeugma (beginning position) hypozeugma (ending position) epizeugma (beginning or ending position) mesozeugma or synzeugma (middle position) 26）Tautology ttldi同义反复同义反复 Tautology: repetition of an idea in a different word, phrase, or sentence. Boy is boy. War is

49、 war. With malice toward none, with charity for all. Lincoln, Second Inaugural 27) Ellipsis 省略语省略语 The omission of subject or predicate verb or both Dee next. (Dee came out of the car next.) 28) Climax: (渐进) It is derived from the Greek word for ladder and implies the progression of thought at a uni

50、form or almost uniform rate of significance or intensity, like the steps of a ladder ascending evenly. I came, I saw, I conquered. Veni, vidi, vici. Julius Caesar 29) Anti-climax or bathos bas 渐降法30 and 31: asyndeton sndtn 连接词省略and polysyndeton,plsndtn连词叠用 the omission and addition of conjunctions Are all thy conquests, glories, triumphs, spoils, Shrunk to this little measure? -Shakespeare See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil This is the villain among you who deceived you, who cheated you, who meant t