applicationofmetaphoronadvertisementenglish

1、最新【精品】范文 参考文献 专业论文Applicatio n of Metaphor on Advertiseme nt En glishApplicatio n of Metaphor on Advertiseme nt En glishAbstractWith the further accelerati on of econo mic globalizati on,advertisement has gone deep into every aspect of life in the bus in ess world. The advertis ing Ian guage is the

2、soul of a successful advertiseme nt. Each advertiseme nt is a complete discourse conveying some in formatio n bey ond words. In other words, advertiseme nt not only provides in formati on about the products or services , but also persuades its consumers to purchase them. Metaphor based on the con te

3、mporary theory is widely used in our daily life which is not only a Ian guage phe nomen abut also a cog nitive phe nomenaand a modeof thi nking. The utilization of metaphor is very frequent, which makesadvertisement more creative to help advertisers achieve their aims. In this paper , at first , it

4、provides an introduction to the metaphor and advertisement.Then it analyses the natureand functions of metaphor in advertisement by someexamples so as to help to achieve the purpose of advertiseme nt.Key words: metaphor; advertis ing En glish; fun cti ons of metaphor中图分类号：G623.31文献标识码：A文章编号：1. In tr

5、oducti onWith the scie nee and econo mic developme nt, advertiseme nt has spread through almost every aspects of our daily life.Moreover, the advertising English is becoming outstanding. As a measure to transmit messages, it has special characters. For most of the people, the disti net feature of ad

6、vertiseme nt is that it is a comb in ati on of content and style. That is to say,a good advertisement not only has attractionin content but alsohas charm in style. Obviously, the determ in ative factor of a good or a bad advertiseme nt is whether the use of metaphor is appropriate or no t. It can be

7、 found that the use of metaphor plays a very importa nt role in advertiseme nt. Without the use of metaphor, absolutely there is no good advertiseme nt.Therefore, it is n ecessary to cite some examples to show the fun cti ons of metaphor.2. MetaphorWefrequently speak of “the foot of mountain ”，“the

8、legsof a table ” and “time is money ” and so on. Have we realized we are using metaphor a figure of speech? Metaphor is so pervasive in our daily life that we are almost un aware of it.It is an importa nt tool in Ian guage com muni cati on and afigurative phenomenonas well. With further study people

9、 found metaphor is not only a linguistic phenomenon or a rhetorical device but also a reflection of culture and thinking.2.1The Developme nt of MetaphorIn an cie nt Greece, Aristotle d efined metaphor as“ theapplication of an alien nameby transferenee either from genus to species, or from species to

10、 genus, or from species to species, or by analogy, that is proportion.”(Shu Dingfang 2000:33).This acco unt of metaphor is known as the comparis on theory of metaphor.In the 1880s, George Lakoff, a lin guist, and Mark Joh nson, a philosopher(1980:2) suggested “that metaphor not only makes our though

11、ts more vivid and interesting but that it actually structures our perceptions and understanding.” This is whatwe called con ceptual metaphor theory.Con temporary metaphor researchers differ greatly in their perspectives of metaphor studies. Some of them areinterested in the theoretical explorations

12、of metaphor, focusing on such issues as metaphor identification, categorization of metaphor types, and interpretation of metaphor in discourse. Other researchers are in cli ned to inv estigate the processes of metaphor producti on and structuri ng of con ceptual doma ins through metaphor. These scho

13、lars con tribute to metaphor studies from differe nt perspectives.2.2The Definition of MetaphorThe word “metaphor” comesfrom the ancient Greek “ meta” and “ pherein ” , which respectively means “across ” and“change” . Therefore, the basic function of metaphor is to tran sform somethi ng from one pla

14、ce to ano ther. People defi ne metaphor differe ntly from differe nt an gles. I. A. Richards (1986:44- 63) gave metaphor such a definition:“It is the useof one reference to a group of things that are related in a particular way in order to discover a similar relati on in another gro up. ” Some other

15、 definitions are quoted below:Grammardictionarysaid that “metaphor is the comparisonof one thing to another without the use of like or as.” (ShuDingfang, 2001:43).Lakoff and Johnson (1980:4) hold a viewpoint that“ Metaphor is understanding and experiencing one thing in terms of ano ther. ”Brita nnic

16、a Book of En glish Usage defi ned it“ Metaphor isthe most importa nt figure of speech, which points out resembla nee but with no ack no wledge word.”In the above definitions, we can draw the following conclusions: In the traditional rhetoric, metaphor is only a figure of speech or a way of expressi

17、on, while in the con temporary views metaphor is a mode of thinking, as well asa way of speak ing.From sema ntic view (sema ntics: Study of relati on ships betwee n sig ns and symbols and what they represe nt ), there are three basic factors compos ing a metaphor: the tenor, the vehicle and the gro

18、und, not all of which n eed to be prese nted in a metaphor, that is to say,some of them may be hidde n. In other words a metaphor contains three parts:tenor (the subject for the comparis on)vehicle (what the subject is compared to)ground (what the subject and the vehicle have in com mon) 2.3The fun

19、cti ons of MetaphorAs an important method of rhetoric, metaphor has its unique fun cti on. To sum up, that is, the rhetorical fun cti on, lin guistic fun cti on and social fun cti on.2.3.1 Rhetorical fun cti onFun cti on of metaphor in rhetoric is to obey gen eral fun cti on, n amely persuasi on . M

20、etaphors ofte n makes a pers on feel cha nges and differe nces in Ian guage , so to leave a deep impressi on on people, and also makes people more likely to be touched.2.3.2 Lin guistic fun cti onMetaphor is ofte n used to excha nge the con ti nu ous, empirical information. People not only can use e

21、xisting words to talk about something new through metaphor, but express some subtle differencesbetween things as well, more vividly reflectthe essence and characteristics of things.2.3.3 Social fun ctio nUn der the help of metaphor, people can avoid many unpleasant words and expressions, and it make

22、sthem appear more moderate, and in crease the in timate degree in social in teracti ons.3. Advertis ing En glishAdvertiseme nt is a type of publicity to draw publicattention to something, for its Latin origin“advertere ”means “to inform somebody of something” or“to drawattention to something” . Toda

23、y, a widely quoted workingdefi niti on of advertiseme nt was put forward by Courtla nd L.Bovee and William F. Arens,“ Advertisi ng is the non pers onalcom muni cati on of i nformatio n, usually paid for and usually persuasive in n ature, about products (goods or services) or ideas by ide ntified spo

24、n sors through various media.Advertiseme nts have already become a crucial part of our daily life. We are exposed to advertiseme nts whe never we turn on the TV , read newspapers or magazines , walk on the street or surf on the in ternet. We are livi ng in a world of advertiseme nts and have bee n d

25、eeply in flue need by them. Its popularity has aroused a great amount of in terest study ing a Ian guage of advertiseme nts in differe nt discipli nes such as anthropology , sociology , linguistics, literary criticism , andmedium studies.3.1 The Purposes of Advertiseme ntFrom the defi niti ons men t

26、i oned above, we can lear n thepurposes of advertisement. Its ultimate purpose is to persuade con sumers to buy a certa in product or accept some kind of services. More specifically, it is to present someinformation about goods, services or ideas to the public to in flue nce or persuade them to make

27、choices. The first thing an advertisement tries to do is to grab its audience ' s attention andmake surethat it is no ticed. Secon d, it must achieve the goal of stimulating a desire in the audience to purchase the advertised product. The more successful the advertiseme nt is, the more possible

28、the prospective consumer will be convinced to purchase the advertised product. In summary, advertiseme nt is a very practical type of writi ng with high commercial value. Its ultimate purpose is to promote sales. All advertiseme nts con tai n at least two fun cti ons: to in form and to persuade, of

29、which the in formative fun cti on is subord in ated to the persuasive fun cti on.3.2 The Features of Advertisi ng En glishAs an important part of English advertisement,advertisingEn glish has its own features. To sum up, that is, the lexical features syn tactic features and rhetorical features.3.2.1

30、 Lexical featuresLarge nu mber of verbs and adjectives is widely used in advertising English. Using these words makesthe advertisement easier to be understood, lets the description vivid, and adds much attraction and convincingness. In addition, a variety of new words, special collocati ons are gen

31、erally used to attract the attention of consumers in advertising English.3.2.2 Syn tactic featuresIn advertis ing En glish, the imperative sen ten ces can be used directly to persuade con sumers into accept ing the goods and tak ing acti ons. While the use of elliptical senten ces can not only reduc

32、e the advertis ing expe nses but also can left deeply thi nking and imagi nable space to con sumers. Moreover, the in terrogative senten ces have bee n widely used. It divides the whole process which is used to receive in formati onin to twoparts, that is ,question part and answer part. So that cons

33、umers can quickly and effectively resp ond, and be deepe n the impressi on.3.2.3 Rhetorical featuresIn order to makethe advertisement get the desired effects, manyrhetoricalmethods is widely used in advertisingEnglish.In various linguistic expressions, rhetorical devices play a most positive role. W

34、hile metaphor is considered to be the most importa nt and gen eral among the rhetorical methods.4. Application of Metaphor on Advertising English4.1 The application of rhetorical functionThe rhetoricalfun cti on of metaphor is used to in crease theeffect of expressi on by advertis ing writers.First,

35、 using metaphor makes advertis ing En glish con ciseand vivid. One of the most outstanding characteristics of metaphor is conciseness. A word or a phrase can express a series of meaning to provoke the imagi nati on about the whole eve nt and con text for readers. Moreover, vehicles are always more s

36、pecific tha n objects and more familiar readers in metaphor.Therefore, it brings vivid feeli ngs for readers.E.g. You ' d better off under the umbrella.This is an advertiseme nt of travel in sura nee en terprise.Security is the key point in travelling,which is concerned bymost of travelers. This

37、 en terprise exploits travelers ' com mon mood by using the vehicle?umbrella to let travelers feel that if they buy in sura nces for travelli ng, they will be in protective umbrellas to enjoy their travels without sorrow and anxiety. Moreover,“ better off ” also means“free andhapp in ess ” , tha

38、t is to say, if you buy the in sura nee, your travel will be cozier and full of joys. Although this advertiseme nt is short, it makes travelers feel quietly warm and true for the vivid vehicle choos ing.E.g. To spread your wings in Asia, share your vantage point.This advertisement compares reader to

39、 a big bird. There is an eagle soar to great heights on image. The eagle works in con cert with the subject and help people un dersta nd the meaning of subject. At the same time, this also gives reader a deeplymemory.Us ing metaphor makes advertis ing En glish euphemistic and graceful.E.g. Kodak is

40、Olympic color. ( Kodacolor Film)This was take n for Olympic Games by Kodak in 1988. Once men ti oned the Olympic a kind of n ati on al, en ergetic, excit ing and bright sporting atmosphere will come into people' s mind.“Kodak is Olympic color ” meansthat Kodak is of high quality and good taste.

41、The Kodak film conveys the truth and the beauty rather varied and graceful.Second, using metaphor makesadvertisingEnglish novel andillu min ati ng.Fac ing a large nu mber of advertiseme nts,peoplecould not remember them one by one. The advertiseme nts which are full of platitude make people annoying

42、 and tiresome.However, the no vel advertiseme nts are always very popular and deeply memorized by people.E.g. Something within you is Dior.This is an advertiseme nt for a perfume?Pois on, which took by Christian Dior. The perfume named Poison, with such an amaz ing advertiseme nt gives expressi on t

43、o skillful metaphor. Does the charm comefrom the inner heart without stopping? That is a questi on. It left con sumers pon ders over the advertiseme nt.4.2 The application of linguistical functionThe advertis ing writers always use all kinds of new words to attract consumers' attention.4.2.1 The

44、 freque ntly using of new wordsWhenlacking expressions of someconcepts in daily Ianguage using, people borrow new words to substitute temporarily. If the temporary substituti on can be widely ack no wledged and spread rapidly, it will be a new meaning of the existent words.E.g. Daylay eggs.This adve

45、rtisement is madefor eggs by a supermarket in UK. In order to say eggs are fresh, the supermarket manager creates this word “daylay ” . When consumers pronounce “daylay ” , they maythink of another word “daily ” . From here we see that, this kind of eggs are the n ecessity in daily life.4.2.2 The us

46、e of compo und wordsSometimes, the existed words could not express the con cepti ons or phe nomen aprecise eno ugh. Therefore, people use some special ways to remedy the defects.E.g. And GoodNature has an appealing milky -white look.The powder mixes in sta ntly with no grainy lumps. The ready-to-fee

47、d form has a convenient, reclosable spout.In this powdered milk advertiseme nt,“ milky-white ” and“ready-to- feed ” , the two compound words, are the temporary missed words. The word “ milk - white ” is fa bricated to“ milky - white ” . From the advertisement, we know that the pon dered milk like br

48、east milk which has a strong appeal to children.That is can be seen that the innovations and fantasticcreative are convin ced deeply by con sumers.4.3 The Applicati on of sociological fun cti onThe applicati ons ofsociologicalfun cti on are divided twoparts: first, strengthen the“close degree ” in s

49、ocialinteraction;second, considering the euphemistical and politeneed (Shu Dingfang, 2001:149) ” Euphemism means “speak with good words ” . There are 3 aspects euphemistical using on advertis ing En glish.4.3.1 Avoid using some wordsBefore advertis ing writers writ ing the advertiseme nt, they shoul

50、d consider excluding the negative effects on advertising.E.g. I want you to spon sor a Rice Paddy Baby.“Sponsor” and“buy” have the same meaning, but using“sponsor ” can easier than using“buy” to attract consumers.That is because the words “ buy” inclines to create the meaning “ money spending ” . Ho

51、wever, “sponsor ” avoi ds the negative meaning. So, the word“buy” is always substituted by otherwords like “ try, ask, choose ”4.3.2 Substituti ng the n ame of commodityFor in sta nee, many tobacco en terprises use these words“light,soft, cool, mild ” as the sign of cigare ttes to removethe fear car

52、cinogen of from smokers. Like “Mild Seven, Special Mild, Marlboro Lights ”4.3.3 The use of in terrogative sentence and con diti onal clauseE.g. Wouldn ' t you really rather have a Builk?This is advertisement of a brand of car. This rhetorical question means that Builk has a good quality. Don' t you wantto buy it? Therefore, this advertisement can attractconsumersto consider buy it or not. It plays the ef