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摘 要:从明喻、隐喻、借喻三个方面对英语文学著作中的比喻修辞格进行了赏析。 关键词:比喻 修辞格 文学著作 赏析 在人类的语言中,文学语言是经过作家的选择取舍后刻意提炼的,能够再现生活中的真情实貌,给读者留下美的感受和突出的印象。因此,成功的作家都注意自己的著作风格和艺术特色。有的质朴自然、庄凝深厚;有的笔锋犀利、尖锐辛辣;有的平和纡婉、娓娓动听;有的则幽默诙谐、谈笑风生。[1]然而,无论著作格调如何迥然不同,都力求在表达方式上斟词酌句,在修辞上下功夫。我们在阅读英语文学著作时会发现,比喻修辞格是作者在写作时常用的一种手段。如:英国作家马考莱在《约翰生传》一文中有这样一段文字:The old philosopher is still among us in the brown coatwith themetal buttons,and the shirt which ought to be at wash,blinking,puffing,rolling his head,drummingwith fingers,tearing his meat likea tiger, and swallowing his tea in oceans.(Thomas B.Macauly,Samuel Johnson)这位目光炯炯、喘气咻咻的老学者,吃起肉来如猛虎,喝起茶来似海饮,作者使用比喻的修辞手法,将约翰生的怪僻和饕餮的神态描绘得入木三分。 今天读起这段文字来,仍旧如闻其声,如见其人。这是绘人。在看朗费罗对秋天景色的描写:Magnificent autumn! He comes not like a pilgrim,clad in rus-set weeds.He comes not like a hermit,clad in gray.But he comeslike a warrior,with the stain of blood upon his brazen mail.His stepis like a flail upon the threshing floor.(H.W.Longfellow,Autumn)作者把秋天比作一个威风凛凛的武士,身披猩红铠甲,手擎鲜艳的红旗,步履威严,像一付大连枷降临打谷场,将秋天描绘得有声有色。这是绘景。比喻(image)一词来源于拉丁文imago,其本意是“肖像”、“影像”、“映像”。所谓比喻,就是把两种本质不同的事物,取其相同的一点作比较。 使一物的特征借助旁的事物形象地放映出来,使人获得具体的可感性。所以说,比喻就是比较不同事物的类似之处。当我们说:“Boyle was the father ofchemistry and the brother of the earl of Cork.”这不是比喻,只是事实的叙述。又如:“A cat is like a tiger.”或“The cat is asfierce as a tiger.”这都不是比喻,而只是事物的对比。如果说:“The soldier fought like a tiger.”尽管这句话仍在说明战士和猛虎两者之间的相似点,但这种比较就不再局限于字面上的意义,而是具有一种想象力了,比喻的功效就在于引起人们的想象力,不具备这一点,就不能称之为比喻。按照性质来看,比喻可以分为三类:明喻(simile)、隐喻(metaphor)和借喻(metonymy)。 1.明喻这种比喻形式十分明显,常常使用like,as,such等词,把比喻的事物(喻体)和被比喻的事物(本体)关系起来。它的形式是本体、喻体和比喻词都出现,使人一眼就看出是比喻。[2]其基本公式是:This is like that.(甲像乙)。例如:1)The house opens like an oyster.You have to push all yourmight to get in,a shoulder isn’t enough.(Soupault:The Death ofNick Carter)2) For, nowadays,men change their oaths as often as theychange their clothes.(Jonathan Swift)例1)中:house(本体),oyster(喻体),like比喻词。例2)中:oaths(本体),oyster(喻体),as比喻词。 2.隐喻这种用法比明喻进了一层,不显露比喻的行迹,本体喻体融成一体,从而使得句子精练含蓄,使人深思,产生想象。其基本公式是:This is that.(甲是乙,本体是喻体)。培根写过这样一句话:A man’s nature runs eitherto herbs orweeds;therefore let himseasonably water the one,and destroy the other.(Bacon)人的本性不是趋向善,就是趋向恶。把善喻做香花(herbs),把恶比做毒草(weeds),言简意赅,形象具体。莎士比亚在其剧本《恺撒大帝》中讲述凯歇斯在挑动凯斯卡刺杀恺撒时,是这样写的:And why should Caesar be a tyrant then?Poor man! I know he would not be a wolfBut that he sees the Romans are but sheep;He were no line were not Romans hinds.(Julius Caesar,ActⅠsceneⅢ)他将罗马人民比做绵羊和鹿,把恺撒比做是狮子,说明恺撒必须被除掉,否则,人民不会有安宁。另外,在许多文学著作中,明喻和隐喻的交替使用可收到更好的艺术效果。如:She dwelt among the untrodden ways, Beside the springs of Dove,Amaid whom there were none to praise, And very few to love.A violet by a mossy stone Half hidden from the eye.--—Fair as a star,when only one Is shining in the sky.(William Wordsworth)诗人华兹华斯在此诗中交替使用明喻和隐喻,他先将美丽的少女视为“青苔石边的一朵紫罗兰”,接着一个明喻,又把她比做是“闪烁在天空中的一颗星”,这样就激起读者的无限遐想,对孤独的少女油然而生幽幽同情。 3.借喻它比隐喻又进一步。借喻之中,只提喻体,不提本体,直接把喻体当作本体。其基本公式是:“乙代甲”(喻体代本体)。如常用press代newspaper,plough代agriculture,the bench代the judge等。请看美国总统林肯的一段讲话:A house divided against itself cannot stand.I believe this gov-ernment cannot endure permanently,half slave and half free.I do notexpect the Union to be divided,--—I do not expect the house tofall;but I do expect it will cease to be divided.(Speeches and Let-ters ofAbrahamLincoln) |
