英语的明喻是英语中最常用

11.明喻SIMILE1．定义英语的明喻是英语中最常用、最简便的修辞格之一，在文学作品中尤其如此。它根据人们的联想，利用不同事物之间的相似点，借助比喻词(如like，as等)起连接作用，清楚地说明甲事物在某方面像乙事物RhetoricInPractice(《英文实用修辞学》)一书这样来解释明喻：“Asimileisanexpressed1ikeness.Thesimplestandmostdirectwayofconnotinganideawithsomethingelseisbymeansofusingsimiles．SimileistheneutersingularoftheLatinadjective‘similis,’meaninglike.”Simile(明喻)运用广泛，可借以状物、写景、抒情、喻理，使表达生动形象，明白易懂，新鲜有趣。关于英语Simile，有两点须加以说明：一、Simile(明喻)通常由三部分构成，即本体(tenor或subject)、喻体(vehicle或reference)和比喻词(comparativeword或indicatorofresemblance)。可图示如下：Marriageislikeabeleagueredfortress:thosewhoarewithoutwanttogetin,↓↓↓(tenor)(comparativeword)(vehicle)andthosewithinwanttogetout.(P.M.Quitard)二、本体与喻体一般为两个不同事物(如属同类也应具不同性质或特征)，比喻方可成立。例如：①Peterisastallashisfather.②PeterisastallasaMaypole.稍加分析可以看出，例①不算明喻，只是一个比较句，因为Peter及其father同属人类；而例②才是比喻句，因为Peter与Maypole分属人与物。2.引导明喻的比喻词(comparativewords)(1)介词as，like，of等。AsBeautyisassummerfruits,whichareeasytocorruptandcannotlast…(Bacon:OfStudies)美者犹如夏日蔬果，易腐难存…Overheadthehollowstretchofwhitishcloudshuttingouttheskywasasatentwhichhadthewho1eearthasitsfloor。(ThomasHardy)头顶上方，夺据了天际上无尽空荡的白云，宛如高悬的帐篷一般，把整个荒原做了它的地面。Outofthesleevescamestrongbonywristsandhandsgnarledknottedandhardaspeachbranches.(JohnSteinbeck)从袖子里伸出一双瘦骨嶙峋的大手，像桃树枝一样，瘤节盘错，坚硬粗壮。2Iwanderedlonelyasacloud.(W.Wordsworth:TheDaffodils)我像一朵浮云独自漫游。Theyareaslikeastwopeas.他们两个长得一模一样。Hisyoungdaughterlooksasredasarose.他的小女儿面庞红得象朵玫瑰花。Ipassedandrepassedthehouse,andstoppedandlistenedatthedoor;allwasdarkandsilentasthegrave.(B．Shaw)我在那房子前面走了几趟，并在门口停下来听了听；一片漆黑，沉寂得像座坟墓。Lovegoestowardslove,asschoolboysfromtheirbooks;butlovefromlove,towardsschoolwithheavylooks．(WilliamShakespeare)赴情人的约会，像学童抛开书一样；和情人分别，像学童板着脸上学堂。英语里有不少含有明喻的成语，其结构为as+形容词+as+名词。例如：asfirmasarock坚如磐石aslightasafeather轻如鸿毛ascloseasanoyster守口如瓶asmuteasafish噤若寒蝉asstrongashorse强壮如牛ascoolasacucumber泰然自若assoberasajudge十分清醒assureasagun千真万确LikeParisisamorguewithoutyou;beforeIknewyou,itwasParis,andIthoughtitheavens;butnowitisavastdesertofdesolationandloneliness.Itislikethefaceofaclock,bereftofitshands.(SarahBernhardttoVictorianSardou)没有你，巴黎成了一座陈尸所；我认识你之前，巴黎就是巴黎。我把它看成天堂；然而现在它变成了一片荒凉而寂寞的沙漠。它像一个没有时针、分针和秒针的钟面。AllthatIhadtoshow,asamanofletters,werethesefewtalesandessays,whichhadblossomedoutlikeflowersinthecalmsummerofmyheartandmind.(Hawthoren:TheOldManse)作为一个作家，我所能贡献出来的只有这么几篇故事和散文，它们像我心头温和的夏天灿烂开放的花朵。Heworks1ikeahorse／beaver／Trojan／black.他辛辛苦苦地干活。Theyspentmoneylikewater.他们挥金如土。Hetalkslikeabook.他老是文绉绉地说话。Heeatslikeahorse.他吃得很多。Hesmokes1ikeachimney.他抽烟很厉害。3Livingwithoutanaimislikesailingwithoutacompass.(JohnRuskin)生活没有目标犹如航行没有指南针。Hewaslikeacockwhothoughtthesunhadrisenfromhimtocrow.(GeorgeEliot)他这人就像一只骄傲的公鸡，以为太阳升起是为了它的啼叫。Recordsfelllikeripeapplesonawindyday.(E.B.White)被打破的记录有如刮风天成熟的苹果纷纷坠落。Thestaffmemberfoldedlikeanaccordian.这个工作人员就像合拢起来的手风琴似地—不吭声了。MyheartislikeasingingbirdWhosenestisonawateredshoot;Myheartislikeanapple-treeWhoseboughsarebentwiththick-setfruit;MyheartislikearainbowshellThatpaddlesinahalcyonsea;MyheartisgladderthanalltheseBecausemyloveiscometome.(Rossetti)我的心像只善歌的小鸟，小巢建在轻拂水面的嫩枝上；我的心像棵苹果树，沉甸的果实把树梢压弯；我的心像天边彩虹，它轻拂着平静的海面；我的心比这些更喜悦，由于我爱人将来我身边。Of：Hehasaheartofstone.他有一副铁石心肠。Hehastheheartofa1ion,buthedoeseverythinginadown-to-earthway.他有狮子般的勇气，他办事十分认真。Heissometimesbad-temperedbutreallyhe’sgotaheartofgold.有时候他似乎脾气不好，但他的心眼可好了。(2)连词as(犹如)，what(犹如)，asif,asthough,than,and,theway等。Hisheartshiveredasashipshiversatthemountainouscrashofthewaters.他的心颤动，好像一艘船在海浪搏击中震荡一样。Airistomanaswateristofish.人离不开空气，犹如鱼离不开水。Menfeardeath,aschildrenfeartogointhedark:andasthatnaturalfearinchildrenisincreasedwithtales,soistheother.(FrancisBacon)犹如儿童恐惧黑暗，人对于死亡的恐惧，也由于听信太多的鬼怪传说而增大。Readingistothemindwhatexerciseistothebody.（SirRichardSteel）读书对于思想，好比运动对于身体一样重要。Parksaretothecitywhatlungsaretothebody.公园对于都市正如肺对于人的身体一样重要。4Judiciouspraiseistochildrenwhatthesunistoflowers．(Bovee)明智的表扬对于孩子的作用，就像阳光对于花朵的作用。Ifeltasifthegroundwereslippingbeneathmyfeet.我感到好像大地在脚下滑动。Acrowdofpeoplewerearoundhim,touchinghisbody,feelinghislegs,andbiddingforhimasifhehadbeenahorse.一大堆人固在他身边，摸着他的身体和大腿，出价买他，好像他是一匹马似的。ThefirsttimeIreadanexcellentbook,itistomejustasifIhadgainedanewfriend.我头一回读到一本好书，对我来说我好像交了一位新朋友。Theystooduponableakanddesertmoor,whosemonstrousmassesofstonewerecastaboutasthoughitweretheburialplaceofgiants.他们站在荒无人烟的旷野上，那里满地都是硕大无朋的岩石，宛如巨人的墓地。HewasabeautifulhorsethatlookedasthoughhehadcomeoutofapaintingbyVelasques．(E.Hemingway:ForWhomtheBellTolls)这匹马真雄俊，看起来仿佛是从一幅维拉斯奎茨的油画里跑出来的一样。Ourvillageisnolessbeautifulthanthispicture.我们乡村同这幅图画一样美。Astudentcannomoreobtainknowledgewithoutstudyingthanafarmercangetharvestwithoutplowing.学生不学习获不到知识，犹如农民不耕作就不能得到收获一样。Awhaleisnotafishanymorethanahorseis.鲸不是鱼，正如马也不是鱼一样。Loveandcoughcannotbehid.爱情像咳嗽一样是掩盖不了的。Aworldandastoneletgocannotberecalled.说出的话犹如抛出的石，是收不回的。Truthandoilareeverabove.真理跟油一样，总要升到上面来。Awoman’smindandaglassareeverindanger.女人易毁’，玻璃易碎。Ishouldsmellitthewayacatsmellsamouse.我可以像猫嗅老鼠那样闻出它的气味来oThebestworkisdonethewayantsdothings—bytiny,tirelessandregularadditions.最好的作品是像蚂蚁干活那样完成的—通过点滴、不懈、经常不断的增补而成。(3)动词seem，resemble(名词resemblance)，treat／honour／regard／consider／respectas，