英汉词语隐喻语义对比分析——以身体部位词为例

A Comparative Analysis of Metaphorical Meaning in English and Chinese Words—A Case Study of Body-Part Terms

摘要: 本文以莱考夫和约翰逊的概念隐喻为理论依据，结合利齐语义分类理论中的内涵意义，选取英汉身体部位类词语为研究对象，分析英汉两者身体部位词表达的隐喻语义，并挖掘其内涵意义，最后对比分析其隐喻特征异同之处以及差异原因。研究聚焦头部及感官、皮肤及内脏、四肢、毛发四大类身体部位隐喻，发现英汉身体部位隐喻存在显著认知共性。同时，二者在语义层面存在差异，这些差异根源在于中西方认知思维方式的差异。本文可为跨文化交际、英汉翻译实践提供理论支撑，也为多语种隐喻差异研究提供分析路径。

Abstract: Based on Lakoff and Johnson’s conceptual metaphor theory and combined with the connotative meaning in Leech’s semantic classification theory, this study takes English and Chinese body part words as the research objects. It analyzes the metaphorical meanings expressed by these words in both languages, explores their connotative meanings, and finally makes a comparative analysis of the similarities, differences and causes of differences in their metaphorical characteristics. Focusing on four categories of body part metaphors—head and senses, skin and internal organs, limbs, and hair—the study finds that there are significant cognitive commonalities in English and Chinese body part metaphors. Meanwhile, there are differences at the semantic level between the two, which stem from the differences in cognitive thinking modes between Chinese and Western cultures. This paper can provide theoretical support for cross-cultural communication and English-Chinese translation practice, and also offer an analytical path for the study of metaphor differences across multiple languages.