英汉语“悲伤”情感概念隐喻对比分析

A Comparative Analysis of Conceptual Metaphors of “Sadness” in English and Chinese

摘要: 本文在概念隐喻理论(CMT)框架下，对英汉两种语言中“悲伤”情感概念隐喻进行系统性对比分析。研究以英美文学经典文本、流行歌词、新闻语料及英国国家语料库(BNC)为英语语料来源，以中国古典文学、现当代文学及主流媒体书面语料为汉语语料来源，在定性分析框架内展开讨论。研究发现，英汉两种语言共享四类核心悲伤隐喻，即“悲伤是向下”、“悲伤是重物”、“悲伤是黑暗”以及“悲伤是心脏疼痛”，其普遍性根植于人类共通的具身体验；与此同时，两种语言亦各具文化个性：英语发展出“悲伤是蓝色”、“悲伤是鬼神”、“悲伤是折磨者”等具有鲜明文化特色的隐喻，汉语则形成了“悲伤是秋天景象”、“悲伤是丝线”、“悲伤是内脏受损”等极具民族文化特征的隐喻。本文进一步从文化传统与经济模式两个维度对上述差异的成因加以探讨，指出英汉悲伤隐喻的个性差异分别源于各自不同的历史文化积淀与物质生产经验。本研究有助于深化对英汉情感隐喻的认知理解，并为跨文化情感研究提供一定的理论参考。

Abstract: Drawing on Conceptual Metaphor Theory (CMT), this paper presents a systematic comparative analysis of conceptual metaphors of “sadness” in English and Chinese. The English corpus is drawn from canonical literary texts, popular song lyrics, news media, and the British National Corpus (BNC), while the Chinese corpus comprises classical literature, contemporary literary works, and mainstream print media. After metaphorical expressions are identified and categorized, the analysis proceeds within a qualitative framework. The study identifies four conceptual metaphors shared by both languages—SADNESS IS DOWN, SADNESS IS A BURDEN, SADNESS IS DARKNESS, and SADNESS IS PAIN OF THE HEART—whose cross-linguistic universality is grounded in common embodied experience. At the same time, each language exhibits culturally distinctive metaphorical patterns: English has developed SADNESS IS BLUE, SADNESS IS A SUPERNATURAL BEING, and SADNESS IS A TORMENTOR, while Chinese has produced SADNESS IS AUTUMN SCENERY, SADNESS IS SILK THREAD, and SADNESS IS DAMAGE TO INTERNAL ORGANS. The paper further examines the causes of these differences from two dimensions, cultural tradition and economic mode of production, arguing that the distinctive metaphorical patterns in each language are shaped by their respective historical-cultural legacies and material life experiences. The findings contribute to a deeper understanding of emotional metaphor in English and Chinese, and offer theoretical implications for cross-cultural emotion research.