一个模糊的范畴——混合隐喻(英文)

MIXED METAPHOR——A MIXED CATEGORY

英美修辞家对混合隐喻不加区别的否定,盖源于师承亚里斯多德的经典修辞学而演化出的“修饰原则”——其出发点是,隐喻的功能仅限于“修饰”。然而,隐喻的存在价值在于以形象的有机融合来填补“直义语言”的语义空缺。在这里,形象生动性与信息清晰性是统一的。本文通过对混合隐喻的本质结构和实例的分析,认为应摒弃“混合隐喻”这一范畴——将其分为“复转义隐喻”和“混乱隐喻”。

In pedagogic practice, though not necessarily in theory, a sequence of two or more metaphors combined together to modify a subject is indiscriminately condemned as 'mixed metaphor'. This is an unfair treatment resulting from the Aristotelian classical bias, which advocates the 'decorum principle' and relegates metaphor to mere ornament.The raison d'etre of a metaphor is image-shift, which tips the reader with kinetic figure and thus conveys the message more effectively than if by only literal means. In other words, literal expressions leave many lexical lacunas, which metaphors can fill up. Viewed in this light, metaphor's vividness contributes directly to the organic clarity of message-conveyance, metaphor-sequence no exception.Naturally, the criterion evaluating a metaphor-sequence is organic clarity, i. e. whether or not the message can be effectively conveyed through the fusion of images.The proposition hers is to replace the vague category of 'mixed metaphor' with a bifurcation of 'second-shift metaphor' and 'confused metaphor'. The former is a recommendable metaphor-sequence, whereas the latter should be abandoned.