认知能力和语言水平在隐喻理解中的作用——以概念与语言形式重合度不同的隐喻句为例

Roles of Cognitive Ability and Language Proficiency in Chinese EFL Learners' Comprehension of Metaphorical Sentences with Different Correspondence in Concept and Language

不同文化背景的人在使用隐喻表达思想时所采用的概念系统和语言形式有所不同。两种语言隐喻的概念和语言形式重合度高低会对其理解产生一定的影响。本文探讨第二语言环境下英语学习者认知能力和语言水平在概念和语言形式重合度不同的四种隐喻句子理解时的作用。本研究主要有两点发现:1)当第二语言隐喻和母语隐喻在概念和语言形式上重合度高度一致时,语言水平在隐喻的理解过程中具有明显的解释作用而认知能力的作用并不明显。2)当第二语言隐喻和母语隐喻在概念和语言形式上重合度低时,认知能力和语言水平都是解释隐喻理解的显著变量。

The present study explores the roles of second language learners＇ cognitive ability and language proficiency in the comprehension of metaphorical sentences with different correspondence in concept and language form. Two major findings emerge from the study： 1 ） language proficiency plays a significant role in second language learners＇ understanding of the metaphorical sentences whose concept and language form in second and native language exactly correspond while cognitive ability fails to do so; 2） both cognitive ability and language proficiency significantly account for the proportion of the variance of the understanding o.f the metaphorical sentences whose concept and language form in second and native language differ in concept and/or language form.