西藏手语时间隐喻和转喻的认知研究

A Cognitive Study of Metaphor and Metonymy of Time in Tibetan Gesture Language

隐喻和转喻是西藏手语时间概念化的两种基本认知方式。分析表明,西藏手语时空隐喻以"过去在上,未来在下"最多,"未来在左,过去在右"次之,缺少利用"前—后"空间图式隐喻时间的显性表达,这与藏族对纵向方位体验更为细致有关。三类转喻则是分别利用时间特征、人类活动以及计时仪器来指代时间。就认知理据性来看,西藏手语与汉语或藏语时空隐喻和转喻的共性大于差异,共性源于聋人和听者均借助身体与周围环境发生互动,因此具有体验的普遍性,差异性则来自西藏文化对隐喻和转喻使用的影响。

Metaphor and metonymy are two basic ways of cognition to conceptualize time in Tibetan gesture language. The analysis shows that in Tibetan gesture language, in most metaphors, the relation between time and space is expressed as ＂ the past is up and the future is down＂, and in some metaphors expressed as ＂the future is on the left, while the past is on the right＂. The space expression of ＂front-behind＂ is seldom used in open metaphors of time, which is related with more accurate experience of vertical direction of Tibetans. Metonymy can be divided into three types which use time features, human activities and time- measuring instruments to stand for time respectively. According to cognitive motivation, there are more similarities than differences between Tibetan gesture language and Chinese or Tibetan time-space metaphors and metonymies. They are similar because both the deaf and the listener rely on surrounding environment in their interaction. Hence they share similar experience, while differences are the results of the influence of Tibetan culture on the use of metaphors and metonymies.