索绪尔《普通语言学教程》比喻观的四维管窥

A Four Dimensional Study on the Concept of Metaphors in Course in General Linguistic (1980) by Ferdinand de Saussure

经详细统计,《普通语言学教程》总共用了43个比喻,使用情况为前密后疏,凸显大跨度特点,涉及历史学、动物学、经济学、植物学、几何学、化学、建筑学、音乐学、新闻学等学科领域。比喻效应及可接受度可作四分,由强至弱逐级递减,差异在于中西比喻的哲学观不同,但这种差异的矛盾运动也使得中西间的跨文化认知更具挑战性和创造性。下棋为喻中精品,一喻而比出了外部与内部的对立、历时与共时的对立、实体与价值的对立以及有限与无限的统一,喻巧而理至;元首与大臣、词典分发、交响乐、契约、树干的切断面等21个比喻当为上品,一个比喻中包含了至少一对对立,立象颇为尽意;发报机和莫尔斯电码、挂毯、强制的牌、货币的价值、描绘阿尔卑斯山全景等13个比喻有瑕疵,可算中品,立象不足以尽意;空气和水、一件袍子、房子和住房子的人等8个比喻应作下品,本体与喻体之间的联系甚迂回和干瘪,信息量不足、可接受度差。

43 metaphors are used in Course in General Linguistic（1980）. Generally speaking,, covering history, zoology, economics, botany, geometry, chemistry, architecture, musicology, journalism etc, these metaphors are used intensively in the first half but sparse in the latter part of the book, showing a high-span characteristic.In Chinese, the effect of these metaphors can be divided into 4 levels due to the differences between Chinese and Western views of metaphoric philosophy. And the difference makes the cross-cultural recognition more challenging and creative. Playing chess is the essence which is the most effective in that it indicates the contrariety and unification between the external and the internal, the diachronic and the synchronic, entity and value, the finite and the infinite.Head of state and sec- retary, distribution of dictionary, the symphony, contract, cut surface of tree trunk and other 21 metaphors are supposed to be secondly effective, in which one metaphor Contains at least one pair of expressive antithesis. The less effective ones include telegraph transmitter and Morse code, tapestry, the compulsory cards, describing the full view of Alps and other 13 metaphors, because they are not expressive enough. The least effective metaphors are air and water, a gown, the house and the occupier of the house and other 8 metaphors in that the relationship between the object and the metaphoric object is quite indirect and week, not so well-informed and less acceptable.