英语温度域的意象图式及其隐喻系统

The Image Schema of the Temperature Domain and Its Metaphorical System in English

本研究从认知语言学的视角考察温度词语的多义性是如何通过意象图式以及基于其上的概念隐喻而产生的。研究表明,在英语温度域图式中,温度的高低及其变化是由空间概念"上下"的层级关系及其变化来构建的。基于这一图式并通过隐喻投射,英语中形成了一个温度域概念隐喻系统,即由"温度喻事体的状态"①、"温度的高低喻事体状态不同的强烈程度"、"温度的变化喻事体状态的变化"等三个层次的隐喻投射构成的系统。作为一个认知机制,该隐喻系统衍生了许多非温度概念,形成了独特的推理模式。我们认为,该系统既制约着人们对规约性的温度隐喻概念及其隐喻表达的理解和运用,同时又促进人们创造新的温度隐喻概念及其隐喻表达。

This article explores how polysemy of words in the temperature domain is extended through the temperature image schema and the conceptual metaphors based on it from the cognitive linguistic perspective.Our study indicates that in the temperature image schema,the degrees of temperature and their changes are constructed in terms of the vertical spatial concepts of UP and DOWN.Based on this image schema and through metaphorical mappings,there forms a conceptual metaphor system in English—the Temperature Metaphor System that consists of three-layered metaphorical mappings,i.e.,THE STATE OF THINGS IS TEMPERATURE,THE DEGREES OF THE INTENSITY OF THE STATES OF THINGS ARE THE DEGREES OF TEMPERATURE,and THE CHANGES OF THE STATES OF THINGS ARE THE CHANGES OF TEMPERATURE.As a cognitive mechanism,this metaphor system gives rise to numerous non-temperature concepts and forms a unique inference pattern.It constrains our interpretation and use of the entrenched temperature metaphorical concepts and linguistic expressions on the one hand and enables us to create novel concepts and linguistic expressions on the other.