凸显视域下英语名词性隐喻结构的不可逆性研究

On the Irreversibility of English Nominal Metaphorical Constructions from the Perspective of Prominence

本文评述了七种隐喻理论在阐释英语名词性隐喻结构不可逆性方面的利弊,并提出凸显整合模型,认为本体凸显导致隐喻的层创意义具有本体指向性,因而本体的变换会导致层创结构的变更,继而会致使隐喻产生不同的交际意义和功能,因此英语名词性隐喻具有不可逆性。在凸显整合模型中,语境、认知模型和文化模型是影响英语隐喻不可逆性的重要因素。

This article comments on pros and cons of seven kinds of metaphorical theories on the elucidation of irreversibility of English nominal metaphorical constructions, and puts up with Prominent Blending Model, which considers that a prominent topic makes the metaphorical emergent meaning become topic-orientated, and the change of a topic would contribute to the alteration of the emergent structure, which would subsequently result in different communicative meaning and function of the metaphor, by which a conclusion could be drawn that English nominal metaphors are irreversible. In a Prominent Blending Model, context, cognitive models and cultural models are important elements of affecting English metaphorical irreversibility.