论隐喻理论构建的参照维度及连续统——以“A is B”型隐喻为例

Dimensions and Their Continuums for Data Delineation in Metaphor Theory Construction: Taking “A is B” Metaphor as an Example

概念隐喻理论引发了隐喻的认知革命,同时也受到其他隐喻理论的批评,但批评者在批评时选用的是与概念隐喻理论不同的隐喻类型。其实不同的隐喻理论只有基于相同的隐喻类型,才有对比的基础。"A is B"型隐喻是所有隐喻理论都关注的类型,可以成为理论交流的基础,但将概念隐喻理论与其他主要隐喻理论进行分析发现,即便是"A is B"型隐喻也非常复杂,至少存在层级性、集体性、方向性、系统性、共现/相似性、命题/意象性、刻意性以及语境依赖性八个维度,而且每个维度都呈现连续统分布。对隐喻维度的甄别及其连续统的描述,有助于不同理论在互相对话或争鸣时圈定共同的隐喻类型,也有利于隐喻实证研究更清晰地选择变量或参数。

Conceptual Metaphor Theory（ CMT） triggered a cognitive revolution in metaphor studies and it has been criticized by many other metaphor theorists who based their criticism on different metaphor types from those of CMT. Actually,only by analyzing the same metaphor type can different theories have a common basis for dialogue. Focusing on ＂A is B＂metaphor,which is the shared type by almost all major metaphor theories,the present paper contrasts Conceptual Metaphor Theory with other leading metaphor theories,and the analysis reveals that metaphor data can be more clearly distinguished by at least eight dimensions,i. e.,generality,collectivity,directionality,systematicity,correlation/analogy,proposition/image, deliberateness and context-dependence. Each dimension presents a continuum distribution,and they overlap with each other. The identification and characterization of these dimensions is expected to contribute to a more accurate delineation for metaphor theories on the one hand,and a clearer parameter selection for empirical studies on the other.