论钱钟书的隐喻观

On Qian Zhongshu’s Theory of Metaphor

隐喻是钱钟书著述的核心论题之一。钱钟书对认知隐喻的论说与西方认知语言学有许多相合之处,但在时间上要明显早于后者。他认为隐喻是人类认知世界的一种基本方式,某些哲学概念和思想系统就建立在隐喻之上。隐喻既是文学语言的基本成分,也是说理文中一种重要的致知工具。钱钟书对隐喻内在机制的分析明显受到亚里士多德、理查兹以及中国传统典籍的影响。他将隐喻的“两柄”与“多边”结合在一起,并将各种复杂的情况分类论说,其中蕴涵了重要的学术创见。

Metaphor has always been one of the key issues in Qian Zhong-shu s works.There are many similarities between Qian s ideas and western cognitive linguistics on cognitive metaphor.Apparently,Qian brought up the ideas earlier than the western scholars.He believes that metaphor is a fundamental way for human beings to know the world as some philosophical concepts and systems are established based on it.Metaphor,therefore,is not only a basic element of literary language but also a vital cognitive tool in argumentative essays.Qian s analysis on the inner mechanism of metaphor has been greatly influenced by Aristotle,I.A.Richards,as well as some Chinese classics on literary theories.Qian combines“two ends”and“many characteristics”,and categorizes many complicated contexts,which contains some very important and creative academic ideas.