A dynamic study of figure of Speech in modern Chinese = 現代漢語辭格的動態研究

Abstract

This study aims at examining the communication mode of figures of speech in modern Chinese. Since the 20th century, many valuable studies on figures of speech in modern Chinese have been conducted in the aspects of definitions, classifications, rhetorical effects and rules of usage. In these studies, static analysis was adopted, and frameworks and methodologies applied varied. This hinders the learning and further studies. To more comprehensively perceive the concept of figures of speech in modern Chinese, dynamic analysis has been adopted in this research.

This thesis consists of 6 chapters. Chapter 1 is an introduction which outlines the background, objectives, focuses and methodology of the research.

Chapter 2 proposes a new definition of figures of speech: “It refers to a special technique of expression with specific rhetorical effects that writers and speakers utilize according to the context and through a specific mental process to achieve specific rhetorical effects with certain patterns on the form or sematic meaning.” This new definition stems from ample literature reviews and text analysis.

Chapter 3 discusses various mental processes involved in the use of figures of speech in communication. The findings include: 1.) Emotions can lead to rhetorical purposes and rhetorical effects; 2.) Volition can assist with rhetorical presentation and rhetorical understanding and generate rhetorical rules; 3.) The cognitive process creates the process of rhetorical expression and rhetorical understanding.

Chapter 4 delves into the influence of contexts on figures of speech in communication. This chapter points out that contexts can be divided into linguistic contexts and non-linguistic contexts, while non-linguistic contexts can be subdivided into communicative contexts and social contexts. It is also suggested that, with the support of linguistic contexts, communicative contexts and social contexts, expression and understanding of figures of speech will be consistent.

Chapter 5 constructs two communication modes of figures of speech. One of them is sematic enrichment model, where the rhetorical meaning is added while the natural sematic meaning from the rhetorical text remains. Another one is sematic variation model, where rhetorical meaning is added while the natural sematic meaning from the rhetorical text is always abandoned and variates to non-natural sematic meaning. Sematic enrichment model is generally formed by the psychological mechanism of “association – attention” or “imagination – imagination” and its success of communication usually depends on linguistic contexts. Sematic variation model is generally composed by the psychological mechanism of “association – association” or “association – imagination” and its success of communication also depends on linguistic contexts but relies more on non-linguistic contexts than sematic enrichment model does.

Chapter 6 summarizes the findings and provides suggestions for research on rhetoric and other related disciplines. This chapter demonstrates a framework of mental process and a framework of context for studying figures of speech. The figure of speech is an aspect of rhetoric while the study of mental process and contexts are always applicable to other disciplines. The methodology and findings of this study can, therefore, be used as references for rhetoric and other disciplines, such as communication studies, pragmatics and discourse analysis.