商务英语毕业论文

Nanchang Institute of Technology Graduation Thesis

Then is the use of compounds. During the design of the slogan, it is sometimes difficult to express some meanings exactly, so people will try to use some special word building method to build a compound to offset this regret. Example eight:

…And Good Nature has an appearing milky-white look. The ready-to-feed form has a convenient, enclosable spout. (Advertisement for milk powder)

In this advertisement, the compounds ?milky-white? and ?ready-to-feed? are all newly created, their special structure makes people feel breezy and impressive. The high fitness and convenience of the milk power are described perfectly through these two words.

3.2.3 Sociological Function

Metaphor also has the sociological function. With the help of metaphor, people can avoid lots of offensive words or undesirable presentation, so the relationship between them will become chummier and they will look gentler.

As an important method to promote sales, it is necessary for advertisement to shun the offensive expression. The euphemism, which means express one?s ideas by inoffensive words, must be used in the slogan to lighten or exclude the unpleasant association. Before the design of the slogan, designers have to take those negative elements into consideration and try their best to exclude them. The utilization of metaphor can help to reach this effect. Example nine:

I want you to sponsor a Rice Paddy Baby.

In this advertisement, the word ?sponsor? is used to replace ?buy?. Both of the two words have the same meaning, but in English the word ?buy? may let people think that they have already spent their money out, but the word ?sponsor? can avoid this unpleasant association.

15

On Metaphors in English Advertisements

Chapter Four The Understanding of Metaphors in English

Advertisements

Metaphor is a kind of thinking phenomenon with various functions. The carrier of metaphor is language. From the view of cognitive psychology, metaphor reflects human?s cognition about the objective world. From the language system itself, metaphor is the dynamic mechanism of language developing and changing. From the rhetoric aspect, metaphor is an important tool to convey complicated things and ideologies. These three aspects connect with each other closely. Because of the complicated function of metaphor, the understanding of metaphor must be considered from lots of aspects.

4.1 Factors that Affect the Understanding of Metaphors in English Advertisements

Sometimes, it is difficult to understand the metaphors in English advertisements, due to the strangeness and abnormal features of metaphors. Understanding of metaphors in English advertisements involves similar factors, cross-culture factors, and language context factors.

4.2.1 The Similarities between Noumenon and Metaphorical Objectives

The typical structure of metaphor is ?A is B.?, that is, the metaphorical expression exists double images— A and B. A is the noumenon and B is the metaphorical objects. There exists some kind of resemblance or similarity between A and B, and this resemblance or similarity can help people to comprehend the metaphors. Generally speaking, the stronger the similarities between the noumenon and the metaphorical are, the easier the understanding of metaphors is. The similarities between the noumenon and the metaphorical are the foundation for the understanding of metaphors. Example ten:

I have a rabbit in my stomach．

16

Nanchang Institute of Technology Graduation Thesis

In this sentence, the designer uses the similarities between the jumping butterfly and the beating heart to describe the exciting mood. 4.2.2 The Cross-culture Differences

Based on the theory of some scholars, metaphor can reflect the relationship between language and people?s cognitive thinking, so the understanding of metaphors is closely related with culture. As culture is produced under the specific natural environment and historical conditions, cultural is provided with distinct ethnic characteristics, which can be called culture differences. The cultural differences will express the understanding of metaphor. That is, metaphors are often related with personal imagination, ethnic culture and social value. For example, the metaphorical meaning of dog is different from that between China and western world. Chinese think dog is a kind of humble animal. Chinese often use the word ?dog? to belittle others. But for westerners, dogs are human?s faithful friends. So in English, the word ?dog? is used as a positive word, such as ?Love me, love my dog.? or ?be top dog?.

So, it shows that to understand metaphors in English advertisement people must consider the different cultural background. The admen also must pay attention to the culture difference, use the right word to give the product a good reputation and extend the influence of the product all over the world. 4.2.3 The Language Context

Today, the study of metaphor is not restricted to rhetoric any more. It develops into a multidisciplinary research. However, metaphor is a kind of language phenomenon after all. The understanding of metaphors is a typical kind of language understanding, hence the language context possesses an essential position in the understanding of metaphors. The effect of context is mainly reflected on the similarities between the noumenon and the metaphorical expressions. When the similarities are obvious, the demand for context is low, when the similarities are weak, the demand for context is high. Example eleven:

We are the dot in com. (Advertisement for network system)

17

On Metaphors in English Advertisements

In this advertisement, people must comprehend the word ?dot? in a proper context. If the consumer don?t relate the proper context to read this advertisement, they will feel difficult to understand it because there is nearly no similarities between the dot and the network system.

4.2Progress of Understanding Metaphors in English Advertisements

Actually, there is no essential diversity between the understanding of metaphors and the understanding of the common language. But, there are still some differences. According to the conversation inference theory, metaphor is the result that people violate the conversation principle. We need to make sure the meaning of the metaphors in English ads by the following progresses: first, to ensure the literal meaning of the ads; then, to evaluate the appropriateness and reality of the letter by contrasting the language context; last, to conclude the undermeaning of the ads which meet the language context. Therefore, the understanding of metaphors in English ads needs additional cognitive ability.

The conclusion comes that: firstly, the understanding of literal meaning of the ads is primary, and people can get the literal meaning without understanding the undermeaning. Secondly, finding the imperfection of the literal meaning is the premise of understanding metaphors in English ads. Thirdly, people need to have additional inference, so that they can get the metaphorical meaning which meets the language context. This shows that the literal meaning of the ads is the first target to be researched. Then the research of the undermeaning needs to connect with the specific context. Last, to getting the most accurate metaphorical meaning. People need to connect more contexts. The understanding of metaphors in English ads needs to input a large amount of intelligence.

Generally speaking, metaphor is the connection of noumenon and metaphorical objects. So when people understand the meanings of metaphors in ads, they need to combine these two factors together. As the diversity of people?s method, educational level and cultural background, the results of the understanding of metaphors are also

18