A Probe Into Conceptual Metaphors Of Death In Chinese And English

The study of metaphor can be traced back to Aristotle's time. Contrary to the traditional view that metaphor is merely a matter of language, a set of extraordinary or figurative linguistic expressions, the contemporary theory argues that metaphor is pervasive in everyday life, not just in language but rather in thought and action. Metaphor is rather a figure of thought, while the figure of speech serves as a surface manifestation of such metaphorical thought.Based on the Theory of Conceptual Metaphor proposed by Lakoff and Johnson, this thesis intends to make a comparative study of the conceptual metaphors on DEATH in English and Chinese from the cultural perspective. Some principal metaphors concerning the conception of DEATH are compared, analyzed, and summarized into seven conceptual metaphors. A general analysis is made to pursue the causes of the similarities and the differences. Cultural universality and specific conventional beliefs are claimed to be the main factors that impact the way of metaphorical thinking on the conception of DEATH in both cultures.The present thesis assumes that systematicity and cultural coherence exist in both English and Chinese conceptual metaphor systems, and the diversity between the two metaphorical systems is also clear because the two languages are rooted in different cultures. By analyzing the causes of the universality and the diversity of conceptual metaphors in English and Chinese languages, this thesis also aims to put forward some effective ways to improve the ability of metaphor comprehension for communicators from English and Chinese cultures.The findings of the research not only provide supporting evidence for the conceptual metaphor theory, but also help language learners get a better understanding of the relationships between culture, metaphor and language learning.