A Study On Metonymy—Metaphor Continuum In Press Conference Discourse

More and more scholars make researches on metonymy and metaphor from the cognitive perspective. Traditional distinction between metonymy and metaphor can no longer be upheld. It has been verified that the relationship between metonymy and metaphor is not discrete, but scalar. Taylor gives the new term metonymy-metaphor continuum. Radden holds that the classical notions of metonymy and metaphor are to be seen as prototypical categories along a metonymy-metaphor continuum with a wide range of intermediate categories such as metonymy-based metaphors in between. Radden also puts forward four types of metonymic sources of metonymy-based metaphors, which are common experiential basis, implicature, category structure and cultural models. The author of the thesis gives an analysis to metonymy-based metaphors in press conference discourse, because in recent years, press conference discourse, as a kind of important political discourse to know more about foreign countries is paid attention by more and more scholars.In the research, the author randomly selects30official press conference discourses from the official websites such as www.whithouse.gov, www.fmprc.gov.cn, www.yokoo.com, www.fco.gov.uk and some videos to set a data basis. The author gives a detailed analysis on metonymy-based metaphors with four types of metonymic sources of metonymy-metaphor continuum and researches how the metonymy-based metaphors functionalize in press conference discourse. Official press conference discourse has its own specific features such as richness and timeliness; formalness and persuasiveness; and condensability of words and rhetoric of sentences. Metonymy-based metaphors play rhetorical function and stylistic function in press conference discourse which just reflect the above features of this type of discourse. It is hoped that the thesis could contribute in some way to language learners as well as press conference interpreters.