The Study Of Conceptual Metaphors Of “Fire” In Chinese

In 1980, Lakoff and Johnson published their remarkable book Metaphors We Live By.With the putting forward of Conceptual Metaphor Theory,the situation that traditional study of metaphor confined in a language study has been broken.The theory has revealed the internal reasons,mapping mechanisms,values and significance.On the other hand, the extensive use of fire is an important symbol of human civilization,and it closely links to the daily life.The concept connotation of "fire" in Chinese is very rich.It has a profound effect on our brain activity of cognition.This paper is a study of “fire” in modern Chinese.Guided by Conceptual Metaphor Theory,this paper does the research on the basis of data by means of qualitative and quantitative analysis.It tries to summarize the metaphorical concepts of fire and explore the forms,characteristics of conceptual metaphors.It also aims to find the cognitive basis.The forms,attributes, functions, movement patterns and existence of fire are mapped to the twenty-eight target domains based on the physical experience, objective environment, cultural atmosphere and other reasons,including object,condition,behavior,emotion and other fields. The results will contribute to understanding deeply and fully the cognitive psychology and thinking characteristics about Chinese language.Moreover,it could brings some inspirations to teachers who are committed to the teaching of Chinese as a foreign language.They could guide students to establish Chinese conceptual system of metaphors, better master Chinese language skills and experience Chinese culture.