Representing Metaphorical Information In ECLDs

Traditional studies on metaphor view it as a rhetorical device.However,cognitive linguistics believe that metaphor is everywhere,not just in language but also in the form of thought and action.Metaphor is a concept expressed by the linguistic objects.It builds connections between things in different fields and helps people to understand one thing through another thing.Most of our ordinary conceptual system is metaphorical in nature,and language is used to convey the concept of metaphors.Metaphor theories and findings in lexicography should be applied to lexicographical practice,which can help to strengthen metaphor awareness and encourage leaners to master metaphor.In addition,advanced English-Chinese learner's dictionaries can both take into consideration Chinese culture and English culture.Therefore,by means of providing metaphorical information in ECLDs,learners can acquire information on metaphor in a more effective way and can better understand the cultural differences of metaphors between Chinese and English as well.This study aims to investigate how metaphor works to integrate different concepts together and produce metaphorical meaning,and the systematicity of conceptual metaphor,which explains the mappings between different domains.Studies are also carried out to explore the cognitive mechanism of metaphor.Moreover,based on the treatment of metaphor information in current advanced English monolingual learner's dictionaries and English-Chinese learner's dictionaries,a tentative entry for representing metaphorical information in ECLDs is to be proposed.To achieve these objectives,the present study endeavored to analyze the similarities and differences on the metaphor of chi and eat.It was found that universality and distinctive features could be interpreted by cognitive mechanism of metaphor.The bodily experience can account for the universality of metaphors.Some metaphors are primary metaphors.Primary metaphor is the most explicit evidence in explaining universality of some specific metaphors.They depend directly on our interaction with the environment.Differences of metaphor was illustrated by cultural features,such as alternative metaphors,cultural preference,and unique metaphors.They illustrate metaphorical differences from various perspectives.Then studies were carried out to analyze the metaphorical representation in existing advanced English monolingual learner's dictionaries and English-Chinese learner's dictionaries.It was found that conceptual metaphors can be found in these learner's dictionaries.However,learners may not recognize the metaphorical uses or metaphorical mappings between two different domains.That is to say,the metaphorical representation may not help to raise metaphor awareness or encourage metaphor learning.Moreover,Chinese-English learner's dictionaries also present the features of chi,which displays the country-specific characteristic.In the end,under the help of studies in the cognitive mechanism of metaphor and findings in the metaphorical representation,this study analyzed metaphorical competence of Chinese EFL learners and their needs for metaphor leaning.This study also explored principles and methods of metaphorical representation in ECLDs from the perspective of megastructure,microstructure and cultural differences.On the foundation of these studies,a tentative entry of eat was proposed for ECLDs,which hopes to make contributions to lexicographical practice and help to enhance metaphor learning via learner's dictionaries.