“ａｓ．．．ａｓ”明喻面面觀

摘要:明喻是一種很常用的修辭手法，但在修辭學中，對于比喻詞as 表現明喻的研究迄今不多。本文分析了as...as形式的明喻的特點及其運用，并就其問題作了初步探討。

關鍵詞:比喻詞 明喻 特點

1.引言

明喻是一種常見的修辭手法。它是以兩種具有相同特征的事物和現象進行對比，表明本體 (tenor或subject) 和喻體(vehicle或reference)之間的相似關系，兩者都在對比中出現。明喻用比喻詞來引出喻體，通過現實的或想象中的相似點認知本體的意向。本文擬就比喻詞as引出喻體的特點及具體運用作一番探討。

2．as...as形式明喻的特點及其運用

一般來說，主要的比喻詞有as和like。英語中有許多習語都由as給出比喻形象，形式為 (as) + adj. + as + n. ，可使主旨明確，清楚易懂，訴諸想象，強化效果。

2．1與漢語“四字格”完全對譯

由于人類生活的世界、人類的思維和情感有共通之處，因此，各種文化和語言也表現出一定的相融性和共同點。英語和漢語中的成語有些在語言形式和比喻形象方面十分相似，幾乎可以完全一一對譯。一國語言中的習語最能集中反映該國的民族文化、傳統等各種特點，民族色彩很濃。習語的直譯就有了它的特殊重要性。

漢語的成語多數由四個字組成，稱“四字格”。四言成語言簡意明，內容精辟，寓意深刻，形象生動。用as...as構成的明喻形式直譯“四字格”，不僅保留了漢語成語的色彩和生動形象，還豐富了英語語言，讓英語讀者更好地感受漢語文化。

直譯由比喻詞“如”構成的四字成語：

安如泰山as secure as Mount Taishan

如狼似虎as ferocious as wolves and tigers

饑餓如狼as hungry as a wolf

疾如閃電as quick as lightning

堅如磐石as firm as rock

美如圖畫as pretty as a picture

輕如鴻毛as light as a feather

潔白如雪as white as snow

安如磐石as solid as a rock

清如水晶as clear as crystal

勇猛如獅as brave as a lion

2．2 傳達四字成語的內涵和外延

英漢民族畢竟在地理環境、生活習俗、宗教信仰等方面存在相當的差異，所以，成語的產生和使用在兩種文化中表現出各自不同的特色。比喻詞as詮釋了比喻形象的差別。

如：地久天長as old as the hills

守口如瓶as close as an oyster ;as silent as the graves;

易如反掌as easy as pie

青春煥發 as flesh as flowers in May

有眼無珠as blind as a bat

驚慌失措as scared as a rabbit

膽大妄為as bold as brass

充耳不聞as deaf as a post

死氣沉沉as dead as a door nail

暴跳如雷as mad as a wet hen

光明磊落as open as the day

力大如牛as strong as a horse

爛醉如泥as drunk as a lord

泰然自若as cool as a cucumber

易如反掌as easy as ABC

膽小如鼠as timid as a rabbit

噤若寒蟬as mute as a fish

一貧如洗as poor as a Church mouse

無憂無慮as happy as a prince

2．3 表現由“很”“非常”構成的四字詞組

如：十分安全as safe as houses

身體很好as fit as fiddle

視力很差as blind as a bat

非常鮮艷as fresh as a rose

十分舒適as comfortable as an old shoe

十分固執as stubborn as mule

非常愚蠢as silly as goose

十分寒冷as cold as a frog

十分沉重as heavy as lead

2．4 反映歷史典故

as...as 形式的明喻所表現的英語典故不僅潤飾語言，使之豐富多彩，生動清晰，而且更容易溝通思想。

如：as old as Adam 極為古老

as wise as Solmon智慧超群

as rich as Jesus / Croesus 富比陶朱

2．5增強語句說服力

采用as...as明喻修辭手法可以把平淡的內容表現得更加生動，把道理說得更加透徹，把觀點表達得更加鮮明，從而更好地傳遞信息，增添文采。

She is as proud as a peacock.她像孔雀一樣驕傲。

The sapphire is as blue as the sea. 寶石藍得像海。

She is as beautiful as a flower. 她像花一樣的美麗。

I am as light as a feather， I am as happy as an angel， I am as merry as a school boy. I am as giddy as a drunken man...(Charles Dickens) 我像羽毛一樣輕，我像天使一樣幸福，我像小學生一樣快活，我像喝醉了酒的人一樣飄飄然……

2．6利用雙聲增強美感

由as...as構成的明喻形式利用雙聲增強美感，簡潔明快，令人回味無窮。

如：as brittle as glass

as sour as a crab/vinegar

as brown as berry

as busy as a bee

as changeable as weather/a clock/the moon

as cheerful as a lark

as common as dirty

as cold as ice/marble/a stone/a key/charity/frog

as dark as pitch

as empty as a drum

as fair as a rose

as fat as a pit/butter

as sound as a bell

as sweet as honey/sugar

as clear as a bell/a day/crystal/ daylight/the nose on your face

3．運用時值得注意的問題

明喻不是同類事物的比較，如：The measure is as effective as that one.

明喻應有邏輯性，如：

Illogical: Her cheeks were as red as blood， and her voice as loud as a sparrow’s.

Note: Cheeks were rosy and a sparrow’s voice isn’t lovely at all.

4．結束語

用as...as表示的明喻形式不僅包含歷史典故、文化習俗，而且利用雙聲增強美感。明喻習語清楚易懂，語言形象，比喻確切。研究探討其特點和運用，對于英語學習無疑具有積極的作用。

參考文獻：

［1］肖運初. 英語狹義修辭［M］. 湖南師范大學， 2003.

［2］張培基. 習語漢譯英研究［M］. 商務印書館， 1979.

［3］張培基. 英漢翻譯教程［M］. 上海外語教育出版社， 1983.