[简答题]
What is metaphor? How does cognitive linguistics interpret it differently from traditional rhetorics? Use a few examples to illustrate how the former contributes to our understanding of language.
In traditional rhetorics, metaphor refers to the process of transferring qualities from one thing to another. In a metaphor, words like "like" and "as" do not appear. A metaphor makes a comparison between two unlike elements, and this comparison is implied rather than stated.
In cognitive linguistics, metaphor involves the comparison of two concepts in that one is constructed in terms of the other. It's often described in terms of a target domain and a source domain. The target domain is the exerience being described by teh metaphor and the source domain is the means that we use in order to describe the experience.
Therefore, we can sya that in traditional rhetoric, metaphor emphasizes the transfer of qualities, and the omission of words like"like" and "as"; whereas in cognitive linguistics, it emphasizes the different functions of the two domains. For example, the sentence "We're wasting our time here". This sentence is based on a metaphor "Time is money" in which the target domain, TIME, is conceptualized in terms of the source domain of MONEY. Thus, we can understand abstracts experiences in terms of more concrete ones. In cognitive linguistics, metaphors are represented by a simple formula, X is Y, in which X is the target domain and Y is the source domain.
Take "Inflation is backing us into a corner" as another exmple. Regarding inflation as an entity allows human beings to refer to it, quantify it, identify it, treat it as a case, act with respect to it, and even believe that we understand it. It can help us deal with our experience.
