论隐喻式思维在英语写作教学中的作用

摘    要：隐喻是人们借助于一个概念领域去理解另一个不同的概念领域结构。隐喻不仅是一种修辞手法，更是一种思维方式。英语写作水平的高低，与英语隐喻思维能力成正比，所以在英语写作教学中，应对学生施以隐喻教育，培养其隐喻思维能力及隐喻表达能力，最终提升学生的英语写作水平。

关键词：隐喻理论;英语写作;教学

中图分类号：G642      文献标识码：A      文章编号：1002-4107（2022）07-0057-03

隐喻是功能语言学中一个非常重要的研究内容。隐喻是人们借助于一个概念领域去理解另一个不同的概念领域结构[1]。相关学者考察了大量英语语料，发现语言中充满了隐喻或隐喻性表达。而且可以明显感觉到隐喻式表达比一般表达更能深刻地、持久地影响读者。Lakoff及后来的许多语言学家都认为，隐喻不仅仅是一种语言现象，更是一种思维方式。

隐喻式思维与英语学习者的写作水平紧密联系。熊学亮和刘东虹专门就英语学习者在英语写作中使用隐喻的情况进行过调查，结果发现高水平的英语学习者，其语法隐喻使用频率远远超过低水平者，从而说明英语学习者的语言水平越高，对英语的隐喻思维能力和表达能力就越强[2]。

文章结合广东白云学院外国语学院英语专业学生的写作实例，着重分析当前高等院校学生在英语写作中所暴露出来的隐喻思维欠缺的问题，阐述在写作教学中加强隐喻思维教学的重要性及教学思路。

一、英语写作中的弊病

根据多年的英语写作教学经验，作者发现除了文法基础不牢固所导致的语言不通顺、篇章意识模糊而带来的条理不清楚两大固疾之外，由于受到隐喻能力的制约，学生在英语写作中还存在另外四大问题，即用词肤浅、句式单一、内容空洞及文体特征不显著。

（一）用词肤浅

现代隐喻理论就语言形式将隐喻分为词汇隐喻和语法隐喻。很早以前，人们就意识到词汇隐喻这种语言现象，而且它是所有隐喻形式中运用最广泛，也是人们隐喻思维的一个最根本表现。通俗地讲，词汇隐喻是用一事物的特点来比喻另一事物，利用本体与喻体之间的张力，引起读者的联想，从而丰富表达的内容。但是，学生在写作中遣词过分小心，只敢启用词语的本意，不敢“越雷池半步”，导致其行文用词肤浅，语义狭窄，直接影响了语言表达的广度和深度。如：Love hurts him very deeply. （句中“hurt”属于本意词，表达效果一般，如果采用隐喻式表达，就可以起到感染读者的作用，故可将“hurts”换成“burns”这个隐喻词，此句改为： “Love burns his heart.”爱情像火一样，灼烧了他的心。从而生动地描述了他在恋爱中感受到的苦痛。）又如：The aisle was full of boys and girls.（上句中“full of ”就不如隐喻式表达“flooded with”更能渲染场景。）

（二）句式单一

语法隐喻是Halliday在传统隐喻理论的基础上发展起来的，他认为，语法隐喻是将一个常见的语法形式，即“一致式”（congruence）隐喻为另一种语法形式。Halliday将语法隐喻分为概念隐喻和人际隐喻，分别实现语言表达经验及实际交际的两种元功能，其中概念隐喻的主要体现是及物性隐喻，即用一种及物性过程代替另一种及物性过程，它还涉及与过程有关的参与者、环境等功能成分的改变[3]7。及物性隐喻具有形象、生动、新颖、句法形式多样化等优点。在恰当时候采用及物性隐喻往往会取得不同于“一致式”表达的良好效果，但是，学生往往缺乏及物性隐喻的观念，在写作过程中，单纯采用“一致式”表达，导致句式单一。如：

In those days， my grandparents were leading a dog's life.

（They got up very early to cook the breakfast in the morn-

ing every day， and they had to go to the mountain to find some traditional Chinese medicine， because they did not have enough money to buy their medicine. They ate vegetable， they

did not have money to buy meat to eat， they had to give some money to their children to go to school.）

（文段第一句为教师所给的主题句，括号内部分为学生所写。下同。）

上段中涉及3种过程，其中有两个行为过程“got up”“go to the mountain”，3个物质过程“cook the breakfast”

“ate vegetable”“buy their medicine”，一个是关系过程“did

not have money”，全部是以“they”（即“my grandparents”）作为参与者的“一致式”表达，体现不出“my grandparents”在这种生活中的压迫和无奈。如果在写作中能变通及物性过程的主体，适时地采用及物性隐喻，表达效果就要好得多。建议改为：

In those days， my grandparents were leading a dog's life. Every morning， they got up very early because they were forced to cook for the landlord. What the landlord ate were delicacies， while they had to suffer starving and go to the fields，where the heavy work was waiting for them. When they were ill， due to the lack of money for medicine and doctors， the only access for them was to search for Chinese medicine at all kinds of risks in the mountains， where the poisonous snakes may be the terminator of their lives.

又如：

Today I would explain the process of making Sushi.（First， you should prepare all materials in advance， such as Sashimi， cooked rice， linked bamboo slips and dried laver. Second， let's lay linked bamboo slips on the table. Third，you ought to take a piece of dried laver sheet on linked bamboo slips. Fourth， put cooked rice on dried laver and Sashimi on it. Fifth， you roll with the dried laver. Sixth， you cut the dried laver sheet about five pieces. Finally， you put the small dried laver sheet in plate.）

以上文段全部是以“you”为参与者的物质过程，虽然条理清楚，但是因为表达中概念隐喻的缺失，句式单一，使得 “making Sushi”过程介绍显得毫无生趣。不如改为：

Today I would explain the process of making Sushi.With all the materials， such as sashimi， cooked rice， linked bamboo slips and dried laver being prepared， you can start your procedure. Firstly， spread the linked bamboo slips on the table， and then lay a piece of dried laver on the slips. Fol-

lowingly， some dried laver and sashimi should be put on it. Then you roll the bamboo slips to make them a reel before they are cut into five slices. When all are done， you can put them onto a fine plate and enjoy it.

概念隐喻的另一种实现形式是名词化表达（nomina-

lization），它可以使大量的信息浓缩在名词性结构中，使

小句的词汇密度增大，表义更丰富。但是，学生不能理解这种隐喻表达，在写作中单纯使用动词结构，使得小句内容单薄。如：

However， plastic bags also bring us many side effects. （Firstly， ①it can cause lots of pollution， because ②it includes

something chemistry ③which can't disappear. Then， ④lots of rubbish will pollute the earth. Secondly， ⑤it can not only pollute the earth， but also affect our body. So， ⑥we must stop the environmental pollution， or ⑦we will lose our home.）

该文段主题句要求说明塑料购物袋给人们带来诸多副作用，但学生在习作中虽然用了7个小句，仅仅说明了两个副作用（pollute the earth， affect our body），而且因为缺少名词化表达，使得内容显得很单薄且空洞，缺少信息深度和密度。建议改为：

However， plastic bags also bring us many side effects. Firstly， plastic bags are made of chemicals， which， when disposed as waste， will not disappear in a long time. Too fre-

quent usage of them will lead to a lot of pollution to our land， water and even air. Secondly， plastic bags will do damage to our human being physically， for if we take in too much of them， our bodies will be destroyed. Hence， it is our pistol to reduce the usage of plastic bags.

（三）内容空洞

隐喻是探索、描写、理解和解释新情景的有力工具[4]。但是，学生在写作中很少有能力借用这个有力工具，如：

It is the most exciting moment I have experienced so far. （Today is my birthday， my parents hold a birthday party for me. This evening in my birthday party， I saw my many good friends and my cousins. And I received a lot of presents， I felt