Figures of speech (修辭)are ways of making our language figurative. When we use words in other than their ordinary or literal sense to lend force to an idea, to heighten effect, or to create suggestive imagery, we are said to be speaking or writing figuratively. Now we are going to talk about some common forms of figures of speech.

1) Simile：(明喻）It is a figure of speech which makes a comparison between two unlike elements having at least one quality or characteristic (特性)in common. To make the comparison, words like as, as...as, as if and like are used to transfer the quality we associate with one to the other. For example, As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country.

2) Metaphor：(暗喻）It is like a simile, also makes a comparison between two unlike elements, but unlike a simile, this comparison is implied rather than stated. For example, the world is a stage.

3) Analogy: (類比）It is also a form of comparison, but unlike simile or metaphor which usually uses comparison on one point of resemblance, analogy draws a parallel between two unlike things that have several common qualities or points of resemblance.

4) Personification: (擬人）It gives human form of feelings to animals, or life and personal attributes(賦予) to inanimate(無生命的) objects, or to ideas and abstractions(抽象). For example, the wind whistled through the trees.

5) Hyperbole: (夸張） It is the deliberate use of overstatement or exaggeration to achieve emphasis. For instance, he almost died laughing.

6) Understatement: (含蓄陳述） It is the opposite of hyperbole, or overstatement. It achieves its effect of emphasizing a fact by deliberately(故意地) understating it, impressing the listener or the reader more by what is merely implied or left unsaid than by bare statement. For instance, It is no laughing matter.

7) Euphemism: (委婉） It is the substitution of an agreeable or inoffensive(無冒犯) expression for one that may offend or suggest something unpleasant. For instance, we refer to "die" as " pass away".

8) Metonymy (轉喻） It is a figure of speech that has to do with the substitution of the mane of one thing for that of another. For instance, the pen (words) is mightier than the sword (forces).

9) Synecdoche (提喻） It is involves the substitution of the part for the whole, or the whole for the part. For instance, they say there's bread and work for all. She was dressed in silks.

10) Antonomasia (換喻）It has also to do with substitution. It is not often mentioned now, though it is still in frequent use. For example, Solomon for a wise man. Daniel for a wise and fair judge. Judas for a traitor.

11) Pun: (雙關語） It is a play on words, or rather a play on the form and meaning of words. For instance, a cannon-ball took off his legs, so he laid down his arms. (Here "arms" has two meanings: a person's body; weapons carried by a soldier.)

12) Syllepsis: (一語雙敘） It has two connotations.

In the first case, it is a figure by which a word, or a particular form or inflection of a word, refers to two or more words in the same sentence, while properly applying to or agreeing with only on of them in grammar or syntax(句法). For example, He addressed you and me, and desired us to follow him. (Here us is used to refer to you and me.)

In the second case, it a word may refer to two or more words in the same sentence. For example, while he was fighting , and losing limb and mind, and dying, others stayed behind to pursue education and career. (Here to losing one's limbs in literal; to lose one's mind is figurative, and means to go mad.)

13) Zeugma: (軛式搭配） It is a single word which is made to modify or to govern two or more words in the same sentence, wither properly applying in sense to only one of them, or applying to them in different senses. For example, The sun shall not burn you by day, nor the moon by night. (Here noon is not strong enough to burn)

14) Irony: (反語） It is a figure of speech that achieves emphasis by saying the opposite of what is meant, the intended meaning of the words being the opposite of their usual sense. For instance, we are lucky, what you said makes me feel real good.

15) Innuendo: (暗諷） It is a mild form of irony, hinting in a rather roundabout (曲折)way at something disparaging(不一致) or uncomplimentary(不贊美) to the person or subject mentioned. For example, the weatherman said it would be worm. He must take his readings in a bathroom.

16) Sarcasm: (諷刺） It Sarcasm is a strong form of irony. It attacks in a taunting and bitter manner, and its aim is to disparage, ridicule and wound the feelings of the subject attacked. For example, laws are like cobwebs, which may catch small flies, but let wasps break through.

17) Paradox: (似非而是的雋語） It is a figure of speech consisting of a statement or proposition which on the face of it seems self-contradictory, absurd or contrary to established fact or practice, but which on further thinking and study may prove to be true, well-founded, and even to contain a succinct point. For example more haste, less speed.

18) Oxymoron: (矛盾修飾） It is a compressed paradox, formed by the conjoining(結合) of two contrasting, contradictory or incongruous(不協調) terms as in bitter-sweet memories, orderly chaos(混亂) and proud humility(侮辱).

19) Antithesis: (對照） It is the deliberate arrangement of contrasting words or ideas in balanced structural forms to achieve emphasis. For example, speech is silver; silence is golden.

20) Epigram: (警句） It states a simple truth pithily(有利地) and pungently(強烈地). It is usually terse and arouses interest and surprise by its deep insight into certain aspects of human behavior or feeling. For instance, Few, save the poor, feel for the poor.

21) Climax: (漸進） It is derived from the Greek word for "ladder" and implies the progression of thought at a uniform or almost uniform rate of significance or intensity, like the steps of a ladder ascending evenly. For example, I came, I saw, I conquered.

22) Anti-climax or bathos: (突降）It is the opposite of Climax. It involves stating one's thoughts in a descending order of significance or intensity, from strong to weak, from weighty to light or frivolous. For instance, But thousands die, without or this or that, die, and endow(賦予) a college, or a cat.

23) Apostrophe： (頓呼） In this figure of speech, a thing, place, idea or person (dead or absent) is addressed as if present, listening and understanding what is being said. For instance, England! awake! awake! awake!

24) Transferred Epithet: (轉類形容詞） It is a figure of speech where an epithet (an adjective or descriptive phrase) is transferred from the noun it should rightly modify(修飾) to another to which it does not really apply or belong. For instance, I spent sleepless nights on my project.

25) Alliteration: (頭韻） It has to do with the sound rather than the sense of words for effect. It is a device that repeats the same sound at frequent intervals(間隔) and since the sound repeated is usually the initial consonant sound, it is also called "front rhyme". For instance, the fair breeze blew, the white foam flew, the furrow followed free.

26) Onomatopoeia: (擬聲） It is a device that uses words which imitate the sounds made by an object (animate or inanimate), or which are associated with or suggestive(提示的) of some action or movement.

Selected from Figures of Speech by Feng Cuihua

　

常見的英語用as...as表示的明喻形式

as absurd(荒唐) as putting together the pieces of vase

as bare as the back of one hand/a picked bone

as bald(禿) as a coot

as black as coal/ink/jet/midnight/pitch/soot/Styx/

as blind as a bat/beetle/mole

as bold as brass/a lion

as brave as a lion

as bright as a day/noonday/silver

as brittle as glass

as brown as berry

as busy as a bee

as changeable as weather/a clock/the moon

as cheerful as a lark

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

as close as a clam/an oyster

as common as dirty

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

as cool as a cucumber

as cross as a bear

as cunning(狡猾) as a fox

as dark as pitch

as dead as a door nail/mutton

as deaf as a post/a beetle/an adder

as deep as a wall

as different as chalk from cheese

as distinct as a day and night

as dry as dust/a stick/a bone/a biscuit

as drunk as a lord/a mouth/a sane

as dumb as a statue/an oyster/a fish

as dull as sawdust/cold dish water

as easy as ABC/lying/milking/shelling peas/my eye/an old shoe/going down the river/chasing a cow out of a meadow/pie/anything

as empty as a drum

as fair as a rose

as far as the eye could see

as fat as a pit/butter

as fierce as a tiger

as firm as rock

as fit as a flea/a fiddle

as flat as a pancake/a board

as free as a bird/air

as fleet (swift) as a deer

as fresh as a rose/a daisy

as gay as a lark

as gaudy(華麗) as a butterfly/a peacock

as gentle as a lamb

as good as gold/a play

as graceful as a swan

as grave as a judge

as greedy as a dog/a wolf/a pig

as green as grass

as gruff(粗暴) as a bear

as happy as a lark/the day is long/a king

as hard as flint/marble/a stone/iron/nails

as harmless as a dove

as heavy as a lead

as healthy as the fresh wind

as hoarse(嘶啞) as a crow

as hot as fire/pepper

as hungry as a wolf/a hunter

as innocent(天真) as a dove

as keen as mustard(芥母)

as large as life

as light as air/a butterfly/a feather/a cork/thistledown/

as like as two peas/two drops of water/two pees/chalk and cheese

as loose as a rope of sand

as loud as thunder

as mad as a March hare/a hatter（帽商）

as mean(卑鄙) as Scrooge

as merry as a cricket

as motionless as statue

as mute as a fish/mice

as nimble(靈巧) as a squirrel

as noise as a mynah

as obstinate as a mule

as old as the hills

as pale as death/wax/a ghost

as patient as an ox

as plain as the nose on one's face/a pikestaff

as pleased as Punch

as playful as a kitten

as plentiful as blackberries

as plump（胖）as a partridge(鵪鶉）

as poor as a church mouse/a beggar

as pretty as a picture

as proud as a peacock

as pure as the world of all

as quick as lightning/thought

as quiet as a lamb/a mouse

as rapid as lightning

as red as fire/a rose/a cheery/blood/beetroot

as regular as clockwork

as rich as Jesus/Croesus

as rigid as a stone

as ripe as a cherry

as round as an apple /a glob/a barrel

as salty as a herring

as sharp as a needle/razor

as silent as a dead/the stars/the grave/sphinx/a morgue

as silly as a goose/a sheep

as slender as a gossamer（蜘蛛）

as slippery as an eel

as sly as a fox

as slow as a tortoise

as smooth as butter/oil/glass/velvet

as sober(嚴肅) as a judge

as soft as butter/silk/wax/down(絨毛）

as sound as a bell

as sour as a crab/vinegar

as steady as a rock

as stiff as a poke/a post/death/ a grave

as tough as leather /nails

as straight as an arrow

as tricky（聰明） as a monkey

as strong as a horse/a lion

as true as steel

as stubborn(固執) as a mule

as stupid as a donkey

as sure as death

as surely as the night follows the day

as sweet as honey/sugar

as swift as an arrow/lightning/the wind

as tall as a maypole/a steeple/a poplar

as tame(馴服) as a cat

as tender as chicken

as thick as cable/hail/a stone/ porridge/a wall

as thin as rake/ water/shipping post/a bag of bones/a lath

as timid as a hare/a rabbit/mice

as tough as leather/bulls

as tricky as a monkey

as true as steel

as ugly as scare/a crow/a toad

as unstable as the very devil

as vain as water/a peacock

as warm as taost

as watchful as a hawk

as weak as baby/a cat/kitten

as wet as water/a drowned cat

as white as snow/sheet/wool/flour

as wise as Solomon/a serpent/an owl

as yielding(服從) as wax

　

常見的英語象聲詞

1)有關動物的象聲詞

apes: (猿）gibber嘰哩咕嚕

asses: (驢)bray, heehaw

babies: cry

bear: growl

bees: buzz, hum, murmur, drone

beetles(甲蟲): drone

birds: chatter, chirp, chirrup, flap, peck, sing, squawk, twitter,

bulls: bellow, bow

camels: grunt

cats: miaow, mew, purr

cattle: low

chicken: cheep, peep, pip

chicks: cheep

child: chatter

cock: crow, cock-a-doodle-do

cows: boo, low, moo, moo,

crickets(蟋蟀): chirp

crows: caw, croak

deer: beat

dogs: bark, bay, bow-wow, grow, how, whine, yap, yelp

donkeys: bray, hee-haw

doves: coo, crood, croud, croodle

ducks: quack, screech

eagle: scream

elephants: trumpet

flies: buzz, hum, drone

foxes: yelp, bark

frogs: croak

geese: cackle, gabble, gaggle, hiss

goats: bleat, baa

hawks: scream,

hens: cackle, chuckle

horse: whiney, nicker, neigh, snort,

hounds: bay

insects: chirp

kittens(小貓): mew

larks(百靈): sing, warble

lions: roar

magpies（喜鵲）: chatter

man: giggle, hem(哼)，ouch, hush, mumble, chatter, bravo, murmur, whisper

mice: peep, squeak

monkeys: chatter, japer, screech, chatter

mosquitoes: buzz, hum, drom

night eagles: ner

owls: hoot, scream, screech, whop

owls: hoot, screech, scream

ox: bo, how, moo

parrots: talk, quack

pigeons: coo, crood, croodle

pigs crowd

puppies: yelp

rabbits: suqeak

seagulls(海鷗): scream

sheep: bleat, baa

snakes: hiss

sparrows: chatter, chirp, twitter

swallows: twitter

swans: cry

tigers: roar, groul, gaoll

turkeys: gobble

vultures(禿鷲): scream

whales: blow

wide goose(大雁): honk

wolves: howl growl

2)有關物體的象聲詞

abacus(算盤) balls: pit-a-pat, pita pat

arrows: whistle, whiz

artillery(大炮): booms

balls: bounce

bank notes: rustle

bayonets: clink and clash

beats: pit-a-pat, pita pat, thump, thud, patter

bellows(風箱): flip-flap

bells: clink, clang, jingle, jingle-jangles-jingle, ding dong.

bikes: jangle

boots(皮靴): crunch

bottles: crack, crick-crack, rattle

bow string: snap

bowels: rumble

brakes: screech

branches: snap

breeze: puffs

bullets: whistle, whiz, zip

buses: rattle, hoot, and thump

cameras: snick

candles: splutter

cars: crash, toot(horn)

carts: rumble, creak

cattle: low

chains: clank

clocks: ding dang, tick, ticktack, tic tak

clothes: rustle

coins: jingle

cooking pots: sizzle

cords: pop

curtains: flap

dishes: ding dang, jingle, clatter

doors: creak, rat-tat-tat, rat tattoo, rattle,

drums: rub-a-dub, rataplan

dry leaves: rustle

eating: slurp

engines: chug, chum, whistle

feet: chatter, tramp

fingers snap

fire crackers: bang, pup

fire snap

flags: flap flutter

floor: creak

glass: crash, clinks,

gongs: ding-dang

guns pup, boom, click

hands: clap, flick

high heal shoes: click

horns: toot

horse's hooves: dip-clop

jade: tickle

keys: clink

knife and fork: clack

leather shoes: click-clack

leaves: whisper, rustle,

locks: snap, click,

locomotive(火車頭): puff

machines: buzz,

machines guns: rattle, chatter, tat-rat, tat-tat-tat

metal: ting, clash, clink, tinkle, jing dong, ticktack

mind: buzz

oil: sizzle

paper: rustle

planes: zoom, crash,

radios: squeak

rain: patters, pit-pat-pit-pat

rifle: crack, pop

ropes: crack, snap, pop

scissors: clip-clop

silk: rustle

snow: spatters

steam: hoop, hoos, hoot

stick: swish

stomach: rumble

stones: smack, flop

tears: plop

teeth: chatter

telephone: ring, jangle

thunder: clap, peal, rumble,

tongue: click

trains: rattle, clatter, whistle, murmur

trumps(號): toot

trucks: rumble, grunt

type writers: tap, clatter

watches: tick, ticktack

water: babbles, bubbles, drip-draps, splashes, sizzles, spish-splash, hiss,

wheels: rumble, crunch, whir

whips(鞭子): flick, smack, snap, swish

whistles: whack

wind: haot, toot, howl, rattle, sough

windows: rattle