你以為英文中的譬喻只有 “as busy as a bee” 或 “Time is money” 嗎?
快來看看什麼是概念隱喻 (Conceptual Metaphor)，
一網打盡相關字彙，讓你建立語感，就是比別人厲害！
以 “Time is money.” 為例，在英文中我們會用”waste” (浪費)、”lose” (失去)、”invest” (投資)、”save” (省)、”profit” (利潤)等字彙去描述時間，如: “You are wasting my time!”(你在浪費我的時間!)、”I lost a lot of time when I got sick.” (我生病的時候失去不少時間)、”I’ve invested a lot of time in her.” (我在她身上花了很多時間)、”This gadget will save you hours.” (這個小工具能幫你省下好幾小時)、”You didn’t use your time profitably.” (你沒好好利用你的時間)
有些隱喻是中文也有的，但有些則牽涉到文化背景，為英文特有，我們講中文的人比較難記住。
了解概念隱喻，能幫你加深印象，更快掌握各種詞彙的使用，用出更漂亮的英文！
以下介紹4大類常見的概念隱喻，讓你用新的整理方式學英文：
1. Emotional Effect is Physical Contact
在英文中，關於感情的抽象敘述，都會比喻為肢體上的接觸，在動詞上可以看到一些明顯的例子:
- His mother’s death hit him hard. (他母親的死訊帶給他巨大的衝擊)
- I was touched by his sincerity. (他的真誠讓我十分感動)
- Her performance blew me away. (她的演出十分驚豔)
形容一個演講、旅程、一本書等非常的impressive 時，也可以用”Mind-blowing“來形容：
“The special effects in this film are pretty mind-blowing.” (這部電影的特效真的很棒)
“a knockout” 可以指在拳擊比賽時，讓對方倒地的那一拳；但它同樣可以用來形容一位女生非常性感、有魅力:
Guy1: Wow check her out! (哇，看哪)
Guy2: Yep, she’s a knockout all right. (沒錯，她是個大正妹)
2. Ideas are Food
知識、想法、概念等等常常被比喻成食物，在用字上就可看出端睨，例如：
- “There are too many facts for me to digest them all.” (資訊太多了，我來不及消化)
- “This plan is half-baked.” (這個計畫還未成熟)
- “Let me chew it over for a while” (讓我想一下)
- “Today’s lecture gave me a lot of food for thought.” (今天的演講帶給我很多值得深思的議題)
- “Be hungry/thirst for knowledge.” (保有求知慾)
- “I just can’t swallow that claim. ” (我就是無法理解那個說詞)
- “She feeds the reporters with false information.” (她提供給記者假的資訊)
- “What he said left a bad taste in my mouth.” (他說的話我不同意, a bad taste in the mouth:”a feeling that something is false or unfair, a feeling of ill will”)
3. Love/Life is a Journy
在英文中，愛情或人生常會被比喻成一段旅程，這個概念在中文中其實也存在，例如:
- “We’re at a crossroads.” (我們正處於人生的十字路口)
- “Our marriage is on the rocks.” (我們的婚姻觸礁)
- “He’s gotten off the track.” (他偏離正軌)
- “I don’t think this relationship is going anywhere.” (這段感情走不遠)
- “A dead end street is a good place to turn around” (死路就是最好的轉機)
- “If you are facing in the right direction, all you need to do is keep on walking. ” (如果你面朝對的方向，你要做的就是繼續走下去)
4. Up and Down
在英文中用上、下來表達的概念有很多，最常見的是: happy is up, sad is down: “I’m feeling high spirit.”、”Thinking about her always gives me a lift.“、”My spirits sank.”，另外像是地位高低、道德與否、理性vs感性、好vs壞、意識vs無意識也都是同樣的概念，這些譬喻大部分都很直觀，用圖片和畫面來想就非常容易囉！舉幾個大家可能較不熟悉的例子:
- “He drooped off to sleep.” (他睡著了)
- “She’s at the peak of her career.” (她達到事業巔峰)
- “The up-and-coming events are listed on the paper.” (forseeable future events are up and ahead, 接下來的活動都列在紙上)
- “Things are looking up.” (事情漸有起色)
- “That was a low trick.” (那真是個低級的把戲)
- “The discussion fell to the emotional level, but I raised it back up to the rational plane.” (討論陷入感情用事的層次，我把它拉回到理性層次)
了解這些概念隱喻後，以後再看到奠基於這個概念的句型和動詞，必定能馬上了解，深深記到腦海中。
使用這些片語和詞彙，讓你的英文更精確多變，更上一層樓！
想了解更多 metaphor 在文學、idioms (諺語) 上的應用，不妨看看這部有趣的小短片: (隱喻的藝術)
Source: Conceptual Metaphor in Everyday Language, The ‘Ideas are Food’ Conceptual Metaphor, Need Some Inspiring Quotes about Life Journeys?
Photo source: 1. Metaphor, CC Licensed 2. Tax Credits, CC Licensed. 3. Christian, CC Liensed 4. Doodle Du Jour 5. Hartwig HKD, CC Licensed 6. Alex Indigo, CC Licensed
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