Rhetoric_Devices修辞格的使用

Rhetoric Devices:(修辞) (Stylistic Devices, Figures of Speech)

1.Alliteration:（头韵）( repetition of initial consonant sound :The initial consonant sound is

usually repeated in two neighbouring words (sometimes also in words that are not next to each other). Alliteration draws attention to the phrase and is often used for emphasis. Examples:

If neighbouring words start with the same consonant but have a different initial sound, the words are not alliterated. Examples:

1）. a C anadian c hild….2）. h onoured and h umbled (the ‘h’ in honoured is silent)

2. Allusion:(引喻) indirect reference to a person, event or piece of literature

Allusion is used to explain or clarify a complex problem. Note that allusion works best if you keep it short and refer to something the reader / audience is familiar with, e.g.: famous people ; history ; (Greek) mythology ; literature ; the bible .

If the audience is familiar with the event or person, they will also know background and context. Thus, just a few words are enough to create a certain picture (or scene) in the readers’ minds. The advantages are as follows:

1）. We don’t need lengthy explanations to clarify the problem.

2）. The reader becomes active by reflecting on the analogy.

3）. The message will stick in the reader's mind.

Examples:

1）. The software included a Trojan Horse. (allusion on the Trojan horse from Greek mythology) 2）. Plan ahead. It was not raining when Noah built the Ark. (Richard Cushing) (allusion on the biblical Ark of Noah)

Many allusions on historic events, mythology or the bible have become famous idioms. Examples:

1）. to meet one’s Waterloo (allusion on Napoleons defeat in the Battle of Waterloo)

2）. to wash one’s hands of it. (allusion on Pontius Pilatus, who sentenced Jesus to death, but washed his hands afterwards to demonstrate that he was not to blame for it.)

3）. to be as old as Methusalem (allusion on Joseph’s grandfather, who was 969 years old according to the Old Testament)

4）. to guard sth with Argus’s eyes (allusion on the giant Argus from Greek mythology, who watched over Zeus’ lover Io.)

3. Anaphora:（首语重复法）successive clauses or sentences start with the same

word(s)

4.Antithesis : （对照法）contrasting relationship between two ideas

Antithesis emphasises the contrast between two ideas. The structure of the phrases / clauses is usually similar in order to draw the reader's / listener's attention directly to the contrast. Examples:

5. Transferred epithet:(转类形容词) an adjective or adjective phrase appropriately qualifying a subject (noun) by naming a key or important characteristic of the subject, as in "laughing happiness," "sneering contempt," "untroubled sleep," "peaceful dawn," and "lifegiving water." Sometimes a metaphorical epithet will be good to use, as in "lazy road," "tired landscape," "smirking billboards," "anxious apple." Aptness and brilliant effectiveness are the key considerations in choosing epithets. Be fresh, seek striking images, pay attention to connotative value. A transferred epithet is an adjective modifying a noun which it does not normally modify, but which makes figurative sense:

1. At length I heard a ragged noise and mirth of thieves and murderers . . . . --George Herbert

2. In an age of pressurized happiness, we sometimes grow insensitive to subtle joys.

6. Hyperbole: （夸张法）deliberate exaggeration

Used sparingly, hyperbole effectively draws the attention to a message that you want to emphasize. Example:

7. Hypophora （自问自答）question raised and answered by the author / speaker

The author / speaker raises a question and also gives an answer to the question. Hypophora is used to get the audience's attention and make them curious. Often the question is raised at the