英语作文中常用的修辞手法

文章最忌语言枯燥无味，一篇好的作文，语言应该生动形象。而恰当地运用修辞手法，可以使文字新鲜活泼、具体逼真，大大增强艺术表现力，扩大语言表达的范围；而且还可以激发读者的想象，给人留下深刻的印象。下面介绍一些英语作文中常用的修辞手法。

1. 比喻 (metaphor)

比喻就是打比方。可分为明喻和暗喻：

明喻 (simile)：

用like, as, as...as, as if(though) 或用其他词语指出两个不同事物的相似之处。例如：

O my love's like a red, red rose. 我的爱人像一朵红红的玫瑰花。

The man can't be trusted. He is as slippery as an eel. 那个人不可信赖。他像鳗鱼一样狡猾。

He jumped as if he had been stung.他像被蜇了似的跳了起来。

Childhood is like a swiftly passing dream. 童年就像一场疾逝的梦。

暗喻 (metaphor)：

用一个词来指代与该词所指事物有相似特点的另外一个事物。例如：

He has a heart of stone. 他有一颗铁石心肠。

The world is a stage. 世界是一个大舞台。

2. 换喻(metonymy)

用某一事物的名称代替另外一个与它关系密切的事物的名称，只要一提到其中一种事物，就会使人联想到另一种。比如用the White House 代替美国政府或者总统， 用the bottle来代替wine 或者alcohol， 用the bar 来代替the legal profession，用 crown代替 king等。例如：

His purse would not allow him that luxury. 他的经济条件不允许他享受那种奢华。

The mother did her best to take care of the cradle. 母亲尽最大努力照看孩子。

He succeeded to the crown in 1848. 他在1848年继承了王位。

3. 提喻 (synecdoche)

指用部分代表整体或者用整体代表部分，以特殊代表一般或者用一般代表特殊。例如：

He earns his bread by writing. 他靠写作挣钱谋生。

The farms were short of hands during the harvest season. 在收获季节里农场缺乏劳动力。

Australia beat Canada at cricket. 澳大利亚队在板球比赛中击败了加拿大队。

He is the Newton of this century. 他是这个世纪的牛顿。

4. 拟人 (personification)

把事物或者概念当作人或者具备人的品质的写法叫拟人。例如：

My heart was singing. 我的心在歌唱。

This time fate was smiling to him. 这一次命运朝他微笑了。

The flowers nodded to her while she passed. 当她经过的时候花儿向她点头致意。

The wind whistled through the trees. 风穿过树丛，树叶哗哗作响。

5. 委婉 (euphemism)

用温和的、间接的词语代替生硬的、粗俗的词语，以免直接说出不愉快的事实冒犯别人或者造

成令人窘迫、沮丧的局面。例如：

用to fall asleep; to cease thinking; to pass away; to go to heaven; to leave us 代替 to die

用senior citizens代替old people

用 a slow learner或者an under achiever代替a stupid pupil

用weight watcher代替 fat people

用mental hospital 代替 madhouse或者 asylum

用emotionally disturbed代替mad

用washroom, men's / women's room代替 lavatory

用 handicapped代替 crippled

用low income brackets; underprivileged; disadvantaged 代替 poor people

6. 双关 (pun)

用同音异义或者一词二义来达到诙谐幽默的效果：表面上是一个意思，而实际上却暗含另一个意思，这种暗含的意思才是句子真正的目的所在。例如：

A cannonball took off his legs, so he laid down his arms. (arms可指手臂或者武器)

一发炮弹打断了他的腿，所以他缴械投降了。

“Can I try on that gown in the window?” asked a would-be customer.

“Certainly not, madam!” replied the salesman. 我可以试穿一下橱窗里的那件睡袍吗？或者：我可以在橱窗里试穿那件睡袍吗？

Seven days without water make one weak (week). 七天没有水使一个人虚弱。或者：七天没有水就是一周没有水。

7. 反语 (irony)

使用与真正意义相反的词，正话反说或者反话正说，从对立的角度运用词义来产生特殊的效果。下面就是莎士比亚的戏剧 Julius Caesar 中的一个运用反语的很好的例子，Brutus出于野心刺杀了 Caesar, Caesar 的好友Antony 讥讽Brutus 说：

Here, under leave of Brutus and the rest—

For Brutus is an honorable man;

So are they all, all honorable men—

Come I to speak in Caesar's funeral.

He was my friend, faithful and just to me:

But Brutus says he was ambitious;

And Brutus is an honorable man.

在 Antony 的话里反复使用 honorable这个词就是一个反语的例子。

8. 矛盾修饰 (oxymoron)

把相互矛盾的两个词用在一起的修辞方法。它利用词义表面的相互矛盾使表层的不和谐统一在思想内容的深层，从而揭示事物对立统一的本质特征，达到加深印象的目的。例如：

She read the long-awaited letter with a tearful smile. 她带着含泪的微笑读那封盼望已久的信。

The coach had to be cruel to be kind to his trainees.教练为了对他的受训者仁慈就要对他们残酷。

During his useful life he often felt he was useless. 在他大有作为的一生中他老是感到自己无用。

其他还有sweet pain; thunderous silence; luxurious poverty; heavy lightness; living death; impossible hope 等等。

9. 轭式搭配 (zeugma)

把适用于某一事物

的词语顺势用到另外一事物上的方法。在同一个句子里一个词可以修饰或者控制两个或更多的词，它可以使语言活泼，富有幽默感。例如：

She opened the door and her heart to the homeless boy. 她对那无家可归的男孩打开了房门，也敞开了胸怀。

As I left home after breakfast, I shivered inwardly as well as outwardly. 早餐之后我离开家的时候，我的里里外外都在颤抖。

I would my horse had the speed of your tongue. 我希望我的马能有你的舌头的速度。

10. 移位修饰(transferred epithet)

将本应该用来修饰某一类名词的修饰语用来修饰另一类名词。例如：

There was a short, thoughtful silence. 出现了一阵短暂的、令人沉思的寂静。

The old man put a reassuring hand on my shoulder. 老人把一只令人安心的手放在我的肩膀上。

He closed his busy life at the age of sixty. 在六十岁时他结束了他那忙碌的一生。

This is the cheapest market in this country. 这是这个国家最便宜的市场了。

11. 头韵 (alliteration)

两个或者更多的词以相同的音韵或者字母开头就构成头韵。例如：

proud as a peacock

blind as a bat

safe and sound

Long and loudly little Lily laughed. 小莉莉长时间地、大声地笑着。

The windows waved violently in the wind. 窗户在风中剧烈地摇动。

The sun sank slowly. 太阳慢慢地下沉。

12. 渐进 (climax)

根据事物的逻辑关系，由小到大，由轻到重，由浅到深，由低到高，由少到多依次渐进地进行描述或论述。这种整齐的结构可以使人们的思想认识一层层深化提高，增强语言的感染力和说服力。例如：

I came; I saw; I conquer. 我来了；我看到了；我征服。

Reading maketh a full man; conference a ready man; and writing an exact man. 读书使人充实；交谈使人机智；写作使人精确。

Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested. 书有可浅尝者，有可吞咽者，更有少数须消化咀嚼者。

Lincoln recognized worth in the common people; he loved the common people; he fought for the common people; and he died for the common people. 林肯认识到平民大众的价值；他热爱平民大众；他为平民大众而斗争；他为平民大众而献身。