英语修辞Antithesis的用法及例句赏析

今天，小兔将给大家介绍一种英文修辞手法“Antithesis（对偶）”

Antithesis is a figure of speech which is a contrast of ideas expressed by parallelism of strongly contrasted words, generally for a tuneful rhythm and wisdom of brevity.

对偶也可称为“平行对照”，是由结构平行的词语，从句，或句子排列而成，语义上相互对立或对照的一种修辞格，即contrast+parallelism。

对偶与矛盾修辞（Oxymoron）不同，对偶旨在显示前后两部分的平行对立，且常讲究对应词语对仗；矛盾修辞则旨在突出主从两部分的矛盾统一。

英汉对偶基本类似，因为两者都是将意义相对或相反的字、词、短语、句子（或句子成分）一一对应地排列起来，强调其差异，突出其矛盾，赋予文字以极大的感染力，从而表达一个深层的题旨。从音、形、义三方面看，它音律节奏铿锵，形式整齐匀称，内容既适于重复强调，又适于反衬对照，在诗词、议论文、演说、寓言、谚语、成语、对联或广告中特别常见。

英语中对偶可分为四种，即单词(single words)，短语(phrases)，从句(clauses)和句子(sentences)。

(1)single words

Art is long, life is short. 人生有限，学问无穷。

Easy come, easy go. 来得容易去得快。

Out of sight, out of mind. 眼不见，心不烦。

Man proposes ,God disposes. 谋事在人，成事在天。

Like father, like son. 有其父必有其子。

I take thee to my wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and cherish, till death do we part, according to God’s holy ordinance, and thereto I plight thee my troth.

我愿遵照上帝圣仪，娶汝为妻。从今起，无论顺境还是逆境，富贵还是贫困，身体康泰还是身罹疾病，愿长相厮守，相爱相惜，至死不渝，谨誓。

(2)phrases

We have found ourselves rich in goods,but ragged in spirit; reaching with magnificent precision for the moon,but falling into raucous discord on earth. —Charles Dickens 我们物质丰富，却精神贫乏，我们无比精确地登上了月球，却陷入了地球上的矛盾与纠纷。——查尔斯·狄更斯

What is written without effort is general read without pleasure.

我的文字，写时漫不经心，读时味同嚼蜡。

If a free society cannot help the many who are poor,it cannot save the few who are rich. —John.F.Kennedy, Inaugural Address

自由社会若不能帮助多数穷人，也就无法拯救少数富人。——肯尼迪就职演说

They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. (Holy Bible, Psalms)

那些流泪播种的人，必欢呼收割。

The end of passion is the beginning of repentance.

盛怒的结束就是悔恨的开始。

(3)clauses

My fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country. —John.F.Kennedy, Inaugural Address

我的美国同胞们，不要问你的国家能为你做什么，问问你自己能为你的国家做什么。

The world will little note, nor remember what we said here, but it can never forget what we

did there. —Abraham Lincoln, Gettysburg Address

這世間不曾絲毫留意，也不長久記得吾等於斯所言，但永不忘懷彼人於此所為。

What between the poor men I won’t have and the rich men who won’t have me, I stand as a pelican in the wilderness. —Tomas hardy

一边是不欲与之为伍的穷人，一边是不欲与我为伍的有钱人，我像一只伫立在荒野的塘鹅。

(4)sentences

A pessimist is one who makes difficulties of his opportunities; an optimist is one who makes opportunities of his difficulties.

悲观的人把机会变成困难；乐观的人将困难化为机会。

The young physician starts life with 20 drugs for each disease, and the old physician ends life with one drug for 20 diseases.

年轻的医生开始行医时以20种药治一种病，年老的医生结束医业时以一种药治20种病。

丘吉尔1941年6月22日在希特勒公然进攻前苏联之际发表的广播讲话中有这样一句对偶句：

Any man or state who fights on against Nazidom will have our aid. Any man or state who marches with Hitler is our foe.

任何反抗纳粹的人或国家都会得到我们的援助；任何与希特勒为伍的人或国家都是我们的仇敌。

运用Antithesis，可以收到良好的说理效果，可以提示事物内部对立统一的辩证关系，可以加强语势，整齐美观，音韵和谐，便于记忆。

最后为大家送上一段话，整段都是对偶句，选自查尔斯·狄更斯的《双城记》的开头：It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going the other way…

(Charles Dickens: A Tale of Two Cities)

那是个最好的年代；那又是个最糟的年代。

那是个聪明的时代；那又是个愚蠢的时代。

那是个信任的世纪；那又是个怀疑的世纪。

那是个光明的季节；那又是个黑暗的季节。

那是个希望的春季；那又是个绝望的冬季。

我们拥有一切；我们又一无所有。

我们一起直上天堂；我们又一起拥向地狱。

文中共七对对偶句，十分深刻的揭示了法国大革命时代充满的种种社会矛盾，为故事的产生和发展进行了必要的铺垫。

真诚地祝愿大家能在今后的英语学习写作中更好地欣赏和运用英语修辞，使自己的文章更加地道，精彩。