A contrastive Analysis of the Metaphor “Anger is Heat” in English and the Possible Equivalent Expressions in Vietnamese

The metaphor “Anger is Heat” is one of the most common used metaphors for emotions both in English and in Vietnamese.. To make this clearer to Vietnamese learners, this study offers the

Phân Tích Ðối Chiếu Biểu Thức Ẩn Dụ “Anger

is Heat” (Sự Tức Giận Là Nhiệt) Trong Tiếng Anh và Các Biểu Thức Tương Ðương Trong

Tiếng Việt Lưu Thị Hải Vân

Trường Đại học Ngoại ngữ Luận văn ThS ngành: Ngôn ngữ Anh; Mã số: 60 22 15 Người hướng dẫn: Assoc Pr Võ Ðại Quang

Năm bảo vệ: 2012

Abstract: Metaphor is traditionally treated as a rhetoric device in poetics However,

according to cognitivists, metaphor is not merely a matter of language but a matter of thought Metaphor plays a very important role in description of emotions This thesis is intended as a contrastive analysis of the metaphor “Anger is Heat” in English and the equivalents in Vietnamese The metaphor “Anger is Heat” is one of the most common used metaphors for emotions both in English and in Vietnamese To make this clearer to Vietnamese learners, this study offers the similarities and differences in conceptualization between the English metaphor “Anger is Heat” and the equivalent in Vietnamese Also,

an explanation for the differences has been tentatively given This study consists of three parts The first part, Introduction, gives general information about the rationale, the aim, the scope, the methods and the design of the study The second part, Development, provides the theoretical background on conceptual metaphor and a contrastive analysis of the metaphor “Anger is Heat” in English and the equivalents in Vietnamese The last part, Conclusion, is focused on the specific conclusions on each of the research objectives

Also, some suggestions for further study are given in this part

Keywords: Ẩn dụ; Tiếng Anh; Biểu thức tương đương; Phép ẩn dụ

Content

PART A: INTRODUCTION

1 Rationale

It is common knowledge that metaphors, especially conceptual metaphors are not only an effective device for representing the world outside language but also a tool for thinking, speaking and acting According to Ortony (1975) there are at least three communicative functions that metaphor might perform

Lakoff and Johnson (1980:3) state that “metaphor is pervasive in everyday life, not just in language but in thought and action” and “our conceptual system is largely metaphorical, then the way we think, what we experience, and what we do every day is very much a matter of metaphor.”

During my study, I have been interested in metaphors especially conceptual metaphors for emotions; therefore I choose conceptual metaphors as my thesis topic Of many everyday conceptual metaphorical expressions I would like to take a careful study on the conceptual

metaphor “Anger is Heat” “Anger” is one of abstract concepts of people‟s emotions that are

highly used in English and in Vietnamese How is this metaphor used differently in the two languages? These are the main reasons for my study “A Contrastive Analysis of the Metaphor

“Anger is Heat” in English and the Possible Equivalent Expressions in Vietnamese”

2 Aims and objectives of the study

The study tries to:

- give a systematic account of the theoretical background on conceptual metaphors

- make explicit the similarities and differences between the English metaphor “Anger is Heat”

and the possible equivalent expressions in Vietnamese

- propose implications for teaching metaphors

3 Research questions

The objectives mentioned above can be elaborated into the following research questions:

- What are similarities and differences in regard to how the English metaphor “Anger is Heat”

and the Vietnamese equivalent are perceived?

- What causes the differences in cognitive mechanism of this metaphor between the two languages?

- What are the possible recommendations for teaching English metaphors?

4 Scope of the study

In this thesis, I only work on the metaphor “Anger is Heat” in English and the possible

equivalents in Vietnamese to work out the contrast of cognitive model/ mechanism and to give explanation for the differences in the metaphor usage between the two languages

5 Methodology of the study

5.1 Principles governing the research

5.1.1 Principles governing the choice of research type

This study is intended to provide an overview and a contrastiveness of the metaphor “Anger is

Heat” in English and the Vietnamese equivalent To achieve the aims, the type of research

chosen is basic research

A combination of qualitative and quantitative approaches is employed with priority given to qualitative analysis The qualitative method is used to describe and analyze the common and

distinctive features of the metaphor “Anger is Heat” in English and the equivalent expressions

in Vietnamese

5.1.2 Data-related issues

The researcher examines different samples containing metaphorical expressions belonging to the

central conceptual metaphor “Anger is Heat” from books, previous studies, novels, stories, and

the Internet in both English and Vietnamese Then the commonly used metaphorical expressions are selected to be analyzed The samples are authentic sources of data Research procedure follows the research design and principles strictly So the validity and the reliability of the study can be guaranteed

5.2 Methods of the study

5.2.1 Major methods and supporting methods

The study has been carried out with the combination of different methods The major method employed in this thesis is contrastive analysis to compare and contrast mechanism of the

metaphor “Anger is Heat” in the two languages The intended instrumental language herein

assumed is Vietnamese and the target language is English Besides, the descriptive method is used as supporting one

5.2.2 Data collection instruments

Document analysis and observation are employed as data collection instruments Document

analysis is used to seek instances of the metaphor “Anger is Heat” in English and the

Vietnamese equivalents in books, previous studies, novels, and on the Internet The observation technique is used to enhance qualitative analysis of the established details related to cognitive mechanism in the specified area of research

5.2.3 Data analysis techniques

After being collected, the data are analyzed by using the following techniques:

- Classifying the samples collected into two sub-versions of the central metaphor “Anger is

Heat” based on the corresponding source domains

- Systematizing is used to categorize the samples into metaphorical entailments in accordance with their meanings

- Inferring the similarities and differences of the metaphor “Anger is Heat” in English and the

possible equivalents in Vietnamese

6 Structure of the thesis

The paper is divided into three parts as follows:

Part A is “Introduction” This part gives a brief account of the rationale of the study, the aims of the study, the scope of the study, the methods of the study, and the thesis structure

Part B is “Development” This part consists of two chapters Chapter one is “Literature Review” This chapter provides the background for the study Chapter two, “A Contrastive Analysis of the

Metaphor “Anger is Heat” in English and the Possible Equivalent Expressions in Vietnamese”, provides a contrastive analysis of the English metaphor “Anger is Heat” and the Vietnamese

equivalents

Part C, “Conclusion”, provides a recapitulation of the main points raised, concluding remarks on each of the objectives, and suggestions for further studies

PART B: DEVELOPMENT

CHAPTER ONE: LITERATURE REVIEW

1.1 Review of the previous studies

1.2 Theoretical background

1.2.1 Traditional approach to metaphors

1.2.1.1 Substitution theory

The substitution theory describes metaphors as expressions, which are simply substitutes for literal expressions (Black: 1955)

The problem with this view is that a metaphor may evoke a large number of connotations and it would be difficult to paraphrase them all; and paraphrasing of a metaphorical expression cannot present all the meanings that the original metaphorical expression has (Ohkura: 2003)

1.2.1.2 Comparison theory

According to comparison theory, metaphor is grounded in the similarity existing between two concepts involved in it, so metaphor is considered to be an implicit comparison between principal subject and subsidiary subject, Black (1955), Hoang Tat Truong (1993) On such a

view, the interpretation of a metaphor is a matter of interpreting the corresponding simile, and the truth of the metaphor is thus reduced to that of the simile

The problem with this view is that similarity is a symmetric relation, whereas, in reality, metaphor is often asymmetric

1.2.2 Cognitive approach to metaphor

1.2.2.1 What is a conceptual metaphor?

For Lakoff and Johnson (1980) metaphor is not a matter of language but of thought processes Therefore, they are not interested in metaphor as linguistic expressions but as concepts behind the expressions They do not even attempt to provide an adequate definition for metaphor but describe the use of it as “understanding and experiencing one kind of thing in terms of another” (p 5)

1.2.2.2 Metaphorical mapping

The cognitive process that relates literal meanings to extended meanings is known as mapping A mapping is the systematic set of correspondences that exist between constituent elements of the

source and the target domain The source domain is predominantly associated with some tangible

physical experiences and therefore it is more concrete than the target domain (Esenova: 2000)

As a result, to know a conceptual metaphor is to know the set of mappings that applies to a given

source-target pairing

1.2.2.3 The structure of a conceptual metaphor

A conceptual metaphor is about two domains of thought and not just using one word instead of another, the structure of a conceptual metaphor is complex

According to Kövecses (2002) in conceptual metaphor, “conceptual domain” is a critical concept

in cognitive theories of metaphor We rely on our knowledge and experience on one concept in order to understand another concept Therefore, “a conceptual metaphor consists of two conceptual domains, in which one domain is understood in terms of another,” (Kövecses: 2002,

p 4) We have special names for these two conceptual domains They are called source domain and target domain respectively Lakoff &Johnson (1980), Kövecses (2002)

1.2.2.4 Types of conceptual metaphors

1.2.2.4.1 Structural metaphors

The structural metaphor concept is perhaps Lakoff and Johnshon‟s (1980) foremost metaphor classification They defined it as “cases where one concept is metaphorically structured in terms

of another” (p 14) Metaphorical structure is characterized by two spatial structures called two

conceptual domains: source domain and target domain

1.2.2.4.2 Orientational metaphors

Another kind of metaphorical concept is called an orientational metaphor, which organizes a whole system of concepts with respect to one another These typically deal with spatial orientation, such as up-down, in-out, front-back, on-off, deep-shallow, and central peripheral

1.2.2.4.3 Ontological metaphors

Ontological metaphorical expressions occur when people try to impose substances and entities with discrete boundaries on abstract concepts such as events, activities, emotion, and so on (Lakoff & Johnson, 1980) According to Lakoff and Johnson (1980: 25), understanding our experiences in terms of objects and substances allows us to pick out parts of our experience and

treat them as discrete entities or substances of a uniform kind

1.2.2.4.4 Conduit metaphor

Another type of conceptual metaphor which is found in (at least the everyday English) language

is conduit metaphor This conceptual metaphor states that ideas are manipulatable things that can

be packed into words and language, and then transferred (given or sent) to someone, who can subsequently unpack the words to uncover the ideas inside

1.2.2.5 Metaphorical entailment

A conceptual metaphor refers to understanding one idea (conceptual domain) in terms of another This understanding is based on set of mappings of the source domain onto the target domain We usually have richer knowledge about source domain When this rich knowledge about elements

is mapped onto target domains, we have cases of metaphorical entailment Therefore a metaphorical entailment can be defined as the imparting of a characteristic of the source domain (the metaphorical image) to the target domain (the concept receiving metaphorical treatment) by logical means

1.2.2.6 The role of conceptual metaphors in description of emotions

Metaphor might allow people to express emotions which are difficult or impossible to express if they are restricted to literal uses of language (Ortony and Fainsilber: 1987) In other words, metaphor is a powerful device for communicating emotion from two distinct perspectives Emotions are abstract concepts The relation of an emotion to other concepts tends to make the emotion more concrete, as Corlenia M Verspoor (1993) points out in his research that

“Metaphors are extremely pervasive in language They provide a powerful manner of making

abstract concepts explicit For these reasons, they are frequently utilized to describe emotional state.”

1.2.3 Summary

To sum up, we can say that metaphor is not only a matter of language; it is a matter of thought It

is not used only in poetics but also pervasive in everyday conversations And metaphors play a central role in expression of emotional state And this is one of the bases for this study though it

only deals with one conceptual emotional metaphor “Anger is Heat”

CHAPTER 2

A CONTRASTIVE ANALYSIS OF THE METAPHOR “ANGER IS HEAT” IN ENGLISH AND THE POSSIBLE EQUIVALENT

EXPRESSIONS IN VIETNAMESE

2.1 The cognitive basis of the metaphor „Anger is Heat” in English and the equivalent in Vietnamese

2.1.1 The cognitive basis of the metaphor “Anger is Heat” in English

2.1.2 The cognitive basis of the equivalent metaphor “Anger is Heat” in Vietnamese

2.2 The metaphor “Anger is Heat” in English and the equivalent in Vietnamese

2.2.1 The version “Anger is the Heat of a Hot Fluid in a Container” in English and the Vietnamese equivalent

2.2.1.1 The entailment “Increase in the intensity of anger is the rising of the fluid”

2.2.1.2 The entailment “Intense anger produces steam and pressure on the container”

2.2.1.3 The entailment “When anger becomes too intense, the person explodes”

2.2.1.4 The entailment “When a person explodes, parts of him go up in the air”

2.2.1.5 The entailment “When a person explodes what was inside him comes out”

2.2.2 The English version “Anger is Fire” and the Vietnamese equivalent

2.3 Explanation for the differences of the metaphor “Anger is Heat” in English and the equivalent in Vietnamese

Both English and Vietnamese share the same central metaphor for anger: “Anger is Heat” and they both share the two sub-versions: “Anger is the Heat of a Hot Fluid in a Container” and

“Anger is Fire” However, English tends to utilize the whole body in conceptualizing anger;

while Vietnamese tends to utilize more body parts

English mainly utilizes the physiological effects of the whole body to describe anger There are few expressions in English in which parts of body are used to conceptualize anger Three parts which are often used are head, face, and blood vessel

According to Lakoff and Kovecses (1983), the use of “face” and “head” are based on the physiological experience that when body temperature and pressure increase, face and neck area

becomes red This is visible physiological effect The case of “burst a blood vessel” is quite common in everyday use Why “blood vessel” is used not other parts like heart, liver, or lung? In

England, the rate of heart disease is very high, is the leading cause of death Based on their fundamental medical knowledge English people know that excessive pressure will cause blood vessels burst State of extreme anger can cause pressure increase dramatically It can be said that modern medical knowledge affects the model of conceptualization of English people

In contrast, Vietnamese people are affected by knowledge of Oriental medicine Vietnamese traditional medical theories, which are deeply influenced by Chinese ones, affect the model of conceptualization of Vietnamese people These medical theories follow the theory of Yin-Yang and the theory of five elements Chinese traditional medicine applies these theories to account for the relations between humans and nature, between the internal organs inside the human body, and between the internal organs and the external body parts

According to the theory of five elements, the Zang and Fu organs liver and gall and eyes, which belong to the element Wood, are categorized to anger This is the basis for expressions like

“nóng mắt”, “mắt long (song sọc)”, “sôi mật”, “sôi gan” About eyes, they are used in many

expressions for emotions basing not only on the Yin-Yang theory and the five element theory but also on Vietnamese culture which considers eyes as “the windows of the soul” expressing people‟s states of emotions

Although intestine (small and large intestine) and heart are categorized to happiness and grief,

they are also used to express anger as in expressions “sôi ruột”, “nổ ruột”, “sôi tim” What are

the reasons for this? First about heart, it can be seen under the cultural aspect Vietnamese people consider heart as the central organ of people which can contain all states of emotions like anger, happiness, anxiety, grief, and fright; therefore, it is applied to express not only state of happiness according to Yin-Yang theory and five element theory but all other states of emotions

According to Oriental medicine, intestine and liver are organs of digestive system and are interrelated When someone gets angry, blood in his/her liver becomes hot, it leads to intestinal

juice becomes hot This is the basis for the expression “sôi ruột” Also related to Oriental

medicine, steam is one of the two important elements (steam and blood) which help organs in the body act normally When someone gets angry, circulation of steam in liver is hampered When the circulation of the Yin steam in liver is hampered, it causes the one of the Yang steam in

intestine to be hampered (Trần Bá Tiến: 2009) This is the basis for the expressions “nổ ruột”

In summary, cultural aspect and medical knowledge form the differences in the conceptualization of anger between English and in Vietnamese

2.4 Summary

Basing on what have been discussed in this chapter, it is possible now to have a clear view on the

metaphor “Anger is Heat” in the two languages:

- The cognitive basis of the metaphor “Anger is Heat” in both languages is the same and based

on bodily experiences

- English tends to express anger through the physiological effects of the whole body; while Vietnamese tends to utilize body parts to express anger

- Differences in culture and medical knowledge cause differences in conceptualization between the two languages

PART C: CONCLUSION

1 Recapitulation

The study has fulfilled its aims with the following major points presented:

Firstly, the study has provided a brief account for conceptual metaphor

Secondly, it has investigated the cognitive basis of the metaphor “Anger is Heat” in English and

the Vietnamese equivalents

Thirdly, the study has analyzed cognitive mechanism of the metaphor “Anger is Heat” in the

two languages English usually describes anger through the physiological effects of the whole body; in contrast, Vietnamese tends to utilize body parts

The study has also explained the reason why there are differences between the two languages These differences result from differences in culture and medical knowledge

2 Concluding remarks

The first objective to be gained in this thesis is to give a theoretical background on conceptual metaphor Some remarks may be drawn that: metaphor is not only a matter of language, but a

matter of thought; and metaphor is not limited only in poetics but popularly used in everyday language, so language learners should utilize it to make their communications more effective The second objective of the thesis is to make explicit the similarities and differences between the

English metaphor “Anger is Heat” and the possible equivalent expressions in Vietnamese Conceptual metaphors for emotions in general and the conceptual metaphor “Anger is Heat” in

particular are mainly grounded on bodily experience Bodily experience is universal among all human beings So different languages, English and Vietnamese may share the same conceptual

metaphors However, differences always exist between languages because language is linked to

culture Therefore, differences in cultures can lead to differences in languages

The last but not least object of this thesis is to give implications for teaching metaphors Metaphors are highly used in everyday English, so teaching metaphorical expressions is essential and important Here are some implications that the author hope, to some extend, will help teachers in teaching metaphors:

- When teaching metaphorical expressions, teachers should provide not only meanings but also the background of the expressions, cultural and structural features of the expressions This can help learners effectively build semantic memories of the metaphorical expressions in English

- In teaching metaphorical expressions, teachers should put them in contexts

When expressions are put in contexts, students may guess their meanings and understand how they are used, so that it is easier for students to remember metaphorical expressions

- Contrasting and comparing the English metaphorical expressions to Vietnamese may also be an effective way This technique may be employed for different tasks such as translation and reading When teaching, teachers should highlight metaphorical expressions in texts of translating or reading, and then contrast and compare them to Vietnamese Through contrast and comparison with Vietnamese, teachers can provide students awareness of the metaphorical universal concepts used in the two languages which help them use metaphorical expressions correctly and effectively

3 Suggestions for further studies

It can not be denied that this study is limited in many ways The data, especially in Vietnamese, were mainly collected from the Internet, so they may lack reality Therefore, all the remarks and comments on the study will be highly appreciated