英语修辞学.doc

蔡岚岚
Introduction of Rhetorical Devices
1. ic Devices
Alliteration 头韵
Eg. a rolling road
tongue twisters: She sells seashells on the seashore.
Peter piper picked a peck of pickled pepper.
Euphony 谐音
Eg. hate- late; powers- flowers
Assonance 半谐音
Eg. Thou still unravished bride of quietness,
Thou foster child of silence and slow time.
(Keats: Ode on a Grecian Urn)
a coffin shop-- a coffee shop; a flowery dell-- a flowery cell
Onomatopoeia 拟声
Eg. dog: bay, snarl, growl, howl, whine…
Homeoteleuton 叠韵: similarity in endings
Eg. Instead of rivets there came an invasion, an infliction, a visitation.
To Bertie, Jeeves is as prehensible as he is indispensable.
2. Lexical Devices
Lexical Options
Short Words and Long Words
Words and Learned Words
Eg. payment- liquidation; refer to- allude to; glasses- spectacles;
name/ surname- cognomen
Formal, Informal or Colloquial Words
Eg. deception- trick- rip-off; residence- house- digs;
commence- start/begin- kick off
General or Specific Words
Eg. (n.) the building- the library; big cities- Shanghai, New York, London;
(adj.) a fine day- sunny, warm, cloudless
(adv.) speak well- clearly, with perfect diction;
(v.) walk- stroll, march, stride; stagger
Concrete or Abstract Words
Referential or Emotive Words
Choice between Synonymous Words
Eg. fat- stout; high- tall; wide- broad; thin- lean
Choice of Abbreviations
Acronyms
initialism: UN; WTO
part of a word: TV; ID
an expression or sentence: DINK; ASAP(asap); AWOL(awol); MARLBORO
number or similar sound: F2F; Gr8
Clippings
first syllable: advertisement, laboratory, professor, automobile
middle syllable: flu (influenza), fridge (refrigerator)
last syllable: omnibus, telephone, , airplane
Blends
brunch: breakfast+ lunch; digicam: digital+ camera; newscast: news+ broadcast
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