- Lakoff + Johnson give several examples throughout the text of linguistic metaphorical systems. Are there any you found odd, outdated, or different from metaphorical systems that you use, either personally or in your language, culture, or social sphere? For instance, do you speak about conversation as battle, or use orientational metaphors the same way the authors describe?
As a non-native speaker of English, I have two different language systems in my brain. For some sentences in English, I can understand it’s meaning but cannot translate them into Chinese directly. For example: “It’s difficult to put my ideas into words.” is a form we don’t use in Chinese. We usually say 只可意会不可言传 (can only be felt and understood in one’s heart but cannot be explained in words.) or 难以言喻 (beyond expression) to express the same meaning. In the phrase 难以言喻, 难 means hard, 以 equals “to, “言 means say/speak, and 喻 means metaphor.
- Can you identify a metaphorical system that you commonly use? What do you think is the motivating rationale (“experiential basis”) behind that system – or is there one? Have you ever intentionally (or unintentionally) changed the metaphorical system that you use to speak about a certain subject, to reflect a different experience or worldview?
I love to use metaphors in my daily life. Metaphors and analogies help to think and express myself a lot. I like to analog my thought into something that is world-wild consensus to break through the limits of language. When I answered the “Who are you outside of IMA Low Res?” I said, “I am a star in the sky who wish to light the moon up.” This comes out from a fact: the sun light up the earth. The moon is usually neglected when compared to the sun. However, the moon also lights up the night silently. I want to be like the star around the moons in society to accompany them when they try their best to light up the night.
Also, in Chinese, there are 歇后语 (a two-part allegorical saying). In a 歇后语, the former part is a metaphor or metaphor, and the latter part is an interpretation of the meaning. It’s commonly used in my daily life. Here are some examples of 歇后语:
黄鼠狼给鸡拜年–不怀好意。 A weasel wishing Happy New Year to a chicken — bad intentions
肉包子打狗–有去无回。 Chasing a dog by throwing meat dumplings at it — no return.
兔子尾巴长不了。 The tail of a rabbit — cannot be extended; won’t last long.
- What metaphors/systems of metaphor are commonly used when discussing your topic? If “the essence of a metaphor is understanding and experiencing one kind of thing in terms of another” (5), what other kinds of metaphors might be useful for discussing your topic or an aspect of your topic?
This is the main difficulty I face when working on my topic: fenestra. Fenestra itself is used as a metaphor. The word initially meant window, but it’s now used for small openings on the bones, blood vessels, and insects’ wings. Fenestras are usually used for transporting molecules and balancing pressure. This makes me think about the underground water system, funnels, sluices, and filter papers.