VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POSTGRADUATE STUDIES ----------o0o---------- HỒ THỊ HẢI YẾN CONCEPTUAL METAPHOR DENOTING “ECONOMY” AS “HUMAN BODY” IN NYTIMES.COM AND FICA.VN (2013) Ẩn dụ ý niệm biểu hiện “kinh tế” được dùng như “cơ thể con người” trong báo nytimes.com và fica. Minor Programme Thesis Field: English Linguistics Code: 60220201 Hanoi, 2014 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POSTGRADUATE STUDIES ----------o0o---------- HỒ THỊ HẢI YẾN CONCEPTUAL METAPHOR DENOTING “ECONOMY” AS “HUMAN BODY” IN NYTIMES.COM AND FICA.VN (2013) Ẩn dụ ý niệm biểu hiện “kinh tế” được dùng như “cơ thể con người” trong báo nytimes.com và fica. Minor Programme Thesis Field: English Linguistics Code: 60220201 Supervisor: Dr. Huỳnh Anh Tuấn Hanoi, 2014 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com DECLARATION Title: “Conceptual metaphor denoting “economy” as “human body” in the nytimes.com and fica.vn (2013)” I hereby declare that the master thesis is my own original work under strict guidance of my supervisor.
All sources used for the thesis have been fully and properly cited. No part in the thesis has been copied or reproduced by me from any other person‟s work without acknowledgements. Hanoi, 8th October, 2014 Hồ Thị Hải Yến i LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Foremost, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my supervisor, Dr. Huỳnh Anh Tuấn for his great patience, encouragement, ceaseless academic support and insightful comments.
Without his guidance and contributions, the present study would have never seen the light. My great thankfulness is also given to all my lecturers of the Faculty of Postgraduate Studies for their ideas to my paper and many thanks to all my friends who have been always willing to help and give their best suggestions during the time of collecting necessary data and information for the study. Last but not least, I would like to acknowledge and extend my heartfelt gratitude to my whole family who were always supporting me and encouraging me with their best wishes. Hanoi, 8th October 2014 Hồ Thị Hải Yến ii LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com ABSTRACT Metaphors are rhetorical figures used to express one thing which is more abstract or unfamiliar in terms of another thing which is more familiar and concrete.
Metaphor has often been regarded as a special language use characteristic of poetry and drama, but in the ground-breaking work Metaphors We Live By (2003), Lakoff and Johnson showed that metaphor is, in fact, a fundamental structuring mechanism in the way we interact with and perceive the world around us. Studies have also shown metaphor to be common not only in everyday language but also in language of economy. Having chosen Lakoff and Johnson‟s Conceptual Metaphor Theory (2003) as the analytical framework, 74 metaphorical expressions from English and Vietnamese newspapers were analyzed to address how conceptual metaphor denoting “economy” as “human body” works in English and Vietnamese newspapers as well as indicate the similarities and differences between both languages in terms of this conceptual metaphor. It aims to enhance the effectiveness of teaching, learning and translating conceptual metaphors in English and Vietnamese.
iii LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION………………………………. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS. iv PART A: INTRODUCTION. Rationale of the study.
Aims and objectives. Aims of the study. Scope of the study. Significance of the study.
In terms of theory. In terms of practice. Method and procedures. Organization of the study .6 CHAPTER I: THEORICAL BACKGROUND AND LITERATURE REVIEW.
Definition of cognitive semantics. Main tenets of cognitive semantics. Conceptual structure is embodied. Semantic structure is conceptual structure.
Meaning representation is encyclopedic. Meaning construction is conceptualization. Conceptual Metaphor Theory .8 iv LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.Traditional views on metaphor .Metaphor in the light of cognitive linguistics. Definition of conceptual metaphor.
Classification of conceptual metaphor .16 CHAPTER 2: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY. Data analytical framework .Data analytical units .21 CHAPTER 3: DATA ANALYSIS. Conceptual metaphor denoting economy as human body in nytimes. Stages of economy system are stages of human body development.
Aspects of economy are organs of human body. Appropriate economic conditions are healthy human body conditions. Inappropriate economic conditions are unhealthy human body conditions. Solutions to the economy are treatments to the human body.
Recovery of economy is recovery of human body. Collapse of economy is the death of human body. Aspects of economy are organs of human body .28 v LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail. Inappropriate economic conditions are unhealthy human body conditions.
Solutions to economy problems are medical treatments to human body problems. Recovery of economy are recovery of human body. Collapse of economy are collapse of human body .31 CHAPTER 4: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION. Similarities and differences between conceptual metaphor denoting economy as human body in nytimes.com and fica.32 PART C: CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS.
Implications to Translation Practice. Implications to Foreign Language Teaching. Limitations and suggestions for further studies. IX vi LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com PART A: INTRODUCTION 1.
Rationale of the study It is indisputable that economy has a close relationship with human beings and human society since economic growth is considered as a foremost contributor to sustained progress in human development. Given the global trends emerging these days when nations‟ budget focuses more on boosting economy, the number of economics studies is proliferating considerably. Specifically, language of economy is one of burning concern of reasearchers (e. Boers, 2000; Charteris-Black, 2000; Broone & Feyaerts, 2005).
Thebreakneck speed of global economic evolution has provided the language of economy with constant changes and innovations. In recent times, cognitive linguistics has become an exponentially essential discipline of modern psycholinguistics in language studies. Among researched issues dealing with cognitive linguistics is cognitive semantics which focuses on metaphor – a specific mental mapping that provides a foundation of human conceptualization. In the view of the classic theory, metaphor is regarded as a special language use characteristic of poetry and drama.
However, according to the Conceptual Metaphor Theory as initiated by Lakoff and Johnson (1987), used as a theoretical framework for this paper, metaphor is not just a poet‟s tool for aesthetic, rhetorical purposes but rather pervasive in everyday life and plays an indispensible role in defining the way people perceive the world and the way we interact with the world. Our conception of abstract concept is achieved by virtue of a more concrete concept, thus creating what is called a “conceptual metaphor”. The prevalence of metaphors within the concept – economy is a pivotal topic of research. In 1983, McCloskey, in The Rhetoric of Economics recognized the importance of metaphor in economic contexts.
McCloskey argues that economy is metaphorical in nature and economic texts are “heavily metaphorical”(McCloskey, 1983:502). Economic expressions such as “economic growth”, “infant industry”, “mature economy”, “underdeveloped”, “depression”, “human capital”, etc. are, in fact, used widely 1 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com and frequently. Of all the areas of economy that rely on metaphors to convey abstract ideas, perhaps the most interesting is the study of economy as human body.
Metaphorically, the economy is regarded as human body with natural cycles of growth, decline and death. How economy can be conceptualized as human body in English and Vietnamese newspapers and how conceptual representations vary across languages and cultures will be illustrated in my research entitled: “Conceptual metaphor denoting “economy” as “human body” in nytimes.com and fica. Considering the limited size of the material, the results of the study may probably not be generalized, but they can hopefully contribute to spark a brief insight into conceptual metaphors denoting economy as human body in English and Vietnamese online newspapers. Furthermore, they are considered to be important to specialist translators, English for Special purposes (hereafter ESP) teachers and students in understanding and interpreting these conceptual metaphor expressions efficiently, as well as to non-native writers who may be better equipped to produce economic texts.
Aims and objectives 2. Aims of the study As the title of my paper suggests, my primary aim is to investigate how conceptual metaphor denoting “economy” as “human body” are manifested in English and Vietnamese online newspapers, nytimes.com and fica.vn respectively in 2013 in the light of cognitive perspective. Objectives The study is intended to fulfill the following objectives: - To analyze the concept of “economy” metaphorically expressed as “human body” in two eminent English and Vietnamese online newspapers, namely nytimes.com and fica.vn respectively in the year of 2013. - To discover and explain the similarities and differences between conceptual metaphors denoting “economy” as “human body” in nytimes.com and fica.
2 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com - To make some suggestions for teaching, learning and translating conceptual metaphors denoting “economy” as “human body”. Scope of the study Due to time constraints and within the framework of an M.A thesis, the research is limited to 74 expressions of conceptual metaphors denoting “economy” as “human body” which are selected from available articles during 2013 in nytimes.com and fica.vn from cognitive linguistic perspective. Significance of the study 4. In terms of theory The present paper may not only provide empirical evidence for studies of linguistic units but also shed light on the studies of economics and applied cultural linguistics.
In terms of practice The study is hoped to be useful for ESP teachers and studentsbetter understanding and interpreting metaphorical expressions denoting “economy” as “human body”in English and Vietnamese newspapers and economic texts as well. Besides, non-native writers and translators are also facilitated. Method and procedures 5. Research questions In order to achieve the aims of the study the following research questions should be taken into consideration: - How is the concept of “economy” metaphorically expressed as “human body” in English and Vietnamese online newspapers? - What are the similarities and differences in expressions of conceptual metaphors denoting “economy” as “human body” in English and Vietnamese online newspapers? 3 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.
Research method A contrastive analysis was adopted in this study so as to describe and analyze the similarities and differences in expressions of conceptual metaphor denoting “economy” as “human body” in both English and Vietnamese newspapers from cognitive linguistic perspective. Data collection 74 metaphorical expressions denoting “economy” as “human body” are collected from available articles during the year of 2013 in two eminent English and Vietnamese online newspapers which are nytimes.com and fica. The most compelling and concrete ones are selected to demonstrate crucial points under the investigation. Data analysis Using Lakoff‟s and Johnson‟s Conceptual Metaphor Theory (2003) as the model of linguistic expressions of conceptual metaphor, the study is qualitatively conducted to describe and analyze the data collected.
In this model, conceptual metaphors are classified to be the extension of ontological metaphors. Qualitatively, data are described and analyzed in order to find out the similarities and differences in expressions denoting economy as human body in English and Vietnamese newspapers. Organization of the study This study is composed of three main parts: Part A – Introduction introduces the rationale, the aim, the methodology, the scope, the significance and the organization of the study. Part B – Development consists of four chapters Chapter 1 – Theoretical background and Literature review focuses on introducing important theoretical matters relevant to the topic of the study such as definition of cognitive semantics, main tenets of cognitive semantics, the 4 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com theories of metaphor, the conceptual metaphors, the metaphoric mappings.
Besides, it presents some previous researches on economic discourses. Chapter 2 – Research methodology discusses the methods and the procedures of the research. It also deals with the description of samples and how the data are collected, described and analyzed.