AnIntroductiontoEnglishFiguresofSpeech1.Simile(明喻)Asimileisanexpressionmakingacomparisonintheimaginationbetweentwothingsthatareessentiallyunlike,yetarealikeinacertainrespect.Asimileismadeupofthreeparts,namely:a)thetenor(thethingdescribed)b)thevehicle(thethingcomparedto),andc)wordssuchas“as”,“like”,“asif/asthough”,“and”andthestructure“of+noun.”usedtoshowtherelationshipofcomparison.Forexample:Heisasstubbornasamule.Thatmancan’tbetrusted.Heisasslipperyasaneel.Omylove’slikeared,redrose.(woman—rose)-----RobertBurnsThepastrisesbeforemelikeadream.JimandBillyareaslikeastwopeas.*Hehadnomoreideaofartthanacow.Whoistoblamebuthertyrantofafather?Thatisonehellofajury.2.Metaphor（暗喻）Ametaphoristheuseofaphrasewhichdescribesonethingbystatinganotherthingwithwhichitcanbecomparedwithoutusingthewords“as”or“like”.Itisalsoacomparisonbetweentwothingsthatareessentiallyunlikeyetarealikeinacertainrespect.Itdiffersfromsimileinthattherearenowordswhatsoeverusedtoshowtherelationofcomparisonbetweenthetenorandthevehicle.Agenuinemetaphortherefore,isanimpliedsimile.Forexample:Theworldisastage.Jimwasafox.Heisthesouloftheteam.Failureisthemotherofsuccess.Somebooksaretobetasted,othersswallowed,andsomefewtobechewedanddigested.--------(Bacon)Shemeltedintotears.Heisalionintheway.Themanistheblacksheepinthefamily.AdarkhorseIwasabletorisefromtheashes.（凤凰焚身的形象）（我终于从灰烬中获得新生/我终于得以东山再起）Amixedmetaphorisoneinwhichthewriterstartswithonecomparisonandthenshiftstoanotherthatisnotconsistentwiththefirst;theimplicationsofoneimageclashwiththoseofanother.3.Personification（拟人）Personificationisafigureofspeechwhichattributeshumanqualitiesandabilitiestoinanimateobjects,animals,abstractideas,eg.Youthishotandbold,（青春充满热情和勇气）Ageisweakandcold,（衰老变得虚弱和冷漠）Youthiswild,andageistame.（青春豪放不羁，衰老温顺驯服）----WilliamShakespeareThistimefatewassmilingtohim.Thewindiswhistlingthroughthetrees.Duskcamestealthily.(黄昏悄悄来临)Iwatchedthemoonlightdancingontheripplesofthelake.Shelistenedtothebrookmurmuringthroughthehil