The Directory Role of the Relevance Theory in Metaphor Understanding

秦玉卿

ABSTRACT： This paper focuses its attention on metaphorical expressions to expound how to infer metaphorical meanings in the framework of ostensive and inferential processes of the Relevance Theory. As far as linguistic levels are concerned, metaphor can fall into the word-source metaphor, sentence-source metaphor, and transcendent sentence-source metaphorical expressions. The process of metaphor understanding is analyzed from thoes three different levels. Further, the importance of seeking the optional relevance of the old information to the new information is stressed in metaphor comprehension.

Key Words: the Relevance Theory; the optional relevance; metaphor understanding

In verbal communication, metaphor can be used to convey communicative intentions indirectly. The understanding of metaphor is part of communication. This thesis discusses the role of the Relevance Theory in metaphor understanding from three different linguistic levels at which metaphors may occur.

1. The introduction of the Relevance Theory

The cognitive view of the context, ostensive and inferential processes as well as the relevance in the Relevance Theory are conducive to the process of metaphor understanding. It is generally assumed by traditional theorists that the context is given in advance of the comprehension process. In the Relevance Theory, it is the relevance that is treated as given while the context is variable, and the process of understanding is to seek the optional relevance of utterances to contextual assumptions. This cognitive view is more appropriate for the communication analysis between two minds because it is adequate in its explanatory power.

2. Metaphor interpretation

It is an agreement achieved in theories that “A is B” is viewed as a general formula of metaphor, in which A and B are the two entities discussed in metaphor. The “target” and “source” are the more frequently used appellations. In the Relevance Theory, the term of “target” refers to the intention of a metaphor while the “source” is used to embody the “target” .

2.1 Word-Source Metaphor

In some metaphorical expressions, it is a word that is used as the “source” while other words should be interpreted literally, and the latter offers the co-text for understanding of the “source”, which is not metaphorical in its origin, but can be interpreted in its metaphorical meaning in the certain context. For example,

Hed been a pig about money. (Bao Huinan, 2001:223)

The audience can make a set of assumptions in his/her cognitive environment:

a. The pig is a domestic animal. b. The pig is lazy. c. The pig is dirty. d. The pig is greedy. e. The pig is stupid.

The new information “money” interacts with the old assumptions in his cognitive environment to guide the inferential process. The assumption, which the audience should process, is effected by the relevance to the ostensive information. In this sentence, it involves the speakers attitude to money and the assumption shall bear some relevance to money. Therefore, the assumption “the pig is greedy” is processed and a contextual implication that “he” wants to have more money than is necessary is yielded.

2.2 Sentence –Source Metaphor

The sentence rather than an individual word is used figuratively as a whole. The speakers meaning is behind the words and can not be understood literally. The hearer can process such utterance in his cognitive context by making assumptions and seeking the optional relevance, and achieve cognitive effects. For example,

She knew it was an absorbed hope—and yet would not let it go…The silence of Dr. Raste had nearly killed it, but it could not be killed; it had more lives than a cat. (A. Bennett, Riceymans Steps, Part Ⅳ, chapterⅤ)

It is an anthropomorphic metaphor. The ostensive information modifies the hearers cognitive environment to produce assumptions about cat while the principle of relevance helps him/her to filter out the irrelevant assumptions. It is said that the cat has nine lives, which shows its vitality. The newly presented information concerns“hope” that is an absorbed one, and then the contextual conclusion that the hope will not be easily dashed is derived by seeking the relevance.

2.3 Transcendent Sentence-Source Metaphorical Expressions

In some cases, the speaker expresses his/her communicative intention in virtue of a group of sentences, which shoud be interpreted metaphorically as a whole, to illuminate one matter. It occurs more frequently in literature, especially in poetry, for its delivery of the speakers stronger feeling.

Andrew failed his examination, but Paul laughed at his failure instead of consoling him. At that moment, Jessie told Paul the story of dogs and the fox:

Some dogs found the skin of a lion and began to tear it into pieces with their teeth. A fox said “If this lion were alive, you would soon find out that the claws were stronger than your teeth.”

The story illuminates one theme metaphorically. Under this circumstance, Paul shall be aware of the relevance of this story to him and make some assumptions, such as Dogs fear a real lion; dogs tear the skin of a lion rather than a real lion. Based on these assumptions, a contextual premise appears that it is easy to kick a person who is not in his/her normal condition. And this premise is viewed as a new contextual assumption in further inference. With the contextual efforts put to seek the relevance of the story to him, Paul can gain the contextual implication that it is not acceptable to kick a man who is down. He may be aware of his improper activity. The euphemistic expression can save Pauls face to avoid his embarrassment.

3. Conclusion

In linguistics, metaphor has beared on lexical meaning changes, such as meaning shift. This thesis is in the hope of granting some hints to improve students efficiency in reading comprehension.

Metaphor can be used as a teaching device for teachers to help students conceive the outer world. And it should be emphasized that metaphor learning must involve the culture teaching. Teachers should pay more attention to the teaching of culture in which most metaphorical expressions are rooted.

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