A trope is any departure from ordinary language in a text. The term implies a turning away from common uses of words. That means “trope” is the use of a word or expression in a different sense from that which properly belongs to it, the use of a word or expression as changed from the original signification to author, for the sake of giving life or emphasis to an idea, a figure of speech, etc.
Tropes are chiefly of four kinds: smile, metaphor, metonymy and synecdoche.
Smile
Smile is a comparison between two different things that resemble each other in at least one way. In formal prose the simile is a device both of art and explanation, comparing an unfamiliar thing to some familiar thing (an object, event, process, etc.) known to the reader.
A variety of ways exists for invoking the simile. Here are a few of the possibilities:
x is like y
x is not like y
x is the same as y
x is more than y
x is less than y
x does y; so does z
x is similar to y
x resembles y
x is as y as z
x is y like z
x is more y than z
x is less y than z
For example:
l And money is like muck, not good except it be spread. --Francis Bacon
l My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun. . . . –Shakespeare
Metaphor
Metaphor compares two different things by speaking of one in terms of the other. Unlike a simile or analogy, metaphor asserts that one thing is another thing, not just that one is like another. Very frequently a metaphor is invoked by the to be verb. E.g.
l Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life." –John
The comparison assumes different forms:
l This first beam of hope that had ever darted into his mind rekindled youth in his cheeks and doubled the luster of his eyes. --Samuel Johnson
Metonymy
Metonymy is another form of trope, very similar to synecdoche (and, in fact, some rhetoricians do not distinguish between the two), in which the thing chosen for the metaphorical image is closely associated with (but not an actual part of) the subject with which it is to be compared.
The orders came directly from the White House
In this example we know that the writer means the President issued the orders, because "White House" is quite closely associated with "President," even though it is not physically a part of him.
Synecdoche
Synecdoche is a type of trope in which the part stands for the whole, the whole for a part, the genus for the species, the species for the genus, the material for the thing made, or in short, any portion, section, or main quality for the whole or the thing itself (or vice versa).
Farmer Jones has two hundred head of cattle and three hired hands.
Here we recognize that Jones also owns the bodies of the cattle, and that the hired hands have bodies attached. This is a simple part-for-whole synecdoche.
All the four kinds of tropes have significant effects on advertising. Let’s discuss them in real advertisements!
Smile in English Advertising
As mentioned above, smile is the simplest trope we usually see in English advertising. When you compare a noun to a noun, the simile is usually introduced by like; when a verb or phrase is compared to a verb or phrase, as is used. Often the simile--the object or circumstances of imaginative identity (called the vehicle, since it carries or conveys a meaning about the word or thing which is likened to it)-precedes the thing likened to it (the tenor). The vehicle and the tenor are objects that belong to different categories while they have some similarities that are their abstract common grounds! In advertisements, simile not only provides clear and vivid image, it also brings the products closer to customers! Therefore, simile is often used to create attraction in advertising! Examples are too many to count. Let us just analyze a few:
l Light as a breeze, soft as a cloud. (Ads for clothes) (1)
l Cool as a mountain stream…cool fresh Consulate. (Consulate cigarette) (2)
l Ride like a feather in your pocket. (Ads for cars) (3)
l Breakfast without orange juice is like a day without sunshine. (Ads for orange juice) (4)
l Like your baby, kittens need more nutrition than adult cats. (Ads for kitten’s food) (5)
The advertisements above all use simile! Some of them use “like”, others use “as”! In example (1) there are two smiles in the single sentence, since it is an advertisement for clothes, the most obvious two features of clothes are lightness and softness, which are also the features of breeze and cloud. The similes used here are appropriate for they stress the quality of the product! The same is true of examples (1) and (2) also takes the common ground of mountain stream and Consulate cigarette: giving people the cool feeling! We all know that stream always gives impression of carefree and happy feeling, the simile skillfully links it with cigarettes, change our common images! In example (3) we see that riding a car is so relaxing that you will have the feeling of taking a feature in your pocket! The advertisement uses simile to describe gently what high quality the car has and the pleasure it can offer you! Example (4) is very vivid! Maybe you have omitted orange juice in breakfast before, but after reading this advertisement, you will involuntarily associate an awful day without sunshine in your mind! Then why not spent one or two minutes on a glass of orange juice in the morning to have a whole day’s good mood? The function of smile lies in the readers’ images and feelings and has incredible effects on customers! Look at example (5), your kitten is linked to your baby, aren’t they all your sweethearts? The people who raise kittens as pets are most females! So the advertisement cleverly seizes the sentimental hearts! One might sometimes forget to prepare food for her kitten, but no wonder he will never forget such things related to her baby! So when a female sees the advertisement and she happens to have a kitten, she might buy this product when she is wandering in the supermarket with the sweet feeling of being her small cat’s considerate mother!
Now we can see clearly that the appropriate and suitable use of smile can describe the product’s or service’s typical features or their unique functions and create the specific imagination and mood for the readers besides making the advertising language vivid and colorful.
Metaphor in English Advertising
A metaphor is a comparison between two unlike objects that does not use "like" or "as." It can also be considered an assertion of identity. Like simile, metaphor is a profoundly important and useful device in English Advertising. Aristotle says in his Rhetoric, "It is metaphor above all else that gives clearness, charm, and distinction to the style” And the fact that two very unlike things can be equated or referred to in terms of one another comments upon them both. No metaphor is "just a metaphor." All have significant implications, and they must be chosen carefully, especially in regard to the connotations the vehicle (image) will transfer to the tenor.
As discussed above, very frequently a metaphor is invoked by the to be verb, in advertisements, metaphor is more used than smile! Examples as follow:
l The inside story is leaking out. (Ads for nappy) (6)
l A woman expresses herself in many languages, Vimal is one of them. (Ads for clothes) (7)
l Your lungs are an incredible piece of Machinery. (Ads for a health organization) (8)
l What is your choice when inflation is slowly but surely eroding the value of your nest eggs? (Ads for an investment company) (9)
l You are the traveler. Your investments are the terrain. We are the maps. (Ads for an investment company) (10)
l Over 200years of careful breeding produced this champion. (Ads for XO) (11)
l Our flights get the green light six times a week from JFK to Johannesburg. (Ads for a flight company) (12)
All the seven examples listed above contain metaphor. While they have some differences, some of the advertisements use the word “ is” to complete the metaphor, and others use the vehicles directly! Let’ s begin our discussion with example (7), (8) and (10). In these three advertisements, metaphor is in a “X is Y” form. Let us first focus on Example (8): since it is a advertisement for a health organization, it must focus on the advantages of joining this organization. What is the most dangerous and common disease in today’s world? It is cancer, and lung cancer is the most threatening one! So the creator of this advertisement uses “ an incredible piece of Machinery” ---something permanent--- as the vehicle; the lungs of its members as the tenor, tell the reader the benefits they can get if they join this health organization! It has some hyperbole parts here, but we can clearly see the hyperbole is reflected through metaphor! In example (10), another very typical metaphor, the relationship of the investors and their money and the investment company is transferred to the relationship of the travelers and terrain and the maps .As we all know, investment company is aim to guide the investors, just as the map for a traveler! The common ground of the two relationships is cleverly expressed by using metaphor! The readers will have some image that the company can be a good choice for them to manage their money, especially the readers who are not good at dealing with money affairs! Then example (7), it is an advertisement aiming at women market. The plot of this sentence is very wonderful since it is believed by almost all the women that clothes is the important means to express themselves. Then the abstract object: body language is taken here to suggest the clothes of Vimal! The advertisement gives some beautiful images to its readers! While in example (6), (9), (11), (12) the word “is” is not used as a bridge connecting the tenor and the vehicle! Instead, the vehicles appear directly in the sentences. For instance, XO wine is transferred to the concept “ champion” in example (11), neither the brand XO nor the word “wine” appeare in this single sentence, but the readers will not misunderstand about the meaning! Because the word “ breeding” suggests the similarity between the wine and the champion, both of them need careful attention and long period waiting! Look at example (12). Maybe the readers will be a little confused about the meaning of “green light”. Does this mean the traffic lights? Think it over and you will discover that here the “green light” means “permission”. That is to say, the flight company has six flights in a week from JFK to Johannesburg. I think the advantage of using metaphor here is that the reader may get some deeper impression of the company after thinking over the advertisement for a minute or two. Example (9) is also an advertisement for an investment company, unlike example (10), there is no “is” in the whole sentence, but the skillful use of the image “ nest egg” will affect the readers too. Many people like raising their hard-earned money day by day to assure themselves that if they meet certain emergencies, they can be out of trouble with their savings. The advertisement accurately shows the thoughts of such people, while it also warns that with the high inflation rate, the savings will devalue day by day. What can you do with it? The answer is very clear: choose the investment company and make your money raise money! The sentence is in a question form. By answering the question, you make the advertisement work! Example (6) is the one I like best for it is the most interesting and unforgettable one. “The inside story” means the urine of a baby. The whole sentence describes a specific situation: a baby’s urine is oozing out from his pants, probably he is crying loudly. What should his mother do? Certainly, give him the nappy! The nappy appears to be something very important and essential. The metaphor adds some humorous effect to this advertisement and makes its readers remember it! You can see from the examples that you can use abstract concepts to mean some real objects, or vice versa.
In fact, there are many ways to express metaphor, besides the two ways discussed above; we can use some other ways! Let us study the examples below:
l The Boeing 777---A new expression of time-honored Asian Traditions. (Ads for plane) (13)
l Louis Vuitton. The sprite of travel! (Ads for traveling bags) (14)
In example (13) and (14), the punctuation marks play the role of the bridges across the tenors and the vehicles! When you read these advertisements, you will not feel confused, instead, you will tend to image the relationships between the tenors and the vehicles. In addition, the sentences are sound harmonious and easy to remember!
Whenever a smile or a metaphor turns up, it helps to build your appropriate image of the product, which explains why so many advertisements we see today are full of smile and metaphor! Metaphor is more often used than smile! The functions of metaphor should be paid much attention to. Excellent use of metaphor is sometimes the key to the success of an advertisement, a product, even a company!
科技英语中的美学修辞及其翻译
英文广告口号是英文广告的精髓