摘要

   习语，作为一种特殊的语言形式，是英语语言的精华，也是英语词汇中不可缺少的组成部分。一般来说，习语在结构上具有固定性，语义上具有整体性。英语习语数量可观，内容包罗万象，使用极其广泛。隐喻则是人类语言的共有现象，在人们的日常生活中无处不在。作为语言精华的习语中也蕴含着大量的隐喻。隐喻，在很长一段时期内都是仅作为修辞格来研究的。在传统修辞学中，隐喻是一种非常重要的修辞格。随着隐喻理论的不断发展，人们逐渐认识到，隐喻不仅是一种语言现象，而且还是一种认知现象和思维方式。习语与隐喻的关系犹如语言与思维的关系。由此可见，隐喻在英语习语中起着极其重要的作用。研究英语习语中的隐喻具有十分重要的实用价值。尽管习语和隐喻的研究已有很长的历史，把隐喻放在英语习语的框架中进行探讨却还是一个相对较新的研究视角。本文将在国内外相关研究的基础上，分析探讨英语习语研究和隐喻研究的历史背景及发展状况。另外，本文还将浅析英语习语中隐喻的种类、功能、语义特征及句法特征，进而提高对隐喻的认识能力、英语习语的应用能力以及运用隐喻思维来认知周围世界的能力。

关键词：英语习语；语言精华；隐喻；习语研究；隐喻研究

Abstract

Idiomatic expressions, as a special language form, are the essence of English language and also an indispensable part of the English vocabulary. Generally speaking, they have a fixed structure and a semantic unity. English idioms are large in number, all-inclusive in context and extensive in use. Metaphor, a common phenomenon of human language, is ubiquitous in people’s daily life. Idioms, as the essence of language, also contain a number of metaphors. In a very long period of time, metaphor is studied only as a figure of speech. In traditional rhetoric, it is quite an important figure of speech. With the development of metaphor theories, people gradually realize that metaphor is not only a linguistic phenomenon but also a cognitive method and a way of thinking. The relationship between metaphors and idioms are just as the relationship between thoughts and languages. This shows that metaphors play a critical role in English idiomatic expressions. Studying metaphors in English idioms has got its vital practical value. Though both idiom and metaphor research have a long history, studying metaphors in the framework of English idioms is a relatively new angle of research. This thesis aims to analyze the history and development of idiom and metaphor research. In addition, this thesis is to briefly analyze the classifications, functions, semantic features and syntactic features of metaphors in English idiomatic expressions, and then improve the readers’ understanding ability of metaphor, the application ability of English idioms and cognitive ability to the world by the use of metaphorical thinking.

Key words: English idioms; essence of language; metaphor; idiom research; metaphor research