UseofRhetoricinEnglishAdvertisement修辭在廣告中的應(yīng)用

1、Use of Rhetoric in English Advertisement【 Abstract 】 Advertisement is a popular cultural phenomenon in people s daily life. It notonly provides the information about products and stimulates the purchasing power, but also enriches people s ideologic.al lifeRhetoric is one kind of important expressive

2、 device in language. It refers to interpreting abstract and complex ideas or processes through simple and concrete methods. Since rhetoric is full of imagination, it can promote the transmission and communication of emotions and ideas.Rhetoric exists in writings with various styles, especially, in a

3、dvertisements. Rhetoric plays a very important role in English advertisement, acting as a key element for the success of an advertisement. The thesis, based on the respective studies of the definition of advertisement and rhetoric, makes a careful analysis of the use of main rhetorical devices in En

4、glish advertisement, including simile, metaphor, pun, personification, parallelism and rhyme, targeting at promoting the further development of advertisement.【 Key Words 】 English advertisements; rhetoric; function【摘要】 廣告是人們?nèi)粘Ｉ钪凶畛Ｒ姷囊环N文化現(xiàn)象，不僅提供產(chǎn)品信息，刺激購 買力，而且豐富人們的精神生活。修辭是一種重要的語言表達手段， 是用簡單具體且充滿想象的方法將抽

5、象復(fù)雜的思想或 進程闡釋出來，能夠促進情感的傳遞和思想的表達。修辭存在于各種文體之中，尤其在英語廣告中起著極為重要的作用， 是影響英語廣告 成敗的關(guān)鍵。 論文從分析廣告及修辭的定義和功能出發(fā)，認(rèn)真研究了主要修辭手段在英語 廣告中的作用，包括明喻、暗喻、雙關(guān)、擬人、平行和押韻等修辭手段，旨在推進廣告的進 一步發(fā)展和提高?！娟P(guān)鍵詞】 英語廣告 ; 修辭 ; 功能IntroductionNowadays, concerning with advertisement, different people have different opinions. For most of the people, t

6、he distinct feature of advertisement is that advertisement is a combination of content and style. That is to say, a good advertisement not only has attraction in content, but also has charm in style. Obviously, the determinative factor of a good or a bad advertisement is whether the use of rhetoric

7、is appropriate or not. It can be found that the use of rhetoric plays a very important role in advertisement. Without the use of rhetoric, absolutely, there is no good advertisement. Therefore, it is necessary to make an analysis and study on this subject.The whole thesis is concerned about the use

8、of rhetoric in English advertisement, and the thesis is divided into three parts. The first part talks about the definition and function of advertisement. The second part illustrates the definition and function of rhetoric. The third part makes a carefully study on the use of main rhetorical devices

9、 in English advertisement, such as, simile, metaphor, pun, personification, parallelism and rhyme.I. AdvertisementAs for advertisement and products, some people believe the successful selling of products cannot be separated from advertisement. Advertisement keeps people informative about the price a

10、nd function of products; what ms ore, advertisement can help to improve products brand awareness and its reputation.A. The Definition of Advertisement“ Advertisementis the non personal communication of information usually paid for and usually persuasive in nature about products, services or ideas by

11、 identified sponsors through the”various media. ”Advertisement has taken many different kinds of forms from ancient times. At the beginning, advertisement evolved to take a variety of forms and to permeate nearly every aspect of the society. Advertisement devices include many kinds, such as, banners

12、 at sporting events, billboards, and Internet Web sites, logos on clothing, magazines, newspapers, radio spots, and television commercials. The people are overwhelmed by a lot of advertisements. It is said that the individuals can expect to be exposed to more than 1,200 different advertisementmessag

13、es eachday. Therefore, advertisements are popular in peoples daily life.B. The Function of AdvertisementEnglish advertisements can encourage competition, guide consumption, promote sales, and transmit information. For instance, advertisement tells a consumer the information about a specific product,

14、 brand or service and helps him or her to understand and evaluate the information. Moreover, by making people aware of products, services and ideas, advertisement promotes sales and profits. Advertisement is one of the major forces that can help improve the standard of living.The people, no matter i

15、n urban or rural areas, are overwhelmed by a lot of advertisements.Advertisement makes people s environments more colorful and vigorous. Meanwhile, it caalsnoenrich peoples cultural life and transmit information which contributes to social and cultural prosperity.II. RhetoricRhetoric can be found in

16、 any forms of writing poetry, prose, drama, fictional and non-fictional writing, advertisement. The understanding about the definition and function of rhetoric is helpful for the use of rhetorical devices.A. The Definition of RhetoricAristotle was one of the most famous thinkers and orators in Greek

17、. In his famous book, Rhetoric, rhetoric was defined as “ theart of persuasion (”Ta.ng Yin, P1, 2004) Whereas, John Locke, the noted English philosopher of the latter part of the 17th century, said that the science of oratory, the art of speaking with elegance, and force” . (Tang Yin, P1, 2004)In pr

18、esent day, the meaning of rhetoric has been extended. Rhetoric assumes the following characteristics, that is, the elaborated and exaggerated language, the art of using language effectively and persuasively, the skills of using language effectively, the structure of verbal communication.B. The Funct

19、ion of RhetoricRhetorical devices are variations of literal or ordinary forms of expressions. Their function is to make the thought more striking and effective. A fresh and suitable rhetorical device appeals to the imagination, creates mental pictures and makes the speech or writing vivid, impressiv

20、e and interesting.Rhetorical devices can make language more vivid by using the simple words to express complex meanings. By the use of rhetoric, even abstract ideas can become concrete. Rhetoric can make the modified subjects more prominent, distinctive, and specific. By the use of rhetoric, the lan

21、guage can give people more space to imagine. Whereas, without the use of rhetoric, the language is boring and there is no vigor in the language.III. An Analysis of Rhetoric in English AdvertisementSeveral kinds of rhetorical devices are frequently used in advertisement, and it is necessary to study

22、them one by one by giving definitions and making illustrations. All of the examples studied below are constrained within English advertisements.A. SimileSimile is a way of comparing one thing with another of explaining what one thing is like byshowing how it is similar to another thing and it signal

23、s itself in a text, withthe words as or like.A simile is made up of four parts: “ thetenor ”“, thevehicle ”“,thecomparing word ”and “theground ”. “The tenor ” is the subject of simile.“The vehicletransported.“The comparing word ” is the simile marker such as,“The ground ” is the common properties ow

24、ned by“the tenor ” is the thing compared to or the pa “ like, as, than, as if, similar to. and “the vehicle ”.For example: Breakfast without orange juice is like a day without sunshine.This is an advertisement for “ orangejuice ”It . can be found that, in this advertisement, “ orangejuice ”is “ thet

25、enor ”and “ sunshine is”“ thevehicle ”Th.e word “l(fā)ike s”ignals that the advertisement makes use of the rhetoric device simile. Thus by using simile, the advertisement makes the product s characteristic more vivid and lively. If the“ orange juice ” really has suceffect, the customers are eager to dri

26、nk this kind of juice at breakfast. Precisely, this advertisement is a good example in simile craftsmanship. It can not be imagined what the world will be look like without sunshine. The importance of “ orangejuice ”is no less than “ sunshine S”in.ce the significance of this kind of“ orange juice ”

27、is so great, nobody would refuse to drink it. Thus thisadvertisement touches the customers heart and greatly promotes the sale of this kind of ”juice ”.B. Metaphor“A metaphor, like a simile, also has a comparison between two unlike elements, but unlike a simile, this comparison is implied rather tha

28、n stated.”In metaphor, one thing is directly compared to another thing, without like or as. Thus the relationship between them is implied in other words is unstated. Therefore, the use of metaphor makes the language more vivid and also makes the product it advertising more attractive. Metaphor is a

29、kind of rhetoric devices which is favored by most advertisement composers.The following is a good example: Youd better off under umbrella.This is an advertisement for a travel insurance agency. In this advertisement, “ umbrella ” refers to the tr avel insurance agency. In the advertisement, “the veh

30、icle ” is not stated. In fact, vehicle ” is the staff of the “ Umbrella ” agency. No matter it is raining or shining, if the customers carry an umbrella with them, the umbrella will be very useful to them, for it protects them from being influenced by the bad weather. In most people msinds, the word

31、 “ umbrella is”always linked with safety and protection. While the customers are traveling, there are some unpredictablefactors existing during their journey. Just imagine that no matter what happens, there are always someone waiting for customers, listening to customers and comforting customers. Th

32、ey are not anyone else and they are the staff of“BUymubsrienlglame”ta.phor, the companys image ismore vivid. The advertisement would leave a deep impression on the customers.C. PersonificationPersonification is one of the most frequently used rhetoric devices in English advertisement, for it can gre

33、atly shorten the distance between the advertisement composer and customers, creating a kind of harmonious atmosphere between them. Undoubtedly, advertisement composers will employ the rhetoric device in the English advertisement.For example: She has her own spirit and it graces everyone she comes ne

34、ar.This is a piece of advertisement for“ perfume ”. It can be found that this kind of perfume ispersonified in the advertisement. In the advertisement,“she” not only refers to those who favorthis kind of perfume but also refers to the perfume itself. By giving life to the product, it can effectively

35、 shorten the distance between the advertisement composer and the customers, making the customers feel more cordial. Absolutely, the advertisement will make the customers willing to buy the perfume. The use of personification endows the advertisement with such magic power.D. Parallelism“In parallel c

36、onstruction it is necessary to balance word for word (noun with noun, verb with verb, adjective with adjective, etc) phrase with phrase, clause with clause, sentence with sentence. ”Parallelism will not be neglected by advertisement composers. It is reported that parallelism is one of the most frequ

37、ently used of all English rhetorical device.For example: For dreamers its paradise. For romantics its true bliss. For $199 a night itabsolutely irresistible. To learn more about the principality of Monaco call 800- it -9s696.This is an advertisement for a travel agency Monaco; the three sentences ta

38、lk about three different kinds of fields. In the advertisement, the advertisement composer revealed his advertisement by three parallel sentences, each of which contains a simple sentence with the similar structure. Monacos charm is greatly enhanced by the unity and balance of these parallelstructur

39、es. By using parallelism, the advertisement composer can add clarity and coherence to the advertisement. Parallelism helps the advertisement composer better communicate with the customers.E. Rhyme“ Rhyme is identity of sounds between words or verse lines extending back from the end to the last fully

40、 accented vowel not further ”Pe.ople often associate rhyme with poetry. Actually, rhyme also occurs in advertisements.For example: Hi-Fi, Hi-F un, Hi-Fashi on, only from Sony.This is an advertisement for Sony s products. In this advrthserepeated sounds of“ Hi ” not only give the customers a deep imp

41、ression and make it memorable, but also emphasize the quality of the product at the same time. In this advertisement, alliteration is used effectively.By using rhyme, Sony s products win customers hearts in a short time. English advertisement has the function of promoting sales. This advertisement g

42、ives the function s charm full play.ConclusionEnglish advertisements can encourage competition, guide consumption, promote sales, and transmit information. Rhetoric can make Ianguage vivid and humorous. Simile, metaphor, pers oni ficati on are the most freque ntly used rhetorical devices in En glish

43、 advertiseme nts.Gen erally speak ing, by the an alysis and study above, it can be found that the use of rhetorical devices con tributes a lot to successful advertiseme nts. Rhetorical devices are the determi native factors in En glish advertiseme nt. For this reas on, advertisers ofte n make use of

44、 rhetorical devices to in crease the readability and attract ion o f advertiseme nts and to arouse con sumers in terest ofbuying products. Un doubtedly, the use of rhetoric in advertiseme nt gives an advertiseme nt ano ther new birth, makes the advertiseme nt lively and impresses the customers great

45、ly.AcknowledgementsI would like to offer my sincere wish to those who spend their precious time in reading this thesis.英語諺語警句100句精選Proverbs are the daughters of daily experien諺語是日常經(jīng)驗的結(jié)晶。1. Look before you leap./Sec ond thoughts are best.三思而后行。/ 再想而后行。2. Great mi nds thi nk alike; (heroes have simila

46、r views.)英雄所見略同。3. We shall never have friends if we expect to find them without fault.欲求完美無缺 的朋友必然成為孤家寡人。4. What you sow, you must mow.種瓜得瓜，種豆得豆。5. A beggar can n ever be ban krupt天 無絕人之路。6. A frie nd in n eed is a friend in deed 患難見真情。7. No n ews is good n ews.沒有消息就是好消息。8. No cross, no crown.不經(jīng)歷風(fēng)雨

47、，怎么見彩虹。9. The more haste, the less speed. /Haste makes wast欲速貝 U不達。10. Victory bel ongs to the most perseveri ng.堅持就是勝禾11. A young idler, an old beggar.少壯不努力，老大徒傷悲。12. Put one s foot in one說話m不th體。13. It is no use crying over spilt milk覆水難收/悔恨已晚/木已成舟,回天乏力。14. Content is better than riches.知足常樂。15. N

48、o gains without pa ins.沒有辛苦就沒有收獲。16. The more a man kno ws, the more he is in cli ned to be modest.大智若愚。17. All roads lead to Rome 條條大路通羅馬。18. A snow year, a rich year.瑞雪兆豐年。19. Never say die!永不言??！20. The best mirror is a friend朋友的s眼睛是最好的鏡子。21. Faith will move mountain.精誠所至，金石為開。22. A life without a

49、 friend is a life without a sun.人生沒有朋友，猶如生活沒有了太 陽。23. Great wits have short memories 貴人多忘事。24. Do well a nd have well.善有善報。25. A bad thing n ever dies.壞事傳千年。26. Four eyes see more than two.人多識廣 /集思廣益。27. Dilige nee is the pare nt of success.勤勞是成功的根本。28. Water dropp ing day by day wears the hardest r

50、ock away.水穿石。29. Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst.抱最好的愿望，做最壞的打算。30. While there is life, there is hope. /Debt is better than death.留得青山在，不怕 沒柴燒。/有生命就有希望。31. Where there is a will, there is a way.功夫不負(fù)有心人。/有志者事竟成。32. Where there is great love, there are always miracles.哪里有真愛存在，哪里就 有奇跡。33.

51、Where there is smoke, there is fire.無風(fēng)不起浪。34. One boy is a boy, two boys half a boy, three boys no bo一 個和尚挑水喝，兩個 和尚抬水喝，三個和尚沒水喝。35. A stitch in time saves nine.及時縫一針能省九針。/小洞不補，大洞吃苦。36. Never too old to learn, never too late to turn.亡羊補牢，為時不晚。37. Don t claim to know what you don不要不懂裝懂。38. Do in Rome a

52、s Roman do 入鄉(xiāng)隨俗。39. Rome was not built in a day.冰凍三尺，非一日之寒。40. Sharpe ning your axe will not delay your job of cutt ing wood.磨刀不誤砍柴工。41. Things of a kind come together, people a mind fall into a group. 物以類聚，人以 群分。42. One man s meat is another man蘿po白o菜.,各有所愛。43. like author like book .文如其人。46. Like

53、for like.惺惺相惜。47. Like teacher like pupil.有其師必有其徒。48. Gods that ru n many hares kill none貪多必失。49. Practice makes perfect.熟能生巧。50. Acti ons speak louder tha n words.行勝于言。51. You cannot eat your cake and have it.魚與熊掌，不可兼得。52. One loses by pride and gains by modesty滿招損，謙受益。53. Love me, love my dog.愛屋及烏

54、。54. An apple a day keeps the doctor away.每日一蘋果遠離醫(yī)生。55. Time past cannot be called back agai n.時光不倒流。56. A drop of water cannot make a sea, and a tree cannot make a wood. 滴水不成 海，獨木不成林。57. If you venture nothing, you will have nothing.不入虎穴，焉得虎子。58. The tree is known by its fruit.觀其行知其人。59. All work no play makes Jack a dull boy只會用功不玩耍，聰明的孩子也變傻。60. The pot calls the kettle black.五十步笑百步。61. Unkindn ess ofte n reacts on the unkind pers on.惡有惡報。62. Toda