[转载]6、明抑暗扬的understatement (低调陈述)(英语修辞系列之十 | 您所在的位置:网站首页 › 英语修辞手法的作用和意义是什么 › [转载]6、明抑暗扬的understatement (低调陈述)(英语修辞系列之十 |
先看《大学英语·精读》第四册七单元课文中有这样一句话: We are none of us getting any younger. 我们都不年轻啦。 这个句子通过对younger 的否定来表示对该词的反义词older的肯定,其本意是:We are both of us getting much old. 这是英语中常见的一种修辞方法,称之为understatement(低调陈述)。 Understatement 的意思是: a statement that is not strong enough to express facts or feelings with full force(语气不够强,不足以表达事实或感情的陈述)。A Dictionary of Literary Terms所给的解释是:A figure of speech which contains an understatement of emphasis, and therefore the opposite of hyperbole. Often used in everyday speech and usually with laconic or ironic intentions.也就是说,这种修辞格是故意使用有节制的措辞来陈述事实,故意轻描淡写,借低调与弱化语言形式来表示强调。它是与hyperbole(夸张)相对的一种修辞格。hyperbole是故意夸大其辞,化小为大,是deliberately maximize the importance和 play up;而Understatement则故意采取“低调”,化大为小,是deliberately minimize the importance和 play down。 一般说来,英语Understatement并无固定的格式,通常可以通过词汇和语法手段来体现。
1、用词汇手段来体现 Last week I saw a woman flayed, and you will hardly believe how much it altered her person for the worse. (Johathan Swift) 上星期我看见一个女人被剥了皮,而你几乎不会相信这把她的身体改变得多么更不好了。 作者用altered一词,轻描淡写地陈述了剥女人皮这一毛骨悚然的事件。 …there was a loud cry from a number of voices, and the horses reared and plunged. But for the latter inconvenience, the carriage probably would not have stopped; carriages were often known to drive on, and leave their wounded behind, and why not? (Charles Dickens: A Tale of Two Cities) ……从许多声音之中发出一种绝叫,马提起前腿跳了一下。 单是为了这点不方便,马车是不会停止的;照例,可以照常驰骋,把受伤者弃置在后面,为什么不可以呢?…… 马车停下来竟不是因为撞死了人,而是因为马受了惊这点不便,作者用But for the latter inconvenience这一短语,虽是轻描淡写,反而有力地揭露了当时封建贵族横行霸道、视黎民为草芥的丑恶本质。 Those of us are quitting are the impatient ones who lack the imagination to believe that the bright dream will glow again. (Caskie Stinnett: Farewell, My Unlovely) 我们这些里(纽约)而去者没有耐性,缺乏想象力,不相信往日的辉煌之梦还会重放异彩。 此句中的lack the imagination实际上是do not (believe that…).
2、用语法手段来体现 No one was more willing to do a favour for friend neighbour than he. 他最愿意帮朋友或邻居的忙。 此例是用比较结构表达understatement。 I know he is honest, and I wish I could add he were capable. 我知道他是诚实的,我还希望我能说他是能干的。 此句也是用虚拟语气来体现understatement,I could add he were capable其实是在说“但他不够能干”。 “Don’t you figure out that I might have had something to do with it?” said Soapy, not without sarcasm, but friendly, as one greets good fortune. (O. Henry: The Cop and the Anthem) “难道你看不出我可能跟这事有关吗?”苏比说,口气不是没有讥讽,但态度却友好,仿佛一个要交好运的人。 此例是以双重否定体现understatement,not without sarcasm就是with sarcasm(语带讥讽)。 简而言之,Understatement(低调陈述)的要点,就是轻描淡写地陈述一种想法。然而要达到这样的“轻描淡写”的修辞效果并非易事。要在表现手法上下功夫。根据笔者的归纳,understatement常用的表现方法有以下几种:
1、用反说代替正说 所谓“反说”,即从另一角度来衡量一件事物,比如用 not bad来表达very good 的意思。用反说代替正说,可以减轻说话者的语气和对事物的评价,避免绝对化。这种方法是用否定词(词缀)加上与本意相反的词。如,It is good是一个 statement,它的 understatement由 not加 good的反义词 bad构成: It is not bad。类例: The face wasn’t a bad one; it had what they called charm. (John Galsworthy) 面孔不算难看,有一般人所称的妩媚。 此句不是冲淡她的魅力,而是采用低调渲染,意即The face was sweet; her charm conquered everybody. 明似贬抑,实则褒扬。 If Saddam Hussein goes out of power, no tear is to be shed. 如果萨达姆·侯赛因下台,我们不会为之落泪。 直言是希望他下台,但用外交辞令,就得低调处理,于是说不会流泪,不会痛悼。这就是用understatement修辞方法表示否定的态度。 It was no small feat to harness the energies of an entire nation for a united show of hospitality and good will for visitors from around the world. (Kyuk-Ho Shin: Time, June 24, 1999) 把整个国家的能量调动起来,对来自世界各地的访问者表现出一致的好客和友好,这不是小事情。 No small实际是否定之否定,表示肯定,说明这可是一件“了不起的大事”。 A final agreement to set up trade offices with consular functions came after high-profile maneuvering by Seoul at last month’s Asian Games in Beijing. A generous Korean contribution to the cash-short event didn’t hurt. Now analysts expect last year’s $3.1billion in indirect two-way trade to leap quickly to a $5-billion-a year clip. (Gerson Yalowitz) 上个月在北京亚运会上,汉城机动灵活,姿态很高,对现金短缺的竞赛慷慨解囊。北京方面认为接受这笔赞助款项也无伤脾胃。随后达成了最后协议,双方建立贸易代办处,附带领事馆职能。现在分析家预期去年双方间接贸易的实绩31亿美元将高速跃进到50亿美元一年。 这笔捐款,金额不会太小,因为是a generous contribution; 另一方面体育盛会又是外汇短缺cash-short, 所以,按理推论,汉城的赞助是受到欢迎的。但是,由于政治上、外交上的考虑,可能不宜表示过分赞赏。所以用了(The)Korean contribution…didn’t hurt, 接受了也无伤脾胃。遣词造句服从于一个目的:淡化这层关系。前文是汉城方面的高姿态,下文是北京方面的低姿态,低调陈述,形成戏剧性的对照。 转发至微博 转发至微博 |
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