英汉动物词汇蛇隐喻的认知对比分析(2)
However many cognitive linguists have realized the importance of metaphor, and hold a different point of view from most people or the non-cognitive linguists. For example, Lakoff and Johnson believe that metaphor is ubiquitous in human beings’ daily life not only in language, but also in thought and action, which means human being’ ordinary conceptual system is fundamentally metaphorical in nature and one way to seek this out is by looking at language where conceptual metaphor is pervasive in both thought and language (Lakoff G et al.1999:45). In other words, metaphor is an integral part of everyday language and thought (Tuner M 1991, Sweetser E 1990). Johnson also claims that a metaphor is not just a linguistic human expression used for artistic or rhetorical purposes but it is a process of human understanding by which people obtain meaningful experience that they can understand. That means metaphor may be regarded as “an essential tool in language, thought, and communication” (Steen G 2008:214). Furthermore, cognitive linguists also agree that the pervasiveness of metaphor lies in its grounding in the embodied experience of human beings.
The lives of humans are intimately connected to animals. Since humans have embodied mind, and their understanding of the world as well as their experience in the world interact, whatever concepts they have are grounded in the experience and culture they are involved and immersed in. In the same vein, out of their intimate connection with animals, all of these will be reflected in their daily life.