EnglishRhetoricFiguresofOppositionFiguresofOpposition19.Irony反語

1)SocraticIrony蘇格拉底式的反語

2)VerbalIrony字面式反語

3)SituationalIrony

情景式反語

4)DramaticIrony戲劇式反語20.

Sarcasm譏諷

17.Irony反語1)SocraticIrony蘇格拉底式的反語

2)VerbalIrony字面式反語

3)SituationalIrony

情景式反語

4)DramaticIrony戲劇式反語DefinitionofIrony1)Ironyis“the‘drymock’,inwhichthecontentandintentofthewordsemployed

areopposite;thatis,thecontraryofwhatissaidtobeunderstood”(byArthurZeiger).

DefinitionofIrony2)Itisadeviceofspeakingorwritinginwhichthemeaningliterallyexpressesisthe

opposite

ofthemeaningintendedandwhichaimsatridicule,humororsarcasm.Therearefourcategoriesofirony1)SocraticIrony蘇格拉底式的反語

2)VerbalIrony字面式反語

3)SituationalIrony

情景式反語

4)DramaticIrony戲劇式反語SocraticIrony

蘇格拉底式的反語1)Socratesalwaysunderstatedhisownknowledgeandwisdom,andheoftenpretendedcompleteignorance.Hetaughthisyoungstudents,notbytellingthemhisthought,butbyaskingandgoading/stimulatingthemfortheirs,SocraticIrony

蘇格拉底式的反語sothattheyseemedtobeteachingthemselves.Socraticironythusreceiveditsname,whichwasdescribedas“Socrates’dialect”.2)VerbalIrony字面式反語2)VerbalIronyisthesayingoftheoppositeofwhatismeant,theintendedmeaningofthewordsbeingtheoppositeoftheirusualsense.e.g.:(1)Whentheseatyouhavetoseatonisbrokenandyousay“Ilikeit.”(Actuallyyoudon’tlikeit.)2)VerbalIrony字面式反語(2)Inourdailylife,wemayhearsomeonesay“Youareafinegoalkeeper,allowingtheothersidetoscoresixgoals”,thenheisusinganirony.2)VerbalIrony字面式反語(3)AfamousexampleofheavyironyisMarkAntony’sspeechattheburialceremonyofCaesarinShakespeare’sJuliusCaesar:

SeeP.230inthetextbook.

2)VerbalIrony字面式反語Friends,Romans,Countrymen,lendmeyourears;IcometoburyCaesar,nottopraisehim.Theevilthatmendolivesafterthem,Thegoodisoftinterred/buriedwiththeirbones;2)VerbalIrony字面式反語

SoletitbewithCaesar.ThenobleBrutusHathtoldyouCaesarwasambitious.Ifitwereso,itwasagrievousfault;

2)VerbalIrony字面式反語

AndgrievouslyhathCaesaransweredit.Here,underleaveofBrutusandtherestForBrutusisanhonorableman;

(infact,hemeanttheopposite,heusedirony.)

3)SituationalIrony

情景式反語Alsocalledcircumstantialirony.InTheStoryofanHourbyKateChopin,whenMrs.Mallardheardthatherhusbandwaskilledinthetrafficaccident,shecriedloudly,andthenwhisperedtoherselfinabitterlypleasanttone:“free!Bodyandsoulfree!”,foritwaswhatshehadexpected.3)SituationalIrony

情景式反語Shewaspleasedwithherhusband’sdeathwhenhestoodatthedoorunexpectedly,whichcausedhertosufferherheartattack,anddied.4)DramaticIrony戲劇式反語DramaticIronyisadevicebywhichtheaudienceismadeawareofthingsthatcertaincharactersdonotknow.e.g.TheDevotedFriend,writtenbyOscarWilde,showsustwoleadingcharacters:richMillerandpoorHans,whohasasmallgarden.

4)DramaticIrony戲劇式反語Whenrosesandliliesareinbloom,MillercomestovisitHansbysaying“Realfriendsmustshareeverything”.ButwhenwintercomesandHansstaysathomehungry,Millersays,4)DramaticIrony戲劇式反語“itisnousegoingtoseeHans…Whenpeopleareintrouble,wemustleavethemaloneandnotbotherthem.That’smyideaoffriendship,andI’msureI’mright.SoIwillwaittillspringcomes…”.20.Sarcasm譏諷

Sarcasmistheuseofascornful,taunting,contemptuousexpressiontoridiculeandwoundthefeelingsofthesubjectattacked.

20.Sarcasm譏諷Itistheuseofremarkwhichclearlymeantheoppositeofwhattheysay,andwhicharemadeinordertohurtsomeone’sfeelingsortocriticizesth.Inanamusingway.20.Sarcasm譏諷ItisdefinedbyLongmanModernEnglishDictionaryas“acruellyhumorousstatementorremarkmadewiththeintentionofinjuringtheself-respectofthepersontowhom20.Sarcasm譏諷Itisaddressed,usuallybydrawingattentiontooneofhisweaknessandoftenassociatedwithirony.”20.Sarcasm譏諷Sarcasmisclassifiedintotwocategories:1)Abitterstatementthatmocksormeanstheoppositeofwhatissaid.Examples(1)“Oh,thisisverygoodwork,”hesaidwithobvioussarcasm,staringatthetestgradeof55%.(2)“Youhavebeenworkinghard,”hesaidwithheavysarcasm,ashelookedattheemptypage.20.Sarcasm譏諷2)Acruellyhumorousandstraightforwardstatementthatinjuresone’sself-respectusuallybydrawingattentiontohisweaknessExamples:(1)Whenaboywhowearsglassesiscalled“foureyes”,itisacaseofthiskindofsarcasm.CompareSarcasmwithLitotesLitotes:twotypes1)Understatementbydenyingitsopposite,usuallybyusingnegatives,oremphaticexpressionthroughanegative.e.g.:(1)Sheisnotbeautiful.(meaningsheisugly.)Litotes(2)Mylife,whichhasbeenlongandnotentirelyuneventful.(3)Itisnotsmallmatter.(bigmatter)(4)Itisnolaughingmatter.(Itisaseriousmatter.)(5)Heisawriterofnotsmalltalent.Litotes:twotypes2)Understatement,whetherornotaffectedbynegatives.Thiskindoflitotesinthepastwas“Meiosis”,whichisnowincludedunderlitotes.Examples(1)Therewasaslightdisturbanceinthecityyesterday.Alltheshopswereshut.(Infact,therewasaseriousriotinthecity.)(2)Amotherof14children,awidow,whentalkingaboutmoney,saidmoneywasalittledifficult.IdentifysarcasmandLitotesinthefollowing1)Thesistersaidtoherbrotherwhotookawaythebiggestcake,“Howunselfishyouare!”sarcasm2)Sheisnotunhappyatpresent.litotes

litotes

3)Heisnomeanopponentinthecomingdebate.litotes4)Lawsarelikecobwebs/spiderwebs,whichmaycatchsmallflies,butletwaspsandhornetsbreakthrough.sarcasmContinued5)Prosperityisnotwithoutmanyfearsanddistastes/disl