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A STUDY
ON METAPHOR AND SIMILE
IN ENGLISH IDIOMS AND VIETNAMESE
EQUIVALENTS
Hanoi,May-2010
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VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI
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A STUDY
ON METAPHOR AND SIMILE
IN ENGLISH IDIOMS AND VIETNAMESE
EQUIVALENTS
Hanoi,May-2010
2
RETENTION AND USE OF THE THESIS
I hereby state that I, Dang Hong Phuc, group 061E14, being candidate for the
degree of Bachelor of Art (TEFL) accept the requirements of the University
relating to the retention and use of Bachelor’s Graduation Paper deposited in the
library.
In terms of these conditions, I agree that the origin of my paper deposited in the
library should be accessible for the purposes of study and research, in accordance
with the normal conditions established by the librarian for the care, loan or
reproduction of the paper.
Signature
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I also own a debt of gratitude to my teacher at high school, Mr. Phan Xuan Phu
for his support and encouragement.
Last but not least, I am especially grateful to my parents, friends and relatives
who have encouraged and assisted me during my study.
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ABSTRACT
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LIST OF TABLES AND ABBREVIATIONS
1. List of Tables
2. List of Abbreviations
Adj: Adjective
Adv: Adverb
B: Things compared
C: Points of similarity
Conj: Conjunction
N: Noun
Prep: Preposition
V: Verb
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Retention and use of the thesis i
Acknowledgement ii
Abstract iii
List of tables and abbreviations iv
PART 1: INTRODUCTION 1
1.1 Rationale of the study 1
1.2 Aims of the study 3
1.3 Scope of the study 3
1.4 Methods of the study 4
1.5 Design of the study 4
PART 2: DEVELOPMENT 6
CHAPTER 1: THEORETICAL BACKGROUND OF IDIOMS IN
ENGLISH 6
2.1.1 Definitions of idioms 6
2.1.2 Features of idioms 7
2.1.2.1 Semantic feature 7
2.1.2.2 Syntactic feature 9
2.1.3 Distinction between idioms and proverbs 11
2.1.3.1 Definition of proverbs 11
2.1.3.2 Similarities of idioms and proverbs 11
2.1.3.3 Differences between idioms and proverbs 13
2.1.4 Classification of idioms 16
2.1.4.1 Based on Semantic structure 16
2.1.4.1.1 Phraseological fusion 16
2.1.4.1.2 Phraseological unities 17
2.1.4.1.3 Phraseological combinations 18
2.1.4.2 Based of Syntactic feature 19
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CHAPTER 2: A CONTRASTIVE ANALYSIS ON METAPHORS AND
SIMILIES IN ENGLISH IDIOMS AND VIETNAMESE
EQUIVALENTS 22
2.2.1 Metaphor 22
2.2.1.1 Definition of metaphor 22
2.2.1.2 Classifications of metaphor 24
2.2.1.2.1Classification of metaphor according to semantic aspect 24
2.2.1.2.2Temporal classification of metaphor 27
2.2.1.3 Distinction between metaphor and metonymy 28
2.2.1.3.1 Similarities 29
2.2.1.3.2 Differences 29
2.2.2 Simile 31
2.2.2.1 Definition 31
2.2.2.2 Three elements of simile 33
2.2.3 Foundation of similes and metaphors in idioms 36
2.2.4 Similes and metaphors in idiom and idioms of comparison 36
2.2.5 Identification of idioms of comparison 38
2.2.5.1 Based on component word and phrase 38
2.2.5.2 Based on grammatical structure 40
2.2.5.3 Structural characteristics of comparative idioms 40
2.2.6 Similarities and differences between the Anglicist and Vietnamese
cultures expressed via idioms of comparison 42
2.2.6.1 Similarities 43
2.2.6.2 Differences 47
CHAPTER 3: PROBLEMS FACED BY LEARNERS IN STUDYING
IDIOMS 59
2.3.1 Introduction 59
2.3.2 Difficulties in understanding 59
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2.3.2.1 English idioms with various grammatical structures 59
2.3.2.2 English idioms with distinctive culture features 60
2.3.2.3 Suggested solutions 61
2.3.3 Problems in memorizing 62
2.3.3.1 English idioms exist in large numbers 63
2.3.3.2 Lack of frequent use of English idioms 63
2.3.3.3 Inadequate method of learning English idioms 64
2.3.3.4 Suggested solutions 64
PART 3: CONCLUSION 67
3.1 Major findings of the research 67
3.2 Pedagogical suggestions for teaching English idioms 70
3.2.1 Which idioms to teach 70
3.2.2 Separated lessons or integrated ones 71
3.2.3 Specific classroom activities 72
3.3 Suggestions for further studies 73
3.4 Limitations of the research 74
3.5 Contribution of the research 74
References 76
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PART 1: INTRODUCTION
This initial chapter presents the rationale of the study, along with the aims,
objectives and the scope of the whole dissertation. Above all, it is in this chapter
that the research questions are demonstrated to work as clear guidelines for the
whole paper.
However, the statistics did not mention the quality of English learning. It is
assumed that Vietnamese learners do not often find it hard to learn English initially
because of the similarities of the alphabet system in the two languages. They can
do grammar exercises feeling like a rose. Nonetheless, it is challenging to become
proficient in English.
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language. The more fluently and accurately Vietnamese learners can use English
set phrases and collocations, the more successfully they can deal with the language
of Shakespeare. Furthermore, idioms reflect distinctive features of each language,
so they can be the bridge linking the soul of different nations. Thus, it should open
doors to friendly atmosphere on the part of both native and non-native speakers,
which leads to global mutual understanding in cultures, customs, traditions and
behaviors as well – the key factor to avoid culture shocks during international
communication.
Metaphor and simile have been studied and viewed at different angles by
numerous scholars. Unfortunately, no one has ever reached totally persuasive
answers to the questions of them. Thus, it is still a controversial topic which
attracts people’s interest. That’s why I would like to make some of my own
contributions to the study on metaphor and simile in English and Vietnamese
idioms to make a comparison.
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enhance the efficiency of communication, narrowing the gap between the speaker
and listener.
My thesis mainly aims at finding out common types of metaphor and simile
which are used in English and Vietnamese idiomatic expressions, discovering
some similarities and differences in using metaphor and simile especially those
commonly used in both languages.
In what ways are metaphor and simile used in English and Vietnamese
idioms?
What are the differences and similarities between English idioms and
Vietnamese ones through metaphors and similes?
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1.4 Methods of the study
To carry out this research, some methods have been combined. First and
foremost, a review of existing study results on idioms, metaphors and similes is
necessary to provide a better understanding of the topic. Collecting data and
gathering sources is done through selecting and reading English and Vietnamese
idiomatic expressions. After that, data are categorized and similes and metaphors
in idioms are analyzed. The contrastive analysis method is also employed to make
up the study on metaphor in English and Vietnamese idioms with an attempt to
provide a clearer understanding of the aspect.
Part 2: Development
Part 3: Conclusion – summarizes the main issues discussed in the paper, the
limitations of the research as well as some suggestions for further studies.
Following this chapter are references.
Summary
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In this chapter, the researcher has elaborated on these following points:
(1) Statement and rationale for the study
(2) Aims and objectives of the study
(3) Scope of the study
(4) Methods of the study
(5) Design of the study
Generally speaking, these elaborations have not only justified the major contents
and structure of the study but will also work as the guidelines for the rest of the
paper.
PART 2: DEVELOPMENT
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CHAPTER 1: THEORETICAL BACKGROUND OF
IDIOMS IN ENGLISH
This chapter sheds light on the literature of the study, particularly the
theoretical background of the research topic. To begin with, a sketchy picture of
the research background will be provided with an overview of the key concept:
“idiom”. Added to that, a brief review of the related studies will exhibit the
research gap and hence, justify the objectives of this research paper.
According to Jenifer Seidl and W.Mc Mordie in “English Idiom and How to
Use” “an idiom is a number of words which, taken together, mean something
different from the individual words of the idiom when they stand alone.” (1979: 20)
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On reflection, it could be seen that there is no conflict between the
aforementioned definitions of idiom. Regardless of obvious differences in
expressing, they intersect at one point: an idiom is a fixed expression whose
meaning can not be worked out by combining the literal meaning of its
individual words.
It is undoubted that meaning is the most important factor when talking about
semantic feature of idioms. Figurative meaning is the basic characteristic of idioms
for it helps to decide whether a fixed expression is an idiom or not. As V.V.
Vinogradow imaginatively expressed, the meaning of an idiom is “the special
chemical mixture” of the meaning of all components, which is completely new in
quality. Here is an idiom to exemplify: “to take one’s medicine” (to accept
something unpleasant, for instance, punishment, without protesting or
complaining). It can not be understood based on the component words of the idiom
for their meaning is far from the same as that of the set phrase. Henceforth, it is
important to understand idioms metaphorically rather than literally.
Over and above, idioms may take many different forms or structures. Some
idioms are noun phrases such as “crocodile tears”, “child’s play” “a new man”,
forty winks (a short sleep during the day) and “the storm in the tea cup”. In terms
of structure, an idiom can have a regular structure, an irregular or even a
grammatically incorrect structure. For the first type, they have common forms but
there is no connection between the meaning of each component and that of the
whole unit. Typical examples of idioms with regular structure are not difficult to
find: the green-eyed monster (a feeling of anger or unhappiness because somebody
you like or love is showing interest in somebody else), a pipe dream (a hope,
believe, plan and so on that will probably not come true), poetic justice (a
punishment or reward that is deserved). The meaning of idioms in this group can
not be perceived without having been learnt already. The second group takes into
account ones which have unconventional forms but their meaning can be worked
out through the meaning of individual words. That is to say the meaning of the
whole unit sometimes can be perceived through the meaning of its components.
Take “I am good friends with him” as a typical illustration; since the idiom is
irregular and illogical in terms of grammatical structure. According to the rule of
language, “I” is singular and therefore “friend” must be singular, too. However, in
this case, the idiom does not need to obey grammatical rule to make sense. “I am
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good friends with him” can still be interpreted that “I am a friend of his”. In the
last group, grammatically incorrect, both its form and meaning are irregular. The
structure is grammatically inaccurate and the meaning is not precisely expressed by
gathering the meaning of each member-word. Such idioms as “Be up to no good”
(doing or planning something wrong or dishonest), “to go through thick and thin”
(in spite of all the difficulties and problems; in good and bad times) illustrate
grammatical irregularity. The structure of the idioms can be written as “Verb +
preposition + adjective”. In English, normally a structure like this is acknowledged
once in a blue moon since adjectives never come after prepositions individually.
As an idiom, however, the case is accepted.
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merely the language but one of the most substantial contributions to the folk
culture of each country. People, through the treasure of proverbs of a nation, can
perceive that nation’s lands, people and humanity tradition.
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proverb will not make sense if it is modified as “out of mind, out of sight”. Due to
the permanence of member-words in idioms and proverbs, therefore, it is out of the
question to make any change in them, even when it is merely an inconsiderable
change.
Another point should also be referred to when studying proverbs and idioms
is that in many cases idioms form the basis of proverbs; e.g. “rotten apple” (one
bad person who has a bad effect on others in a group) is the basis to form the
proverb “the rotten apple injures its neighbors”; or the case of the idiom “put all
your eggs in one basket” (risk all your money, effort and so on one thing, so that if
it is not successful, you have no chance) and the proverb “Don’t put all your eggs
in one basket”.
From all the features mentioned above, proverbs have no reason not to be
taken into consideration together with idioms.
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functions of perception and education, idioms could not become a perfect literature
work. Therefore, idioms belong to the language only. This can be clearly seen
through the idiom “a meeting of minds” which means “people thinking in the same
way about something, a special understanding between people”. Although this
idiom is expressed figuratively and imaginatively, which performs its aesthetic
function, it brings us neither an advice nor a lesson about life or society.
In conclusion, idioms and proverbs are so alike that people frequently take
them into parallel consideration when studying a language. The close relations
between idioms and proverbs, however, can not reflect their complete similarities.
They are still distinguishable for their differences in grammar and function.
Expression
Idioms Proverb
Feature
Fixedness
+ +
Phrase
Syntactic
+ -
feature Clause
+ -
Sentence
+ +
Non
Semantic
feature
motivated + +
Perception
Communicative - +
function Aestheticism + +
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Education
- +
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studied as a whole unit. In reverse, the meaning of the whole could not be found
through the meaning of each element. For instance, the idiom “out of the blue” is
of no relevance to color for it means “suddenly and unexpectedly”. It is obvious
that the complete stability of lexical components and grammatical structure of
fusion have made such kind of idioms become specific for every language. It is
therefore unfeasible to translate them literally into other languages. It is also
impossible to find the equivalent meaning between the meaning of each component
word in the two languages.
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2.1.4.2 Based on Syntactic feature
Types of
Idiom based Some common
Examples Meaning
on Syntactic structures
feature
Large numbers of soldiers who
are used in order to win a war,
N+N Cannon folder
even though most of them are
likely to be killed
1. N An agreement, contract, etc… in
which nothing is written down
N’s + N A gentleman’s agreement
because both people trust each
other not to break it
N + prep + N The letter of the law The exact words of a law or rule
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rather than its general meaning.
Chivalrous man who is ready to
N + Adj Knight errant help and protect oppressed and
helpless people.
Arrivals and departures;
N + and + N Comings and goings
movement of people
A lot of money; money that you
A+N Good money
earn with hard work
Meet for a short time, by chance,
Ships that pass in the
N + S.C and perhaps for the only time in
night
your life
V+N Give birth Produce a baby or young animal
Be willing to listen to other
people’s wishes and points of
V + and + V Give and take
view and to change your
demands, if this is necessary
V+ (one’s)+ N Take a very quick superficial look
Glance one’s eyes down
+prep at something
2. V
Give sb your friendship,
encouragement, approval, etc.
V + one + N Give sb moral support
rather than financial or practical
help
See what most people think, or
See which way the wind
V + S.C what is likely to happen before
blows
you decide how to act yourself.
(search for smt) in every possible
Adj + and + Adj High and low
3. Adj place; everywhere
Adj + as + N As innocent as a dove Innocent
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Before everything else; most
N + and + N First and foremost
importantly
(of something difficult) by any
Prep + N + or +
By hook or by crook method, whether it is honest or
prep + N
4. Adv not
Before you can say Jack
Conj + clause Very quickly or suddenly
Robinson
Adv + prep + N Once in a blue moon Very rarely
Prep + N At a stretch Without stopping; continuously
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CHAPTER 2
2.2.1. Metaphors
Although these two authors expressed their ideas in different ways, both of
them see the transference of meaning from A to B and their similarity of these two
objects.
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research for more than 2000 years. It is said to be the earliest and widely spread
theory of metaphor until recent day. In his point of view, metaphor functions either
as a substitution of the figurative for the literal, or as an abbreviated simile.
Specifically, Aristotle assumed that metaphor was derived from seeing semblances
in things, which is one feature of simile. However, by comparison with simile,
metaphor was regarded as the more compressed figure of speech. In this view, the
comprehending of a metaphor is an issue of interpreting the equivalent simile, for
example, “A is B” had the same meaning as “A is like B”. Another notable point in
Aristotle theory is so-called “substitution” theory, according to Max Black:
“metaphor consists in giving the thing a name that belongs to something else; the
transference being either from genus to species, or from species to genus, or from
species to species, or on grounds of analogy” (The poetic, p.174). Some people
may conclude based on this view that after all, metaphor was no more than a
replacement of a different expression. Nevertheless, Aristotle viewpoint on
metaphor was on a larger scale. It is apparent that the term “thing” and “name” in
Aristotle’s account must be construed broadly. “Thing” also relates to any topic of
brainwork rather than merely physical objects. Likewise, “name” might not be
understood in the fixed sense of proper or common names. Thus, what we are left
with is the notion that some object of thought is referred to by means of the sign
for some other such objects. This will do well enough, but it is a little more
convenient to say essentially the same thing from the sign rather than the object
signified. Hence, we may say that in a metaphor sign having a conventional sense
is used in a different sense.
2.2.2.1.1 Shape:
2.2.2.1.2 Position:
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2.2.2.1.3 Movement:
2.2.2.1.4 Function:
2.2.2.1.5 Color:
2.2.2.1.6 Size:
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2.2.2.1.7 Characteristic:
Metaphor, like all stylistic devices, can be classified into different types
according to their degree of unexpectedness. Hoa N (2004, Semantics) states that
there are three kinds of metaphor: living metaphor, faded metaphor and dead
metaphor. Metaphors which are absolutely unexpected are called living metaphor.
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Those which are commonly used in speech and therefore are sometimes even fixed
in dictionaries as expressive means of language are faded and dead metaphor.
Faded metaphor is the metaphor which lost its novelty because of long use
and became customary. “Golden youth” is a good example of faded metaphor.
People often use words or phrases like that as a habit without being aware of the
fact that they are metaphors.
Metaphor and metonymy are two concepts that often cause confusion to
many learners. In fact, although learners understand quite well the concept of
metaphor; they still find it difficult to make a clear distinction between metaphor
and metonymy. In the eagerness to see metaphor in many areas of language and
thought, scholars also often fail to distinguish between these different tropes for
both metaphor and metonymy express mappings between things.
2.2.3.1 Similarities
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signs, rather than to sentences, or sign complexes. The two figures both involve a
substitution with the exchange of one element for another, rather than the
suppression or addition of an element, or the permutation of the order of several
elements.
2.2.3.2 Differences
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Example 1: In response to the allegations of mass corruption within the team, a
former player said today: “There may be the odd rotten apple in the pack, but the
majority are clean and honest.”
Example 2: White house is not saying anything.
The metaphoric use of rotten apple in (1) involves the attribution of human
qualities: a bad person who has bad effect on others in a group. In contrast, White
house in (2) actually refers to the US president but does not involve the
attribution of human qualities to Whitehouse. As for Lakoff & Johnson, the
defining characteristic of metonymy is referential, as metonymy fundamentally
involves the use of one entity to refer to another related entity.
According to Galperin I.R (1977: 146), metaphor and metonymy differ also
in the way they are deciphered. In the process of disclosing the meaning implied in
a metaphor, one image excludes the other. For example, the metaphoric idiom “a
fat cat”, when deciphered, means a person who earns a lot of money. Though there
is a definite interplay of meaning, only one object known as person with a lot of
money is perceived. This is not the case with metonymy. Metonymy, while
presenting one object to our mind, does not exclude each other. Example is in “the
teacher wanted some new faces to do the exercises”. Here, new faces and the
“new” students itself are both perceived by the mind.
2.2.2 Simile
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2.2.2.1 Definition
Of all figures of speech, simile is said to be the simplest and the most
common used. Simile is utilized popularly in numerous languages and linguistic
fields.
There are a variety of ways to define simile, the briefest of all may be
attributed to C. Jonathan (1995) in Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary “Simile
is a comparison of one thing with another.” (p. 593). Kirssner and Mandell (1987)
in The Brief Holt Handbook, however, give a more specific definition: “A simile is
a comparison between two essentially unlike items on the basis of a shared quality;
similes are produced by like or as.” (p. 82). This viewpoint is supported in The
American Heritage College Dictionary (1997) as the authors define simile as “a
figure of speech in which two essentially unlike things is explicitly compared,
usually by means of like or as. (p.1270)
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like a fish”. Actually, a fish is so good at swimming. The action of “swimming” of
a man is compared with that of a fish. That is to say he swims very well.
It is said that metaphor and simile is more alike than different. The
distinction between simile and metaphor is among the oldest and most widely
recognized in rhetorical theory. It is also one of the most tenuous. For many
analysts it is, in fact, a distinction almost without a difference – as Aristotle (1954)
puts it, “the simile also is metaphor… the difference is but slight” (Rhetoric III, 4).
Traditionally, what difference there is has been seen as a matter of form: a simile
simply makes explicit what a metaphor merely implies. Since the difference
between these two is apparently so superficial, theorists have tended to define one
figure in terms of the other. Such theorists as Aristotle, Lakoff and Johnson (1980),
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and Glucksberg and Keysar (1990), takes metaphor as the more basic of the two
figures, and view simile as the explicit expression of a metaphorical mapping.
For instance:
She is as cunning as a fox (simile)
She is a fox (metaphor)
Grammatically, metaphor and simile are the forms which represent two
propositions in the semantic structure. In reality, any proposition consists of two
parts: a topic and a comment about that topic. To illustrate, the proposition “My
friend is beautiful” amounts to the topic “my friend” and the comment “is
beautiful”. Apparently, if a metaphor or simile occurs, there will be two
propositions which are related to each other by a comparison. The comparison
appears in the comment part of the propositions.
1. My friend is changeable.
Topic comment
2. The weather is changeable.
Topic comment
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In (1), the topic is “my friend” and the comment is “changeable”. In (2), the
topic is “the weather” and the comment is also “changeable”. It is obvious that the
topic of the former is being compared to that of the latter since the two
propositions are identical. The topic in the second proposition is the thing that the
first topic is like; it is called the “image” or the illustration. The “point of
similarity” is found in the comments, in this case, is “is changeable”
Let us consider another example, “He was like a bull in a china shop, treading
on everyone’s feet and apologize constantly.” In this case, only the topic “He” and
the image of the simile “a bull in a china shop” are given out. The point of
similarity, however, is implicit. To analyze this simile, we can state the two
propositions explicitly as follows:
In short, similes and metaphors include three basic elements. They are:
1. TOPIC: the topic of the first proposition (non - figurative), i.e., the thing
really being talked about.
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2. IMAGE: the topic of the second proposition (figurative), i.e., what is being
compared with.
To sum up, it is advisable to write out the propositions, which are basic to
comparisons. That the topic, image, point of similarity have been identified is
helpful to interpret simile and metaphor.
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Similarity of behavior: the behavior may be of human beings or animals.
Take “to sleep like a log” as typical illustration. In Vietnamese, to express exactly
the same thing, the idiom: “ngủ say như chết” is employed.
In English idioms, there are about 700 or more entries of this kind. To
illustrate, English idioms of comparison includes: “as beautiful as the sunset”, “as
bright as day”, “as fair as a rose”, etc. In Vietnamese, it is said that the number of
idioms of comparison is somehow the same as in English. Examples are “xanh như
tàu lá”, “sướng như tiên”, “vui như tết”, etc.
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One notable characteristic of idioms of comparison is that they cause almost
no difficulty to comprehension, not like other kinds that usually do.
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Idioms of this group are constructed as:
Structure:
Verbs + like + a/ the + noun
Many verbs with simple meaning and structure take part in forming idioms
of this group to emphasize or make clear actions or behaviors of the compared
objectives. Though the point of similarity is hidden, the idioms are still trouble-free
to comprehend thanks to their simplicity. For instance, English idioms include “to
cry like a baby, to fade like a dream”,” to follow like a shadow”, “to spread like
wildfire”, etc. Vietnamese idioms utilize “ăn như mèo”, “chạy như ngựa”, “khóc
như mưa”, etc.
Here are the idioms to exemplify: “(to be) like a red rag to a bull”,” (to
have) a memory like an elephant”, “to look as if / though one has been dragged
through a hedge backwards”, “như hạn gặp mưa rào”, “tiền vào nhà khó như gió
vào nhà trống”, etc.
This puts in plain words why there exist few equivalents between idioms in
general and idioms of comparison in particular of two languages. As a matter of
fact, with the same content, each people use different images to express. Let us
look at the example and compare:
English Vietnamese
As hot as mustard cay như ớt
Like hot cake đắt như tôm tươi
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In reverse, the expression and vocabulary are identical but the values of content
are dissimilar; for instance, as sharp as a razor (sắc như dao). While Vietnamese
idioms refer to the beauty of a girl’s eyes (mắt em như dao cau), English submit
intelligence of a person (The old man's senile, but his wife is as sharp as a razor.)
Idioms are shaped in a community after a long period’s living of the local
people and it is the reflection and expression of the culture of a certain race,
because of this, the differences on geography, history, custom and living habit will
be reflected in the word used in idioms among cultures. In this part, the similarities
and differences between English and Vietnamese cultures expressed in the images
of idiomatic comparisons will be carefully analyzed.
49
2.2.6.1 Similarities
• Idioms of comparison:
50
14. As difficult as a beginning Vạn sự khởi đầu
nan
15. As dumb as a an oyster Câm như hến
16. As fair as a rose Xinh như hoa
17. As fast as light Nhanh như ánh
sáng
18. As fast as a hare Nhanh như thỏ
19. As fat as a pig Béo như lợn
20. As fierce as a tiger Dữ như cọp
21. As firm as rock Vững như đá
22. As fleet as the wind Nhanh như gió
23. As fresh a rose Tươi như hoa
24. As gay as a lark Vui như sáo
25. As gruff as a bear Hỗn như gấu
26. As good (valuable) as gold Quí giá như vàng
27. As green as a leaf Xanh như tàu lá
28. As heavy as an elephant Nặng như voi
29. As hard as a stone Rắn như đá
30. As heavy as lead Nặng như chì
31. As hot as fire Nóng như lửa
32. As keen as a razor Sắc như dao
33. As light as down Nhẹ tựa lông hồng
34. As light as a feather Nhẹ như lông
hồng
35. As mum as an oyster Câm như hến
36. As old as the hills Xưa như trái đất
37. As pretty as a picture Đẹp như tranh
38. As quick as lightning Nhanh như ánh
sáng
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39. As quick as a flash Nhanh như chớp
40. As red as blood Đỏ như máu
41. As red as a beetroot Đỏ như gấc
42. As round as a barrel Tròn như thùng
phi
43. As sharp as a razor Sắc như dao
44. As silly as a calf Ngu như bò
45. As sour as vinegar Chua như giấm
46. As stink as a polecat Hôi như chồn
47. As swift as lightning Nhanh như chớp
48. As smooth as velvet Mịn như nhung
49. As slow as a snail Chậm như sên
50. As swift as an arrow Nhanh như tên bắn
51. As steady as rock Rắn như đá
52. As timid as a rabbit/ hare Nhát như thỏ đế
53. As thick as ants Đông như kiến
54. As transparent as glass Trong suốt như
thủy tinh
55. As yellow as saffron Vàng như nghệ
56. As wet as a drowned mouse Ướt như chuột lột
57. As white as snow Trắng như tuyết
58. As white as a sheet Như tờ giấy trắng
59. Like father like son Cha nào con nấy
60. To fight like cat and dog Như chó với mèo
61. To stick like a leech Bám dai như đỉa
62. To stick like glue Dính như keo
63. To cry like a baby Khóc như đứa trẻ
64. To follow like a shadow Theo như hình với
bóng
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65. To swim like fish Bơi như cá
• Other idioms
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hơn vịt
17. Virtue is its own reward Có đức mặc sức
mà ăn
18. Where there’s a will, there’s a way Có chí thì nên
19. All work and no play (make Jack a dull boy) Học mà chơi,
chơi mà học.
20. Out of sight, out of mind Xa mặt cách lòng
21. Go in one’s separate way Đường ai nấy đi
22. To play cat and mouse with someone Chơi trò mèo vờn
chuột với ai
2.2.6.2 Differences
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respond to a community with challenges of geo – climatic condition, then a
respond to that of socio – historical condition.
Vietnam Britain
Tropical monsoon type of climate Varied, temperate
Climate
climate
Alluvial soil that is banked up by Notable lack of extremes.
rivers and sea. Three quarters of the There are not really high
area are hill and mountain, however, mountains, large rivers,
Land
Vietnam has large and rich plains plains or forests. Much of
which are used for agriculture. the land is used for
human habitation.
Dense network of rivers, streams, Quite short but their easy
lakes and ponds. There are long and navigability has made
Rivers navigable rivers. them an important part of
the inland transport
network
Has always been the cornerstone of Does not play the most
the economy. Main agricultural important part in the
products are rice, ground – nut trees, economy. The main
Agriculture
fruits and vegetables, husbandry agriculture products are
products and industrial trees. cereals, dairying of beef
Agriculture is linked with cattle, poultry meat, eggs,
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aquaculture. etc.
Pigs, buffaloes, poultry and so on Cow, cattle, sheep, horse,
Husbandry
poultry, etc.
Rice is also the staple of most Cereal and meat are
Vietnamese meals. Tea is the staple in the meals. They
Food and
traditional drink. They use chopstick like drinking coffee. They
drink culture
in meals. use knife and folks in
stead of chopsticks.
Over 60% of the population still Over 90% of the
lives off the land and many more population lives in
lead a rural life in small villages. towns or cities. Less
Population Consists of 54 ethnic minorities. than 3% of the
working population
is employed in
agriculture.
Religion Buddhism Christianism
Vietnamese culture is mainly based on wet rice production. That is, in daily
life, people deal with production tools and animals that either directly or
indirectly serve their farming. As a result, when using simile and metaphor,
56
they often take the familiar things which regularly exist in their daily lives and
their way of thinking as the images of comparison. This, firstly, can be found
easily in the comparison of strength. There are some idioms related to buffaloes
such as: Khỏe như trâu (as strong as buffalo), đen như trâu (as black as buffalo)
Buffalos attach to a humid – warm ecological system during the whole lives.
Therefore, people on mentioning strength or hard work often refer to that of
buffaloes.
Buffaloes have really gone into spiritual world of Vietnamese people for
thousands of years. According to the lunar calendar, they are presented in hour,
day, month and year. For Vietnamese people, buffaloes are strong and
industrious animal. The above things can explain why Vietnamese people
frequently liken the strength of a person to that of a buffalo.
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Furthermore, due to the difference in culture, with the same values of
content, the way of expressing ideas through comparative idioms varies among
cultures. For example:
As dumb as a statue = câm như hến (used of a person who says nothing)
As gentle as a lamb = hiền như củ khoai/ hiền như đất (used of a well behaved
child, or an orderly person)
As fat as butter = béo như lợn (very fat)
To eat like a horse = ăn như rồng cuốn (to eat large quantities of food)
The images used in Vietnamese idioms: lợn – pig, khoai – sweet potato,
hến - corbicula are familiar things to farmers of rice – production agriculture.
Meanwhile, Anglicists use such images as butter, horse and lamb in their
comparison for they are familiar with things and animals in nomadic
agriculture, in which they grow wheat on big farms and raise domestic animals
on big pastures.
Such pairs of idioms have the same meaning but different images are used:
English Vietnamese
As tough as leather/ old boots dai như chão
English Vietnamese
As bright as day rõ như ban ngày
English people use this idiom with the sense of “light, not dark” as e.g. a
room or the weather. Vietnamese people, however, mean a happening which
has nothing suspicious.
English Vietnamese
As hard as nails chắc như đinh đóng cột
Vietnamese people use this idiom when they mean such a consistent and
unchangeable thing, whilst Anglicists apply it to illustrate nature of a strict
person.
What is more, the idiom “as good as gold” is used by English people to
evaluate a well – behaved child or an orderly person. On the contrary, in
Vietnam, people say “tốt như vàng” when they refer to a good quality of a
certain object.
To sum up, the examples above have partly shown another difference
between English and Vietnamese idioms: despite the same inanimate
components in both languages, they still differ in terms of meaning and use.
Yet, in some English speaking countries, dogs are beloved and considered as
lovely pets. They are well fed and given good sleeping place. In Britain, it is
even illegal if people run down a dog and keep on driving. Owing to great
affection towards dogs, English idioms using these animal components have
positive meaning, for instance, to be a lucky dog, to dress like a dog dinner
Also, each people take the image of a squirrel into their idioms with
different meanings. While Anglicists have such an idiom: As shy as a squirrel,
Vietnamese people say: Nhanh như sóc (as quick as a squirrel)
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Again, when talking about a stupid person, English people often mention to
an ass or a donkey: as stupid as an ass, as stupid as a donkey. Vietnamese
people, however, say: ngu như bò (as stupid as a cow/ bull)
ngu như lợn (as stupid as a pig).
There are so many other examples, which can clarify the above differences
between the two idiom systems in English and Vietnamese. It is the difference
in habits and daily activities of the two peoples that make the image of animals
in comparative idioms bear different meanings among cultures.
Last but not least, differences in the image of comparison are also reflected
in the likeness of human appearance or characters to that of well – known
persons in reality, history and literature of each nation. Obviously, each nation
has it own history and literature with its own typical characters. On talking
about a person who is jealous, Vietnamese people usually think of female
jealousy whether that person is a man or a woman: Ghen như Hoạn Thư (as
jealous as Hoan Thu). Hoan Thu, a character in Truyen Kieu by Nguyen Du, is
terribly and extremely jealous, which was mute but cruel.
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Anglicists, however, frequently think of Othello – a Shakespeare’s male
character to describe jealousy: As jealousy as Othello.
Again, on talking about the state of being happy of a person, English people
say: As happy as a king. It is due to the fact that a king usually lives well in a
best decorated palace, on best food, etc. The state of being happy mentioned
here is quite concrete since a king is a real person. Meanwhile, Vietnamese
people consider tiên (fairy) as a happy one as an idiom says: “sướng như tiên”
(as happy as a fairy). Tiên is unreal; she or he merely exists in the imagination
of the poor peasants who always wish to have a better life. The comparative
image is not concrete for it does not exist; no one knows exactly how it is. The
use of comparative images in idioms to some extent reflects the way of thinking
and observing the world of Anglicists and Vietnamese people. In this way,
Anglicists tend to be more concrete than Vietnamese people.
CHAPTER 3
PROBLEMS FACED BY LEARNERS IN
STUDYING IDIOMS
2.3.1 Introduction
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2.3.2 Difficulties in understanding
Firstly, they are various in length. Idioms can be mere letters (ABC), letters and
prepositions (from A to B, A to Z), a word (rosy), a phrase (any Tom, Dick or
Harry) or a sentence (Big Brother is watching you). Also, learners have to bear
in mind that idioms may take many different structures. That is, an idiom can
have a regular structure, an irregular or even a grammatically incorrect
structure. For the first type, regular structure idioms have common form but
there is no connection between the meaning of its components and that of the
whole unit. The meaning of an idiom in the group can not be perceived without
having been learnt already. Learners, therefore, finds it the most challenging to
deal with this kind of idiom. For instance, it is hard to figure out “red tape” as
“bureaucratic method” based on the idiom’s components. The meaning of
idioms with irregular structures, on the contrary, can be perceived through the
meaning of their components. Therefore it causes almost no difficulty to
comprehension. In the last group: grammatically incorrect, both form and
meaning are irregular. The structure is grammatically inaccurate and the
meaning is not precisely expressed by gathering the meaning of each member -
word. For instance, one can not rely on the grammar structure to explain the
idiom “be in on the ground floor” exactly as “become involved in a plan,
project, etc. at the beginning”.
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2.3.2.2 English idioms with distinctive culture features
Next, it is advisable that learners should guess the meaning of idioms before
looking them up in the dictionary. According to Cooper (1999), guessing
meanings from the context is the most successful strategies, leading to correct
interpretation in 57 percent of the cases.
Last but not least, thorough understanding of idioms should be on a line with
a deep knowledge of cultural features which include psychological
characteristics, customs, beliefs, concepts, attitudes, etc. Accordingly, the
background knowledge on a culture would be advantageous to firmly grasp
idioms. It does take time since knowledge is accumulated gradually;
nevertheless, learners can benefit much from using idioms during
communication.
68
memorizing idioms will be conveyed. Furthermore, attempts are also made to
give suggested solutions.
Normally, after getting the meaning of new idioms, learners tend to put them
in their own memory without using them in daily communication. Learners
study idioms out of specific communicative situations, that is, idioms are
separated from the context. Unfortunately, this is not the way of learning idioms
for knowing the idiom without using them is nonsense.
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To begin with, there is no point worrying about the large number of idioms.
Naturally, it is beyond the learners’ reach to know all English idioms.
Attention, thus, should be devoted to the most useful and frequent ones.
Potential resource is The Longman Grammar of Spoken and Written English
(1999), which includes a small section on most frequently used idioms. Oxford
Idioms (2001) is also a good option. Furthermore, learners are advised to build
their own way of classifying idioms based on a certain criterion. For instance,
one may divide idioms into some following groups: idioms in connection with
memory and remembering (bear something in mind, in one ear and out the
other, jog someone's memory, lose one’s train of thought, trip down memory
lane, ring a bell, slipped one’s mind, etc), idioms in connection with
relationship (see eye to eye with someone, fair-weather friend, know
someone/something inside out, be an item, keep someone at arm's length, to be
at odds with somebody, give someone the cold shoulder, a stormy relationship,
on the same wavelength, etc. ) and so forth.
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Last but not least, it is advisable for learners to find equivalent Vietnamese
idioms of the English ones. In this way, they can install the relation between the
two languages; thus, can put them into their long-term memory. It is obvious
that there are few absolute coincidences between idiom systems of different
languages; nevertheless, there are still many items that can convey the same
ideas. For instance:
PART 3: CONCLUSION
[
72
Preceding chapters have thoroughly elaborated on the introduction, the
theoretical background of English idioms, a contrastive analysis on metaphors and
similes in English idioms and Vietnamese idioms, problems faced by learners in
studying idioms. The conclusion will summarize and evaluate the outcomes of the
whole paper by summing up the findings, giving pedagogical suggestions for
teaching English idioms, limitations, contributions of the research as well as
putting forward several suggestions for further studies.
Initially, the primary purpose of this study was first to obtain a comprehensible
picture of English idioms, metaphor, simile.
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phraseological combinations. Based on syntactic feature, there exist five types of
idioms: ones functioning as a noun, a verb, an adjective, an adverb and a
preposition phrase.
Three basic points should be remembered about simile is that; they involve
some forms of comparison, the comparison is explicit and figurative.
More importantly, the author wishes to emphasize that metaphors and simile
is more alike than different, according to Aristotle’s viewpoint. A simile simply
makes explicit what metaphor merely implies.
Three elements of metaphors and similes are topic, image and points of
similarity.
As the core of the thesis, chapter two has studied contrastively metaphor
and simile in English and Vietnamese idioms, thus, idioms of comparison have
been examined in detail. Identification of idioms of comparison is clarified based
on component word and phrase, grammatical structure and their structural
characteristics. By close approach and thorough examination, the author has
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discovered the effective use of metaphor and simile in idiomatic expressions.
Moreover, both similarities and differences between English and Vietnamese
comparative idioms which reflect social cultural phenomena of the two countries
have been conveyed.
Specifically, the similarities between English and Vietnamese idioms have been
vividly illustrated through 65 pairs of idioms of comparison and 22 pairs of other
kinds. The statistic is the result of serious attempts to thorough examination of
Oxford Idioms (2001) and background knowledge of the author about Vietnamese
equivalents.
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In such a small study on linguistic theory, the author has no ambition of going
further into the field of ELT methodology. The following suggestions are collected
from experienced teachers and subjectively created by the author. Focus, then, will
be paid on implications for teaching English idioms.
If teachers decide to devote attention to idioms in their class, they may consider
creating separated lessons so as to teach useful idioms. However, this is not
necessarily the most effective way. The reason is that a lesson on idioms is likely
to be limited in two ways, the time spent on them and the naturalness of language
used to contextualized the idioms. For these reasons, many people have argued in
favor of an integrated lesson which involves incorporating idioms into regular one
that focus on any of the four skills.
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Specifically, the first step would be to raise learners’ awareness of idioms so
that they should develop a habit of noticing them in everyday situations, including
reading and listening. Learners can be asked to keep an idiom notebook; they can
later share their examples in class and ask questions about the usage. Teachers can
draw attention to new idioms by taking them into vocabulary-improving or reading
activities. Teachers should also take advantages of authentic materials like on TV,
in newspapers, magazines and modify them for classroom purposes based on the
learners’ level.
Another way is to instruct and familiarize learners with the way of learning
idioms by connecting the new information with something they already know and
by making a picture in their mind. Imagination could do much to help remember
new idioms.
After presenting idioms in context and helping learners to infer their meaning,
teachers should revise the idioms that have been studied. This can be done in
numerous ways, including typical vocabulary exercises like matching idioms to
their meanings, filling in blanks with the appropriate idiom, replacing underlined
expressions with an idiom, etc.
Finally, to promote output and creative language use, learners can write
dialogues using the idioms or tell stories based on pictures.
“Rome was not built in a day”. To master idiomatic expressions, teachers and
learners should bear in mind that idiom learning is a lifelong process.
Another significant point is that by teaching idioms in class using some of the
aforementioned techniques, teachers are also providing learners with strategies for
dealing with figurative language in general. Through a greater awareness of
idioms, their literal meaning and underlying conceptual metaphors, learners will be
better equipped with figurative language and make sense of it without teacher’s
guidance.
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Since matter of metaphor and simile is still a controversial topic, it offers other
researchers large room to conduct further studies. For instance, those who wish to
learn more about metaphor and simile could delve into the topic by researching
metaphor and simile in news headlines, poems or songs. They could also shed
more lights on debatable matters like insightfully distinguishing metaphor and
simile. Moreover, since the paper placed its focus on idioms of comparison, further
research could expand this scope to other kinds of idioms.
Regarding teachers, the paper provides them with some suggestions and ideas
so that they could take them into account to effectively teach idioms, raise the
learners’ awareness of idioms so that they should develop a habit of noticing them
in everyday situations, including reading and listening.
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