英语修辞之移就TransferredEpithet

英语修辞之移就

Transferred Epithet

（一） Definition:

A transferred epithet is a figure of speech where an

epithet (an adjective or descriptive phrase) is transferred from the noun

it should rightly modify to another to which it does not really apply or

belong.（转类形容 /移就就是把往常修饰甲类名词的形容词转而修

饰乙类名词，进而达到生动的成效。这类修饰，表面上看是不适合

的，但就其内在涵义，倒是可行的、合理的。 ）

I naturally had a healthy appetite. 我自然胃口很好。

I had dirty looks from the people waiting.

等在一旁的人对我怒目而

视。

He crashed down on aprotesting chair. 他一屁股坐了下去，椅子吱吱嘎嘎地响。

He passed many ananxious hour in the train.

他在火车上度过很多焦虑不安的钟头。

This is not a cheerful sight. 这不是一个令人快乐的情形。

What a lame excuse you have made! 你的借口多么站不住脚！

I spoke to them in hesitant French. 我结结巴巴地用法语对他们发言。

He opened the telegram with nervous fingers. 他用发抖的手指打开

了电报。

She hastalking eyes. 她有一双会说话的眼睛。

There's somedirty weather knocking about. 坏天气立刻就要来了。

Some university graduates thought of themselves as failures simply

because they were not offered jobs with fat salaries and generous

benefits. 有些大学毕业生只是因为没有获得收入丰厚、

作而以为自己是个失败者。

效益好的工

Tom closed the car window and sat back in his seat, inhostile

silence. 汤姆摇上车窗，坐回到座位上，闷头一声不吭。

（二） The classification of transferred epithet

Group1: adj.+ sb.

→adj.+ sth.

A knife used by a murderous villain

A murderous（杀气）

knife

Those days when I felt purposeless Those purposeless days

The sailors swarmed into a laughing and cheering ring around the

two man.

水手们簇拥而至，汇成欢笑与喝彩的一圈，把那两人围在中间。

The sailors，laughing and cheering ，surrounded the two man in a ring.

Group2:adj.+ sth. →adj.+another thing

The white silence seemed to sneer, and a great fear came upon him.

沉寂的茫茫雪野仿佛在冷笑，一阵惧怕朝他袭来。

The white silence—the boundless fields covered with snow was silent

White fox/ shoes/silk/clouds

His stories achieved nothing but cheap laughs.

Letting that goal in was an expensive mistake. It cost us the

championship.

Group3: adj.+ sth. →adj.+ sb.

He is not an easy writer.

The child was noisy in the morning.

Peaceful people are not violent.

(三)The characteristics of Transferred Epithet

1 It relies on the deep structure of the sentence. It is illogical and

unreasonable in surface structure but reasonable and just in deep

structure.

Eg. The thief made a trembling confession of his wrong doing.

2 There is a close relationship between the transferred epithet and

the modified word.

Eg. The big man crashed down on a protesting chair.

3Transferred epithet is suitable for the new context.

Eg. After several acid years. She broke up with the man.

The logic relations between the transferred epithet and modified words.

（ 1）Causal relation(因果 )

Puzzled frown

因疑惑而皱眉

Delighted smile

因快乐而浅笑

因为惧怕而感觉无望

Terrified despair

Thoughtful silence

因深思而缄默

因为无知而乱说

Ignorant nonsense

（ 2）Coordinate or parallel relation(平行或并列关系 )

She sat there with embarrassed delight.

她坐在那边，即难堪又快乐。

We listened with smiling attention.

我们一边笑一边注意地听着。

（ 3）disjunctive relation（纯修饰关系）

Laughing eyes

笑眼

宁静的角落

Sleepy corner

A passionate throat 热忱的歌喉