02. Simile and Metaphor
“Metaphor”与“Simile”在高考作文中的运用
“Metaphor”与“Simile”在高考作文中的运用作者：唐开斌来源：《中学生英语·外语教学与研究》2015年第06期【摘要】明喻、暗喻等修辞手法在汉语作文中常被使用的修辞格，在高考英语作文中同样不容忽视。
本文从高考作文的类型分析，论述Metaphor与Simile的使用方法和策略，使英语作文因修辞而富有艺术魅力。
【关键词】高中英语 Metaphor Simile 高考作文修辞是文章要实现某种表达目的或效果而采用的方法和表现手法。
修辞在语文作文中常被使用，但在英语作文中却很少被运用。
本文重点论述高中英语书面表达、乃至高考书面表达中巧妙运用Metaphor和Simile的必要性和主要策略。
1. 高考英语作文使用Metaphor和Simile的必要性近几年的高考英语书面表达，根据写法和形式，无外乎四种形式，即记叙、描写、说明和议论说理。
无论是记叙文、描写性的文章，还是说明文和议论文，如果在文章中巧妙使用比喻、拟人等修辞手法，一定会使文章彰显魅力。
1.1 SimileSimile是明喻，直喻。
通常情况由as， like， as if连接，句式为A is like B。
如想表达“我很高兴”这个句子，多数学生会直译为I am very happy. 而如果用My heart is like a singing bird （我的心像鸟儿一样在歌唱），巧妙的比喻则把快乐之情表达得淋漓尽致。
1.2 MetaphorMetaphor是暗喻、隐喻之意，没有明显的连接词，通常使用A is B。
如The mind is an ocean的使用，给读者留mind和ocean之间的联想的空间，效果不言而喻。
学习和阅读了莫泊桑的“The necklace”，文中的玛蒂尔德通过十年的辛劳终于买了一条钻石项链还给好友后的快乐心情。
可用“Mathilde danced and danced，floating on a cloud of joy.”或“Mathilde danced and danced，extremely happy.”来表达，但前一句比后一句更能表达玛蒂尔德高兴至极。
Similes and Metaphors
Looking Towards Your Final Exam
Your Final Exam
• You will not have a written test in this class, but instead will be required to write a short research paper about a topic of your choosing. • Topic Ideas
Example Topics
• Wind energy Is wind energy really that cheap? Is it effective? Is it practical? • Censorship Should parents censor textbooks and other literature for children in schools? • Advertising Should certain kinds of ads be banned in the interest of health/morality/annoyance – alcohol, cigarettes, prescription meds, etc.?
Analogies
SimilesBiblioteka and Metaphors• A simile is a metaphor, but not all metaphors are similes.
What is a metaphor?
• A metaphor is a rhetorical device that transfers the sense or aspects of one word to another. For example:
simile and metaphor
• 4) Branching metaphor
• The branching metaphor is popular with reporters and journalists, who often make the basic comparison the title of an article, as in: • Is Tsingtao winning the cold war? … Tsingtao has taken the offensive and invaded Russian vodka strongholds previously regarded as secure. Ad.in The New York Times Magazine Mar.23,1980
• 5) Mixed mataphors • Mixed metaphors can produce very amusing and illogical Imagery, and are to be strictly avoided. It is surprising, however, how easily sometimes they blunder into speech and writing. Students make this mistake, as in:
• As +adj.+ as + n. (the former “as” can be omitted): • (as) blind as a bat 目光如豆 • (as) cool as cucumber 泰然自若 • (as) cold as a marble 冷若冰霜 • (as) busy as a bee 像蜜蜂一样忙 • (as) firm as a rock 坚如磐石 • (as) light as a rock 轻如鸿毛 • (as) mute as an oyster 噤若寒蝉 • (as) strong as a horse 健壮如牛 • Idioms: • Like a duck to water 如鱼得水 • Like a hen on a hot griddle 像热锅上的蚂蚁 • Like a cat in a hole 瓮中之鳖
明喻和暗喻Simile & Metaphor
英音：['simili]美音：['sɪmə,lɪ]
definition
• 1.A simile is an expressed likeness • 2.the simplest and most direct way of connoting an idea with something else.
嗅老鼠一样闻出他的味道来。 嗅老鼠一样闻出他的味道来。
F .seem, resemble, treat, compare to, remind of, be similar to , so to speak/ as it were 等等
He treats his child as the apple in the eye.他把孩子当成
缩了的明喻).
Element
2. Structure of metaphor
Ontology (本体） 被比喻的事物或情境 Metaphors （喻体） 打比方的事物或情境 Pre-figurative word （喻词） 表示比喻关系的词语
3. Types of metaphor
1."noun" pattern名词型 A is B 名词型: 名词型 (1). Time is money. 时间就是金钱。 (2). Beauty without virtue is a rose without fragrance. 没有德行的美丽好比没有芬芳的玫。 (3). Some people think that marriage is a lottery. 有些人认为婚姻是缘分。 (4). He is the eyes and ears of the manager. 他是经理的耳目。 (5). Greece was the cradle of Western culture. 希腊是西方文化的发源地/摇篮。 (6). The old man's face is a map of time. 那老人脸就是岁月的写照。
学术综合英语(罗立胜)1-6单元课文翻译
human creations, language may be the most remarkable. Through language we share experience, values, exchange ideas, transmit knowledge, and sustain culture. Indeed, language is vital tosense of reality by giving meaning to events.在人类所有的创造中，语言也许是影响最为深远的。
我们用语言来分享经验，表达(传递？)价值观，交换想法，传播知识，传承文化。
事实上，对语言本身的思考也是至关重要的。
和通常所认为的不同的是，语言并不只是简单地反映现实，语言在具体描述事件的时候也在帮助我们建立对现实的感知。
——语序的调整。
Good speakers have respect for language and know how it works. Words are the tools of a speaker‟s craft. They have special uses, just like the tools of any other profession. As a speaker, you should be aware of the meaning of words and know how to use language accurately, clearly,vividly,and appropriately.好的演讲者对语言很重视，也知道如何让它发挥更好的效果。
词语是演讲者演讲的重要“武器”，具有特殊的用途，这和任何其他的工作技艺没什么两样。
作为演讲者，必须知道词语的具体含义，也要懂得如何做到用词准确、清晰、生动、适当。
Using language accurately is as vital to a speaker as using numbers accurately to a accountant. Never use a word unless you are sure of its meaning. If you are not sure, look up the word in the dictionary. As you prepare your speeches, ask yourself constantly, “What do I really want to say? What do I really mean?” Choose words that are precise and accurate.演讲者准确地使用语言和会计准确使用数字是一样重要的。
Figurative Speech 英语修辞总结汇总
Figures of Speech/Rhetorical DevicesI. IntroductionBy figures of speech we refer here to those rhetorical devices termed tropes in classical rhetoric. Tropes have to do with the way words are made to mean other than what they would normally imply, and therefore involve deviation from the ordinary and literal meaning of words. They are ways of making our language figurative.A knowledge of the figures, and of how they are best used will be of help to us not only in deepening our understanding of what we read, but also in appreciating more fully the finer points of a writer’s style. In the process, we might even learn to write better ourselves.The number of figures ranged from 65 to 200 in classical times. We will only choose those that are of most universal appeal, and of the greatest practical value.II. Simile and metaphor1.simile:It is a comparison between two distinctively different things and the comparison is indicated by the word as, like, as if, than. A simile is made up of three parts, the tenor, the vehicle, and the indicator of resemblance or simile marker.A simile is a figure of speech which makes a comparison between two unlike elements having at least one quality or characteristic in common. The comparison is purely imaginative, that is, the resemblance between the two unlike things in that one particular aspect exists only in our minds, in our “inward eye” and not in the nature of the things themselves. To make the comparison, words like as, as … as, as … so, like, as if, as though, sim ilar to, to bear a resemblance to, and comparative structure, prepositional phrases, and other collocations are used to transfer the quality we associate with one to the other. Sometimes the association is between unfamiliar and familiar things, or between abstract and concrete images. The stronger the association that is felt, the greater the force of the comparison, the stronger the power of suggestion and the sharper the image produced.1) likea. And then the whining schoolboy, with his satchel and shining morningface, creeping like snail unwillingly to school … (Shakespeare)b. He was like a cock who thought the sun had risen for him to crow.c. Records fell like ripe apples on a windy day.d. Mother was short and plump and pretty. Her eyes were blue, and herbrown hair was like a bird’s smooth wings …e. Habit may be likened to a cable; every day we weave a thread, and soonwe cannot break it.2) asa. Men fear death, as children fear to go in the dark: and as that natural fearin children is increased with tales, so is the other.b. As the lion is king of beasts, so is the eagle king of birds.3) as if, as thougha. She spoke hurriedly, as if her heart had leaped into her throat at theboy’s words.b. He was a beautiful horse that looked as though he had come out of apainting by Velasquez.4) whata. Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body.b. What salt is to food, that wit and humour are to conversation andliterature.5) thana. He has no more idea of money than a cow.b. A home without love is no more than a body without a soul.6) anda. A word and a stone let go cannot be recalled.b. Love and cough cannot be hid.7) witha. With the quickness of a long cat,she climbed up into the nest ofcool-bladed foliage.2.metaphor:It is the use of a word which originally denotes one thing to refer to another with a similar quality. It is also a comparison between two distinctively different things, but the comparison is implied, not expressed with the word as or like. Metaphor is also called Condensed Simile. Metaphors are used not only after verb to be, and not only nouns can be used metaphorically, adjectives, adverbs, verbs can also be used metaphorically.1) n.a. The parks are the lungs of our city.b. Money is a lens in a camera.2) v.a. Applications for jobs flooded the Employment Agency.3) adj.a. The mountainous waves swallowed up the ship.4) of phrasethe bridge of friendship, the valley of despair, a flower of a girlIII. Analogy, allegory, metonymy, synecdoche and allusion1.analogyIt is also a form of comparison, but unlike simile or metaphor, which usually concentrates on one point of resemblance, analogy draws a parallel between two unlike things that have several common qualities or points of resemblance. Analogy is chiefly used for the purpose of persuasion or for the explanation or exposition of an idea. Analogy could be a simile or a metaphor, it is a combination of different figurative usages.a.“The chess-board is the world; the pieces are the phenomena of theuniverse; the rules of the game are what we call the laws of Nature. The player on the other side is hidden from us. …”b.It’s with our judgments as with our watches; none go just alike, yet eachbelieves his own.c.Judicious praise is to children what the sun is to flowers.d.The inspiration for a story is like “a pull on the line… the outside signalthat has startled or moved the creative mind to complicity and brought the story to active being…”Analogy looks like simile in form, but the difference is: analogy provide the reason for the differences while simile and metaphor remain unexplained.2.allegory:It is a milder figurative use than metaphor, it applies concrete images to illustrate abstract notions, it leads the readers to get to the nature of things or profound concepts through concrete images and easy facts.a.No rose without a thorn.b.It’s time to turn swords into ploughs.Names of books:Pilgrim’s Progress; Animal FarmMany allegories come from classical myths, some English proverbs and idioms are good examples of allegory.All that glisters is not gold. (from The Merchant of Venice)3.metonymy:It is substituting the name of one thing for that of another with which it is closely associated. There are four kinds:1)the container for things contained (bottle for wine, kettle for water, potfor soup)a. The kettle is boiling.2)the instrument for the agent (pen—writing, gun/sword—fighting)a. The pen is stronger than the sword.3)the sign (cradle—childhood, crown—king, throne—king)a.He must have been spoilt from the cradle.b.The grey hair should be respected.c.What is learned in the cradle is carried to the g rave.d.Having finished the law school, he was called to the Bar.e.She has the eye for the fair and the beautiful.4)othersJournalists often use metonymy to refer to all kinds of people orthings. It is very brief and humorous.a.Romeo: loverb.Helen: beautiful womanc.John Bull: England/ the English peopled.Downing Street: the British government/cabinete.The Pentagon: the U.S. military establishmentf.Big apple: New York4.synecdoche:When a part is substituted for the whole or the whole is substituted for a part, synecdoche is applied. (hand—man, bread—food, creature—woman)a.More hands (working men) are needed at the moment.b.We had dinner at ten dollars a head (each person).c.All the plants in the cold country are turning green in this smiling year (thespring).5.allusion:It is a brief reference to a person, place, phrase, or event drawn from history or literature. Allusions are effective not because of the meaning of the words themselves but because of the associations or connotations that allusive words carry for the intelligent reader. The use of allusion allows poets to reinforce an argument by illustration, to compress complex ideas into brief phrases, and to suggest thoughts they may not wish to state directly. Names arethe most common forms of allusion and the easiest to identity. There are different sources of allusions, like nursery rhymes, fairy tales, myths, legends, fables and literary works, etc.a.Cinderella: pretty girl, mistreated by stepmother but helped by fairygodmother to win her Prince Charming: a rags-to-riches theme.b.“Open Sesame”: code word to the treasure cave in story of Ali Baba andthe Forty Thieves; the key to hidden treasures, knowledge, etc.c.Sour Grapes: a fox called the grapes it couldn’t reach sour. When we can’tget what we want, we often disparage it.d.Noah and his Arke.Solomon: a wise man, who can judge between right and wrong, true andfalse.f.Judas: the disciple who betrayed Christ to his enemies for 30 pieces ofsilver.★Exercises: Identify the figures of speech in the following sentences:a.In rivers the water that you touch is the last of that has passed and the firstof that which comes: so with time present. (analogy)b.Greece was the cradle of western culture. (metaphor)ugh and the world laughs with you; weep and you weep alone. (allegory)d.The city has it philharmonic but also its poverty. (metonymy)e.I took a last drowning look at the title as I gave the book into her hand.(metaphor)f.He was like a cock who thought the sun had risen to hear him crow.(simile—the suggestion of overwhelming conceit in the man)g.Then he cut me open and took out the appendix and stitched me up again.(synecdoche—cut his abdomen open)IV. Personification, zoosemy and onomatopoeia1.personification:It is to treat a thing (including an animal) or an idea as if it were human or had human qualities. It is also a kind of figurative usage, esp. a metaphor.a.The sun kissed the green fields.b.The youth were singing, laughing and playing the music instruments. Thetrees and flowers around them danced heartily as if touch by merry mood.c.The little goat was so fussy that he often cried for wolf.d.Death feeds on his mute voice, and laughs at our despair.2.zoosemy:It is to treat a person as a thing (including an animal, plant, lifeless thing,abstract notion, etc.).a.His spoilt children are ill-gotten goods that’ll never prosper.b.“A lucky dog you are!” exclaimed Jim.c.Children are flowers of our country.d.O, my love is like a red, red, red rose.e.He slept like a log.3.onomatopoeia:The formation of words that are like natural sounds.chortle, snigger, snore, mumble, cackle, baa, clink, clank, bump, boom, grumble, crack, splash, buzz, hum, tinkle, chatter, rumble, hiss, smack, etc. V. Irony, paradox, oxymoron, innuendo, sarcasm1.irony:It is the use of words which are clearly opposite to what is meant, in order to achieve a special effect. Words expressing the real meaning don’t appear in the sentence.a.It must be delightful to find oneself in a foreign country without a penny inone’s pocket.b.By midmorning a forty-one-year-old teacher had been shot dead, with hissecurity card in hand, and another teacher struck by two nine-millimeter bullets, was extraordinarily lucky to be alive. Two others narrowly escaped Nicholas Elliot’s bullets.c.They are almost as wise as the wise men of Gotham. (a village of fools)2.oxymoron:In oxymoron apparently contradictory terms are combined to produce a special effect. Words are contradictory, appearing in the sentence at the same time but they might not be the same part of speech.a.living deathb.tearful joyc.cold pleasant mannerd.poor rich guyse.dully brightf.falsely trueg.hasten slowlyh.groan loudlyi.love-hate relationshipj.the sound of silence3. pun and paradox:An ambiguous statement that is intended to be humorous is called a pun. Puns almost invariably attain their effect by using one of the thousands of word pairs in English (called homonyms) that are identical in sound and spelling but different in meaning.a.You will go nuts for the nuts you get in Nux. (an ad.)b.Try our sweet corn. You’ll smile from ear to ear.c.Drunk drivers put the quart before the hearse.d.Why is an empty purse always the same? Because there is never change init.e.We would like very much to have you for dinner.Just as a pun is a form of ambiguity that plays on words, a paradox plays on ideas. In general, a paradox involves a contradiction between the physical or material meaning of words and their spiritual, emotional, or supernatural connotation.a.More haste, less speed.b.In fact, it appears that the teachers of English teach English so poorlylargely because they teach grammar so well.c.Paradoxically, the faster he tried to finish, the longer it seemed to take him.4.innuendo:It is a mild form of irony, hinting in a rather roundabout way at something disparaging or uncomplimentary to the person or subject mentioned.a.“The weatherman said it would be warm. He must take his readings in abathroom.” (The author is hinting at the inaccuracy of the weatherman’s weather report. The weather is cold, rather than warm.)b.Have you finished my book yet? Sorry, I stopped at page 412, with 40pages to go.5.sarcasm:It is just the opposite of innuendo. It attacks in a taunting and bitter manner, and its aim is to disparage, ridicule and wound the feelings of the subject attacked.a.“In the evening the poor wounded boy was taken to that experienced doctor,who by applying some poisonous concoction of crushed leaves to his left eye, succeeded in blinding him!”b.When children call a boy “Four Eyes” because he wears glasses, they arespeaking in sarcasm.VI. Hyperbole, understatement, euphemism1. euphemism:It is the substitution of a mild or vague expression for a harsh or unpleasant one.a.garbageman— G-manb.butcher —meat technologistvatory—bathroom, restroom, washroom, ladies’/gentlemen’s roomd.fat— plump/overweighte.third class—business class, economic classf.die—pass awayg.old— to be elderly/seniorh.pregnant— to be expectingi.mean—economic/thrifty2. overstatement/hyperbole—understatement:In overstatement the diction exaggerates the subject, and in understatement the words play down the magnitude or value of the subject.Overstatement:a.For she was beautiful—her beauty madeThe bright world dim, and everything besideSeemed like the fleeting image of a shade.b.Only here can you have such jeans of the best quality and the lowestprice at downtown.Understatement:a.Sorry, this is in fact more than I can promise.b.The piece of work is nothing to be proud of.c.If this regime is out of power, no tear in to be shed.3. litotes:A way of expressing a thought by its opposite, esp. with words like not or no.a.From his mouth flowed speech sweeter than honey.b.They almost died laughing.c.That’s no laughing matter. (That’s a ser ious matter.)d.She was not without ambition.VII. Alliteration, assonance, consonance1. alliteration:It refers to the appearance of the same initial consonant sound in two or more words.promise, problem and provision; as proud as a peacock2. assonance:It is the repetition in two or more nearby words of similar vowel sounds (chalk wall fall).The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain.3.consonance:It is the repetition in two or two more nearby words of similar consonant sounds preceded by different accented vowels (chalk, pluck, knock).rough and tough; a blessed ghostVIII. Contrast, parallelism and antithesis1. contrast:It is used to show clearly the differences. The elements in a contrast form contrast in meaning, but the structure remain different.a.Let both sides explore what problems unite us instead of laboring thoseproblems which divide us.b.Let us never negotiate out of fear, but let us never fear to negotiate.2. parallelism:It is over-regularity in language use. The creative writer may restrict himself in language choice by using paralleled structures, which shows parallelism or repetition.a.To err is human, to forgive divine.b.In good weather, the passage from England to America could take twentydays; but in bad weather, it could take more than two months.c.He had plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burnt our towns, anddestroyed the lives of our people.d.Studies serve for delight, for ornament, and for ability.3. antithesis:It is a combination of parallelism and contrast, that is to say, the elements in the sentence should be paralleled in structure and contrastive in meaning. a.“The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it,far above our poor power to add or detract.” ---Abraham Lincolnb.If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the fewwho are rich. ----John. F. Kennedyc.They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.IX. Transferred epithet, syllepsis and zeugma1. transferred epithet:An epithet is an adjective or descriptive phrase that serves to characterizesomebody or something. A transferred epithet is one that is shifted from the noun (or pronoun) it logically modifies to a word associated with that noun.a. a dizzy height: a height that causes people to feel dizzyb. a sweet voice: (taste to hearing)c. a sleepless nightd. a happy childhoode.There was an amazed silence. Slowly Alexander turned away.f.The big man crashed down on a protesting chair.2. syllepsis:It has two connotations. In the first case, it is a figure by which a word, or a particular form or inflection of a word, refers to two or more words in the same sentence, while properly applying to or agreeing with only one of them in grammar or syntax.Either the children or I are going. (are is relation to children, not I)In the second case, syllepsis is a figure by which a word may refer to two or more words in the same sentence, applying to one literally and to the others figuratively. This aspect of the figure, plays more on the sense or idiom of words, than on grammar.a.I got up early yesterday and managed to catch a bus and a cold.b.She had to swallow bread and butter and a spasm of emotion.3. zeugma (syllepsis):It is a figure of speech by which a single word is made to modify or to govern two or more words in the same sentence, either properly applying in sense to only one of them, or applying to them in different senses.The sun shall not burn thee by day, nor the moon by night.X. Rhetorical questionIt is one question asked for effect, no answer being needed. It is not asked to seek an answer, or the answer is self-evident.XI. Climaxa.To acquire wealth is difficult, to preserve it more difficult, but to spend itwisely most difficult.b.I came, I saw, I conquered. ---Julius Cacesarc.It was the ruin of the family, the uprooting of moral, the destruction ofGermany.XII. Anti-climaxa.The explosion completely destroyed a church, two houses, and a flowerpot.b.The only solid and lasting peace between a man and his wife is doubtless aseparation.XIII. RepetitionThere are three things which the public will always clamour for sooner or later, namely, novelty, novelty, novelty.XIV. AntonomasiaA substitution of a titleBeverly Hills/Manhattan’s upper west side—residential areas for the rich （Lesson Three, Page 41, Para 14，Line 8）11。
Simile-and-MetaphorPPT课件
(The suggestion of an all-prevailing meanness in the man)
He was like a cock who thought the sun had risen to hear him crow.
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Descriptive simile
Pop looked so unhappy, almost like a child who’s lost his piece of candy.
Big black flies hit us like bombs.
Mother was short and plump and pretty. Her eyes were blue, and her brown hair
word like or as.
--- A Dictionary of Literary Terms
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Simile
A simile, to be perfect, must both illustrate and ennoble the subject, must show it to the understanding in a clearer view and display it to the fancy with greater dignity.
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Simile
indicator of resemblance /simile marker
One thing is likened to another.
tenor （主体） primary term
simile_and_metaphor
Three main similes according to the characteristic
Descriptive
Illuminative
Illustrative
Descriptive 描写型
通过鲜明的形象，生动地描写人物，事件等。 Eg;He is something of a political chamelion.他有点像政治上的变色龙。
7) Dead metaphors
8) Mixed metaphors 9) Extended or branching metaphor 进喻 10) Sustained metaphor 博喻、复喻、莎士比亚比喻
Three properties
Freshness and originality 新鲜独特 源于生活 Aptness 恰当 贴切
画是无言的诗，诗是有 another possibility is that the steady growth in the number of clinical categories for mental illness is fuelling a kind of “disease inflation”.
Consistency 协调一致
Translation of simile and metaphor
多数只需直译，涉及困难和文化差异时可采取意译或 转移译法。
直译
Eg:A silver plate is rising up in the sky. 一个银盘从天边升起。 Good painting is like good cooking;it can be tasted,but not explained. 好画犹如佳肴，只可意会，不可言传。 What a piece of work is man,in action how like an angel,in apprehension how like a god. 人是多么了不起的一件精品，他的行为多么像天使，智慧多么像天神。 Painting is silent poetry, and poetry is a speaking picture.
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Simile
One thing is likened to another.
tenor （主体） primary term
vehicle （喻体） secondary term
Simile
the horizon drawn like a bow creep like a snail rise like lions after slumber as idle as a painted ship upon a painted ocean As cold waters to a thirsty soul, as is good news from a far country.
Metaphor
Compare:
Jim was as cunning as a fox. The world is like a stage.
Jim was a fox. The world is a stage.
Metaphor
A metaphor is in a sense a condensed simile, different only in form and artistry. Whereas in a simile the particular aspect of the point of resemblance between two unlike elements is given, in a metaphor nothing is stated.
(to illustrate the great difficulty of releasing atomic energy by bombarding with subatomic particles)
Illustrative simile
So compared with any ordinary beam of light, the laser beam is a very orderly affair indeed. It’s like a military march—everyone in step. In an ordinary beam, the waves are like
--- Dr. Samuel Johnson
Simile
A simile is a figure of speech which makes a comparison between two unlike elements having at least one quality or characteristic in common. The comparison is purely imaginary. Sometimes the association is between unfamiliar and familiar things, or between abstract and concrete things.
Simile
Trite and hackneyed similes:
as cold as ice as strong as a horse as cunning as a fox as soft as a pillow as easy as turning over your hand tall trees like pillars to the sky
Simile
Extended simile: a long simile that not only states the comparison by also elaborates it:
The process of gaining or losing weight can be explained by comparing your body to your car…And just as your car uses more energy when the engine is racing than when it is idling, so does your body use more energy when you are working hard than when you are resting.
people in a crowd going to a football match, jostling and bumping into one another.
(to illustrate the great orderliness of light waves in a laser beam)
Descriptive simile
Pop looked so unhappy, almost like a child who’s lost his piece of candy. Big black flies hit us like bombs. Mother was short and plump and pretty. Her eyes were blue, and her brown hair was like a bird’s smooth wings.
Simile
A simile, to be perfect, must both illustrate and ennoble the subject, must show it to the understanding in a clearer view and display it to the fancy with greater dignity.
Illuminative simile
The illuminative simile tries to give deeper insight into persons, things, ideas, even problems through suggestive association; to throw light, as it were, onto what would otherwise be inconceivable to ordinary people.
Illuminative metaphor
Kissinger has always been a political chameleon, able to take on the coloration of his environment. The trees of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is its natural
Simile
Three main uses:
Descriptive Illuminative Illustrative
（描写的） （启发的） （说明的）
Descriptive simile
The descriptive simile attempts to draw images of people, things, etc. through figurative comparison.
Fresh similes:
Metaphor
A metaphor, like a simile, also makes a comparison between two unlike elements, but unlike a simile, this comparison is implied rather than stated.
Illuminative simile
There was a secret meanness that clung to him almost like a smell.
(The suggestion of an all-prevailing meannea cock who thought the sun had risen to hear him crow.
manure.
Illustrative metaphor
We have seen how it can happen that when two atoms approach each other at great speeds, they go through one another, while at moderate speeds they bound off each other like two billiard balls. We have to go a step further and see how, at very slow speeds of approach, they many actually stick together. (to be continued)
Illustrative simile
To release the energy of stores of atoms by bombarding with sub-atomic particles is like shooting birds in the
dark in a country where there are very few birds.
Illustrative metaphor
We have all seen those swinging gates which, when their swing is considerable, go to and fro without locking. When the swing has declined, however, the latch suddenly drops into his place, the gate is held and after a short rattle the motion is over…