Unit10connotation内涵.docVIP

Unit 10 Connotation Connotation I. What is connotation? According to modern English lexicology, the meaning of a word can be divided into two categories: one is its Denotation, the other is its Connotation. Denotation: the most specific or direct meaning of a word, in contrast to its figurative or associated meanings 《美国传统词典》 Connotation can be subdivided into: figurative meanings(比喻意义) and associated meanings（联想意义） Examples: animal words in English (noun → verb) 1) Wherever I go, my little brother dogs my footsteps. 2) The starving man wolfed down the food. 3) The soldiers wormed his way toward the enemy’s lines. 4) His failed in the test in that he confined himself to parroting textbooks. II. The reason for the widespread use of connotation in English 1. Conversion and Derivation Examples: “storm” His last words brought on another storm. (noun) Her singing took New York by storm. (noun) The mob stormed through the street. (verb) He stormed at me for five minutes on end. (verb) Today’s meeting is rather stormy. (adj.) He turned back and met her stormy eyes. (adj.) 2. Synaesthesia (通感；联觉) Examples: “sour” He gave me a sour look. It is increasingly evident that relations between them have soured badly. III. The aesthetic value of connotation “brevity, richness, vividness (imagery), implication” Examples: 1) Sweat pearls his forehead. (他的额头上缀满了晶莹的汗珠。) 2) Jack is a fair-weather friend. 3) “walk”--- wander, shuffle, trot, creep, dash, dawdle, rush, stroll, trudge… a. She wandered in her talk. (She was not well centered in her talk.) b. Tom dawdled away four years in college. (Tom wasted much time and achieved very little during the four years.) c. He is always able to trot out some new excuse. ( He is always able to produce some new excuse quickly.) 4) Her father is now between jobs. IV. Connotation in C-E translation Practice: 1. 我从小就对自己没有信心，这是问题的根子。这种情绪使我受到一点点表扬都会难为情，使我怎么也说不出一个“不”字，也使我不敢向父母多要一分钱。此外，这种缺乏信心的情况也影响了我对钢琴的热爱。 2. 从表面看，家庭平静，