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2024年5月16日发(作者:)

8. 低调陈述

UNDERSTATEMENT

1. 定义

Understatement: It is a restrained statement in ironic contrast to what

might be said, a studied avoidance of explicit emphasis or exaggeration (WED);

A statement which fails below the truth or fact (OED).

Understatement (低调陈述)是恰与Hyperbole (夸张)相对的一种修辞格。其基本

用法是,在陈述事物时有意采取低调,抑制措辞,轻描淡写,借含蓄与弱化的语言形式表

示强调。因为英国男人喜欢把话说得委婉一些,温和一些,故把Understatement称为

男性语言(males speech),而把Hyperbole称为女性语言 (female speech) 。

Understatement的表达形式有Litotes和Meiosis两类。

2.表达方式

(1)Litotes(间接肯定法)或(曲言法)

Litotes: A figure of speech in which an affirmative is expressed by the

negation of its opposite (AHD); Understatement in which an affirmative is

expressed by the negative of the contrary. (WED)

Litotes就是以反说代替正说,即采用否定事物的反面这样一种结构,构成间接肯定。

更明确地说,就是在某些词前加一个否定词来达到强烈的间接肯定。间接肯定给人的印象

往往比直接肯定更深刻一些,因此,它能广泛地用于文学作品和政论文中。

As lean was his horse as is a rake,

And he was not right fat.

I undertake. ( G. Chaucer )

他的马瘦得像钉钯,骨骼清晰,

而他也不那么胖

我敢担保,真的不胖。

*此例中,马瘦骨嶙峋,人也骨瘦如柴,但不直接说he was lean而用曲言he was not

right fat,文字表述就多一点变换,这样就给读者留下了多一点的想象空间并增加了一点幽

默感。

Who can not rely on such an honest man?

谁能不信任这样一个正直的人?

*这句话的意思是Everybody can rely on such an honest man. 谁都能信任这样

一个正直的人。用否定的形式来表达肯定的内容,语气就更为强烈。反抑为褒,给人印象

深刻。

本文标签: 肯定语言想象