The Role of Cognitive Metaphor in Chinese and Russian Languages

Xiuqing Chen' Master's Degree, Department of Linguistics, Tianjin University of Foreign Languages 300204, Kitai, Tyan'tszin' oblast', g. Tyan'tszin', ul. Machandao, 117 chenxiuqing007@mail.ru

1.      Introduction

In the current period of increasing globalization and the spread of the Internet, the transformation of intercultural communication is taking place, for which appropriate language means are needed. Good-neighborly relations between China and Russia are marked by mutual respect and interaction of cultures. Chinese scientist Zhao Aigo notes that "the peculiarity of intercultural communication is the perception and awareness of the information component in the form of symbols, signs by multilingual people of different cultures" [Zhao, 2006: 197]. 

In the cognitive approach, metaphor is closely related to the processes of thinking, and is not only one of the tropes. There are more and more studies that determine the meaning of metaphor as a key element of the thought process that allows us to comprehend an unknown area through a familiar field of images [Velichkovsky, 2006: 242].

The subject of the study is a cognitive metaphor. In the course of writing the article, methods of deduction and induction, comparative and contextual analysis were used. The scientific novelty consists in the analysis of concrete examples of cognitive metaphors in the text materials of Chinese-Russian intercultural communication. The methodological basis for writing the study is the works of Russian and Chinese researchers in the field of language theory in von Humboldt, A. A. Potebnya, I. V. Arnold, Xiong Tzu, etc.; studies of metaphor by M. Johnson, J. Lakkof, Hu Zhanglin, etc.

The purpose of this article is to study the role of cognitive metaphor in Russian and Chinese.

To achieve the designated goal , it is necessary to solve a number of tasks:

1) explore the concept of metaphor,

2) to identify the characteristics of the metaphor in the cognitive approach,

3) to trace the retrospective dynamics in the understanding of metaphor,

4) to carry out a comparative analysis on the material of the Russian and Chinese languages.

2. The main part

Metaphor is considered in many modern concepts as a linguistic figure that regulates thinking [Barkhudarov, 1975: 98]. At the same time, it is interpreted as a figure of thinking that opens access to objective reality or to the cultural reality of the subject. The metaphor belongs not only to the literary sphere, but goes beyond the literary text, realizing the potential in the cultural, political, social spheres of public life [Kravchenko, 2004: 115]. The modern approach to metaphor suggests that it goes beyond literary criticism, it is used:

Linguists (cognitive linguistics and metaphor as a starting point for conceptualization),

Literary and cultural studies (the use of metaphor in various cultural messages related to mythological thinking – K. Levi-Strauss and E. Leach)

Philosophers who characterized metaphorization as a special kind of reflection that determines systematic thinking and argumentation (J. Derrida, P. Riker) or criticism of metaphor (D. Davidson, who believed that metaphor should be understood literally without additional figurative meaning).

These contradictory positions unite Aristotle's understanding of metaphor as the transfer of meaning from one object of cognition to another. Aristotle designated it as a trope that has no semantic meaning, and its only function is the decoration of speech.

P. Riker considered this issue in the book "Living Metaphor" (1975), which was the result of rhetorical, linguistic and philosophical reflections on metaphor as an image of language and thought. P. Riker developed his concept of "living metaphor", and conclusions about the role of metaphor in philosophy were presented in the last part of the book.

The next stage in metaphor research is the work of cognitive linguists, in particular the book by D. Lakoff and M. Johnson "Metaphors that We Live by" (1980). In their concept, the metaphorical beginning of human cognition, i.e. the process of metaphorization, came to the fore,

In the concept of metaphors embodied by cognitive scientists and, above all, in Riker's phenomenological and hermeneutic theses on the metaphorical, the role of imagination is intertwined with metaphorical semiosis (a sign that translates meaning and its interpretation) with phenomenalization (with the creation of a metaphor as an image). P. Riker wrote that his thesis is that images and feelings play the role of constitutive not only in the framework of theories that deny any informative value of metaphors and reject their desire to express the truth, but in the type of metaphor theory identified by I. A. Richards in the Philosophy of Rhetoric, M. Black in Models and Metaphors etc.

For the process of cognition of the subject, familiar concepts are likened to unknown ones. Ts. Fei calls metaphor "one of the most important cognitive phenomena, metaphorical cognition has a great influence on communicative processes, especially on speech communication" [Fei, 2019: 12]. New subjects and topics are more effectively learned with the help of familiar concepts, which seems especially appropriate in the translation process. It is noted that "translation is a special act of retransmission in the form of international communication, the transmission of thoughts, language, feelings, culture is especially important for translatology. Through language, it is possible to reflect the system of spiritual culture. J. Lakoff noted that metaphorical reflection is accessible to all peoples and has exceptional completeness from the point of view of spiritual culture" [Lakoff, 1990: 245].

"A metaphor is a universal sign that performs a significant function in the process of transmitting information, but a metaphor in translation can have a negative effect, since it can create difficulties with the perception of the text." So N. Spinolo and Garwood note that the translator should "kill the metaphor", which contributes to "greater clarity of the text or speech" [Spinolo, 2010: 189]."

The presence of metaphor in the translation text is fraught with a number of difficulties, since images in different languages, for example, in Chinese and Russian, do not always coincide and it is not possible to translate them verbatim. It is no coincidence that there were more numerous discussions about the place of metaphor in translations.

P. Mason noted that metaphors are completely translatable and there is no need to translate metaphors in a separate theory [Mason, 1982: 149]. Another point of view belongs to Yu . Nayda, who believed that metaphors are untranslatable and that as a result of translation it loses its original meaning. Yu. Nayda noted that the task of translation is to form the closest "natural equivalent" [Nayda, 1982: 22].

P. Newmark [Newmark, 1981: 97] represents the third direction. He believed that metaphors are translatable, but the degree of translation is determined by its function in the text and is limited by the framework of interlinguistic equivalence. The researcher identified seven ways to translate it. The metaphor can be translated unchanged or use the substitution of a trope or using a paraphrase.

"Metaphor plays an important role in cultural, linguistic, cultural and translation aspects" [Fosenko, 2002: 127]. In order to "master the art of metaphor translation, it is necessary to be aware of moral and moral traditions that have been formed over the centuries and find expression in norms of behavior, folk proverbs and sayings and embody a system of values." Metaphors are formed in a specific cultural tradition that requires careful study.

The principles of Orthodoxy are the main content of the moral foundation of the Russian cultural tradition. The key concepts in it are the concepts of the Lord, the word, faith, happiness, people, justice, goodness: God is the sower, the shepherd, the protector, beating all the bells. God is a key category of Russian culture, "God is love", therefore he is endowed with sovereign functions, can save, protect, and give life. God acts as the fullness of all virtues and conditions the categories of word, faith, happiness, goodness, etc.

The Orthodox tradition with metaphorical images permeates classical Russian literature, therefore, in the works of F. M. Dostoevsky, L.N. Tolstoy, M. A. Sholokhov and other authors, the themes of goodness, salvation, faith, etc. develop.

Chinese traditions go back centuries, they are based on a powerful moral experience, the basis of which are the moral ideas of Confucianism, associated with impartiality, justice: an iron fist, you can't pull out a single pen from him, an incorruptible iron face. In the presence of serious differences, there is a significant similarity between the traditional ideology of China and Russia, a special similarity is observed in the ideas about personal qualities, which are reflected in translation.

So, in Chinese and Russian cultures, there is the use of similar metaphors when describing a person's personal qualities. For example, a calm, kind person is compared to a defenseless animal of animals, a pigeon in Russian culture is a symbol of kindness and gentleness:

(1) "Oh, how quiet and gentle the night was, how the azure air breathed with dove-like meekness, how every suffering, every sorrow had to be silenced and fall asleep under this clear sky, under these holy, innocent rays!" [I.S. Turgenev, "The Day Before"]. In this example, the author uses not only the word "pigeon" in the meaning of "soft", but also complements the characteristic with the introduction of the noun "meekness", which refers to the style of Orthodox texts. The word "meekness" is applied to an inanimate object – the forces of nature, the air; 

(2) "A recently deceased Russian writer, who possessed a mind of charming depth and brightness, a man who was immensely carried away and combined extreme unbridled passions with a dove-like meekness of spirit, enthusiastically asserted..." [N. S. Leskov, "Bypassed"]. In the indicated example, unlike the previous one, "pigeon" refers to a person, namely, to his innermost part - the spirit. This example refers to the lines of the Gospel of John "The Spirit descended in the form of a pigeon" and to the poetry of S. Yesenin "The pigeon spirit from God / Like a fiery tongue/ Took possession of my dear, Drowned my weak cry";

(3) "pigeon soul, golden heart" [I.A. Goncharov, "Oblomov"]. "Pigeon" is used here in the meaning of "kind".

(4) "Yes, there's a whole cart on the table, choose any one, you pigeon soul!" [F. M. Dostoevsky, "The Brothers Karamazov"]. In this and the above examples, the word is used in the same meaning and refers to the soul;

(5) "A pigeon's heart or, better to say, a baked apple!" [I. I. Lazhechnikov, "Basurman"]. "Pigeon" means a kind, soft heart, which is emphasized by the additional characteristic "baked apple", which together creates a vivid metaphorical image;

In Chinese culture, a pigeon is a symbol of peace, and kindness is personified by a hare, which in fairy tales is charming and sensitive, therefore it is suitable to designate a meek and kind person. 

In the Chinese language there is a concept of "a horse of a thousand li", which is the designation of a capable and talented person. In Russian, this meaning is conveyed by the phrase "to be a genius" when mental abilities are associated with human growth. The same process is observed in Chinese:

1) en gao mao da - ‘tall man, tall horse. in the meaning. tall man’;

2) niu gao ma da – - dosl. ‘a tall bull and a big horse, in the sign. a strong and tall man’;

Cognitive metaphor is of great importance in economic and political international translations. So, in Russian political and economic discourses, cognitive metaphors are often used – the fate of history; the son of the Motherland, the agenda comes to the fore, a steady rise, to adopt. In these discourses, metaphor cannot be separated from the categories of Homeland, history, community, which is reflected in the language.

 The following metaphors are characteristic of Chinese political and economic discourses – to cling to green mountains with teeth, to shift the development of the economy, an outpost will break through, to fight for the fulfillment of the Chinese dream, to gnaw hard bones, a zombie enterprise, etc. Most concepts in the commercial sphere are multi-component and difficult to perceive, especially in Chinese: the courage of a brave man cutting himself off a lifeless hand, a financial budget in red hieroglyphs. These examples reflect the images of traditional written signs, martial arts, which are inseparable from Chinese culture. Cognitive metaphor allows you to know and describe the unknown through acquired experience. Russian Russian translation In order to facilitate mutual understanding in the process of translation from Russian to Chinese or from Chinese to Russian, it is necessary:

1) use simple metaphorical structures;

2) avoid words with ambiguous interpretation in the field of cultural differences;

3) explore the cultural aspect of communication; 

4) improve the understanding of the language habits and thinking patterns of native Chinese speakers.

Conclusion

In conclusion, we highlight the key provisions of the article. The metaphor belongs not only to the literary sphere, but goes beyond the literary text, realizing its potential in the cultural, political, and social spheres of public life.

A metaphor is a certain way of thinking, allowing you to comprehend an unfamiliar area through a familiar one. Cognitive metaphor promotes cognition and description of the unknown through acquired experience, which contributes to the formation of strong ties, mutual understanding between cultures, and the development of a linguistic picture of the world. The cognitive metaphor is connected with the psychophysiological component of a person, allowing to address diverse cultural realities. Its role is to convey the image of the national-cultural vision of the world.

Translation is a special act of retransmission in the form of international communication, in which the transmission of thoughts, feelings, and cultural experience is especially important. Through language it is possible to reflect the system of spiritual culture. Most of the designated metaphors are intuitive and formed through the transformation of a specific meaning.

The main content of the moral foundation of the Russian cultural tradition is the principles of Orthodoxy. The key concepts in the Russian cultural tradition are the concepts – the Lord, the word, faith, happiness, the people, justice, goodness. Chinese traditions go back centuries, they are based on a powerful moral experience, the basis is the moral ideas of Confucianism.

Thus, a cognitive metaphor is a universal sign that performs a significant function in the process of transmitting information, allowing one to comprehend an unfamiliar area through a familiar one. In cultural, linguistic, cultural and translation aspects, metaphor plays an important role, since it reveals ideas about morality, traditions formed in specific historical, social and cultural conditions. The ideology of China and Russia has some differences, but is characterized by similarities in the description of personality qualities, in understanding the moral essence of a person, which is manifested in translation.

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