论奥巴马就职演说修辞风格

论奥巴马就职演说的修辞风格

论文导读：演讲是修辞的最早来源，修辞手法又是演讲中最常用的语言技巧。本文以奥巴马就职演说为例，分析其中所用的修辞手法，并举例说明。美国第 44 届总统奥巴马发表的举世瞩目的就职演说，使现场无数观众感动得热泪盈眶。关键词：奥巴马，就职演说，修辞

[摘要]演讲是修辞的最早来源，修辞手法又是演讲中最常用的语言技巧。本文以奥巴马就职演说为例，分析其中所用的修辞手法，并举例说明。

演讲人的目的在于激发听众的感情，说服和打动听众。因此，演讲者常常运用诸多修辞手段来增强演说词的文采和艺术感染力。美国第44 届总统奥巴马发表的举世瞩目的就职演说，使现场无数观众感动得热泪盈眶。在他的演说中使用了多种修辞手法，，本文以此为例从音韵修辞格、美学修辞格、结构修辞格三方面对其进行分析。

一、音韵修辞格（PhoneticStylistic Devices）

国内英语修辞论著《英语修辞与写作》（黄任，1998：162）认为“头韵是指一组词、一句话或一行诗中重复出现开头音相同的单词。”例如：

With old friendsand former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat…（押头韵）

This is the meaningof our liberty and our creed, why men and women and childrenof every race and every faith…（押尾韵）

二、结构修辞格（SyntacticalStylistic Devices）

（一）排比（Parallelism）

陆稼祥等（1991：166）是这样对排比下定义：“由三个或三个以上结构相同或相似，语气一致的短语、句子或段落成串地排列在一起，表达相似或相关内容的一种修辞方式。”排比也是奥巴马在其演说中使用的最频繁的一种修辞手法。例如：

（1）短语的平行排列（a group of Phrases）:即以短语形式组成的排比。

a.It’s been a longtime coming but tonight, because of what we did on this day, in thiselection, at this defining moment, change had become to America.三个介词短语构成排比，说明今天美国迎来了变革。

b.There is newenergy to haness and new jobs to be created, new schools tobuild and threats to meet and alliances to repair.五个不定式短语的排比，说出了美国面临的问题和要完成的任务。

（2）句子的平行排列（a series of sentences）：即由几个句子组成的排比，组成后称为一个句群。

a.I’ll be a President who finallymakes health care affordable and available to every single American… I’ll be aPresident who ends the tax breaks for companies that ship our jobs overseas… I’ll be aPresident who hamesses the ingernity of famers and scientists… And I’llbe a President who ends this war in Iraq and finally brings our troops home…

四个句子的排比全面阐述了他上台后的施政大纲，四个排比句囊括了社会各个群体，表现了他对各个群体利益的关心，从而得到了公众的支持。

b.But I willalways be honest with you about the challenges we face.I will listen toyou, especially when we disagree.And above all, I will ask you join inthe work of remarking this nation only way it’s been done in America… 前面提出“我作为总统所做的每项决定或决策，会有许多人持有异议，我们也知道，政府不能解决所有问题”，面对这种情况，奥巴马用了三个“I will…”句式的排比，做出了很好的回答：“我会一直向你们坦言我们所面临的挑战，我会听取你们的意见，尤其是存在不同意见的时候。最重要的是，我会请求你们参与重建这个国家……”奥巴马这一亲民政策拉近了与听众的距离，赢得了听众的支持。

（3）段落的平行排列（a group of paragraphs）：即两个或几个结构相似、内容相近段落组成的排比。

And tonight, …she’sseen…the beartache and the hope; the struggle and the progress…Yes we can.At a time…she livedto see them stand up and speak out and reach for the ballot.Yes we can.When there was…shesaw a nation conquer fear itself with a New Deal, new jobs and a new sense ofcommon purpose.Yes,we can.When the bombs…, shewas there to witness a generation rise to

greatness and a democracy was saved.Yes,wecan.… 这几段出现在演讲结尾，给演讲增加了排山倒海的气势，具有强大的煽动性，把整个演讲推向了又一个高潮。科技论文。

（二）反复（Repetition）

反复的表现形式是多种多样的，既包括词法、句法方面的重复，也包括音韵方面的重复，即音、形、义等不同层次的重复。例如：

Today I say to youthat the challenges we face are real.They are serious and thely are many.Theywill not be met easily or in a short span of time.But know this, America, theywill be met.文中“they”出现了四次，指首句中的“challenges”，表达了克服危机的坚定信念，博得了全场听众的热烈掌声。

（三）对比（Antithesis）

对比就是把两种相反或相对的事物，或同一事物相反或相对的两个方面放在一起相互比较，使事物的特征、性质、状态更加突出，使表达的意思更加条理分明，使逻辑辩证力量更加强大。科技论文。例如：

It’s the answerspoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white,Latine, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled.这段话将年轻人和老人，有钱人和没钱人，民主党和共和党，黑人，白人，西班牙裔人，美国本土人，同性恋，异性恋，残疾人和不残疾的进行对比，显示了奥巴马的仁慈和人人平等的理念。

三、词语修辞格（LexicalStylistic Devices）

（一）明喻（Simile）

明喻是就两个不同事物之间的相似点进行对比，用具体的，浅显的和熟知的事物去说明或描写抽象的、深奥的、生疏的事物，以获得生动形象，传神达意的修辞效果。例如：

For us, the foughtand died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg, Normandy and Khe Sarh.本句中“like”前面是本体，后面是喻体。

（二）隐喻（Metaphor）

隐喻是不露比喻的痕迹，没有明显的比喻词，比明喻更进一步的比喻。例如：

American who sent amessage to the world that we have never keen a collection of Red States andBlue States we are, and always will be, the United States of America.其中“Red State”暗喻共和党，“Blue States”暗喻民主党。

（三）拟人（Personification）

拟人法就是把物当做人来写，赋予它们以人的思想、感情与行为方式。科技论文。例如：

We remain a youngnation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childishthings.美国仍是一个年轻的国家，借用圣经的话说，放弃幼稚的时代已经到来了。

（四）夸张（Hyperbole）

夸张就是为了表达的需要，故意言过其实，对客观的人、事、物做扩

大或缩小的描述。例如：

The snow was tainedwith blood.冬天的雪被鲜血染红了。

纵观奥巴马的整篇演讲稿，朴实无华，极少私用堂皇之词，这也使得他的演说被大众所接受。但在这篇看似平凡的演说中，他使用了多种修辞手段使他的演讲变得不平凡。正如纽约时报所说：他的演说富有节奏感，味道十足，语气恰到好处，几乎带有一种催眠和传教的功能，让人如痴如醉，欲罢不能…… [参考文献][1]吕煦.实用英语修辞.清华大学出版社，2004.[2]方芳.排比在英语演讲中的修辞作用.安徽文学，2009 年第四期.[3]梁文道.奥巴马的胜利是修辞学的胜利.南方周末，2008.[4]冯翠华.英语修辞大全.外语教学与研究出版社，1995.

解释得很明白。

Good afternoon.It is a great honor for me to be here in Shanghai, and to have this opportunity to speak with all of you.I\\"d like to thank Fudan University\\"s President Yang for his hospitality(好客) and his gracious（有礼貌的，亲切的） welcome.I\\"d also like to thank our outstanding Ambaador（大使）, Jon Huntsman, who exemplifies the deep ties and respect between our nations.I don\\"t know what he said, but I hope it was good.(Laughter.)

What I\\"d like to do is to make some opening comments, and then what I\\"m really looking forward to doing is taking questions, not only from students who are in the audience, but also we\\"ve received questions online, which will be asked by some of the students who are here in the audience, as well as by Ambaador Huntsman.And I am very sorry that my Chinese is not as good as your English, but I am looking forward to this chance to have a dialogue.

This is my first time traveling to China, and I\\"m excited to see this majestic（雄伟壮丽的，威严的） country.Here, in Shanghai, we see the growth that has caught the attention of the world -- the soaring skyscrapers, the bustling（熙攘的） streets and entrepreneurial（企业家的，创业者的） activity.And just as I\\"m impreed by these signs of China\\"s journey to the 21st century, I\\"m eager to see those ancient places that speak to us from China\\"s distant past.

Tomorrow and the next day I hope to have a chance when I\\"m in Beijing to see the majesty of the Forbidden City and the wonder of the Great Wall.Truly, this is a nation that encompaes both a rich history and a belief in the promise of the future.The same can be said of the relationship between our two countries.Shanghai, of course, is a city that has great meaning in the history of the relationship between the United States and China.It was here, 37 years ago, that the Shanghai Communique opened the door to a new chapter of engagement between our governments and among our people.However, America\\"s ties to this city -- and to this country -- stretch back further, to the earliest days of America\\"s independence.

In 1784, our founding father, George Washington, commiioned the Empre of China, a ship that set sail for these shores so that it could pursue trade with the Qing Dynasty.Washington wanted to see the ship carry the flag around the globe, and to forge new ties with nations like China.This is a common American impulse -- the desire to reach for new horizons, and to forge new partnerships that are mutually beneficial.

Over the two centuries that have followed, the currents of history have steered the relationship between our countries in many directions.And even in the midst of tumultuous winds, our people had opportunities to forge deep and even dramatic ties.For instance, Americans will never forget the hospitality shown to our pilots who were shot down over your soil during World War II, and cared for by Chinese civilians who risked all that they had by doing so.And Chinese veterans of that war still warmly greet those American veterans who return to the sites where they fought to help liberate China from occupation.

A different kind of connection was made nearly 40 years ago when the frost between our countries began to thaw through the simple game of table tennis.The very unlikely nature of this engagement contributed to its succe -- because for all our differences, both our common humanity and our shared curiosity were revealed.As one American player described his visit to China -- "[The]people are just like us…The country is very similar to America, but still very different."

Of course this small opening was followed by the achievement of the Shanghai Communique, and the eventual establishment of formal relations between the United States and China in 1979.And in three decades, just look at how far we have come.

In 1979, trade between the United States and China stood at roughly $5 billion -- today it tops over $400 billion each year.The commerce affects our people\\"s lives in so many ways.America imports from China many of the computer parts we use, the clothes we wear; and we export to China machinery that helps power your industry.This trade could create even more jobs on both sides of the Pacific, while allowing our people to enjoy a better quality of life.And as demand becomes more balanced, it can lead to even broader prosperity.

In 1979, the political cooperation between the United States and China was rooted largely in our shared rivalry with the Soviet Union.Today, we have a positive, constructive and comprehensive relationship that opens the door to partnership on the key global iues of our time -- economic recovery and the development of clean energy; stopping the spread of nuclear weapons and the scourge of climate change; the promotion of peace and security in Asia and around the globe.All of these iues will be on the agenda tomorrow when I meet with President Hu.

And in 1979, the connections among our people were limited.Today, we see the curiosity of those ping-pong players manifested in the ties that are being forged acro many sectors.The second highest number of foreign students in the United States come from China, and we\\"ve seen a 50 percent increase in the study of Chinese among our own students.There are nearly 200 "friendship cities" drawing our communities together.American and Chinese scientists cooperate on new research and discovery.And of course, Yao Ming is just one signal of our shared love of basketball -- I\\"m only sorry that I won\\"t be able to see a Shanghai Sharks game while I\\"m visiting.

It is no coincidence that the relationship between our countries has accompanied a period of positive change.China has lifted hundreds of millions of people out of poverty -- an accomplishment unparalleled in human history -- while playing a larger role in global events.And the United States has seen our economy grow along with the standard of living enjoyed by our people, while bringing the Cold War to a succeful conclusion.

There is a Chinese proverb: "Consider the past, and you shall know the future." Surely, we have known setbacks and challenges over the last 30 years.Our relationship has not been without disagreement and difficulty.But the notion that we must be adversaries is not predestined -- not when we consider the past.Indeed, because of our cooperation, both the United States and China are more prosperous and more secure.We have seen what is poible when we build upon our mutual interests, and engage on the basis of mutual respect.

And yet the succe of that engagement depends upon understanding -- on sustaining an open dialogue, and learning about one another and from one another.For just as that American table tennis player pointed out -- we share much in common as human beings, but our countries are different in certain ways.

I believe that each country must chart its own course.China is an ancient nation, with a deeply rooted culture.The United States, by comparison, is a young nation, whose culture is determined by the many different immigrants who have come to our shores, and by the founding documents that guide our democracy.

Those documents put forward a simple vision of human affairs, and they enshrine several core principles -- that all men and women are created equal, and poe certain fundamental rights; that government should reflect the will of the people and respond to their wishes; that commerce should be open, information freely acceible; and that laws, and not simply men, should guarantee the administration of justice.

Of course, the story of our nation is not without its difficult chapters.In many ways -- over many years -- we have struggled to advance the promise of these principles to all of our people, and to forge a more perfect union.We fought a very painful civil war, and freed a portion of our population from slavery.It took time for women to be extended the right to vote, workers to win the right to organize, and for immigrants from different corners of the globe to be fully embraced.Even after they were freed, African Americans persevered through conditions that were separate and not equal, before winning full and equal rights.

None of this was easy.But we made progre because of our belief in those core principles, which have served as our compa through the darkest of storms.That is why Lincoln could stand up in the midst of civil war and declare it a struggle to see whether any nation, conceived in liberty, and "dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal" could long endure.

That is why Dr.Martin Luther King could stand on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and ask that our nation live out the true meaning of its creed.That\\"s why immigrants from China to Kenya could find a home on our shores; why opportunity is available to all who would work for it; and why someone like me, who le than 50 years ago would have had trouble voting in some parts of America, is now able to serve as its President.

And that is why America will always speak out for these core principles around the world.We do not seek to impose any system of government on any other nation, but we also don\\"t believe that the principles that we stand for are unique to our nation.These freedoms of expreion and worship -- of acce to information and political participation -- we believe are universal rights.

They should be available to all people, including ethnic and religious minorities -- whether they are in the United States, China, or any nation.Indeed, it is that respect for universal rights that guides America\\"s openne to other countries; our respect for different cultures; our commitment to international law; and our faith in the future.These are all things that you should know about America.I also know that we have much to learn about China.Looking around at this magnificent city -- and looking around this room -- I do believe that our nations hold something important in common, and that is a belief in the future.Neither the United States nor China is content to rest on our achievements.For while China is an ancient nation, you are also clearly looking ahead with confidence, ambition, and a commitment to see that tomorrow\\"s generation can do better than today\\"s.

In addition to your growing economy, we admire China\\"s extraordinary commitment to science and research -- a commitment borne out in everything from the infrastructure you build to the technology you use.China is now the world\\"s largest Internet user -- which is why we were so pleased to include the Internet as a part of today\\"s event.

This country now has the world\\"s largest mobile phone network, and it is investing in the new forms of energy that can both sustain growth and combat climate change -- and I\\"m looking forward to deepening the partnership between the United States and China in this critical area tomorrow.But above all, I see China\\"s future in you -- young people whose talent and dedication and dreams will do so much to help shape the 21st century.

I\\"ve said many times that I believe that our world is now fundamentally interconnected.The jobs we do, the prosperity we build, the environment we protect, the security that we seek -- all of these things are shared.And given that interconnection, power in the 21st century is no longer a zero-sum game; one country\\"s succe need not come at the expense of another.

And that is why the United States insists we do not seek to contain China\\"s rise.On the contrary, we welcome China as a strong and prosperous and succeful member of the community of nations -- a China that draws on the rights, strengths and creativity of individual Chinese like you.To return to the proverb -- consider the past.We know that more is to be gained when great powers cooperate than when they collide.That is a leon that human beings have learned time and again, and that is the example of the history between our nations.And I believe strongly that cooperation must go beyond our government.It must be rooted in our people -- in the studies we share, the busine that we do, the knowledge that we gain, and even in the sports that we play.And these bridges must be built by young men and women just like you and your counterparts in America.

That\\"s why I\\"m pleased to announce that the United States will dramatically expand the number of our students who study in China to 100,000.And these exchanges mark a clear commitment to build ties among our people, as surely as you will help determine the destiny of the 21st century.And I\\"m absolutely confident that America has no better ambaadors to offer than our young people.For they, just like you, are filled with talent and energy and optimism about the history that is yet to be written.

So let this be the next step in the steady pursuit of cooperation that will serve our nations, and the world.And if there\\"s one thing that we can take from today\\"s dialogue, I hope that it is a commitment to continue this dialogue going forward.

So thank you very much.And I look forward now to taking some questions from all of you.Thank you very much.

怎能否定作者的才华。

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