Investigating Legitimization in Political Discourse from the Perspective of CMA:An Analysis of the US Governmental Discourse on China-US Trade Talks

doi:10.3969/j.issn.1674-8921.2022.04.011

Abstract

Abstract:

Critical Metaphor Analysis integrates Conceptual Metaphor Theory, Critical Discourse Analysis, and pragmatics, and thereby connects discourse and society seamlessly through conceptual metaphor, which is one of the effective ways to analyze political discourse. This paper takes 31 Sino-US trade texts on the US government websites as data, and analyzes the legitimization of the US policy toward China from the perspective of Critical Metaphor Analysis. It is shown that the US government,through fabricating a political myth, constructs China as a BULLY, while the United States as a VICTIM, and Trump is constructed as a FIGHTER. This metaphorical system replaces complex political facts and becomes a way for Americans to understand the Sino-US trade war. It is hoped that this study may, through refining the Critical Metaphor Analysis method, enrich the legitimization research approach, and provide useful references for the construction of China’s foreign discourse system.

Key words: Critical Metaphor Analysis, Legitimization, Political discourse, Sino-US trade negotiation

CLC Number:

WU Jianguo, XIE Sisi, LI Jing. Investigating Legitimization in Political Discourse from the Perspective of CMA:An Analysis of the US Governmental Discourse on China-US Trade Talks[J]. Contemporary Foreign Languages Studies, 2022, 22(4): 111-122.

Figures/Tables 8

References 12

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源域	总计	百分比
a主要隐喻侵略者如:强迫性技术转让、胁迫、侵略、霸凌者中国、滥用; 小偷如:中国的知识产权小偷,偷走了他们的创意和技术突破;	99 45	51.0% 23.2%
b次要隐喻违法者如:扭曲的国际市场、违反世贸组织报复者如:报复性的中国	23 13	11.9% 6.7%
c偶然隐喻
捕食者	8	4.1%
如:掠食性的中国
竞争者	3	1.6%
如:对手
操控者	2	1.0%
如:货币操纵
阴谋者	1	0.5%
如:密谋
合计	194	100%

源域	总计	百分比
a主要隐喻受害者如:受伤、伤害、遭遇不公平对待;	74	85.1%
b次要隐喻
领导者	12	13.8%
如:世界领导者、美国经济主导地位;
消费者	1	1.1%
如:最大的消费体;
合计	87	100%

源域	目标域
斗士	特朗普总统
治安官
命脉	美国智能技术
支柱
王冠珠宝
脊柱
基础

语义域 (推理过程)	潜在原因	?	呈现后果	?	必要措施
虚构来源(可能存在逻辑关系)	“欺凌者”通过“盗窃”或“胁迫”夺取了我们“最宝贵的财富”。	Ø	我们的公司乃至整个国家都是这场“侵袭”的“受害者”。	Ø	我们的“英雄”“进行反抗”并“惩罚”了他们。如果“欺凌者”敢“报复”,我们的英雄不会妥协。
	↓		↓		↓
现实目标(与类推有关)	中国强迫我们的公司放弃“智能技术”。	Ø	美国由于失业和与中国的“贸易”失衡而变得脆弱。美国国家安全受到威胁。	Ø	总统会给中国商品“强加高额关税”。如果“中国同样给美国商品强加关税”,那美国将会扩大需额外纳税的商品种类。

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