2024年3月17日发(作者：)

英语修辞之移就 Transferred Epithet

(一)Definition: A transferred epithet is a figure of speech where an

epithet (an adjective or descriptive phrase) is transferred from the noun

it should rightly modify to another to which it does not really apply or

belong.(转类形容/移就就是把通常修饰甲类名词的形容词转而修饰乙类名词，从而

达到生动的效果。这种修饰，表面上看是不合适的，但就其内在涵义，却是可行的、合理

的。)

I naturally had a healthy appetite. 我自然胃口很好。

I had dirty looks from the people waiting. 等在一旁的人对我怒目而视。

He crashed down on a protesting chair.

他一屁股坐了下去，椅子吱吱嘎嘎地响。

He passed many an anxious hour in the train. 他在火车上度过许多焦急不安的钟

头。

This is not a cheerful sight. 这不是一个令人愉快的情景。

What a lame excuse you have made! 你的借口多么站不住脚～ I spoke to them

in hesitant French. 我结结巴巴地用法语对他们讲话。

He opened the telegram with nervous fingers. 他用颤抖的手指拆开了电报。

She has talking eyes. 她有一双会说话的眼睛。

There's some dirty weather knocking about. 坏天气马上就要来了。

Some university graduates thought of themselves as failures simply because

they were not offered jobs with fat salaries and generous

benefits. 有些大学毕业生仅仅因为没有得到收入丰厚、效益好的工

作而认为自己是个失败者。

Tom closed the car window and sat back in his seat, in hostile silence.

汤姆摇上车窗，坐回到座位上，闷头一言不发。

(二)The classification of transferred epithet

Group1: adj.+ sb. ?adj.+ sth.

A knife used by a murderous villain A murderous(杀气) knife

Those days when I felt purposeless Those purposeless days The sailors

swarmed into a laughing and cheering ring around the two man.

水手们蜂拥而至，汇成欢笑与欢呼的一圈，把那两人围在中间。

The sailors，laughing and cheering ，surrounded the two man in a ring.

Group2:adj.+ sth. ?adj.+another thing

The white silence seemed to sneer, and a great fear came upon him. 寂静的茫

茫雪野好像在冷笑，一阵恐惧朝他袭来。

The white silence—the boundless fields covered with snow was silent White

fox/ shoes/silk/clouds

His stories achieved nothing but cheap laughs.

Letting that goal in was an expensive mistake. It cost us the championship.

Group3: adj.+ sth. ?adj.+ sb.

He is not an easy writer.

The child was noisy in the morning.

Peaceful people are not violent.

(三)The characteristics of Transferred Epithet

1 It relies on the deep structure of the sentence. It is illogical and

unreasonable in surface structure but reasonable and just in deep structure.

Eg. The thief made a trembling confession of his wrong doing.

2 There is a close relationship between the transferred epithet and the

modified word.

Eg. The big man crashed down on a protesting chair.

3Transferred epithet is suitable for the new context. Eg. After several acid

years. She broke up with the man.

The logic relations between the transferred epithet and modified words.

(1)Causal relation(因果)

Puzzled frown 因困惑而皱眉

Delighted smile 因高兴而微笑

Terrified despair 由于恐惧而感到绝望

Thoughtful silence 因沉思而沉默

Ignorant nonsense 由于无知而胡说

(2)Coordinate or parallel relation(平行或并列关系)

She sat there with embarrassed delight. 她坐在那里，即尴尬又高兴。

We listened with smiling attention. 我们一边笑一边注意地听着。

(3)disjunctive relation(纯修饰关系)

Laughing eyes 笑眼

Sleepy corner 沉静的角落

A passionate throat 热情的歌喉