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AN INVESTIGATION INTO SEMANTIC FEATURES OF SPORTS EXPRESSIONS USED METAPHORICALLY IN NON-SPORTS SITUATIONS

(ENGLISH VERSUS VIETNAMESE)

TIM HIỂU ĐĂC ĐIỂM NGƯ NGHIA CỦA CÁC THÀNH NGƯ THỂ THAO ĐƯỢC SỬ DUNG THEO CÁCH ẨN DU

TRONG CÁC VĂN CẢNH NGOÀI THỂ THAO

NGUYÊN ĐỨC TU *

TÓM TĂT

Cùng với sự phát triển và mở rộng của lĩnh vực thể thao, ngôn ngữ dùng trong thể thao cũng thật đặc biệt và đầy thú vị. Theo ý kiến chủ quan của mình, các đặc điểm về ngữ nghĩa của các thành ngữ thể thao được sử dụng theo cách ẩn dụ trong các văn cảnh ngoài thể thao là đáng được xem xét, nghiên cứu về mặt lý thuyết. Vì vậy, bài báo sơ bộ trình bày về các đặc điểm ngữ nghĩa của các thành ngữ thể thao được sử dụng theo cách ẩn dụ trong các văn cảnh ngoài thể thao ở hai chương đầu tiên. Và cuối cùng, người viết đã đưa ra kết luận và hướng ứng dụng các đặc điểm ngữ nghĩa theo cách ẩn dụ và thành ngữ vào giảng dạy và học tập ngôn ngữ.

ABSTRACT

Along with the development and extension of sports, the language used in sports expressions is believed to be distinctive and interesting. To my viewpoint, semantic features of sport expressions used metaphorically in non-sports situations is worth being considered and studied academically. Therefore, the paper briefly presents semantic features of sport expressions used metaphorically in non-sports situations in the two first parts. In the final part, the writer draws some conclusions about semantic features of sports expressions used metaphorically and idiomatically in non-sports situations in English and Vietnamese and then put forward some implications to the language teaching and learning.

I. Semantic Features of Sport Expressions Used Metaphorically in English and Vietnamese

Here we have the description of types of sports metaphorical expressions used in non-sports situations in English in comparision with those equivalents in Vietnamese. The examples of sports expressions are presented and analyzed through the linguistic theory of "Conceptual Metaphors" by Lakoff and Johnson [1]. We will find out the similarities and differences in sports expressions used metaphorically in English and Vietnamese.

* ThS, Trường Đại học Duy Tân

KỶ YẾU HỘI NGHỊ KHOA HỌC

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The cognitive metaphor approach, which essentially regards metaphor as a conceptual and linguistic phenomenon, derives from Lakoff and Johnson [1] famous publication, Metaphors We Live By. The scholars argue that most of our ordinary conceptual system is metaphorical in nature. Thus, metaphors are integral and not peripheral to language and understanding. Metaphoric processes are defined as "understanding and experiencing one kind of thing in terms of another". What we think, what we experience everyday and what we do is much a matter of metaphor. Fundamentally, selection of Metaphor We Live By, consciously or unconsciously entails choice and creation of reality. Through novels, magazines, newspapers we can see that both English and Vietnamese conceptualize sports expressions used metaphorically in terms of [POLITICS], [ECONOMICS], [NEWS].

a) POLITICS

From the observation on sports expressions used in everyday life, both English and Vietnamese users used target model [POLITICS] borrowed from the source model [SPORT].

(1) "This is a marathon," explained Jim Connaughton, chairman of the White House Council on Environmental Quality. "It's not a sprint." [8]

In the Bush White House, sports are a metaphor for life. Not content to run alone, he used the phrase "sprint" to defend Tony Blair in Blair's dwindling days as Britain's prime minister. The sports imagery changes when slow is the preferred way to go for the White House. Take the way the administration defends its global warming strategy against criticism it has lacked urgency. And in his explanation, Jim Connaughton metaphorically used marathon in to describe a very long session that somehow President Bush managed to finish up the day with something which might be OK. We also find [POLITICS] model in Vietnamese:

(2) Trong khi đó, nhiều quốc gia và vùng lãnh thổ khác ở châu Á cũng không ngừng tăng cường và hiện đại hóa kho vũ khí của mình. Tất cả những động thái này cho thấy, cuộc chạy đua vũ trang ở khu vực châu Á - Thái Bình Dương đang trên đà tăng tôc. [99]

(Meanwhile, the other countries and territories in Asia are ceaselessly strengthening and modernizing their arms depots. All of these moves show that arms race in Asia-Pacific region is on its speeding up impetus.)

We see that "tăng tôc" is usually used in any race competition, especially in an official marathon event when the final seconds counted down, and the racer is in accelerating time to finish the race, he picks up speed himself to victory. "tăng tôc" here used metaphorically refers to the other countries and territories in Asia are ceaselessly strengthening and modernizing their arms depots. All of these moves show that arms race in Asia-Pacific region is on its speeding up impetus

b) ECONOMICS

The same as [POLITICS] model above, [ECOMOMICS] model is used in English and Vietnamese sport language to describe the matches or tournaments. Let's


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consider examples below:

(3) As the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank annual meetings approach as another arena for policy makers. [94]

(4) Chứng khoán Việt Nam khép lại phiên giao dịch cuối tuần bằng "ban thắng đẹp" khi tiến thêm 10,04 điểm (2,24%), bứt phá ngưỡng kháng cự 450 để chốt ở 456,64 điểm, bỏ qua những thông tin không mấy tốt lành về vụ "treo giò" BBT của Bông Bạch Tuyết. [87]

(Vietnam's stock closed its end-of-week session with "a nice win" when getting 10.04 points more (2.24%), breaking the resistance threshold of 450 to peg at 456.64 points, ignoring the information which is not very good on the "suspension" of Bach Tuyet Cotton BBT.)

In the above examples, we can see that the economic growth is described as an "arena" that originally means an open area for games or sporting events.

And in Vietnamese, "treo giò" ("suspension") and "ban thắng đẹp" (a nice win) are all sport expressions in football

c) NEWS

The stuctural mapping with the target modal [NEWS] and the source modal [SPORTS] is made in:

(5) "Your Excellency, Sir William Morrison, and gentlemen. I am afraid tonight, owing to the rain we have had in this island of Springs, I am batting on rather a sticky wicket. We have just heard Sir William Morrison make, in my opinion, a magnificent speech. I do not hope or think of living up to that." [75]

(6) Có thể xem đây là “hattrick vang” mà Sơn TOA Việt Nam có được từ công nghệ Nano, nhờ đó đáp ứng được nhu cầu ngày càng cao của người dùng, từ các kiến trúc sư, nhà đầu tư, thợ sơn cho đến những chủ nhà khó tính nhất. [66]

(It can be viewed as a "gold hat-trick” that Vietnam TOA paint gained from nanotechnology, which meets the increasing needs of users/ consumers, from the architects, the investors, the painters to the most difficult owners.)

(7) Ông Già: Á à … thế không phải bố mày, mà bố thằng khác là mày hỗn láo thế đấy hở ? Còn bố những thằng “trên” mày thì mày có dám…

Ut Măng: Xong! … Coi như thua một không!

(Ut Măng: Done! It is presumed to lose One-Nil)

A "sticky wicket" that is when the pitch is wet and sticky making it hard to achieve the necessary spin on the ball for accuracy during delivery, comes from the game of cricket, means a difficult situation and it denotes the most difficult problem of a Jamaican man.

In Vietnamese, as we know, when someone gets series of three consecutive successes in any area of activityhe is known to set up a “hattrick”. In sport, a hat-trick


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(or hattrick) means to achieve a positive feat in the sport three times during a game, or other achievements based on threes. For instance in association football or ice hockey a player might score three goals, while in cricket it is if a bowler takes three wickets with three consecutive deliveries. Here it is metaphorically used in three extreme products of TOA Paint (Vietnam) Company Limited. "thua một không" (lose One-Nil) in (36) is also a sport expression used metaphorically

II. Lexical features of sport expressions used metaphorically in English and Vietnamese

Metaphorical nouns are seen to have every function of a typical noun element, they stand as subjects, objects and complements in the sentences. The application of metaphorical nouns as subject as in:

(8) This game assumes that there is a direct correlation between tax rates and revenues, and that raising taxes always increases revenue while tax cuts always decrease revenue. [74]

(9) "Khung thanh" trống trải của các phụ nữ có chồng ở xa cần đề phòng cám dỗ. Không nên tạo cơ hội cho đàn ông có tính trăng hoa “sàm sỡ”. [69]

(Open goals of women whose husbands are far away need preventing from temptation. Do not create opportunities for men who are "offensive womanisers")

In the examples above, the sports metaphor noun "game" function as the subjects of the sentences to indicate the assigned specific kind of sports, particularly names of sport such as sports of race or game. Similarly, metaphor noun "Khung thanh" (goal) indicate equipments used to play in some kinds of sports.

We can also recognize nouns functioning as objects as in:

(10) Vẫn biết đám người chuyên nghề đào tường khoét vách luôn rình rập xung quanh căn biệt thự của mình, song Walcott chẳng thể ngờ, anh lại đón nhận ban thua trên sân nha một cách đau đớn đến như vậy.

(Although he knew that profesional housebreakers always lurks around his mansion, it is beyond doubt that Walcott received a home defeat in such a painful way.)

(11) But an expert cannot use phony credentials or puff a c.v. If the expert does so, the first knock-out punch will be landed. [57]

"ban thua trên sân nha" (a home defeat) is metaphorically used when Walcott, a famous footballer is burgled right in his house and "knock-out punch" indicates action taken to someone who is deceitful in education system.

Nouns also function as complement in English and Vietnamese in the following examples:

(12) "This is a marathon," explained Jim Connaughton, chairman of the White House Council on Environmental Quality. "It's not a sprint."


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(13) Chính cộng đồng sẽ là những "ngươi thôi còi" chính xác nhất các hành vi tham nhũng.

"a marathon", "a sprint" in point out that the way the administration defends its global warming strategy against criticism it has lacked urgency. "ngươi thôi còi" (whistle blower) in indicates the men who hold the balance of justice in the campaigns to fight against the corruption.

Beside nouns, adjectives in sport language in English and Vietnamese are used metaphorically to describe and emphasize the characteristics of the competition or the match as well as of the players.

(14) But will many of them be able to say they have gained something spiritually, as with the 'marathon monks' of Japan?

(15) Theo danh sách TOP 200 thì trường ta (PTTH Chuyên Nguyễn Bỉnh Khiêm) giữ vị trí thứ 57 - Một vị trí có thể gần như tru hang so với các năm gần đây.

(Acocording to the list of TOP 200, Nguyen Binh Khiem High School for the Gifted has maintained its position of 57 - a position is almost going to relegation qualifier in comparison with it was in some years ago)

And then in both languages English and Vietnamese which mostly express the actions or the states of players in a competition or a match changed metaphorically into actions, states in everyday life aspects as in:

(16) “Nữ hoàng thị phi” Phạm Băng Băng cũng có lúc phải “nhường đường” cho một đại diện sắc đẹp “đẳng cấp” khác: Dita Von “ha đo van” Phạm Băng Băng.

(17) Economists often offer advice to policymakers. ... at a single question— whether teams should punt or kick the football on fourth down.

Verbs are seen to have the voice and aspect of active, perfect,… etc. The verb of “ha đo van” (knock down) describes the reality as a competition between the two ladies of beauty, they are "the Queen of slander" Pham Bang Bang and Dita Von. Expression in English is "punt or kick the football" refers to the Principles of Economics that is from "The Inexorable And Mysterious Tradeoff Between Inflation And Unemployment".

III. Summary

After analyzing the Lexical features of English and Vietnamese metaphor in sport language, we found that metaphors of nouns, verbs and adjectives are used commonly in both languages. In generally speaking, two languages share the similarity of lexical features in the sport metaphors.


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Table 1.1. Metaphorical expressions belong to the target model "POLITICS" in English and Vietnamese

English VietnameseJim Connaughton explained "This is a marathon"

Tuy nhiên, cuộc chay đua giành hai ghế còn lại giữa Croatia - CH. Séc…

Possible to knock out your opponent before he knocks you out.

Nhưng một thực tế hiển nhiên: tất cả đều ngã ngưa trên đấu trường VN.

Looking for the latest news about the election? This site is really the race for the White House.

Một cái chết kéo theo nhiều "cái chết" mới. Và cuộc chay đua vào chức chủ tịch tỉnh bắt đầu!

The last few weeks down the home stretch it is vital to have as much campaign money left as possible.

Bầu cử Tổng thống Pháp: Chặng cuôi của cuộc đua

- “Don't ask me. The ball is in your court now”.

cầm chắc qua bóng chiến thắng trong tay, ứng cử viên biết mình đắc cử Obama mời cựu đối thủ trong chiến dịch tranh cử nội bộ Đảng...

"I'm going to sprint to the finish," he likes to say.

McCain, Obama và chặng đua nươc rút cuối cùng

The Democrats struggled down to the wire to choose their candidate.

"... khi bắt đầu vào cuộc đua thì không quan trọng, nhưng một điểm ở phút 89 thì lại khác".

Napolitano: Congress Keeps Moving The Goalposts On Immigration Reform.

Ông tuyên bố: “Chúng ta đa qua bóng cho họ. Nhưng bằng cách nào? Tuyên bố của Mỹ...

It's not been plain sailing for Germany's governing coalition.

Nhưng sẽ không dễ dàng và qua bóng được chuyên vào chân ai nó cũng sẽ có sức nặng nghìn cân.

Texas Gov. George W. Bush, is seen as the Republican front-runner for the 2000 presidential campaign

Strauss-Kahn, người đang dân đâu trong cuộc chay đua tranh cử Tổng thống Pháp


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Table 1.2. Metaphorical expressions belong to the target model "ECONOMICS" in English and Vietnamese

English VietnameseEconomics after the crisis – a 4.5 hours marathon worth enduring.

Trung Quốc bỏ xa hơn trong cuộc đua kinh tế ở khu vực và toàn cầu.

You have to keep your eye on the ball in business.

Vậy Ấn Độ cần phải làm gì để qua bóng kinh tế không xì hơi?

This game assumes that there is a direct correlation between tax rates and revenues

Trò chơi chính trị và những nguy cơ kinh tế ở Hoa Kỳ

...at a single question— whether teams should punt or kick the football on fourth down.

các DN Việt Nam hiện chưa có sự đoàn kết và có những lúc đã sút bóng vao gôn nhà.

“VN logistics companies operates incoherently and loses right on their home field!”

Đây không phải lần đầu tiên chuyện "thua ngay trên sân nha" được báo động đỏ, …

Both India and China rank among the front runners of global economy and are among the world's most diverse nations.

Bộ trưởng Tài chính Tharman Shanmugaratnam được coi là một trong những ngươi dân đâu trong cuộc đua vào chiếc ghế Tổng giám đốc IMF International Monetary Fund

Table 1.3. Metaphorical expressions belong to the target model "NEWS" in English and Vietnamese

English Vietnamese

I am afraid tonight, owing to the rain we have had in this island of Springs, I am batting on rather a sticky wicket.

Bài báo “Sự thật về chuyện một người dân mua 120 tấn lúa để làm việc thiện” được một tờ báo đăng tải đã khiến dư luận ngỡ ngàng. Và sự thật đó cũng khiến một vài tờ báo bị “viêt vị”.

Robert Pelton said. "It hit us out of left field. It's disappointing that one of your own could do something like that."

đội bóng bao gồm các nam ca sỹ chưa nổi tiếng với những trân câu nay lưa thì đã phải hứng chịu nhiều tranh cãi

I have fought the good fight. I have completed the race. I have kept the faith.

và câu trả lời của Thiên là không ai cả. Thiên đang chay đua với chính mình.

GOTV still matters, so hopefully Hochul and her campaign are sprinting to the finish.

Ông Nguyễn Đình Hải, Phó tổng giám đốc Lilama cho biết, đây là thời điểm Lilama chay nươc rút để hoàn thành các phần việc còn lại


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IV. CONCLUSIONS AND FURTHER IMPLICATIONS FOR THE TEACHING AND LEARNING OF ENGLISH AND VIETNAMESE SPORTS EXPRESSIONS USED METAPHORICALLY

After doing the analysis of the semantic features of sports expressions used metaphorically in English and Vietnamese, we can find that both languages share in common almost the characterisics in the aspects of lexical, syntax and semantics. Furthermore, the analysis also helps us to find out that the sports expressions used metaphorically play an important role in the language of human. Using sports expressions used metaphorically is obviously a very popular measure to make the everyday language of mankind of both languages more interesting, to address the speakers and the listener on an emotional level, and to the action show in the everyday conversations to be more exciting and more lively. These substitutions provide the elegant variation in speech and writing without obvious appearance to alter meaning much. So, we can conclude that the sports expressions used metaphorically are considered as an intergral part of the language of mankind in English and Vietnamese.

Cognitive linguistics, with its vocation to be interdisciplinary, can claim to offer a great deal to the language teacher. In our case, we took, and are taking, further experimental steps to verify if and how awareness of the metaphorical nature of the collocations (we had come up with) might affect foreign language learners' learning processes. On the whole, we can conclude, that the cognitive approach has helped students to conceptualize and to recall the items better than the traditional one. Thus, we understand that tapping conceptual metaphor in the foreign language classroom is highly beneficial and we favour a sequential process of recognising or identifying followed by understanding, assimilating and then using the metaphorical expressions.

Once students identify the different linguistic expressions comprising the source domain in relation to the target domain, they can all the better assimilate the underlying schemas and then use them. Consequently learners of language in use (English and Vietnamese) should try to master more particularly the cultural knowledge of the language so that they may know how widely the metaphorical senses of the worlds in different fields or areas may cover.


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REFERENCES

[1] Lakoff, George and Johnson, Mark (1980) Metaphors We Live By, University of Chicago Press, Chicago/ London.

[2] Lakoff, George (1987) Women, Fire, and Dangerous Things: What Categories Reveal About the Mind, University of Chicago Press, Chicago.

[3] Ruiz de Mendoza Ibáñez, Francisco. J. (1997) “Cognitive and pragmatic aspects of metonymy”. Cuadernos de Filología Inglesa, 6/2: 161-178.

[4] Webster’s Third New International Dictionary (1993), Merriam-Webster Inc.

WEBSITES

[5] http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19774480/ns/politics/t/

[6] http://vovnews.vn

[7] http://www.europeancuphistory.com

[8] http://www.encyclopedia.com

[9] http://www.toquoc.gov.vn/Thongtin/O-Cua-Chau-A/ (3;26)

http://phapluatxahoi.vn/20110227082512607p1003c1036/chau-a-thai-binh-duong.htm

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