It is undeniable that there are numerous reasons for the growing popularity of metaphors in business and economics, not only in linguistic world. However, the previous researches is just conducted to have a general view about metaphor using in economics so there has been little research on metaphorical terms themselves as a target of the study. As an attempt to contribute to gaining more insights into metaphorical term in finance and banking, this research aims to reveal much inside metaphor in economics, from that, some suggestions would also be given. Finally, it can be made stepbystep about the application and exploitation of other rhetorical measures in economics terms in other branches of economics study. These goals were achieved by a research using document observation and using both qualitative and quantitative analysis. Findings from the study show that similarities and difficulties of basic transferences and source domains among English and Vietnamese metaphorical terms in finance and banking. The study also suggests some aspects of metaphor for students to invest for their further study. Hopefully, students and researchers can use it as a helpful material for their graduation thesis as well as their postgraduation thesis.
ABSTRACT It is undeniable that there are numerous reasons for the growing popularity of metaphors in business and economics, not only in linguistic world. However, the previous researches is just conducted to have a general view about metaphor using in economics so there has been little research on metaphorical terms themselves as a target of the study. As an attempt to contribute to gaining more insights into metaphorical term in finance and banking, this research aims to reveal much inside metaphor in economics, from that, some suggestions would also be given. Finally, it can be made step-by-step about the application and exploitation of other rhetorical measures in economics terms in other branches of economics study. These goals were achieved by a research using document observation and using both qualitative and quantitative analysis. Findings from the study show that similarities and difficulties of basic transferences and source domains among English and Vietnamese metaphorical terms in finance and banking. The study also suggests some aspects of metaphor for students to invest for their further study. Hopefully, students and researchers can use it as a helpful material for their graduation thesis as well as their post-graduation thesis. i TABLE OF CONTENT ABSTRACT i TABLE OF FIGURES iv CHAPTER 1 : INTRODUCTION 1 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 5 CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY 13 CHAPTER 4: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION 16 4.1. Basic transferences of metaphorical terms in finance and banking 16 4.1a. Types of basic transferences 16 4.1a.1. Position 16 4.1a.2. Movement 17 4.1a.3. Shape 17 4.1a.4. Size 17 4.1a.5. Function 18 4.1a.6. Color 18 4.1a.7. Sound 18 4.1a.8. Characteristic 18 4.1b. Frequency 20 4.1c. Dispersion 21 CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION 42 REFERENCE 46 REFERENCES 48 ii REFERENCES 49 APPENDIX 50 iii TABLE OF FIGURES Picture 1: Domains used in conceptual metaphors 8 Picture 2: Example of domain used in metaphor 9 Chart 1: Basic transferences of English metaphorical terms in finance and banking 19 Chart 2: Basic transferences of Vietnamese metaphorical terms in finance and banking 19 Chart 3: Source domains of Vietnamese metaphorical terms in finance and banking 32 Chart 4: Source domains of English metaphorical terms in finance and banking 32 Chart 5: Non-equivalent and equivalent Vietnamese- English and English-Vietnamese metaphorical terms 39 Chart 6: Expression and no expression in non-equivalence between English-Vietnamese and Vietnamese-English metaphoric terms 40 Table 1: Basic transferences of Vietnamese metaphorical terms in finance and banking 18 Table 2: Source domains of English and Vietnamese metaphorical terms in finance and banking 31 iv Table 3: Rate of equivalence and non-equivalence between English-Vietnamese and Vietnamese-English metaphorical terms in finance and banking 38 Table 4: Expression and no expression in non-equivalence between English-Vietnamese and Vietnamese-English metaphoric terms 40 v vi CHAPTER 1 : INTRODUCTION This first chapter will provide the rationale, the aims and objectives, the organization and significance of the research. In addition, the research questions are addressed to work as a guideline for the whole research. 1.1. Statement of the problem and the rationale for the study Metaphor itself has drawn scholars’ attention for more than 2000 years. Traditionally, scholars regarded it as a matter of language, a linguistic phenomenon and defined it as a figure of speech in which an implicit comparison is made between two unlike entities. Thousand years ago, Aristotle gives his definition of metaphor that “Metaphor consists in giving the thing a name that belongs to something else; the transference being either from genus to species, or from species to genus, or from species to species, or on grounds of analogy.” Metaphor is the transference of meaning from one object to another based on similarities between these two. It is used when the author wants to hide his real attitude or opinion. Metaphor is a rhetorical device used in literature; so many people assumed that metaphor belongs to matter of linguistics for some artistic and rhetorical purpose, not sciences like economics. It is not true. The truth is that the economy is complex so we have right to use metaphors to make it understandable. However, at that time, its study was confined mostly to literature and rhetoric, its role being primarily decorative. The followers changed that by approaching the idea of metaphors differently. When Lakoff’s and Johnson’s theory was introduced, it opened a new horizon for the study of metaphor. They developed a new theory that has become known as the cognitive view of metaphor. According to this new perspective, the metaphor is defined as a cognitive mechanism which the essence of metaphor is understanding and experiencing one kind of thing in terms of another. Within the theoretical framework 1 of Conceptual Metaphor Theory (Lakoff and Johnson 1980), the metaphor is assigned more than a purely aesthetic function, as proposed by comparison and substitution theories; rather, it is supposed to be basic to human cognition, and thus salient in the way we speak and talk about the world. They argue that metaphors are not just superfluous, though pleasant rhetorical devices, but an indispensable property of our thinking and conceptualization (Kövecses, 2005: 14). After this short introduction to metaphors, the researcher comes to the primary aim of this paper. Narrowing the scope of metaphor, it is seen that there are different reasons for the growing popularity of metaphors in business and economics. First of all, the number of metaphors in economics and business is also connected with their relation to general language. Ayala (2001) asserts that the language of economics, being a part of our everyday discourse, is full of metaphors. Thus, metaphors help us to understand complicated economic concepts. Besides, to many ESP students and researchers, understanding metaphors in economics, especially in finance and banking is believed to be challenging. Understanding this trend, many students and linguistic universities and colleges in Hanoi have been focusing on this subject for their graduation paper or post-graduation paper. There have been many researches on the effects of metaphor in economics such as “A study on metaphors in economics discourse” or under “A study on metaphors in English and Vietnamese business texts under the topic of securities market”. However, the previous researches are just conducted to have a general view about metaphor using in economics so there has been little research on metaphorical terms themselves as a target of the study. Therefore, as one attempt to examine this topic, the researcher has decided to undertake a deep study on metaphors terms in a specific field of economics, especially for finance and banking in English and Vietnamese as a helpful base for revealing much inside metaphor in economics. 2 1.2. Aims and objectives of the study The study aims at investing in factors used in metaphors for financial and banking terms both in English and Vietnamese. Its main purpose is not only to study metaphor for the terms under the general view but also to check theory in practical documents, in other words, establish whether any universal or culture-specific aspects of this metaphor may be found in the two languages. It is hoped to provide an account of the use of metaphor as its importance in Business English, particularly in finance and banking; improve learners’ specialized reading of business texts and help them produce native-like discourse when they translate business texts. Therefore, it may be beneficiary for ESP students in both economic and non- economic universities. Besides, it is expected that the result of this research will also be useful for economists and people interested in the same subject to learn, and study further. In long-term, if the result is positive, it is expected that with its helpful base for revealing much inside metaphor in economics, it can be made step-by-step about the application and exploitation of other rhetorical measures in economic terms in other branches of economics study. To achieve this goal, the current research is conducted to seek answers to the following questions: 1. What are differences and similarities between basics of transferences used in English and Vietnamese metaphorical terminology for finance and banking? 2. What are differences and similarities between source domains occurring in English and Vietnamese metaphorical terminology for finance and banking? 1.3. Scope of the study It is impossible for a study report to deal with every aspect of language theory and practice in great depth. Therefore, the study is not proposed to cover all of the features of economics, instead of that, metaphorical terms in 3 finance and banking have been chosen to be the target of the study. This paper places a stronger focus on the prominent linguistic features revealed through magazines, newspapers, online websites, minutes, radio channels, TV channels and books specializing in financial and banking with a larger scope to create a result more positive, objective and various than previous researches. 1.4. Significance of research Firstly, this research is hoped to provide economics students and researchers an overview about using metaphor in economic terms for finance and banking in particular and economics in general with fuller research methods. This research will be studied in various sources, so its result is supposed to be more objective than previous researches. Then, students and researchers can use it as a helpful material for their graduation thesis as well as their post-graduation thesis. 1.5. Organization of the study The rest of the paper consists of five chapters as follows: • Chapter 2 (Literature Review) presents the theoretical background of the study, including the definition of metaphor in general and an overview of aspects of metaphors consisting of basic transferences and source domains. In addition, this part will also deal with equivalence of metaphorical terms in finance and banking in target language. • Chapter 3 (Methodology) describes the participants and procedures deployed in the study. • Chapter 4 (Findings and Discussion) gives detailed answers to all research questions raised in the study as well as a comparison between factual findings and assumptions discussed in the Literature Review. • Chapter 5 (Conclusion) summarizes all problems discussed in the paper, the limitations of the research, and some implications for ESP students and other researchers in this field. 4 [...]... domain aims to something no longer work or no longer active E.g “dead money” “dead debt” “bất động sản chết” “dying bank” ( ngân hàng hấp hối”), “dead capital” 23 Besides, SURGERY as Source Domain is applied in metaphorical terms E.g “cuộc đại phẫu” (các ngân hàng) , “mổ xẻ nền kinh tế It is necessary to understand that surgery is only conducted when the problem is serious and there is no choice, so using... economy is a protection, a signal of capability to face economic crisis or matters It is like a good health protecting a person from catching illness, diseases E.g “Sức đề kháng”(cho các doanh nghiệp, ngân hàng, cho nền kinh tế) 4.2.3 NATURE Not only important in reality, the researcher sees that Nature is also an important source domain in metaphors but it is not mentioned in the previous researches However,... has 34/88 Clearly, the number of using this similarity in Vietnamese is more than in English E.g “cuộc đại phẫu,”(a large-scale change requiring reforming all aspects) “đòn bẩy tài chính, ”(lifting as leverage)“lớp đệm ngân hàng, ” (protection as mattress) in Vietnamese, “backdoor fancing,”(unofficial money supply like going backdoor) “the cleaning house for share,” (completing all transaction as “cleaning... actions such as sport (jumping, diving), operating rocket, pumping water machine In Vietnamese metaphorical terms, there are 38 words using MOVEMENT as basic transferences For examples, “giá vàng leo thang,” “mổ xẻ nền kinh tế, ” “lạm phát phi mã,” “lạm phát bị thổi phồng,” “rơi tự do,” “bật nhảy,” “săn cổ phiếu,” “vật lộn với giá”etc They originate from actions such as climbing ladder, hunting of an animal,... metaphors using ILLNESS informs a serious matter in finance and banking in particular and in economy in general E.g “bốc thuốc cho nợ xấu” “bất động sản tê liệt” “cơn sốt vàng” “chronic inflation” “weaker” “ailing economy” (“nền kinh tế ốm yếu”) Illness is used to describe the negative situations of economy in general and price curve on the market or public debt, etc in particular That’s why Šeškauskien... 4.1a Types of basic transferences 4.1a.1 Position In Vietnamese metaphorical terms, there are 5 words using POSITION as basic transferences They are “giá trần,” “sàn giao dịch,” “vách đá tài khóa,” “tiền gốc,” ngân hàng ngầm.” They base on position of ceiling, floor of a house, root (“gốc”) of a plant, ground wave (sóng ngầm) In English metaphorical terms, there are 5 words using POSTIONS, too They... corroded” by salt water, maybe “sink” or “drift” are attribute of a ship and it is applied in finance and banking Also, CYCLING shouldn’t be missed in this part E.g “hãm phanh” (apply/put the brake on price decline) “giá vàng lao dốc” “đứt phanh” “brake” “slip” Shenker-Osorio (2008) said “The most fundamental thing we know about vehicles is that they have drivers The idea of a whole bunch of unmanned vehicles... Shenker-Osorio (2008) explained E.g tế bào thị trường” (“market cell”) Another type is HUMAN SPORT E.g “bật nhảy” “nhảy vọt” (“jump”) “mất đà” “dive” In addition, FOOD is other source domain E.g “thèm” “miếng bánh bất động sản” 4.2.10 FORCE While there is only English metaphorical term using Force as Source Domain, there are 4 Vietnamese ones With example of “Đòn bẩy tài chính (financial leverage), SOURCE... are like parts of the candlestick Beside, CURRENCY is a source domain E.g penny stock ALPHABET is contribute a little with example of “z-score” Also, PICTURE is known as a SOURCE DOMAIN E.g “Bức tranh kinh tế Base on attribute “hard” of glass “vỡ nợ” (go bankcrupt), “hard circulation” and “hard currency” use GLASS as Source domain In addition, BAG, a container is used as Source domain 30 ... to Boer (2000), WARFARE is one of main source domains There are 3 English metaphorical terms and 7 Vietnamese ones using the source domain E.g “blocked currency”, “surrender” “loạn giá vàng” “cứ điểm nợ xấu” “giải phóng hàng tồn” In finance and banking, it is a real WAR with having “blocking,” “surrendering,” “liberty” “chaos” “hidden basement of enemy” too Also, some finance and banking metaphors are . in 3 finance and banking have been chosen to be the target of the study. This paper places a stronger focus on the prominent linguistic features revealed through magazines, newspapers, online. radio news, television news in accredited channels such as BBC, VOA, Fox news, etc. is another strongly suggested choice to make collected data in large quantities. In Vietnam, magazines such