PART B: DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER 1: Literature Review and Theoretical Background
3.1.2. Anger is a hot fluid in a container
This conceptual metaphor is given from spatial cognitive of the internal relationship between FLUID and CONTAINER. It is common knowledge that when hot fluids start to boil may cause upward movement of hot fluids inside a container. The rising
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of hot fluids creates pressure on the container and drives the fluid steam. When the pressure of steam becomes too high in the body container, it potentially causes the container to explode. When the container explodes, what was inside the container comes out. Accordingly, the fluid gradually falls and becomes cool if there is no heat in the container anymore. By that imagination, there occurs some metaphorical expressions expressing different levels of the hot fluid in a container by some verbs such as boil, seethe, steam, curb, explode, vent, fume, channel, subside and cool.
This common knowledge produces the following metaphorical entailments:
The rising intensity of anger leading to the rising fluid
Tempers just reached boiling point and it looked like it was going to kick off. [3]
Impossible star is “seething with anger” [143]
Intense anger producing steam on the container
Victoria Beckham: 50 Shades of Grey got steamed me up. [16]
Intense anger producing pressure on the container
“I‟ve just got so much anger and frustration inside me. [10]
Keeping the anger back and controlling it
I've got to keep all that tension inside me and control it. [7]
MARK NOBLE reckons Ravel Morrison will be less of a player if West Ham try to curb his temper. [18]
Intense anger causing people to explode
The mouthy babe exploded with rage yesterday after hearing the porn star slag her off. [4]
Anger inside coming out in case of explosion
'ANGRY' Wayne Rooney is fuming at new Manchester United boss David Moyes. [15]
Spurs vent their anger over the deal to sell Gareth Bale [20]
Stories will include how he channeled his anger through boxing. [11]
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The decrease in the intensity of anger
Rodgers‟ temper only subsided at The Emirates in midweek where the rollicking transformed his slackers into a formidable force again in a 2-2 draw with Arsenal. [24]
The lack of anger
And he has been told by City boss Roberto Mancini, 47, and other football chiefs that he needs to cool his temperament. [19]
Such entailments mentioned above can be also found in Vietnamese metaphorical expressions:
The rising intensity of anger leading to the rising fluid
Cơn tức tối sôi lên, chúng tiếp tục xông vào người lão [53]
(When the anger reached its boiling point, they continue rushing toward him) Lúc nhìn thấy cảnh tượng ấy, máu nóng trong người Trọng bốc lên. [48]
(Witness that sight made Trong‟s blood reached its boiling point)
The intense heat causes a rise in volume of a fluid in a container corresponding to the increase in the intensity of anger where the entire container “the body” (trong người) rather than the hot fluid in it moving upward. When the body temperature goes higher, blood can reach the upper body part called neck (cổ):
Trọng lại nghĩ đến người cha tội nghiệp, nghĩ đến cảnh mẹ Trọng thiếu tôn trọng bố, nỗi uất nghẹn lên tận cổ [48]
(Again, Trong thinks about how disrespectful his mother treats his pity father and his anger reached its boiling point)
Intense anger producing pressure on the container
Bao nhiêu tức giận dồn nén bấy lâu ùa về, Thảo khó chịu trong người nhìn đứa con trai mà nước mắt trôi dài. [44]
(So much anger inside her for a long time made Thao feel uncomfortable, her tears kept falling when she looked at her son)
Nỗi uất hận không được giải tỏa lâu ngày ấp ủ trở thành sự thù hận trong lòng. [48]
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(The resentment which stored for long times turns into the revenge in his heart)
Lòng (the heart) literally refers to the part of the body located at the center of the chest, which is reckoned to represent human psychology, emotion, will and spirit.
Lòng is treated as the central part of human body, and as a place where human emotions are stored “ấp ủ”. As a result, it is seen as the container for the substance corresponding to anger.
Not controlling the anger
In contrast with English, Vietnamese people tend to keep their anger out of control.
It can be seen in the following example:
Mỗi khi nghĩ đến chuyện mình bị cắm sừng lại cảm thấy danh dự bị xúc phạm ghê gớm nên không kiềm chế được cơn giận [56]
(For being disrespected, he feels offended then keeps his anger out of control)
Intense anger causing people to explode
Đầu chị muốn nổ tung bởi những câu hỏi…[40]
(She was really mad at him. She couldn‟t control herself. She rushed hitting him. Her head is exploded by a number of questions)
Khi những đứa con ngày ngày chứng kiến cha đánh đập mẹ thì […] sự căm phẫn sẽ bị tích tụ để một ngày nào đó sẽ bùng phát. [43]
(Anger after being accumulated for long times would explode at some days) Thực ra, Tuấn “bạc” bảo, nhiều khi bị các “anh” ép tức nổ máu mắt, nhưng vì vẫn dưới cơ nên ngậm bồ hòn làm ngọt. [35]
(Actually, Tuan said he was so angry that his blood would raised to his eyes, but he had to calm himself down because he is not “the boss”)
Besides the body part named neck (cổ), other body parts including the head (đầu) and the eyes (mắt) also appear in Vietnamese metaphorical expressions of anger.
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Anger inside coming out in case of explosion
Sau một hồi cảnh giác, tức giận và trút một tràng bực dọc vì biết chúng tôi là PV, ông Cái Trọng Nhý - Phó Chủ tịch xã Lộc Trì mới thận trọng, gay gắt chia sẻ…[56]
(Mr.Cái Trọng Như – the Vice president of Loc Tri province vented his anger over us reporters)
An interesting idea found in Vietnamese is elaboration „parts of the body go up in the air‟ in the case of explosion:
Dĩ nhiên, bị chê, nếu có trao đổi lại, thậm chí có “nhảy dựng lên” thì đó là chuyện bình thường. [60]
(If being criticized, “going up in the air” is as usual)
The lack of anger
Thế nhưng, những lời khuyên ngăn của “nhạc mẫu” cũng chẳng thể làm nguôi ngoai cơn giận của anh con rể đang có “ma men” trong người. [61]
(However, his mother-in-law‟s advice couldn‟t cool the drunken son-in-law‟s anger)
We can conclude that the levels of the hot fluid inside the container indicate intensity of anger. The speakers of both languages share the same perceptions of physiological effects as increase in body heat and internal pressure including blood pressure and muscular pressure.
Besides similarities, there are differences in expressions denoting anger in English and Vietnamese. While the two languages conceptualize the human body as a container for anger, the specific body parts each language conceptualizes as containing the emotion of anger differently. While anger may be contained in the whole body in English, Vietnamese people prefer using the head, the eyes, the neck and the heart (lòng). In addition, there is a linguistic evidence to show that elaboration understood as „parts of the body container going up in the air‟ appears in Vietnamese expressions like nhảy dựng lên. However, such elaboration is not found in English.
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A hot fluid in a container as a source domain for anger is popularly used in both languages with 51.42% and 47.05% of metaphorical expressions of anger in English and Vietnamese respectively.