| 词条 | Chiasmus | ||||||||
| 释义 |
In rhetoric, chiasmus or, less commonly, chiasm (Latin term from Greek χίασμα, "crossing", from the Greek χιάζω, chiázō, "to shape like the letter Χ") is a "reversal of grammatical structures in successive phrases or clauses – but no repetition of words".[1] Chiasmus should not be confused with a subtype of this scheme, antimetabole, which also involves a reversal of grammatical structures in successive phrases or clauses, but unlike chiasmus, presents a repetition of words in an A-B-B-A configuration.[2] Examples of chiasmus and its subtype antimetaboleChiasmus balances words or phrases with similar, though not identical, meanings: But O, what damned minutes tells he o'erWho dotes, yet doubts; suspects, yet strongly loves.
"Dotes" and "strongly loves" share the same meaning and bracket "doubts" and "suspects". Additional examples of chiasmus: By day the frolic, and the dance by night. — Samuel Johnson, "The Vanity of Human Wishes" (1794)[3]Despised, if ugly; if she's fair, betrayed. — Mary Leapor, "Essay on Woman" (1751)[4]For comparison, the following is considered antimetabole, in which the reversal in structure involves the same words: Pleasure's a sin, and sometimes sin's a pleasure. — Lord Byron, in "Don Juan", (1824)[5]Here is the structure of antimetabole presented in table form: Fair is foul, and foul is fair — Shakespeare, Macbeth 1.
Both chiasmus and antimetabole can be used to reinforce antithesis.[6] In chiasmus, the clauses display inverted parallelism. Chiasmus was particularly popular in the literature of the ancient world, including Hebrew, Greek, and Latin, where it was used to articulate the balance of order within the text. For example, many long and complex chiasmi have been found in Shakespeare[7] and the Greek and Hebrew texts of the Bible.[8] It is also found throughout the Book of Mormon[9] and the Quran.[10] Conceptual chiasmusChiasmus can be used in the structure of entire passages to parallel concepts or ideas. This process, termed "conceptual chiasmus", uses a criss-crossing rhetorical structure to cause an overlapping of "intellectual space".[11] Conceptual chiasmus utilizes specific linguistic choices, often metaphors, to create a connection between two differing disciplines.[11] By employing a chiastic structure to a single presented concept, rhetors encourage one area of thought to consider an opposing area's perspective. Effectiveness of chiasmusChiasmus derives its effectiveness from its symmetrical structure. The structural symmetry of the chiasmus imposes the impression upon the reader or listener that the entire argument has been accounted for.[12] In other words, chiasmus creates only two sides of an argument or idea for the listener to consider, and then leads the listener to favor one side of the argument. In former President John F. Kennedy's famous quote, "ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country",[13] the only two questions that the chiastic statement allows for are whether the listener should ask what the country can do for him, or ask what he can do for his country. The statement also proposes that the latter statement is more favorable. Thus, chiasmus gains its rhetorical efficacy through symmetrical structure causing the belief that all tenets of an argument have been evaluated. Thematic chiasmusThe Wilhelmus, the national anthem of the Netherlands, has a structure composed around a thematic chiasmus: the 15 stanzas of the text are symmetrical, in that verses one and 15 resemble one another in meaning, as do verses two and 14, three and 13, etc., until they converge in the eighth verse, the heart of the song. Written in the 16th century, the Wilhelmus originated in the nation's struggle to achieve independence. It tells of the Father of the Nation William of Orange who was stadholder in the Netherlands under the king of Spain. In the first person, as if quoting himself, William speaks to the Dutch people and tells about both the outer conflict – the Dutch Revolt – as well as his own, inner struggle: on one hand, he tries to be faithful to the king of Spain,[14] on the other hand he is above all faithful to his conscience: to serve God and the Dutch people. This is made apparent in the central 8th stanza: "Oh David, thou soughtest shelter from King Saul's tyranny. Even so I fled this welter". Here the comparison is made between the biblical David and William of Orange as merciful and just leaders who both serve under tyrannic kings. As the merciful David defeats the unjust Saul and is rewarded by God with the kingdom of Israel, so too, with the help of God, will William be rewarded a kingdom; being either or both the Netherlands, and the kingdom of God.[15] See also{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
References1. ^Corbett and Connors, 1999. p. 58-59, 74 2. ^Baldick,2008. p. 17 3. ^Corbett and Connors, 1999. p. 63 4. ^Baldick,2008. p.52-53 5. ^Baldick,2008. p.52 6. ^Corbett and Connors, 1999. p. 59 7. ^{{Cite journal |last= Ramirez |first= Matthew Eric |title= Descanting on Deformity: The Irregularities in Shakespeare's Large Chiasms |journal= Text and Performance Quarterly |volume= 31 |issue= 1 |pages= 37–49 |date= January 2011 |doi= 10.1080/10462937.2010.526240 }} 8. ^{{cite book |last= Breck |first= John |title= The Shape of Biblical Language: Chiasmus in the Scriptures and Beyond |publisher= St. Vladimir's Seminary Press |year= 1994 |location= Crestwood, N.Y. |oclc= 30893460 |isbn= 978-0-8814-1139-3}} 9. ^{{cite web|title=Alma 36: 3-27|url=https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/alma/36?lang=eng|accessdate=10 January 2018}} 10. ^{{cite web|last1=Ahmadi|first1=Mohamadnabi|title=Semantic and Rhetorical Aspects of Chiasmus in the Holy Quran|url=http://lasem.semnan.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-317-3&slc_lang=ar&sid=fa|accessdate=27 November 2015}} 11. ^1 {{cite book |last= Ceccarelli |first= Leah |year= 2001 |title= Shaping Science with Rhetoric: The Cases of Dobzhansky, Schrödinger, and Wilson |location= Chicago, Illinois |publisher= University of Chicago Press |isbn= 0226099067 |oclc= 45276826 |page= 5}} 12. ^{{cite book|last1=Lissner|first1=Patricia|title=Chi-thinking: Chiasmus and Cognition|date=2007|publisher=University of Maryland|page=217|url=http://drum.lib.umd.edu/bitstream/1903/7687/1/umi-umd-4962.pdf|accessdate=November 5, 2014}} 13. ^{{cite web|last1=Kennedy|first1=John|title=Inaugural Address|url=http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/jfkinaugural.htm|website=American Rhetoric|publisher=American Rhetoric|accessdate=November 5, 2014}} 14. ^CF.hum.uva.nl 15. ^{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eqPvAwAAQBAJ|title=The Reformed David(s) and the Question of Resistance to Tyranny: Reading the Bible in the 16th and 17th Centuries|last=DeLapp|first=Nevada Levi|date=2014-08-28|publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing|year=|isbn=9780567655493|location=|pages=87–89|language=en|via=}} Sources
External links{{wiktionary}}
2 : Figures of speech|Rhetorical techniques |
||||||||
| 随便看 |
|
开放百科全书收录14589846条英语、德语、日语等多语种百科知识，基本涵盖了大多数领域的百科知识，是一部内容自由、开放的电子版国际百科全书。