A Rhetorical Comparison of Metonymy and Metaphor in Chinese and English

Metonymy and metaphor are two important rhetorical devices both in English and Chinese. Because both metonymy and metaphor involve the meaning conversion of words, it is not easy to differentiate them. This article points out that metonymy and metaphor are two different definitions, and explicates the different types of metonymy and metaphor. On this basis, the article analyses the differences between these two rhetorical devices from the objective foundation of their components, the relation between the tenor and the vehicle/substitute in them, their conversing methods and their expressive effects.