双关

英语修辞学

----On Pun

石河子大学

学院：师范学院

专业：师范英语

< br>班级：

2012

级英语

1

班

学号：

2012501281

姓名：刘明霞

On Pun

James Joyce said that

”

A pun is mightier than the sword.

”

If one has ever heard a

knock-knock joke, one has experienced the sometimes groan-inducing form of humor

known as a pun. The following passage introduces the definition, three types and the

use of pun.

A pun is defined by Webster as

“

the humorous use of a word, or of words which

are formed or sounded alike but have different meanings, in such a way as to play on

two or more of the possible applications; a play on words

”

. Also called paronomasia,

it involves a word play which suggests two or more meanings, by exploiting multiple

meanings

of

words,

or

of

similar-sounding

words,

for

an

intended

humorous

or

rhetorical effect.

Three types of puns includes homographic , homophonic and the Tom Swifty.

Homographic

puns

make

use

of

multiple

meanings

from

a

single

spelling.

A

homographic

pun

exploits

words

which

are

spelled

the

same

but

possess

different

meanings and sounds. Because of their nature, they rely on sight more than hearing,

contrary to homophonic puns. The examples of its uses are as follows:

A.

How do you like this guy? He comes over here running for his life. Now he

’

s

telling us how to run the country.

(Reginald Rose:

Twelve Angry Men from College English Book3

)

B. Perhaps from some vague rumor of his college honors which had been

whispered abroad on his first arrival, perhaps because he was an unmarried,

unencumbered gentleman, he had been called the Bachelor.

( Charles Dickens:

The Old Curiosity Shop

)

C. Why are lawyers all uneasy sleepers? Because they lie first on one side, and

then on the other, and remain wide wake all the time.

D. The clerk(entering): Are you engaged?

Augustus:

What

business

is

that

of

yours?

However,

if

you

will

take

the

trouble

to

read

the

society

papers

for

this

week,

you

will

see

I

am

engaged

to

the

honorable Lucy Popham, youngest daughter of...

The clerk: That isn

’

t what I mean. Can you see a woman?