A Comparative Study of Rhetorical Devices and their Effects in Chinese and English Public Service Advertisements

ABSTRACT

As a special form of advertisements, Public Service Advertisement (PSA) has become an indispensable part of our society. Nowadays, different kinds of social problems keep emerging. As a critical part of public welfare work, PSA which is quite instructive plays an important role in reflecting these existing social problems as well as promoting the civilization progress and sound development of the society.
Thus the investigation of PSA and its language characteristics is quite necessary. Study finds that to gain more uncommon effects, to spread the themes as well as to educate the public, PSA often uses some rhetorical devices to explain its meaning and make its language more vivid, precise and impressive.
The thesis aims to do a comparative study on all kinds of typical rhetorical devices used in Chinese and English PSAs as well as their effects so as to improve our comprehension and connoisseurship. Through analyzing and comparing Chinese and English PSA texts, the research shows that Chinese and English PSAs use the same rhetorical devices such as personification, simile/metaphor, hyperbole, quotation and so on to make their languages lively and impressive. However, due to the restriction and influence of different languages between China and English-speaking countries, Chinese and English PSAs have their own features in using rhetorical devices. They are not quite the same.
A further research shows that the differences between Chinese culture and English culture are the primary causes of this phenomenon. First, Chinese culture values “collectivism”, while English culture values “individualism”. Second, Chinese culture emphasizes the importance of peoples’ feelings, while English way of thinking is inclined to practicality and rationality. Third, the Chinese are accustomed to expressing their thoughts vaguely or euphemistically, while westerners like to express their thoughts in a direct and concrete way.

Keywords: Public Service Advertisements, Rhetorical Devices, Chinese-English Comparison, Culture