Abstract

There are many online pop words that adopt the form of metaphor which have played an important role in rhetoric, thus to achieve the effect of humor and vivid. Its connotation not only embodies a kind of cultural phenomenon, but also implies the word creator’s views and understanding of these phenomena. The adaptation theory believes that the use of language is a process continuously making choices under the different levels of awareness. And as an important component of language use in intercultural communication, metaphor is quite suitable for the study under the framework of adaptation theory.
This thesis analyzes the metaphorical phenomenon in online pop words from the perspective of adaptation theory. There is inseparable relationship between the popularity of online pop words and its adaptation to the virtual world, social world and mental world. This thesis aims to study on the metaphor in online pop words and its adaptation to the three worlds.

Keywords:  online pop words  metaphor  adaptation theory  virtual world  social world  mental world

摘要

网络流行语中很多都采用隐喻的形式，这些隐喻从语言形式上起到了修辞的作用,从而达到幽默、逼真的效果。其内涵不仅体现一种文化现象,还隐含着本词创造者对这些现象的看法和认识,一种认知过程及方式。顺应论认为语言使用是在不同意识程度下为顺应交际需要而不断做出选择的过程，非常适用于作为研究网络流行语中隐喻现象的框架。
本文以网络流行语为载体，从顺应论的视角分析网络流行语中的隐喻现象。网络流行语之所以变得大众化全民化与它对于虚拟世界的顺应，社交世界的顺应，心理世界的顺应等是密不可分的，而这些都是顺应理论在语言学和社会交往中的有力辅证。本文旨在研究网络流行语对网民的各种影响，以及它对于虚拟世界、社交世界、心理世界顺应的具体表现方面。

关键词: 网络流行语；隐喻；顺应论；虚拟世界；社交世界；心理世界

Chapter One Introduction
1.1 Background of Thesis
Metaphor is not only a rhetorical means of discourse, but also the basic way of human to cognitive thing. It is a kind of cognition activity that the human use the experience of a particular field to explain or understand things in the field of another. Online pop words are the place where metaphor often exists, but there are only a few papers studies on metaphor in online pop words. And most of them set the perspective of translation as a starting point, while the aspects of the adaptation theory are seldom referred.
As a kind of rhetoric, metaphor is a linguistic phenomenon, the most commonly used one for expression. The essence of metaphor is to understand things through something others, and the metaphor in language is the result of human cognitive activities. The metaphor is a pervasive language method, especially in online pop words. Although some of them are singular and unique, witty and even incomprehensible, it still leaves us a worthy space about its creative spot. The adaptation theory states that language use is a process of choose conforming to the needs of communication under the different levels of awareness. While as an important part in the use of intercultural communication, adaptation theory is quite suitable for the research and analysis on metaphor in online pop words.