Article published In:
International Journal of Language and Culture: Online-First ArticlesThe analysis of orientational metaphor of ‘Zhōng’ (中) in Chinese traditional classic The Doctrine of the Mean
This paper studies the orientational metaphor of zhōng (中, ‘middle’) and its cultural values behind this metaphor in
Chinese Traditional Classic The Doctrine of Mean. It is found that there are three metaphorical meanings for the
orientational metaphor of zhōng (中,
‘middle’), including “an emotion of calm.”; “a moderate degree” and “an ethical standard”. The ethical standard of
zhōng is the judge criteria for the Chinese traditional role schemas jūnzǐ (君子, ‘a person of noble character’) and xiǎorén
(小人,‘a person of petty character’). In addition,
the cultural values of Chinese society revealed by the ethical standard of zhōng (中, ‘middle’) are concluded systematically from the levels of
individual, family and state.
Keywords: orientational metaphor,
zhōng (中
, ‘middle’), role schema, culture values
Article outline
- 1.Introduction
- 2.Theoretical framework
- 3.Methodology and data
- 4.The analysis of the orientational metaphor of zhōng (中,middle) in The Doctrine of the Mean
- 4.1 Zhōng (中, ‘middle’) is an emotion
- 4.2 Zhōng (中, ‘middle’) is a degree
- 4.3 Zhōng (中, ‘middle’) is an ethical standard
- 4.4Summary and reflection
- 5.Classic role schemas in The Doctrine of the Mean
- 6.Cultural values of Chinese society revealed by The Doctrine of Mean
- 7.Conclusion
- Notes
-
References
References (34)
Afrashi, A., Hesami, T., & Salas, B. (2013). A
comparative survey of orientational conceptual metaphors in Spanish and Persian. Language
Related
Research 3(4), 1–23.
Augoustinos, M., & Walker, I. (1995). Social
Cognition: An integrated introduction. London: Sage Publications Thousand Oaks.
Bian, J. Z. (2012). Commentating
that Confucian Classics is affected by the evolving imperial examination system. Theory
Journal (05), 112-115+128.
Cook, G. (1994). Discourse
and Literature: The interplay of form and
mind. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
D’Andrade, R. G. (1995). The
development of cognitive
anthropology. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 

Derry, J. S. (1996). Cognitive
schema theory in the constructivist debate. Educational
Psychologist 31(3–4), 163–174. 

Fedriani, C. (2016). Ontological
and orientational metaphors in Latin. In M. S. William (ed.), Embodiment
in Latin
semantics, pp.115–140. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. 

Fiedler, A. (2016). Fixed
expressions and culture, International Journal of Language and
Culture 3(2),189–215. 

Horn, F. (2016). Introduction:
Space and metaphor. In H. Fabian & B. Cilliers (eds.), Spatial
metaphors: Ancient texts and
transformations, pp.9–18. Berlin: Berlin Studies of the Ancient World.
Hou, Y. et al. (2020). Parenting
style and emotional distress among Chinese college students: A potential mediating role of the Zhongyong Thinking
Style, Frontiers in
Psychology, 111, 1–13. 

Huang, W. Y. (2015). Research
on the thought of Zisi school. Jinan: Shandong People’s Publishing House.
Kövecses, Z. (2006). Language,
mind, and culture: A practical introduction. New York: Oxford University Press.
Lakoff, G. (1993). The
contemporary theory of metaphor. In A. Ortony (ed.), Metaphor
and
thought, pp.202–251. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 

Lan, C. (1999). A
cognitive approach to spatial metaphors in Chinese, Foreign Language Teaching and
Research 41, 7–15.
Nishida, H. (1999). A
cognitive approach to intercultural communication based on schema theory, International Journal of Intercultural
Relations 23(5), 753–777. 

Sharifian, F. (2011). Cultural
conceptualizations and language. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. 

(2017). Cultural
linguistics. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. 

Steen, G. J., Dorst, A. G., Herrmann, J. B., Kaal, A. A., Krennmayr, T., & Pasma, T. (2010). A
method for linguistic metaphor identification: From MIP to
MIPVU. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. 

Talmy, L. (1983). How
language structures space. In L. P. Herbert & P. A. Linda (eds.), Spatial
orientation: Theory, research, and
application, pp.225–282. New York: Plenum Press. 

Taylor, E. S., & Crocker, J. (1981). Schematic
bases of social information processing. In E. T. Higgins, C. P. Herman & P. M. Zanna (eds.), Social
cognition: the ontario
symposium, pp.89–134. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Wang, G. X. (2020). The
ideological characteristics of the pre-Qin philosophers’ views on heaven and man. Journal of
Historical Theory and
Historiography, 011, 69–84.
Wnuk, E., & Ito, Y. (2021). The
heart’s downward path to happiness: Cross-cultural diversity in spatial metaphors of
affect. Cognitive
Linguistics 32(2), 195–218. 

Yu, N. (1995). Metaphorical
expressions of anger and happiness in English and Chinese. Metaphor and Symbolic
Activity, 101, 59–92. 

(1998). The
contemporary theory of metaphor in Chinese: A perspective from
Chinese. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. 

Zeng, C. (2005). Cognitive
analysis of ‘Li Zhong Nei Wai’ orientational metaphor. Journal of Guizhou Normal University
(Social
Science) (1), 104–107.
Zeng, Z. & Zi, S. (the
Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 B.C.)). The great leaning & the doctrine of
the mean: Chinese-English version. Legge, J. (translation) & Yang, W. D. (introduction
and
annotation). (2021). Shanghai: Shanghai Translation Publishing House.
Zhang, X. (2016). A
preliminary exploration of the modern value of Confucius’ theory of benevolence: self cultivation, family maintenance, state
governance, and peace of the World. Journal of Hubei University of Economics (Humanities and
Social
Sciences) (13)81, 24–25.