Simile(明喻)

试比较以下两种TOEFL听力表达方式：

1)He spent a lot of money.(他花了大笔的钱。)

2)He spent a lot of money,like water.(他花钱如流水。)

很明显，第二种表达方式比第一种更加生动和形象。因为like water(如流水)使用了Simile(明喻)的修辞手法，这样以来，无疑使语言更加精彩和完美，听力考试也不再单纯是一门考试，而变成了一种享受。Simile(明喻)一词源于拉丁语similes,其意为like(象)。他借助人们的想象力，使用一定的比喻词如：like,as等加以连接，从而清楚的表明两种事物之间的相似之处，使得表达更加新鲜有趣。其典型形式是A is like B.

Simile(明喻)的修辞手法在TOEFL听力中的运用可谓炉火纯青。

比如：(划线部分为明喻之处)

1.Like引导

1)He sweats like a pig.(他像猪一样流汗。)

2)They slept like babies.(他们像婴儿一样熟睡着。)

3)Living without an aim is like sailing without a compass.(John Ruskin)(生活没有目标犹如航行没有指南针。)

4)Records fell like ripe apples on a windy day.(E.B.White)(被打破的记录犹如刮风天成熟的苹果——纷纷坠落。)

2.As引导

1)She is as beautiful as a flower.(她像花一样的美丽。)

2)“I am as light as a feather,I am as happy as am angel,I am as merry as a school boy.I am as giddy as a drunken man...”(Charles Dickens)(我像羽毛一样轻，我像天使一样幸福，我像小学生一样快活，我像喝醉了酒的人一样飘飘然……)

3)The first time I read an excellent book,it is to me as if I had gained a new friend.

(我头一回读到一本好书，对我来说好象交了一位新朋友。)

注意：As引导的as...as结构在英语中得到了广泛应用，若能在口语交流或各种作文考试(如：TWE等)中用上一个，定会得到意想不到的效果，常用的as结构有：

(as)firm as a rock坚如磐石

(as)light as a feather轻如鸿毛

(as)close as an oyster守口如瓶

(as)mute as a fish噤若寒蝉

(as)strong as a horse强壮如牛

(as)cool as a cucumber泰然自若

(as)sober as a judge十分清醒

(as)sure as a gun千真万确