figurative language

What is figurative language ?

The solution：

" Figurative " means

1 ) 比喻的;象徵 :

Here the word is used in a figurative sense.

這裡該字是在比喻的意義上使用的。

2 ) (文章等)多比喻的

So " figurative language " means :

figurative language = 比喻的語言

2008-02-05 20:45:44 補充：
Very good ~

More traditional systems for analyzing language divide linguistic expressions into two classes: literal and figurative. Uses in figurative language are called "figures of speech".

In traditional analysis, words in literal expressions denote what they mean according to common or dictionary usage, while words in figurative expressions connote additional layers of meaning. When the human ear or eye receives the message, the mind must interpret the data to convert it into meaning. This involves the use of a cognitive framework which is made up of memories of all the possible meanings that might be available to apply to the particular words in their context. This set of memories will give prominence to the most common or literal meanings, but also suggest reasons for attributing different meanings, e.g., the reader understands that the author intended it to mean something different