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1. Introduction
George Lakoff and Mark Johnson published the book Metaphors We Live By in Chicago by University of Chicago Press. in 1980. Based on the traditional opinions about metaphors， Lakoff and Mark Johnson discusses that how our worldview is dependent upon metaphors from macro and micro prespective. They think that metaphor is not only a retorical device， but also a cognitive approach and a way of thinking. Some people thinks that this book make our understanding of “Language is metaphor” to a new height. And it also has made the study of metaphor free from the bondage of the traditional metaphor theory， which is based on litrature and rhetoric， and it has been incorporated into a new field of cognitive science. This book comes form two authors’concern about the question of how people understand language and experience. In the preface， the author points out that they found that there was a deficiency in the theory of meaning in the western tradition in previous studies. These theories of meaning are mostly about the meaning of “meaning”， but the meaning of “meaning” is seldom discussed. In this paper， the author will first review the contents of this book， and then make a list of expert comments about main opinion of Lakoff and Johnson， finally make a conclusion about the significance of this book.
2. Book Contents
George Lakoff and Mark Johnson published the book Metaphors We Live By in Chicago by University of Chicago Press. in 1980. This book consists of thirty chapters. Taiwanese scholar divided into eleven parts. In his opinion， chapter 1 to chapter 3 is the nature of metaphor and thinking； chapter 4 to chapter 5 talk about orientation of concept and cultural thinking； chapter 6 to chapter 8 show us perception and thinking of metaphor； chapter 9 to chapter 11 argue consistency of conceptual systems； chapter 12 to chapter 14 talk about structural metaphor， metaphorical thinking and some experiental grounding； chapter 15 to chapter 17 show us conceptual metaphor，thinking structure and its basic theory； chapter 18 discusses conceptual and its basic theory； chapter 19 to chapter 21 explains metaphor， thinking and meaning； chapter 22 to chapter 24 talk about meaning and truth； chapter 25 to chapter 28 discusses the language is objective or subjective. The last part talk about the experience base of language thinking. （Su Yiwen，2005）
3. The nature of metaphor
Metaphor is a mapping of human life and experience in our mind. Meanwhlile， it reflects in our language and it affects and enhances our understanding about the ture world. In our daily communication， the use of metaphor is very frequent. “We may have a metaphor in every three sentences in our daily conversation” （Richards 1936：98） Obviously， the characterization of human life can not be separated from metaphor. Lakoff claims in his conceptual metaphor theory that metaphor is a common phenomenon of human language. “As the basis of human cognition， thought， experience， language and behavior， metaphor is a fundamental way for human being to live by” （Lakoff
George Lakoff and Mark Johnson published the book Metaphors We Live By in Chicago by University of Chicago Press. in 1980. Based on the traditional opinions about metaphors， Lakoff and Mark Johnson discusses that how our worldview is dependent upon metaphors from macro and micro prespective. They think that metaphor is not only a retorical device， but also a cognitive approach and a way of thinking. Some people thinks that this book make our understanding of “Language is metaphor” to a new height. And it also has made the study of metaphor free from the bondage of the traditional metaphor theory， which is based on litrature and rhetoric， and it has been incorporated into a new field of cognitive science. This book comes form two authors’concern about the question of how people understand language and experience. In the preface， the author points out that they found that there was a deficiency in the theory of meaning in the western tradition in previous studies. These theories of meaning are mostly about the meaning of “meaning”， but the meaning of “meaning” is seldom discussed. In this paper， the author will first review the contents of this book， and then make a list of expert comments about main opinion of Lakoff and Johnson， finally make a conclusion about the significance of this book.
2. Book Contents
George Lakoff and Mark Johnson published the book Metaphors We Live By in Chicago by University of Chicago Press. in 1980. This book consists of thirty chapters. Taiwanese scholar divided into eleven parts. In his opinion， chapter 1 to chapter 3 is the nature of metaphor and thinking； chapter 4 to chapter 5 talk about orientation of concept and cultural thinking； chapter 6 to chapter 8 show us perception and thinking of metaphor； chapter 9 to chapter 11 argue consistency of conceptual systems； chapter 12 to chapter 14 talk about structural metaphor， metaphorical thinking and some experiental grounding； chapter 15 to chapter 17 show us conceptual metaphor，thinking structure and its basic theory； chapter 18 discusses conceptual and its basic theory； chapter 19 to chapter 21 explains metaphor， thinking and meaning； chapter 22 to chapter 24 talk about meaning and truth； chapter 25 to chapter 28 discusses the language is objective or subjective. The last part talk about the experience base of language thinking. （Su Yiwen，2005）
3. The nature of metaphor
Metaphor is a mapping of human life and experience in our mind. Meanwhlile， it reflects in our language and it affects and enhances our understanding about the ture world. In our daily communication， the use of metaphor is very frequent. “We may have a metaphor in every three sentences in our daily conversation” （Richards 1936：98） Obviously， the characterization of human life can not be separated from metaphor. Lakoff claims in his conceptual metaphor theory that metaphor is a common phenomenon of human language. “As the basis of human cognition， thought， experience， language and behavior， metaphor is a fundamental way for human being to live by” （Lakoff