COVID-19 in the U.S. and Chinese Media: A Contrastive Analysis of Metaphors Across Languages

Various metaphorical expressions of the COVID-19 have emerged in the media around the world. Based on Lakoff and Johnson’s conceptual metaphor theory, this paper studies the use of metaphors in the media reports of China and the United States fighting against the COVID-19. The data come from the self-built metaphorical corpus of Chinese and American media reports on the COVID-19. Our analysis focuses on describing the common metaphors used by the two countries in conceptualizing the COVID-19, and analyzing the similarities and differences between the two languages in conceptualizing the COVID-19. This paper also reveals the ideological motivation behind the media’s use of these metaphors, that is, metaphor has become a carrier for the Chinese and American media to express their political views and attitudes, and a powerful tool to strengthen the government’s political propaganda and shape the national image.

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