Apostrophe： A rhetorical device of the Qur＇an  

作　　者：Majed AI-Quran Bakri Al-Azzam 

机构地区：[1]Department of English, Hashemite University, Zarqa 13115, Jordan

出　　处：《US-China Foreign Language》2009年第4期1-14,24,共15页美中外语（英文版）

摘　　要：Rhetoric is a universal feature of communication in spoken and written forms in order to influence the audience. Yet, apostrophe or ＂iltifat＂ in Arabic as a rhetorical device is distinctly used in the Qur＇anic discourse. This Qura＇nic unmatched utilization of apostrophe aims at expressing a particular meaning or set of meanings by alternating between the use of first, second and third person pronouns, i.e., moving from the speaker to the addressee or the absent or vice versa to elucidate the same message. In order to explain this linguistic phenomenon, and shed light on its functions, some examples from the Qur＇an are selected, analyzed and discussed linguistically, and translationally. The various functions of this Qur＇anic use of apostrophe as a rhetorical style such as creating terror or shock on the addressee, exclusiveness of the doer of an action, confirmation of certain issues, in addition to gratification of the creator are addressed. In translation, however, the unique Qura＇nic employment of apostrophe can be too hard a challenge to overcome. Therefore, for purely theological and philological reasons, a number of exegeses are consulted, and three authentic interpretations of the Qur＇an are exemplified to show some real translation losses in the target text or exegesis as it fails to illuminate the meaning either conveyed or reinforced by apostrophe.

关 键 词：apostrophe RHETORIC EXEGESIS inimitability grammatical shift COHERENCE translation loss 

分 类 号：H31[语言文字—英语]