纵观全书，有三个特点值得一提。

首先，全书的着眼点比较独特，指明是要从跨文化交际的视域探讨修辞学；其次，本书采用认知语言学的核心理论来指导修辞现象的分析；再次，全书采用英汉对比的方法，试图通过对比加深读者的鉴定性及认知敏感性，从而提高他们的语言实际应用能力，全书配有10个表格，对英汉喻体等许多方面做了描述，增强了对比出真知的实效。

英语修辞和汉语修辞是两个不同的概念，如何在两者之间寻求一个结合点就成了一个重要的研究课题。本书以跨文化交际为视角，以修辞效果为契合点，从修辞定义到论证过程都贯穿将两者有机结合这一思想。全书在充分对比研究英汉修辞、提供修辞基本研究框架的基础上，十分注重修辞的应用研究。由于双语转换过程中的句式语词选择以及文化意象转换大多数都涉及修辞现象，深入分析修辞效果遗失与保持的根本原因，能够促进对英语写作、英汉互译的深层理解，并且做到知其然而且知其所以然，特别有助于指导如何处理翻译过程中“形式与内容”之间的矛盾。此外，本书倡导“快乐修辞”理念，其例证有别于传统修辞著作，大部分是源自于生活的实例，与现实生活更加紧密结合；每个实例都有针对性的分析，更具阐释力，更具吸引力，更具生命力。全书用英语写作，适合具有一定英语基础的学习者学习，也适合作为修辞学教材使用。

序(辜正坤)

Foreword

Chapter One Introduction

 Ⅰ.Definitions ofrhetoric

A.Denotation Ofrhetoric

B.Counotation ofrhetoric

C.Six basic features of good expressions

 Ⅱ.Functions ofrhetoric

A.Being more appropriate

B.Being more attractive

C.Being more forcible

D.Being more humorous’

 Ⅲ.Classification ofrhetoric

 Ⅳ.Rhetoric in the perspective of cross-cultural communication

Chapter Two Comparison and Contrast Between English and Chinese Rhetoric

 Ⅰ.Language and rhetoric

 Ⅱ.Language.rhetoric and thought

 Ⅲ.English and Chinese rhetoric

A.Passive rhetorical techniques

B.Active rhetorical techniques

Chapter Three 1nle Faculty of Rhetorical Invention

 Ⅰ.The origin ofrhetorical invention

 Ⅱ.The essence of rhetorical invention 

 Ⅲ.The cases of rhetorical invention

A.Controversial topic 

B.Non-controversial topic

Chapter Four Passive Rhetorical Techniques

 Section One Contextual Choice of Words and Expressions

Ⅰ.Being fit for a certain situation

Ⅱ.Being appropriate stylistically

 A.English examples

 B.Chinese examples

Ⅲ.Being idiomatic

 A.Using idioms

 B.Using words in their figurative sense in English vs.words with vague reference or enigmatic folk similes in Chinese

 Section Two Textual Choice of Words, Expressions and Sentence Structures

Part 1 English Prominent Feature: Elegant Variation

 Ⅰ.The solid basis

  A.Vocabulary

  B.Grammar

 Ⅱ.Various forms of variation

  A.Forms in diction

  B.Forms in sentence structures

Part 2 Chinese Prominent Features

 Ⅰ.Sentence structure: elegance of balance

 Ⅱ.Elegance of artistic conception

 Section Three Application

Part 1 Application of the English Prominent Features

 Ⅰ.Elegant variation

  A.Forms in diction

  B.Forms in sentence structures

 Ⅱ.English words in their figurative sense

Part 2 Application of the Chinese Prominent Features

 Ⅰ.Chinese balanced structures

 Ⅱ.Periodic sentences

 Ⅲ.Chinese words with vague reference

 Ⅳ.Xiehouyu

Part 3 Application of English/Chinese Idiomaticness

Chapter Five Active Rhetorical Techniques

 Section One Devices Whose Rhetorical Effects Can Generally Be Retained

 A.Apostrophe

 B.Asyndeton，poly-syndeton

 C.Climax, anticlimax

 D.Contrast

 E.Epanorthosis

 F.Hyperbole, understatement

 G.Paradox, oxymoron

 H.Parallelism

 I.Personification, Niwu

 J.Rhetorical question

 Section Two Devices Whose Rhetorical Effects Can Partly Be Retained

Ⅰ.On the psychological basis

 A.Allusion

 B.Metonymy, simile, metaphor

 C.Parody

 D.Symbol

 E.Synaesthesia

 F.Transferred epithet

 G.Zeugma, syllepsis

Ⅱ.On the aesthetical basis

 H.Anadiplosis

 I.Antithesis

 J.Euphemism

 K.Irony, sarcasm，innuendo

 L.Malapropism

 M.Onomatopoeia

 N.Palindrome, antimetabole

 O.Pun

Ⅲ.On the emphatic basis

 P.Anastrophe

 Q.Repetition

 Section Three Devices Whose Rhetorical Effects Cannot in General Be Retained

Ⅰ.Figure of sound

 A.End rhyme

 B.Internal rhyme

 C.Assonance

 D.Alliteration

 E.Halfrhyme

 F.Consonance

 G.Paregmenon

Ⅱ.Other figures of speech

 A.Caneci

 B.Chaizi

 C.Xianggian

D.pianci

Bilingual Glossary of Terms

Bibliography

后记