The gulf of mexico oil spill a corpus based study of metaphors in british and american media discourse 62

291
Fig. 6.9.
A representation of the metaphorical compound - ‘Oil’ (NYT)



















292
Fig. 6.10.
A representation of the metaphorical compound - ‘Oil’ (WP)

293
THE BRITISH ARE
VICTIMS
BRITISH INVESTORS ARE
VICTIMS/ THE UK OIL
INDUSTRY IS A VICTIM
STRUCTURAL METAPHORS (X IS Y)
ORIENTATIONAL/SPATIAL METAPHORS
ANALOGY-BASED METAPHORS
!"#!$!%&'($)*+#(,-!./)01232),+./!"&4&'(#&!"5)
#-+)!&$)/,&$$)&/)()# +(#)06(.7'.&*+5)
POLITICS IS WAR
(CONFLICT)
OIL IS A SICKNESS
(HEALTH & DISEASE)
REPUBLICAN+TERITORY+IS+ENEMY+TERRITORY+
INTERNATIONAL+RELATIONS+IS+A+FRAGILE+ENTITY+

POLITICS+IS+A+GAME+OF+STRATEGY+
THE+OBAMA+ADMINISTRATION+IS+A+WEAK+WAR+
GENERAL/+POLITICAL+STRATEGIST+
+
CLEANING THE
OIL SPILL IS A WAR

THE OIL IS THE ENEMY
THE OIL SPILL IS A
FORMIDABLE FOE
BP IS A:
! VICTIM (OF UNFAIR PRACTICES)/
ACQUITTED DEFENDANT/
FIGHTER/ SERIOUSLY WOUNDED
VICTIM/ PREY
!
LIAR/GUILTY DEFENDANT/
CRIMINAL/ UNSCRUPULOUS
BUSINESSMAN
THE ENVIRONMENT
IS A PATIENT/
VICTIM
THE ENVIRONMENT IS
A VICTIM
NATURE IS AN ENTITY
REQUIRING
PRETECTION
THE ECOSYSTEM IS AN
ENDANGERED ANIMAL
THE ENVIRONMENT IS A LIVING

ORGANISM
THE ECOSYSTEM IS A
VULNERABLE ENTITY
THE GULF
COMMUNITY
IS AVICTIM
BP+IS+A:++
! DEBTOR/INCOMPETENT+PERSON/PUBLIC+HATE+
FIGURE/+PRAGMATIC+OPPORTUNIST/+RECKLESS+
HEDONIST/OUTDATED+REGIME/+UNREPENTANT+
PERSON/+UNTRUSTWORTHY+PERSON+
! CONTRITE+PERSON/+INVITED+GUEST/RESILIENT+
PERSON/RESPONSIBLE+CORPORATE+
CITIZEN/COSMOPOLITAN+ENTITY/+
PHILANTHROPIST+
BP IS A SERIOUSLY
WOUNDED VICTIM
THE+US+GOVERNMENT/OBAMA+ADMINISTRATION++
IS+A:++
! INCOMPETENT+LEADER/HYPOCRITE/+
OPPORTUNISTIC+PRAGMATIST/+VICTIM+OF+
REPUBLICAN+&+OIL+INDUSTRY+POLITICS
/+BULLY+
! PARENT+
THE+US+
GOVERNMENT/+
OBAMA+
ADMINISTRATION++
IS+A/AN:++
INCOMPETENT+

LAW+ENFORCER/+
CORRUPT+PERSON/+
ENEMY+
+
THE CAMERON
ADMINISTRATION IS AN
INCOMPETENT LEADER
BAD IS BIG (SCALE)
BAD IS DOWN (DIRECTION)
*A FAILED BUSINESS IS A SINKING
SHIP
THE CENTRE IS THE CORE (LOCATION)
CLEANING THE OIL SPILL
IS A JOURNEY (PROGRESS)

GOOD IS FORWARD
THE OIL IS A
SERIOUS ILLNESS
THE OIL IS AN ADVANCING ENEMY
THE BP BLOWOUT IS A COLLISION WITH AN ADVANCING VEHICLE
THE OIL SPILL
IS A NATURAL
DISASTER
THE SHARE PRICE IS A STRUCTURE/ MEDIA CRITICISM
IS A TIDAL WAVE /STRAINED INTERNATIONAL
RELATIONS IS A DISEASED BODY PART/ BP IS AN
ECONOMIC CORNERSTONE/ A RUINED
REPUTATION IS A BURNED OBJECT (STAINED CLOTH)/

THE SPREADING OF CONTROVERSIAL NEWS IS

STARTING A FIRE/RIVAL OIL COMPANIES
ARE PREDATORS/ A COMPANY’S
FINANCIAL STATUS IS A SHIP
THE OIL
INDUSTRY IS A
WAR ZONE





!
!
+ +
+
THE ENVIRONMENT/ NATURE IS A
PERSON
(PATIENT/VICTIM5)
BP/ THE OIL INDUSTRY IS A
PERSON
)
THE US GOVERNMENT/
OBAMA ADMINISTRATION IS A
PERSON
)
THE UK GOVERNMENT
IS A PERSON
)
Fig. 6.11.
A representation of the metaphorical compound - ‘Oil’ (G)

294
Fig. 6.12.
A representation of the metaphorical compound - ‘Oil’ (TT)