Simile And Metaphor In Martin Luther King's I Have A Dream

Abstract: I Have a Dream is public speech made by Martin Luther King in Lincoln Memorial, 1963. It mainly talked about the equality problem of African American. Since Lincoln had signed the Emancipation Proclamation, African Americans were waiting for the day when they were really free. However, even a hundred years later, the black people were still discriminated and their life still the same. I Have a Dream was written in such condition to fight for their own rights. In fact, this article is still of great value since Black man are still discriminated today. I Have a Dream had used many rhetoric to make it a good speech draft and make it spread worldwide. This paper tends to analyze the Simile and Metaphor used in this article and how can

Translation:这项重要法令的颁布,对于千百万灼烤于残焰中的黑奴,犹如高高的灯塔上的希望之光,结束了慢慢长夜的笼罩,为他们带来了欢畅黎明.
In this sentence, the author used a great beacon light of hope to describe the Emancipation Proclamation. In this way, we can easily know how important this proclamation is to black people. It also shows the black people’s attitude to this proclamation. Since this sentence has used the connecting word as, we can use “犹如” or “像” to express it’s simile. The great beacon light can be translated into “高高的灯塔上的希望之光”. The usage of “高高的” can best show the light of hope is significant.

Sentence 2: … and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream
Translation:… …我们不会满意,直至公正似水奔流,正义如泉喷涌。
This sentence compares justice to a dynamic progress of water”s rolling down and the shape of mighty stream’s sprang. By doing this, the author express his opinion vividly that justice is not only a noun written in book but also a verb that can guarantee black people’s rights. Without simile, it’s hard to do that. Therefore, we need to be careful about the dynamic feelings of Chinese translation. “似水奔流” and “如泉喷涌” can best describe the real meaning of this