|
"Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana" is a humorous saying that is used in linguistics as an example of a garden path sentence or syntactic ambiguity, and in word play as an example of punning, double entendre, and antanaclasis. ==Analysis of the basic ambiguities== "Time flies like an arrow," is an English phrase often used to illustrate syntactic ambiguity.〔 Marc de Mey(1982), ''(The cognitive paradigm: an integrated understanding of scientific development )'' D. Reidel (1992), University of Chicago Press (1992). 〕 In this connection the sentence is often seen as part of the elaboration: "Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana". Contemporary English speakers unambiguously understand the sentence to mean "As a generalisation, time passes in the same way that an arrow generally flies (i.e. quickly)" (as in the common metaphor time goes by quickly). However, the matter is more difficult in the formal interpretation of natural language; formally the sentence is logically ambiguous and alternatively could be interpreted as meaning, for example: * (as an ''imperative'') Measure the speed of flies like you would measure that of an arrow - i.e. (You should) time flies as you would time an arrow. * (''imperative'') Measure the speed of flies like an arrow would - i.e. (You should) time flies in the same manner that an arrow would time them. * (''imperative'') Measure the speed of flies that are like arrows - i.e. (You should) time those flies that are like an arrow. * (''declarative'') Time moves in a way an arrow would. * (''declarative'', i.e. neutrally stating a proposition) Certain flying insects, "time flies," enjoy an arrow. In addition, the sentence contains semantic ambiguity. For instance, the noun phrase "Time flies" could refer to all time flies or particular time flies, and "an arrow" to all arrows, a particular arrow, or different arrows for different flies; compare "Fruit flies like a banana", "Fruit flies ate a banana", "Fruit flies live on a banana". Likewise, the noun "Time" could refer to the magazine. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|