LIFE IS COMPETITION - Phraseological Analysis of a Modern English Metaphor
摘要
The article is devoted to the study of a concept metaphor in terms of its representation in semi-idioms and terminological phraseological units. We give definitions to the terms concept, conceptual metaphor, semi-idioms and terminological phraseological units. Terminological phraseological units of the modern English language have their direct, terminological meaning but may realize their phraseological one when used in fiction or online resources. These units are analyzed from the point of view of their semantics as well as cognitive nature. The article gives a clear view on how concept metaphor may be represented in English semi-idioms and terminological phraseological units. We analyze the representation in the units mentioned the concept metaphor LIFE IS COMPETITION. The authors show various ways of presenting such basic concept metaphors through the meanings of the components, which form the units in question. Accordingly the realization of the metaphor LIFE IS COMPETITION is shown through the prism of examples in which the units realize their initial, terminological meaning when they are used in specialist literature, and their figurative meaning when used in journalistic discourse.