法律語言中之對抗隱喻：未說出的故事？

FIGHT Metaphors in Legal Discourse: What Is Unsaid in the Story?

本文以概念隱喻、批判論述分析及語料庫語言學為研究方法，分析台灣法律條文及司法判決書內之對抗隱喻，進而證明2003 年新的刑事訴訟制度實施後對語言使用、意識及行為認知所產生的影響。研究發現，對抗隱喻及相關詞彙之使用在新制實施前後確有顯著差異。此類語言除具有強化對立及敵視意識之潛藏效果外，也可能導引後續更敵對的法庭語言行為。本文建議，法界或訴訟相關人士使用此類語彙時應更為謹慎，而對抗隱喻對訴訟文化及更宏觀的人類生活之影響，也值得進一步省思。

Within the theoretical and methodological framework based on the Conceptual Metaphor Theory, Critical Discourse Analysis, and corpus linguistics, this study examines FIGHT metaphors employed in Taiwan legal statutes and judgments and further identifies the influence of a new system of justice on language use. In identifying the metaphor LITIGATION IS A FIGHT and examining the interplay between language and ideology, we demonstrate that there was a clear shift in the type of discourse before and after the 2003 amendment, and reveal how ‘fight’ metaphorical lexical uses reflect litigant ideologies and further shape legal reality. The proliferation of FIGHT metaphors appearing in judiciary judgments after enacting the revised law suggests that the concept of FIGHT to individuals engaged in litigation may have been mapped unconsciously to their thoughts and may have the potential to affect subsequent discursive behaviors in the courtroom. We hence argue that FIGHT metaphors in legal discourse contain a latent effect that intensifies feelings of aggression and hostility. We further propose that the legal profession and any engaged individuals take a more reflective approach to their linguistic behaviors, whether oral or written, as well as to reconsider how FIGHT metaphors affect the legal culture and, by extension, the lives of individuals as part of society.