本书通过对英汉隐喻旬的对比研究，证实了作者的设想，说明隐喻确实是句子生成机制之一。英汉语中都存在着大量因隐喻而产生的隐喻句。同时，本书也发现英汉隐喻句在生成机制及体现形式上既具有一定的共性，也具有一定的差异。

序言
前言
Chapter One Introduction
1.1 Introductory Remarks
1.2 Literature Review
1.3 Working Definition of the Metaphorical Sentence
1.4 Framework of the Book
Chapter Two Generative Mechanisms of Metaphorical Sentences in English and Chinese
2.1 Introductory Remarks
2.2 Generative Mechanisms of Metaphorical Sentences
2.3 Generative Mechanisms of Metaphorical Sentences in English
2.2 Generative Mechanisms of Metaphorical Sentences in Chinese
2.5 Summary and Discussion
Chapter Three Representation of Subject-verb Transitivity Systems of Metaphorical Sentences in English and Chinese
3.1 Transitivity Systems
3.2 Representation of Subject-verb Transitivity Systems of Metaphorical Sentences in English
3.3 Representation of Subject-verb Transitivity Systems of Metaphorical Sentences in Chinese
Chapter Four Representation of verb-Object and Subject-verb-Object/Complement Transitivity Systems of Metaphorical Sentences in English and Chinese
4.1 Representation of verb-Object Transitivity Systems of Metaphorical Sentences in English
4.2 Representation of verb-Object Transitivity Systems of Metaphorical Sentences in Chinese
4.3 Representation of Subject-verb-Object/Complement Transitivity Systems of Metaphorical Sentences in English
4.4 Representation of Subject-verb-Object/Complement Transitivity Systems of Metaphorical Sentences in Chinese
4.5 Summary and Discussion
4.6 Relationship Between Metaphorical Sentences and Nonmetaphorical Sentences
Chapter Five Translation of English Metaphorical Sentences into Chinese
5.1 Translating English Metaphorical Sentences into Chinese Animate Sentences
5.2 Translating English Metaphorical Sentences into Chinese Complex Sentences
5.3 Translating English Metaphorical Sentences into Chinese Compound Sentences
5.4 Translating English Metaphorical Sentences into Chinese Subjectless Sentences
5.5 Translating English Metaphorical Sentences into Chinese Indefin……

本书主要以原型模型理论及认知语言学理论为指导，对英汉隐喻句进行对比研究，试图对英汉隐喻句的生成机制及体现形式加以探讨，从而说明英汉隐喻句在生成机制及体现形式方面的异同。本研究旨在阐明隐喻像捏合机制、代换机制和转化机制一样，也是一种句子生成机制。