Abstract: Ashima, a long poem of Yi people and a representative works of ethnic minority's folk literature in China, has become a treasure of Chinese national art for its unique and elegant charm and art form. In the poem, enormous figures of speech have been employed in order to make a vivid and impressive description of the love story. Among them, metaphor is the most frequently used. The use of metaphor not only displays the culture of Sa Ni ethnic minority, but also embodies its strong ethnic characteristics. Therefore, it is a great challenge for translator while translating it into French.

Key words: translation, metaphor, Ashima