时量动宾句构“V+T(de)+N”的信息结构透视及实验证据

A Survey on the Information Structure of Temporal Verb-object Construction “V+T(de)+N”: Theory and Empirical Evidence

  • 摘要: 本文运用信息结构理论,辅以实验数据,对汉语时量动宾句构"V+T(的)+N"(T-型句构)的信息结构作全面审视。在命题层面上,该句构为谓词焦点结构,建构命题内的断言部分,与话题预设相对应;在话语语用层面上,该句构形成的命题句行使话题-说明功能。从该句构内在成分来看,T成分的所指是断言中的对比焦点所在,韵律上重读。在发话人的估量中,受话人对T成分的所指处在未辨识状态;而N成分的所指在受话人心理中具有活跃度或可及性,因而具有充当话题的可能性,因而可通过话题化结构或动词拷贝结构将N成分前移来实现话题化。该句构中的"的"是个"焦点强化标识",用来强化T的对比焦点地位。比较来看,T-型句构仅建构谓词焦点结构,仅能实现话题-说明的话语功能;而数量动宾句构"V+Q+N"(Q-型句构)可覆盖谓词焦点和全句焦点,相应地分别实现话题-说明以及事件报道的话语功能。

     

    Abstract: This paper, based on information structure theory and the empirical analysis, shows that, on the propositional level, the Chinese temporal verb-object construction "V+T (de)+N" is realized as a predicate-focus structure and constitutes the assertion of the proposition. The assertion, contrasted with the presupposition which is facilitated by the topic of the sentence, establishes a focus relation with the proposition, and achieves the discourse-pragmatic function of topic-comment. A look from the inside of the construction reveals that the denotatum of the T constituent is where the informationally contrastive focus of the assertion lies, which receives accentuation in prosody. In the assumption of the utterer, the psychological status of the hearer toward the denotatum of T is that of unidentifiability at the time of utterance. In contrast, the denotatum of N constituent of the construction, in the utterer's assumption, is active or accessible in the hearer's psychological status, which makes it possible for N constituent to obtain the topic status that can be verified by shifting N to a front position in both the topicalization structure and verb-copying construction. Whereas the particle de in the construction functions as a focus intensifier by putting more prominence on the informational value of T. In light of comparison between "T-type" and "Q-type" verb-object constructions, the paper finds that the "T-type" construction is facilitated with just one type of focus structure, that is, the predicate-focus structure, and with just one type of discourse-pragmatic function, that is, the topic-comment function; whereas the "Q-type" construction is facilitated with both predicate-focus and sentence-focus structures, which implies that the "Q-type" construction can convey either the topic-comment or the event-reporting discourse-pragmatic function.

     

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