从语法角度和主题结构角度谈英汉主语比较

Contrasts between English and Chinese Subjects Seen from the Perspectives of Traditional Grammar and Topic Structure

本文从语法主语和主题主语两个角度对英汉主语进行比较,指出英语注重主语,要求主谓一致,适合用传统语法进行分析。汉语注重话题,习惯把句子谈论的对象提前。主题结构在汉语中属正常结构,用正常语序;而英语中主题结构分无标记和有标记两类,无标记类主题大部分不是句子谈论的对象,有标记类在英语中属非正常结构,使用倒装语序。

This paper deals with the similarities and differences between grammatical subjects and sentence topics in Chinese and English from two different viewpoints: traditional grammar and thematic structure. It points out that English language focuses on the subject and requires the agreement between subjects and predicates, which can be analysed in the perspective of traditional grammar. Chinese language focuses on topics that are being discussed in sentences. The topic structure in Chinese is a kind of normal structure used in normal sequence, while in English, topic structure includes marked and unmarked structure. For the former type, the topic is not the object discussed in the sentence; for the latter, the topic structure is not a normal structure and is often used in the inverted order.