管约论及其对英语语法的解释力

GB Theory and Its Explanation of Some Grammar Rules

管约论(GB Theory)是乔姆斯基生成语法管辖与约束理论(The Theory of Government and Binding)的简称.它由七个子理论组成.这七个子理论为:1.X阶理论(X bar Theory),2.约束理论(Binding Theory),3.控制理论(Control Theory),4.界限理论(Bounding Theory)5.管辖理论(Government Theory),6.θ理论(Theta Theory),7.格理论(Case Theory).二十多年来我一直从事于英语传统语法和理论语法教学.实践使我深深体会到传统语法详细地描述了语感,理论语法(包括生成语法)则帮助解释这种语感.限于篇幅,本文只讨论2、3、4、5。

Traditional Grammars give us a detailed description of the intuitive knowledge, and the knowledge has been shaped into grammar rules for us to follow both in speaking and writing. But GB Theory, the theory of grammar, may explain why there exist such rules. GB Theory is an abbreviation of the Theory of Government and Binding by N. Chomsky. It consists of seven sub-theories: 1) X' Theory, 2) Theta Theory, 3) Case Theory, 4) Government Theory, 5) Birding Theory, 6) Control Theory and 7) Bounding Theory. In this paper, Professor Xu makes a brief introduction of the theory and then discusses its application.