基于图形—背景理论的英语关系分句认知分析

A Cognitive Analysis to English Relative Clause ——From the Point of Figure-Ground Theory

人们通常认为背景信息和预设、已知信息、关系分句联系在一起,而图形则是和断言、新信息相关。事实上,已知信息、新信息与图形、背景属于两个不同的范畴。前者通常在短语范围内,而后者表示小句之间的关系。关系分句可蕴涵新信息,但其信息值有所降低。此时,关系分句在一系列事件链中降低关系分句所指信息的信息值,突显图形,为话语的发展提供背景信息。

Ground information is believed to be correlated with presupposition, given information and relative clause while figure is believed to be correlated with assertion and new information. However, such descriptions of the correlations are not precise. Given/new information and ground/figure are different. The former pertains to the level of a phrase but the latter operates between clauses. New information may occur in relative clause which serves to illustrate the event line and reduce its discourse weight to make other events or situations stand out more prominently.