虚词there的句法地位及相关理论问题

The syntactic status of expletive there and some related theoretical issues

提要有关存现句中虚词there的解释在生成语法理论的发展中有着举足轻重的作用。本文对三种现有相关解释进行考察,认为它们都没能圆满解释there-存现句的各种问题。根据本文的分析,存现动词语类选择一个双层小句结构作补足语。其中,表存在实体的DP与表存在处所的词语先构成内层小句;然后该内层小句充当逻辑谓语以虚词there为主语再度构成外层小句。由于格的原因,there从外层小句移到时态句的spec-TP位置,依靠指示语—中心语结构关系进行特征赋值,将there的语义无解格特征以及T的语义无解人称、数量与EPP特征一并删除。DP由于和表场所的短语构成一个主谓短语做谓语,所以,它就不存在赋格的问题。而该谓语与there存在着数的一致性要求,这就解释了为什么there与DP之间存在着一致性的要求。本文的分析不仅为存现结构的句法与语义性质提供了有效解释,而且避免了理论构建上某些不必要的复杂化。

The analysis of expletive there in existential sentences has played a central role in the development of generative grammar. This paper examines three existing analyses and argues that none of them adequately explains the problems and issues concerning there-existential sentences. In our alternative approach, existential verbs are viewed as selecting a two-layered small clause complement, where a DP, an entity whose existence is predicated, and a locative expression specifying the domain of existence constitute an inner small clause, which in turn figures as the predicate of an outer small clause with expletive there as the subject. For the reason of case, there raises out of the outer small clause to the tensed spec-TP to enter into a relation of feature valuation in specifier-head configuration, thereby deleting both the uninterpretable case feature of there and the uninterpretable person, number and EPP features of T. The DP in question will not be subject to the case filter, due to its being part of the inner small clause which functions as a predicate for the expletive there. The agreement between the DP and the main tensed T is accounted for by the fact that there is an agreement between the expletive there and its predicate — the inner small clause. This approach of ours is plausible in that it provides a principled account for the syntactic and semantic properties of existential constructions and at the same time avoids unnecessary complexity in theorizing.