英语中的特殊主位结构

Special-Theme Constructions in English

所谓特殊主位结构是指主位部分句法结构比较特殊的句型,如分裂句、假拟分裂句、it-外位结构、存在句、移位等。这些句型一般借助特定的语法手段表示句子的主位。传统描述语法将它们描述为不同于基本句型的信息包装手段,功能语法学者也多从信息结构、话语功能等角度去描述和解释这些结构。这些都属于小句的语篇功能的研究。但根据系统功能语法的理论,小句的语篇功能包括信息结构和主位结构两个方面,而此前的研究大都没有从主位结构的角度去研究这些结构的功能理据。在总结这些结构共同特征的基础上认为这些句型不光是信息包装的手段,同时也是突出主位或包装主位的手段,它们在语篇构建方面起着特殊的作用。

Special Theme constructions refer to such constructions as cleft, pseudo-cleft, it-extraposition, existential sentence; and detachment which are characterized by their non-canonical syntactic features in Theme. These constructions have been treated within both traditional and functional grammar, where they are mostly described and explained in terms of information structure, sometimes with reference to their discourse functions. These descriptions and explanations can be subsumed under the heading of textural function of the clause, which, according to systemic functional linguistics, includes another equally important aspect, the thematic structure. After a consideration of the common characteristics of these con- structions, this paper concludes that these constructions, with their special syntactic features, can also be considered as thematic presentational / packaging devices, i. e. , they can be taken as thematically motivated as well as informationally motivated.