英汉否定词的分合和名动的分合

Division of negatives and noun/verb division in English and Chinese

英语里否定词最重要的区分是"否定名词"还是"否定动词",不注重区分"直陈否定"还是"非直陈否定",也不注重区分"有"的否定还是"是"的否定。相反,汉语里否定词最重要的区分是"直陈否定"还是"非直陈否定",是"有"的否定还是"是"的否定,不注重区分"否定名词"还是"否定动词"。这一现象进一步证明,英语里名词和动词是分立的两个类,汉语的动词是名词所包容的一个次类。本文还从哲学角度说明英汉两种语言在这方面的差别,并指出讲汉语语法不可过分重视名词和动词的对立。

The most important division of negatives in English is between the negation of nouns and the negation of verbs,but not between the indicative negation and the non-indicative negation,nor between the negation of is and the negation of there is.In Chinese,on the contrary,the most important division of negatives is between the indicative negation and the non-indicative negation,or between the negation of you 'there is' and the negation of shi 'is',but not between the noun negation and the verb negation.This difference further supports the thesis that while in English nouns and verbs are two separate categories the verbs in Chinese constitute a sub-category in the category of nouns,and the noun-verb distinction should not be overemphasized in the study of Chinese grammar.The philosophical background of this difference between English and Chinese is also briefly discussed.