摘要
一直以来,对于语言符号任意性的观点在国内外的学术界中都存在着争议。近年来,随着象似性理论的发展,一些学者开始弱化或者否认语言符号任意性的存在,以强化和支持象似性的存在。文章认为这种观点有害于对语言符号的任意性和象似性关系的正确理解,并且运用自组织理论和原型理论对其关系进行了分析,从而指出语言符号的任意性和象似性的关系是辨证的,两者看似相对,实则相辅,它们存在于一个整体之中。此外,对语言符号任意性和象似性辨证关系的认识在英语教学中有着重要的实用价值,它可以使英语的教和学更有意义,从而有助于有意义的学习。
The arbitrariness of linguistic signs has long been controversial in academic circles both at home and abroad.In recent years,with the development of iconicity,some scholars begin to de-emphasize or reject the existence of semiotic arbitrariness to over-emphasize or assert the existence of semiotic iconicity.The author of this paper,however,holds that this view is harmful to the understanding of the relationship between the arbitrariness and iconicity of linguistic signs,and advocates,through an analysis of their relationship approached from the theory of self-organization and prototype theory,that the relationship between the arbitrariness and iconicity of linguistic signs is dialectic.The theory of iconicity is firmly based on the theory of arbitrariness and both theories can exist within the same unity,which,seeming opposing,are complementary to each other.In addition,the realization of the dialectic relationship between the arbitrariness and iconicity of linguistic signs is of great pragmatic significance in ELT,which can make English language teaching and learning much more meaningful.
