时间的一维性对英汉语动词句法特征的制约——基于语言类型学视角

Restriction of One-dimensionality of Time on Syntactic Features of English and Chinese Verbs from A Typological Perspective

从语言类型学视角看,英语和汉语在句法上分别是偏重形合和意合的语言。受时间一维性原则的制约,在一个英语句子中,在某一时间位置如果有多个动词表达相关动作(同时发生或先后发生),就只有一个动词(并列动词除外)具有时体等与时间信息有关的句法特征,其他动词则通过名词化或非限定形式来消除与时间信息相关的句法特征;汉语的动词在句法上也受时间一维性的制约。研究发现英汉语中的限定动词与非限定动词的对立在本质上相同,在句法表现上不同。此外,对比分析了英语动词名词化过程的连续统和汉语名动词的相似点,更好地揭示英语-ing分词、动名词和动词派生名词的本质和汉语名动词的本质。

Typologically speaking, English and Chinese are hypotactic and paratactic respectively at syntactic level. Re- stricted by one-dimensionality of time, in an English sentence, in a certain time if there are more than one verb express- ing related actions （ happening simultaneously or successively）, only one verb （ parallel verbs excepted） bears such grammatical markers expressing time-related information as tense and aspect, other verb（s） should eliminate such gram- matical markers through nominalization or non-finite forms; Chinese verbs are also restricted by one-dimensionality of time. The paper reveals that the distinction between English finite and nonfinite verbs and the distinction between Chi- nese finite and nonfinite verbs are the same in nature and differ from each other in grammatical forms. Meanwhile, a comparative analysis of the continuum of nominalization process in English and nouny verbs in Chinese can better reveal the nature of -ing participle, verbal noun and deverbal noun in English and nouny verbs in Chinese.