英语独立主格结构的范畴解读

Interpreting the Categorization of Absolute Construction

以往对独立主格结构的命名、定义、句法语义等的研究已取得丰硕的成果,但也留下不少问题有待思考。本文认为,独立主格结构的本质特征不是"独立性",而是"背景性",将其称为"背景主格结构"也许更为得体;英语独立主格结构不只是状语分句的一种类型,可定义为:在句中处于背景地位的、具有显性主语的、可添加主从连词(或主从句之间的介词)的非限定性或非动词性主谓结构;英语独立主格结构形成了一个以"背景性"为典型特征的范畴,范畴内成员体现了等级性、连续性和开放性等。

The past research into the naming, definition, semantics, syntax, etc. of Absolute Construction has made great a- chievements, but many questions remain to be deliberated on. The paper argues that the essential attribute of Absolute Construc- tion is not ＂absoluteness＂, but ＂Background＂, and it may be more appropriate to term it ＂Background Construction＂. It is not merely a class of adverbial clause, and can be defined as ＂a non_finite or verbless combination of a subject and a predicate, lying in the background to the matrix clause, possessing the explicit subject, potentially added with a suberdinator or a preposition in- dicating subordination＂. It has formed a category with ＂Background＂ as its prototypical characteristic and its category members embody the hierarchy, continuum and open-endedness.