“致使-被动”结构的句法

The causative-passive opposition and correlation in Chinese

致使和被动在很多语言中可由同一动词或语素承担。汉语的"给、让、教(交/叫)"就可以既表致使又表被动。本文将探究:第一,什么样的动词或语素可以既表致使又表被动?或者说,既表致使又表被动的条件是什么?第二,这种"致使一被动"解读是有关成分或结构演变的结果,还是两种变换形式一直同时并存?本文首先提出"致使一被动"变换解读的分析方案,然后指出演变分析的问题所在。本文的变换分析方案认为:"给、让、教"之所以既可以表致使又可以表被动,是因其词汇句法结构为双VP结构,而只有这样的双VP结构才能产生致使和被动两种语义的变换。"给、让、教"本身的词汇语义并不含致使义和被动义,致使义和被动义源自对"给、让、教"所投射的双VP结构所做的句式解读。许多学者认为这种"致使一被动"解读是从致使到被动演变的结果,然而,演变分析并没有给出明确的条件,说明该演变适用于哪些动词,不适用于哪些动词。另外,传世文献也并没有显示出清晰的线索,证明这类动词先有致使用法后有被动用法。实际上,即便有证据证明是这样,也并不意味着被动用法是从致使用法演化而来的。

This paper investigates the syntax of the so-called causative-passive alternating constructions characterized by verbs like gei ' give',rang ' let',and jiao ' teach/ask/call' in Chinese,which exhibit a causative-passive opposition and correlation in semantic interpretation.An outstanding feature of these verbs is that they can be used as either a causative or a passive marker.This paper argues that these verbs are essentially di-transitive verbs projecting double VP structures(or verbs containing two abstract V heads) at L(exical)-syntax,and only this kind of verbs can form the construction deriving either the causative or the passive interpretation.Specifically,it shows that the construction formed by gei/rang/jiao with a passive interpretation is exactly the same as the one interpreted as the causative,and that the reason why a passive interpretation could be sensed in the relevant construction is that an operator-variable relation has been structured in it.Following an analysis assumed in Hu(2008,2010),this paper proposes that at L-syntax,gei,rang,and jiao be analyzed as verbs projecting double VP structures represented as[_(vP_1)NP_1 v[_(VP2) NP_2V_(HAVE)P_3]],in which there are two abstract V heads licensing the indirect object and the direct object respectively.Due to the fact that Chinese is a pro-drop language,either of the two objects licensed by the two V heads can be freely dropped in this language.In view of these facts,this paper sets up a criterion for the identification of di-transitive verbs in Chinese,according to which real di-transitive verbs are verbs projecting double VP structures,which can take indirect object as its only overt complement,with the direct object taking the zero form.Under the present analysis,only real ditransitive verbs projecting double VPs can be used as causative-passive alternating verbs in Chinese,and the causative or the passive meaning of the relevant sentences are derived from a more complex structure like[NP_1 v[NP_2 V_(HAVE) NP_3[VP_3]]]which is formed by adding a secondary predicate to the direct object.In this structure,when the V head of the secondary predicate,i.e.,VP_3,is incorporated into the abstract verb V_(HAVE),the causative interpretation is derived from a structure like[_(vP1) NP_1 v{gei/rang/jiao)[_(VP2) NP_2 V-HAVE NP_3[_(VP3) Pro_2 V x_3]]]resulting from the secondary predicate incorporation.In the same construction,if the external argument of vP_1 takes the form of pro,and the direct object is merged into the sentence-initial position,as represented in[_(TopP) NP_k[_(vP1) Pro_i v(gei/rang/jiao)[_(VP2) NP_j V-HAVE e_k[_(VP3) Pro_j V x_k]]]],an operator-variable relation between the sentence-initial NP and the semantic variable inside VP_3 can be formed,and it is this kind of operatorvariable structure that gives this construction a passive interpretation.In this kind of construction,when the sentence-initial NP is in an A-position,the relevant sentence would have a causative interpretation.However,when the sentence-initial NP is a topic in an A'-position,the passive interpretation can easily be obtained from the sentence in question.