英语中动句的论元结构及其句法实现

Argument structure and syntactic realization of English middle construction

从论元结构的改变及其句法投射的角度分析英语中动句的生成。中动动词的事件论元被抑制,施事题元在词库中得以饱和因而无需句法投射。这些特征使得中动句表达具有隐含施事的泛指意义,同时副词修饰作为允准条件成为必须。中动句的论元结构在向句法结构投射时遵循显著性保存制约,受事、工具或者处所题元产生句法投射。焦点结构测试法、从句测试法以及关系化测试法都证明句首论元占据主语而非话题的句法位置。

This paper analyzes the derivation of English middle construction from the perspective of argument structure change and its syntactic projection. The event argument of middle verbs is suppressed; the agent role is saturated in lexicon,needing no syntactic projection. These changes contribute to the generic meaning of middles with an implicit agent role. Meanwhile,the adverbial modification becomes compulsory as a licensing condition.The prominence preservation constraints are observed when the argument structure is projected to syntax,with patient,instrument or location roles syntactically realized. The topicality test,subordinate clause test,and relativization test prove that the sentence initial argument occupies the subject position rather than the topic position.