英汉对比语言学研究的认知途径

A Cognitive Approach to English-Chinese Contrastive Linguistics

本文尝试以类似性认知和关联性认知为起点,探索纵向范畴化与横向范畴化乃至理性思维方式与悟性思维方式各自不同的生成过程和特性展现。理性思维与悟性思维通过各自不同的特性分别制约并决定英语和汉语的结构形式,句子层次上的主要表现便是英语句子之主语优先和汉语句子之话题优先。通过对比可见,英汉两种语言各自表现的结构特性和蕴涵的思维制约表现出高度的类型和谐。

The paper, starting with analysing two basic cognitive abilities, ie our capacity for contiguity and for similarity, explores the different generative processes and characteristics of the vertical and the lateral categorizations and hence the Western rationality and the Chinese intuition. It is argued that the two modes of thinking condition and determine the fundamental differences between the English and the Chinese Languages, as is shown mainly by the contrast between subject-prominence vs topic prominence on the sentence level. The ontological comparison made between the English and Chinese linguistic structures shows a high degree of harmony respectively and ascertains the essential differences between the two languages.