英语小句及物性的语义偏离路径

Semantic Deviation of English Clausal Transitivity

及物性作为动词特征的观点有其局限性。本文将及物性看作小句特征,及物性高低不同的小句共同构成一个典型范畴,体现典型效应,有典型成员与非典型成员之分。非典型及物性与典型及物性的差异体现为语义偏离。及物性的意义是及物事件类型及其参与者的概念化,因此及物性偏离可根据小句所勾勒事件的类型、施事、受事语义特征参数缺失情况来判断。参数数量和类型以不同方式引起小句及物性不同程度地偏离典型及物性,并涉及转喻等认知机制。

The view of transitivity as a property of the verb has been questioned for its explanatory deficiency. In this paper, transitivity is defined as a property of the clause, and all clauses with different degrees of transitivity constitute a prototypical category exhibiting prototypical effect with typical and atypical members. The semantic extension from prototypical transitivity to atypical transitivity is called transitivity deviation. As the semantic basis of transitivity is the conceptualization of the transitive event and its participants, the degree and pattern of transitivity deviation could be judged by the semantic factors in terms of event type, agent and patient. Both the number and type of semantic factors need to be considered to find the specific degree and pattern of semantic deviation of clausal transitivity. Metonymy is also found at work in transitivity deviation.