框架礼貌理论视角下汉语礼物提供言语行为的句式结构研究

The syntactic format of gift offers in Chinese within the frame-based approach to politeness

本文在Terkourafi提出的框架礼貌理论视角下,探讨了汉语礼物提供言语行为的句式结构及其理据。研究发现,汉语礼物提供的句式结构受双方共同构建的动态框架制约,特定的句式结构与双方如何借助共有框架解读当前语境下提供的义务密切相关,是双方的一种规约性行为。无义务提供时,提供者通常先使用疑问句询问对方的需求或爱好间接提供,得到对方的肯定回应后,再使用祈使句提供;有义务提供时,使用祈使句直接提供;而当有义务提供且已实施提供时,使用陈述句告知对方或让第三方通知对方。

This paper aims to discuss the syntactic format of gift offers in Chinese and its motivations within the frame-based approach to politeness proposed by Terkourafi. Results show that the syntactic format of gift offers is constrained by the dynamic frame jointly created by the interlocutors. The specific syntactic format is closely related to how the interlocutors construe the obligation to offer the gift in the current situation with the frame they have co-constructed previously and it is rather conventionalized. If it is not obligatory for the offerer to offer, he will employ the interrogative sentence to make the offer indirectly by first checking the needs or preferences of the offeree and will then make the offer with the imperative sentence once getting the positive response from the offeree. If it is obligatory for the offerer to offer, he will employ the imperative sentence to make the offer directly. Moreover, if it is obligatory for the offerer to make the offer and the offerer has already realized the offer, the offerer will employ the declarative sentence to notify the offeree in person or let the third party notify the offeree.