基于RST理论的中美英语议论文语篇修辞功能异同研究

The Similarity and Difference of Rhetorical Function of Chinese and American English Argumentative Texts Based on RST Theory

选用自建中美英语议论文语料库,运用修辞结构理论考察中美英语议论文语篇修辞在概念关系、人际关系和语篇关系的异同。通过研究发现,由于不同的文化背景、社会认知观、读者期待观和教育价值观,长期以来,在劝说功能上,人际关系的高使用频率已成为中国语篇的重要特征,而凸显信息功能,偏重概念关系已成为美国语篇的主要内容。探讨中美英语议论文语篇修辞的异同,对于提高中国英语学习者的英汉修辞比较意识、推进当前英语写作教学与研究,具有重要的启示意义和现实价值。

Based on the self-built corpus of Sino-US English argumentative texts,this paper uses rhetoric structure theory to investigate the similarities and differences of the rhetorical functions of Sino-US English argumentative texts from the aspects of ideational,interpersonal and textual relations.It is found that due to different cultural backgrounds,social cognition,readers’expectation and educational values,the high frequency of interpersonal relations has long been an important feature of Chinese discourses to express persuasive function,while ideational relations have become the main content of American discourses to convey information functions.The study is not only helpful to improve the Chinese English learners’comparative awareness of English and Chinese rhetoric,but also has important implications and practical value to promote the current teaching and research of English writing.