标记理论下的“被”字句句式语义新解

A Semantic Study of Passive“Bei(被)”Sentences from Markedness

“被”字句按照标记度大小可以分为无标记“被”字句和有标记“被”字句。这种标记性不仅体现在句法上,也体现在语义和语用上。“被”字句(A被B+V P)句法标记度大小取决于“A”“B”和“V P”三个成分:当A为原型受事、B为原型施事、VP为二价或三价动作动词时,“被”字句是无标记的,其句式语义为“施受/被动关系”。随着句式标记度的提高,A不再是原型受事,B也不再是原型施事,此时VP往往为心理动词或性状谓词,句式语义强调的是“使因—结果”。像“被授予”类承赐型“被”字句和“被自杀”类新兴“被”字式,它们都属于高标记的“被”字句,这些句式中不再凸显“施受/被动关系”和“使因—结果”语义,转而凸显的是一种情态语用义,表达主观态度、价值或情感。“被”字句并不是历来被认为的“一个特殊句式”,而是一组具有共性特征的句式的集合。标记度的引入解决了以往关于“被”字句句式语义的纷争。

According to the markedness theory,the word order of passive“bei(被)”sentences can be divided into three dimensions:syntax,semantics and pragmatics.These three dimensions are in a dynamic continuum:with the increase in the degree of syntactic markedness of passive“bei(被)”sentences,the grammatical meanings change from expressing“passive relationship”to emphasizing“causer-result”.Syntactically speaking,the absence of objects is a very common phenomenon in passive“bei(被)”sentences with high degree of syntactic markedness.Pragmatically speaking,the increase in the degree of syntactic markedness brings about the semantic“additional”information of the sentence pattern.Under this circumstance,“passive relationship”and“causer-result”expressed in passive“bei(被)”sentences are no longer be prominent,but a subjective tendency is instead highlighted.