因果连动式初探

Causal serial verb constructions in Chinese

汉语因果连动式是以叙实的方式记录顺次发生的动作行为或事件,因果关系是该并置结构的"统合义",其语义特征是顺承性的,包括事件的动机、事件发展的阶段、先时事件的影响以及事件性质所决定的自然态势。在使用中,因果连动式前项有次话题倾向、后项是常规焦点。作为一种单句表达复合命题关系的现象,因果连动式的研究说明,不同语言层面、不同语言手段在对同一语义范畴进行表达时,所承担的功能并不相同。

Causal serial verb constructions describe sequential activities or events in juxtaposed structures where the stimulus and phases of events,the influence of previous events,and the tendency of the development of events are expressed in successive order. In utterances,the first part of causal serial verb construction tends to be a secondary topic while the second part often bears focus information. The analysis of this research indicates that,constructions and linguistic devices at different linguistic levels( such as causal serial verb constructions and compound sentences expressing cause-and-effect relations) function differently although they may have the same denotation.