隐性否定、肯否预设与肯定和否定的对称问题

Implicit negation,A-N-presupposition and the symmetry between affirmation and negation

本文从肯否预设及其语用细节角度讨论语言中肯定和否定的对称问题,结合隐性否定现象证明肯定和否定的根本性不对称和有标记对称。在相互预设的情况下,肯定与否定有标记对称,表现为否定预设的那类肯定(隐性否定)也相应地预设否定,但肯否预设本身是有标记的。在肯否预设相关的常规语义切分上,肯定与否定根本上不对称,肯定作广义理解,否定为狭义焦点。在肯否预设的语用实现上,肯定与否定不对称,显性否定是相对于肯定的有标记表达形式,而隐性否定(肯定形式)是否定的有标记语用实现形式,需要借助句法语义条件、激活语境对立体现否定意义。对于肯定和否定构成的完整世界而言,肯否预设的语用针对性实质是潜在的对立否定,即否定与肯否预设是内在一致的同一个问题的不同侧面。由此,语言中的否定与肯定在根本上不对称,否定意在“否认”,肯定一般是中性的,只有在“确认”用法上与否定形成对称。

This paper discusses the problem of symmetry between affirmation and negation from the perspective of A-Npresupposition together with its pragmatic details.It is proved that affirmation and negation are asymmetric in nature whereas marked affirmation,or implicit negation,is symmetric with explicit negation.In terms of conventional semantic division relevant with A-N-presupposition,affirmation and negation are fundamentally asymmetric.Affirmation is understood in a broad sense while negation is with narrow focus.However,in the case of mutual presupposing,affirmation and negation present marked symmetry.The kind of affirmation that negation presupposes(implicit negation)also presupposes negation accordingly,with A-N-presupposition being marked.On the pragmatic level,affirmation and negation are asymmetric with explicit negation being the marked form in comparison with affirmation and implicit negation in affirmative form being the marked realization of negation.In this sense,negation and A-N-presupposition are different aspects of the same thing which is internally consistent.Hence,negation and affirmation are fundamentally asymmetrical in that negation expresses“denial”whereas affirmation is neutral in general.It is only in“assertion”that the two are symmetrical.