中英科技类演讲的情态对比研究——以“一席”和TED Talk为例

Comparison of Modality in Chinese and English Speeches on Science and Technology−A Case Study of“Yixi”and TED Talk

以系统功能语言学的情态系统为理论基础,采用自建语料库,对比分析中英科技类演讲在情态类型、主客观取向以及情态量值上的异同。研究发现,中英文演讲在情态类型(情态和意态)方面表现出相似的使用倾向,而在情态的主客观取向及量值选择方面有明显差异:中文演讲较多使用隐形客观情态,英文演讲则以显性或隐性主观情态为主;中文演讲主要使用中、低量值的情态语,英文演讲的情态值分布均匀。从两种语言的社会文化及情景语境等角度分析了中英演讲者情态表达异同的原因,为人际意义研究提供依据。

Based on the system of modality in Systemic Functional Linguistics,this paper compares the Chinese and English speeches on science and technology with a self-built corpus,focusing on the different types,orientations and values of modality.It is found that the modality types are similar in Chinese and English speeches,but obvious differences are shown in their choice of modality orientation and value.Chinese speeches are characterized by more implicit objective modal realizations whereas the English ones are featured by frequent explicit or implicit subjective modality.Moreover,Chinese speeches prefer modal expressions with middle or low values while modality value makes little difference in English speeches.The reasons for the similarities and differences are related to social cultural and situational contexts of the two languages,which contributes to the interpersonal meaning in speeches.