宏事件的语义公式:三事件模型

The Semantic Formula of a Macro-event:Three-event-model

Talmy基于五类宏事件,提出了著名的两分法理论,但未对这五类宏事件之间的共性进行更高层次的结构和语义上的抽象和概括,五类宏事件对构式的覆盖范围过于狭窄。本文深入分析了宏事件中的事件关系,把宏事件概括为三事件模型,即(事件1+)事件2+事件3。其中事件1一般为事件3所隐含,在语言形式上一般没有表征;事件2表征方式或原因;事件3为最终状态,是宏事件语义之核心。基于这一模型,本文提出宏事件的语义公式:凡是能够在单一小句中明确表征事件2和事件3的句子均表征宏事件,公式为S=(E1)E2E3。该分析具有一定的理论和实践意义。该语义公式扩展了宏事件的形式表征范围,使宏事件的研究不再局限于通过研究宏事件的核心图式来确定语言的类型归属。以汉语为例,该公式把宏事件的研究范围从动趋式扩展到包含形容词补语句在内的动结式,即整个动补结构家族。本文进而认为作为复杂概念结构,三事件模型是对宏事件在语义结构上的更高的抽象和概括,其涵盖范围更广,这一模型可能具有普遍性。

Based on the five types of macro-events,Talmy(2000a,2000b)proposed his most influential two-way typology,that is,the verb-framed languages and the satelliteframed languages.He did not generalize the event-event relations in the macro-event at a higher abstract conceptual level.Based on a detailed analysis of the event relations within the macro-event,inspired by the process philosophy of Whitehead(2011,2012)as well as by the event theory of the quantum theorist Carlo Rovelli(2019),the author proposed a three-event-model as follows:(event 1+)event 2+event 3,in which,event 1 is usually implied and regularly implicitly encoded;event 2 expresses the manner or cause;event 3 represents the final state,which is the semantic core.Based on this model,the semantic formula of the macro-event is proposed as follows:A single clause that explicitly encodes both event 2 and event 3 represents a macro-event,i.e.S=(E1)E2E3.The bold face“E3” represents the core of the macro-event,termed as core event.This formula is significant in that it extends the formal scope of the Talmyan macro-event from the verb plus directional constructions to the whole family of verb complement construction in Chinese.It also naturally covers the adjective as complement construction,which is not usually included in the western theories.As a complex conceptual structure,this model represents a generalization at a higher level than the macro-event,and furthermore it covers a wider scope in constructions.Most importantly,it might have universal value.The article proceeds to apply the model to explain the five types of the Talmyan macro-event,including the motion event,the event of state change,the event of temporal contouring,the event of action correlation,and the event of realization.The validity of the model is also qualitatively tested using the resultative family proposed by Goldberg and Jackendoff(2005),which includes the following four categories:causative property resultative,noncausative property resultative,noncausative path resultative,and causative path resultative.These four types can be represented as E2 CAUSE[(E1)BECOME E3],[(E1)BECOME E3]THROUGHE2,[(E1)BECOMEE3]THROUCHE2,E2CAUSE[(E1)BECOME E3]respectively in the present model.