新修辞学视角下情态动词的人际功能

The Analysis of Modal Verbs from the Perspective of New Rhetoric

大多数情态动词人际意义的研究是在系统功能语言学理论框架下进行的。该类研究强调话语生产者对人际关系的调控性,或多或少忽视了对话语接受者情感认同的考量。本文认为新修辞学的创始人肯尼斯?伯克提出的“认同理论”可以在一定程度上丰富和完善我们对于人际意义效果的理解,尤其为情态动词人际意义的解读提供新工具,并能指导情态动词的人际运用。本文以希拉里?克林顿的政治演讲为例,运用认同理论分析了情态助动词的人际功能。

Most of the studies on the interpersonal function of modal verbs are practiced under the theoretical frame of systemic function grammar, which emphasize on the regulatory of interpersonal relationship established by the addressers, but to some degree ignore the emotional identification of the addressees. This essay states that the “identification theory”, put forward by Kenneth Burke, the founder of new rhetoric, can on certain scale improve the understanding of interpersonal effect. More specifically, identification theory has provided a new tool to interpret and guide interpersonal function of modal verbs. Taking the political speeches by Hillary Clinton as instances, this essay analyzes the interpersonal function of modal verbs from the perspective of identification.