图形-背景理论下的英语被动句认知分析

以认知语言学中的图形与背景理论为视角,对英语被动句的焦点凸显功能进行了阐释,认为英语被动句符合图形-背景理论中的凸显原则。人们对同一认知场景的各个部分存在不同的认知凸显程度。在无施事被动句中,常式句中的施事图形由于各种原因没有出现,使原本充当背景的受事移至句首而变为句子图形,成为人们注意的焦点;在有施事被动句中,受事置于句首,作为背景而成为认知参照点,而原施事图形被移到了句末,成为句末的信息焦点即图形,从而获得了最佳突显效果。

A Cognitive Analysis of English and Chinese Passives from the Angle of Figure-Ground Theory

This paper tries to explore English passives from the angle of figure-ground theory in cognitive linguistics.It expounds the salient function of English passives' focus and proves that English passives accord with the salient principle in the figure-ground theory.In the agentless passive,due to the absence of the agent,the patient by acting as the subject becomes the prominent part,while the agent turns to be covert.In the agentful passive,the patient as ground becomes the cognitive reference point,while th...