空间关系及其语言表达的认知语言学阐释

运用认知语言学中的空间参照框架理论和图形-背景关系理论探讨空间关系及其语言表达,具有十分重要的意义.空间关系是人对客观事物在空间中的方位、存现或运动状态的能动认知的结果.在空间关系所涉及的三要素中,目的物和参照物是基本的,是人观察和认识的基础,而人则是赋予事物以空间关系的关键.空间关系并不是存在于客观世界的自然之物,而是人类的能动识解使然.人们在识解事物之间的空间关系时,总是以一事物为参照来确定另一事物的空间方位.不同的识解方式和参照点形成了三类空间参照框架:相对参照框架,内在参照框架和绝对参照框架.人们在运用语言表达空间关系时,总是把目的物看做图形,把参照物看做背景,并以后者为参照来确定前者的空间位置.看做图形的目的物具有未知性和凸显性,看做背景的参照物具有已知性和确定性.

A Cognitive Explanation of Spatial Relations and Their Linguistic Expressions

This paper tries to study spatial relations and their linguistic expressions from a cognitive point of view based on the spatial frames of reference and the Figure-Ground relations.Spatial relations result from the human positive construal of the location,existence/presentation,or motion of objects in the world.Of the three elements involved in spatial relations,the located object(OL) and the reference object(OR) are the basic elements,based on which human beings make their cognitive observations,and human beings are the key factor to entrust spatial relations on OL and OR.Therefore,spatial relations do not exist by themselves in the natural world.They are in fact recognized as so by the active and cognitive construal of human beings.When spatial relations between two objects are to be construed,the direction or location of one object is always specified relative to the other.Due to the different ways of construal and the different reference points,three spatial frames of reference are put forward.They are the relative,the intrinsic and the absolute frames of reference.When spatial relations are expressed in natural language,OL is always used as the Figure whereas OR is always used as the Ground.The spatial location of OL is construed by referring to OR.Generally speaking,OL has the characteristics of newness and prominence while OR is characterized by givenness and determinateness.