賈 靜
(安徽建筑大學(xué)外國語學(xué)院,安徽 合肥 230601)
語篇中,當(dāng)一個(gè)詞語的解釋不能從其自身獲得,而必須從其在上下文中所指的對象中尋求答案時(shí),就產(chǎn)生了照應(yīng)關(guān)系 (Halliday&Hasan,1976)[1]。 照應(yīng)(reference)通過人稱、指示或比較等詞匯在上下文中的所指對象傳遞信息,實(shí)現(xiàn)語義聯(lián)系。說話者或作者運(yùn)用簡短的指代形式來指稱上下文的內(nèi)容,使語篇言簡意賅,結(jié)構(gòu)緊湊,前后連貫;聽話者或讀者通過解讀語篇中的這種照應(yīng)關(guān)系,理解其在語篇中的銜接功能,進(jìn)而理解語篇的真實(shí)含義。
語篇理解過程中,如果照應(yīng)的所指對象不在語篇內(nèi)部,需要從語篇之外來尋找其所指對象,稱為語外照應(yīng)(exophoric reference);如果其所指對象存在于語篇內(nèi)部,需要從語篇內(nèi)部來尋找其所指對象,則為語內(nèi)照應(yīng)(endophoric reference)。根據(jù)所指對象在上下文中出現(xiàn)的位置不同,語內(nèi)照應(yīng)又可分為回指照應(yīng)(anaphoric reference)和下指照應(yīng)(cataphoric reference)?;刂刚諔?yīng)的指稱對象在上文中,下指照應(yīng)的指稱對象在下文中。如(文中例子均來自《全新版大學(xué)英語》第二版綜合教程和聽說教程):
例(1) M:What a remarkable performance the young pianist gave in Carnegie Hall!
W:I felt the same way.
例 (2) He was,however,one of six vice-presidents,and one of three who might conceivably--if the president died or retired soon enough--h(huán)ave moved to the top spot.Phil knew that.
例(1)中the young pianist的所指對象存在于說話雙方都知道的特定語境中,而不在對話的上下文中,屬于語外照應(yīng)(語外照應(yīng)的所指對象存在于語篇之外,因此需要結(jié)合語篇所在的特定語境加以理解)。例(2)中he和that的指稱對象在上下文之中,屬于語內(nèi)照應(yīng)。其中,he的所指對象是后文的Phil,屬下指照應(yīng);that的所指對象為前文“He was,however,one of six vice-presidents,and one of three who might conceivably--if the president died or retired soon enough--h(huán)ave moved to the top spot”,屬于回指照應(yīng)。
另外,根據(jù)照應(yīng)在語篇中所起的作用和意義不同,可分為人稱照應(yīng)(personal reference)、指示照應(yīng)(demonstrative reference)和比較照應(yīng)(comparative reference)。 例(1)、例(2)中 the 和 that為指示照應(yīng), he 為人稱照應(yīng)。在 Equally important from the kid’s point of view is that their accounts belong to them. 中 ,Equally與 前 文 (I offered an attractive interest rate--five cent a month. 以及 The high rate of interest is not the only attractive feature of the Bank of Dave.)構(gòu)成比較照應(yīng),強(qiáng)調(diào)了月息5厘的高利率對孩子來說不是唯一誘人之處,在孩子看來同樣重要的是,他們的存款屬于他們自己。這三種照應(yīng)手段中,人稱照應(yīng)是本文研究的重點(diǎn)。
人稱照應(yīng)主要由代詞來實(shí)現(xiàn),有第一人稱、第二人稱和第三人稱代詞。第一人稱代詞I,me,my,mine,myself及其復(fù)數(shù)形式we,us,our,ours,ourselves和第二人稱代詞you,your,yours,yourself,yourselves等指稱對象分別與發(fā)話者和受話者相關(guān),絕大多數(shù)情況下屬于語外照應(yīng)。第三人稱代詞he/she/it,him/her/it,his/her/its,his/hers/its,himself/herself/itself及其復(fù)數(shù)形式they,them,their,theirs,themselves等通常能與上下文形成照應(yīng)關(guān)系,具有內(nèi)在的語篇銜接功能,多屬于語內(nèi)照應(yīng)。
第一人稱照應(yīng)是說話者或作者參與到某一情景語境中,向聽話人或讀者敘述事情,表達(dá)自己觀點(diǎn)、態(tài)度及推斷,通過語言形式試圖影響聽者或讀者的一種手段。如:
例(3) W:I think I’ll wear my red blouse to the party tonight.
M:Why don’t you wear the blue one?I think you look better in it.
例(4) When I was a kid,everything in my bedroom was pink.I have two sisters and we had a complete miniature kitchen,a herd of My Little Ponies and several Barbie and Ken dolls.
例 (5) Why are we so quick to limit ourselves?…Instead of translating our differences into hard and fast conclusions about the human brain,why can’t we focus instead on how incredibly flexible we are?…
例(3)中I分別指代對話中的W和M,表達(dá)了說話者各自觀點(diǎn)(W該穿哪件衣服去參加晚會(huì)更好),屬語外銜接。例(4)中I和my指代作者本人,是作者參與語篇內(nèi)容的語言形式,也屬于語外銜接;而we則回指前文中提到的I和two sisters,屬語內(nèi)銜接。例(5)中的We和our與例(4)中We的銜接方式有所不同,其指稱對象不在語篇內(nèi)部,而是存在于語境之中,指那些持“女性學(xué)數(shù)學(xué)處于劣勢”觀點(diǎn)的人,屬語外銜接。雖然第一人稱照應(yīng)多用于語外銜接,但其在英語語篇中的應(yīng)用非常普遍,入選《全新版大學(xué)英語綜合教程》第二版的共計(jì)16篇文章,每一篇中都有第一人稱代詞的銜接形式,不同之處僅在于在有的語篇中出現(xiàn)的頻率較高,幾乎貫穿全文 (如A Virtual Life,F(xiàn)ourteen Steps等);有的則較低,少到全文只有1-2處(如The Role of English in the 21st Century,A Fable of Tomorrow等)。
第二人稱照應(yīng)多用于對話語篇中,在非對話語篇中多用于直接引語、評述性或總結(jié)性的描述中,且絕大多數(shù)情況屬于語外銜接。如:
例(6) I can still see the confusion and curiosity in his eyes as he asked,“Are you poor?”
例 (7) If Michael Stone was surprised,excited or vain about clearing the bar at 17 feet,you couldn’t tell.
例 (8) But this is what I discovered:just because a subject is difficult to learn,it does not mean you are not good at it.You just have to grit your teeth and work harder to get good at it.Once you do,there’s a strong chance you will enjoy it more than anything else.
直接引語或?qū)υ捳Z篇中第二人稱照應(yīng)的所指對象通常為說話對象,即聽話人。如例(3)、例(6)中you的指稱對象均為說話對象。例(7)是作者對Michael Stone成功越過17英尺橫桿時(shí)的感受的推斷:Michael Stone是感到驚訝、激動(dòng)還是得意,人們無從知”;這里you的所指對象可以是作者亦可以是讀者。例(8)是作者個(gè)人觀點(diǎn)的總結(jié)(某一門課程難學(xué),并不意味著你就不擅長它),第二人稱照應(yīng)you和your的所指對象也存在于語篇之外,可以指包括作者在內(nèi)的所有面臨同樣問題的人。以上例子中第二人稱照應(yīng)的所指對象都存在于語境中,屬于語外照應(yīng)。
第三人稱照應(yīng)多屬于語內(nèi)照應(yīng),在英語語篇中應(yīng)用非常廣泛,有時(shí)甚至貫穿全文。特定文體中,篇首位置的第三人稱代詞下指照應(yīng)除了具有語篇銜接功能外,還能在語篇中產(chǎn)生強(qiáng)烈的文體效應(yīng)(胡家英,鄒春影,2008)[2]。如 :
例 (9)His palms were sweating.He needed a towel to dry his grip.The sun was as hot as the competition he faced today at the National Junior Olympics.The pole was set at 17 feet.That was three inches higher than his personal best.Michael Stone confronted the most challenging day of his pole-vaulting career.(True Height)
例(9)是True Height的第一自然段,在文章開頭作者共用了六個(gè)第三人稱代詞he/his,而且這六個(gè)代詞均與Michael Stone構(gòu)成照應(yīng)關(guān)系,為第三人稱照應(yīng)。其中前五個(gè)為下指照應(yīng),最后一個(gè)為回指照應(yīng)。人稱代詞he/his與Michael Stone之間形成的照應(yīng)關(guān)系不僅使得文章開頭語言簡潔、語篇結(jié)構(gòu)上下銜接、語義前后連貫,而且起到了制造懸念、引起讀者閱讀興趣的作用。讀者會(huì)心生疑問:“他為何會(huì)手心出汗?”,“他在干什么?”,“他到底是誰?”,從而激發(fā)讀者進(jìn)行積極閱讀的興趣。
語篇連貫不僅僅是語篇內(nèi)部意義的銜接,還包括語篇與語境的銜接(張德祿,劉汝山,2003:105)[3]。絕大多數(shù)情況下,第一、第二人稱照應(yīng)體現(xiàn)的是語篇與語境的銜接,在對話語篇中來指稱說話人或聽話人自己,在非對話語篇中來指稱作者或讀者,屬于語外照應(yīng);第三人稱照應(yīng)則體現(xiàn)的是語篇內(nèi)部意義的銜接,用于下指或回指,屬于語內(nèi)照應(yīng)。研究這三種人稱照應(yīng)的語篇銜接功能及其使用特點(diǎn),一方面有助于構(gòu)建簡潔明了、結(jié)構(gòu)銜接、語義連貫的語篇;另一方面,有助于解讀文中各種照應(yīng)關(guān)系,把握語篇的真實(shí)含義,體會(huì)不同文體的特征。
[1]Halliday,M.A.K.&Hasan,R.Cohesion in English [M].London:Longman,1976.
[2]胡家英,鄒春影.英語懸念小說中第三人稱代詞內(nèi)照應(yīng)的文體效應(yīng)[J].哈爾濱學(xué)院學(xué)報(bào),2008(10):120-122.
[3]張德祿,劉汝山.語篇連貫與銜接理論的發(fā)展及應(yīng)用[M].上海:上海外語教育出版社,2003.