英语语言学Chapter1Introduction

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1、Linguisticsvs.TraditionalGrammarA.Linguisticsisdescriptive,notprescriptive.Alinguistisinterestedinwhatissaid,notwhathethinksoughttobesaid.Hedescribeslanguageinallitsaspects,butdoesnotprescriberulesofcorrectness.Hedoesnotbelievethatthereissomeabsolutestandardofcorrectnessconcerninglangua

2、geuse.Instead,hewouldprefertobeanobserverandrecorderoffacts,butnotajudge.Traditionalgrammarwasverystronglynormativeincharacter.Thegrammariansawitashistasktoformulatethestandardsofcorrectnessandtoimposethese,ifnecessary,uponthespeakersofthelanguage.B.Linguisticsregardsthespokenlanguageas

3、primary,notthewritten.c)LinguisticsdiffersfromtraditionalgrammarinthatitdoesnotforcelanguagesintoaLatin-basedframework.WeakpointsofTraditionalGrammar1.规定语言学家在判断语言的正确与否时常从逻辑学的角度加以观察，但是却忽视了语言在受一般逻辑规律支配的同时，又有自身的规律，使得语言规律与逻辑规律既有相似性又有相异性。以双重否定为例。从逻辑学的角度来看，否定之否定就是肯定。正因如此，规定语法学家认为：Ididn’tdonot

4、hing.正确的解释为:ItisnottruethatIdidnothing.或Ididsomething.但是，英语使用的现实却是这两种相互矛盾的语义都存在。语义的区别是通过语言的语音规律加以实现的。在前者，“didn’t”重读，而后者“didn’t不重读。再看下列例句：Allthechildrendidn’tsleep(Allthechildrenfailedtosleep.)Allthechildrendidn’tsleep.(Notallthechildrenfailedtosleep.)这两个话语在语义上的差异也是违反了传统逻辑规律。语音规律的介入很好地解决

5、了这一问题：Allthechildrendidn’tˋsleep.(重音落在sleep上，且使用降调)ˇAllthechildrendidn’tsleep.（重音落在all上，且使用降升调）超切分特征不仅影响到对句子中的各短语的否定与肯定，而且它还可以波及到整个从属分句。在大学英语精读课第三册"WhyITeach"一课中有这样一段话：Certainly,Idon'tteachbecauseteachingiseasyforme.TeachingisthemostdifficultofthevariouswaysIhaveattemptedtoearnmyliving:

6、mechanic,carpenter,writer.1）Idon'tteachbecauseteachingiseasyforme.(Teachingiseasyforme,soIdon'tteach.)2)Idon'tteachbecauseteachingiseasyforme.(Iteach,butitisn'tbecauseteachingiseasyforme.)在这一例句中，"Idon'tteachbecauseteachingiseasyforme."在形式上允许两种语义的解释：两种语调单位对比如下:1）Idon'tˇteachbecauseteachi

7、ngiseasyfor`me.2)Idon'tteachbecauseteachingiseasyforˇme.a）WhatdisturbedJohnwasbeingdisregardedbyeveryone.b)WhatdisturbedJohn∣wasbeingdisregardedbyeveryone.超切分特征通过重音有规则的分配使得本族语者把宾语前置的修饰语与其他修饰语区分开来，试比较：Aˋbull-/fightinvolvesbulls.A/bull-ˋcalfisayoungbull.在看以下例句：Ican’tcareless.Ican