英语时态的认知语用研究
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摘要
英语动词时态历来是语言学家和语法学家们研究的主要对象之一。时态的传统定义是“表示时间区别的动词语法范畴”，但该定义不能解释许多语言现象，因为它把我们对语言的观察和研究局限在一维的时间平面上，结果各种不同的情景错综复杂地排列在同一时间平面上，增加了时态解释和学习的难度。本文提出了新的时态定义，对时态的意义进行了阐述，并从认知的角度为时态意义的扩展提供了理据，在此基础上本文对英语时态的语用功能进行了探讨。
本文尝试性地将时态定义为：时态是动词的语法范畴，是表示动作状态与其参照时点之间时间关系的动词形式。在这一新的定义中，动作状态指所用动词所表示的动作在特定时间里所处的状态，它们有客观性和主观性两种：客观性动作状态指实际发生或说话人认为可以发生的动作状态；主观性动作状态指说话人主观想象的动作状态。定义中的参照时点指与动作状态发生时间构成参照关系的时间点，它是说话人赖以确定动作状态发生时间的先后，进而确定选用何种时态进行表达的参照点，它包括无标记和有标记两种：前者指现实说话时刻；后者指由说话动词或其它语言形式标明的时点。我们的参照时点是开放性的，它可以随说话人表达思想时思维基点的变化而向时轴的两端移动。定义中的时间关系指动作状态发生时间与参照时点相比较而呈现的时间先后关系。动作状态与参照时点之间存在三种时间关系，即先时关系、同时关系和后时关系。这些时间关系总是相对于参照时点而言的，无论参照时点位于时轴上的哪一时点，与之相关的动作状态均与它构成一定的时间关系，或是先时，或是同时，或是后时。在当代英语中，这些时间关系有客观性和主观性两种。现在时态表示联系性时间关系，与客观性动作状态连用时，它表示客观性时间关系，即动作状态与参照时点之间具有真实时间联系的时间关系；与主观性动作状态连用时，它表示主观性时间关系，即动作状态与参照时点之间具有想象性时间联系的时间关系。过去时态
表示距离性时间关系，{与客观性动作状态连用时，它表示客观性时间关
系，即动作状态与参照时点之间具有真实时间距离的时间关系;与主观
性动作状态连用时，它表示主观性时间关系，即动作状态与参照时点之
间具有想象性时间距离的时间关系。
英语时态意义的扩大是一种跨空间映射的认知过程。在这样一个概
念合成网络中，时态的源域(时态与自然时间的对应性)创立一个输入
空间(真实的时间空间Il)，时态的目的域呼时态与自然时间的非对应性)
创立一个输入空间(想象的时间空间12)，类属空间抽象出现在时态与过
去时态的共同属性(“联系性时间关系”与“距离性时间关系，’)，决定跨
空间映射的内容，然后将其投射到第四个空间—合成空间，通过组合、
完善和扩展三种相互关联的方式产生层创结构，并在其中生成主观性时
间关系。时态意义的扩大就在这一意义构建的认知过程中得以实现。
由于现在时态和过去时态的实质不同，尽管它们意义构建的推理机
制一样，其语法形式背后所蕴含的语用功能和语用目的是不同的。除表
动作状态与参照时点之间真实的时间联系外，现在时态还可以表示动作
状态与参照时点之间想象的时间联系，并以此表达事件场景、新闻信息、
经验事实和既定因素等的真实性和可信性。除表示动作状态与参照时点
之间真实的时间距离外，过去时态还可以表示动作状态与参照时点之间
想象的时间距离，并以此表达含蓄的愿望、含蓄的陈述、委婉的语气和
间接的告诫等言外之意。
总之，本文是在前人研究的基础上，从认知的角度对英语时态的意
义进行探究的一种尝试。实质上时态与时间之间的不一致是具有若干共
性的不同心理空间动态合成的产物。用合成空间理论阐释时态意义的构
建为时态研究提供了一个全新的视角。
Tense, which has long been studied by linguists and grammarians, is traditionally defined as "a grammatical category for expressing time distinctions", but this traditional definition cannot apply to all situations, for it limits our observation and study within the scope of pure time. It also makes it more difficult to interpret and learn tense, for different situations are located on the one-dimensional time level. This thesis interprets the meanings of the English tenses by providing new definitions of them, and provides motivations for the enlargement of the meanings of the English tenses from a cognitive perspective. On the basis of this, the thesis explores the pragmatic functions of the English tenses.
In this thesis, tense is tentatively defined as "a grammatical category which expresses time relations between the action state denoted by the verb and its reference time". In this definition, action states refer to the states of the action denoted by the verb in a specific time sphere. They fall into objective action states and subjective action states, the former referring to action states that actually take place or those that the speaker thinks will take place; the latter referring to action states that are imagined or hypothesized by the speaker. Reference time refers to the time point that constructs a referential relationship with the time of the action state denoted by the verb, or the time point according to which the speaker determines the time sequence of the action state and the tense form to express the time relation. Reference time includes unmarked and marked reference time. The former refers to the present moment of speaking. The latter refers to the reference time marked by verbs of speaking
or by other linguistic forms. The reference time is open; it can move along the time axis according to the speaker's needs. Time relations refer to the relative time relations between the action states and their reference
time, which include priority, simultaneity and posteriority. A certain time relation, either priority or simultaneity or posteriority, definitely exists between the action state and its reference time, no matter where the reference time is on the time axis. In contemporary English, these time relations fall into objective time relations and subjective time relations. The present tense expresses time relations of connection. When used with objective action states, it expresses objective time relations, which reflect the genuine time relations of connection between the action states and their reference time. When used with subjective action states, it expresses subjective time relations, which reflect the imaginary time relations of connection between the action states and their reference time. The past tense expresses time relations of distance. When used with objective action states, it expresses objective time distance, which reflects the genuine time relations of distance between the action states and their reference time. When used with subjective action states, it expresses subjective time distance, which reflects the imaginary time relations of distance between the action states and their reference time.
The enlargement of the meanings of the English tenses is a cognitive process of cross-space mapping. In such a conceptual integration network, the source domain (correspondence between the tense and the time existing in nature) constructs one input space (genuine time space Ii), and the target domain (non-correspondence between the tense and the time existing in nature) constructs one input space (imaginary time space I2). The generic space abstracts the commonalities from the input spaces (time relations of "connection" of the present tense and time relations of "distance" of the past tense) and determines the content of the cross-space mapping. Then the nature of "time relations of connection" and "time relations of distance" are mapped
onto the fourth space--the blended space. Through composition,
completion and elaboration, the emergent structure is developed,
本文尝试性地将时态定义为：时态是动词的语法范畴，是表示动作状态与其参照时点之间时间关系的动词形式。在这一新的定义中，动作状态指所用动词所表示的动作在特定时间里所处的状态，它们有客观性和主观性两种：客观性动作状态指实际发生或说话人认为可以发生的动作状态；主观性动作状态指说话人主观想象的动作状态。定义中的参照时点指与动作状态发生时间构成参照关系的时间点，它是说话人赖以确定动作状态发生时间的先后，进而确定选用何种时态进行表达的参照点，它包括无标记和有标记两种：前者指现实说话时刻；后者指由说话动词或其它语言形式标明的时点。我们的参照时点是开放性的，它可以随说话人表达思想时思维基点的变化而向时轴的两端移动。定义中的时间关系指动作状态发生时间与参照时点相比较而呈现的时间先后关系。动作状态与参照时点之间存在三种时间关系，即先时关系、同时关系和后时关系。这些时间关系总是相对于参照时点而言的，无论参照时点位于时轴上的哪一时点，与之相关的动作状态均与它构成一定的时间关系，或是先时，或是同时，或是后时。在当代英语中，这些时间关系有客观性和主观性两种。现在时态表示联系性时间关系，与客观性动作状态连用时，它表示客观性时间关系，即动作状态与参照时点之间具有真实时间联系的时间关系；与主观性动作状态连用时，它表示主观性时间关系，即动作状态与参照时点之间具有想象性时间联系的时间关系。过去时态
表示距离性时间关系，{与客观性动作状态连用时，它表示客观性时间关
系，即动作状态与参照时点之间具有真实时间距离的时间关系;与主观
性动作状态连用时，它表示主观性时间关系，即动作状态与参照时点之
间具有想象性时间距离的时间关系。
英语时态意义的扩大是一种跨空间映射的认知过程。在这样一个概
念合成网络中，时态的源域(时态与自然时间的对应性)创立一个输入
空间(真实的时间空间Il)，时态的目的域呼时态与自然时间的非对应性)
创立一个输入空间(想象的时间空间12)，类属空间抽象出现在时态与过
去时态的共同属性(“联系性时间关系”与“距离性时间关系，’)，决定跨
空间映射的内容，然后将其投射到第四个空间—合成空间，通过组合、
完善和扩展三种相互关联的方式产生层创结构，并在其中生成主观性时
间关系。时态意义的扩大就在这一意义构建的认知过程中得以实现。
由于现在时态和过去时态的实质不同，尽管它们意义构建的推理机
制一样，其语法形式背后所蕴含的语用功能和语用目的是不同的。除表
动作状态与参照时点之间真实的时间联系外，现在时态还可以表示动作
状态与参照时点之间想象的时间联系，并以此表达事件场景、新闻信息、
经验事实和既定因素等的真实性和可信性。除表示动作状态与参照时点
之间真实的时间距离外，过去时态还可以表示动作状态与参照时点之间
想象的时间距离，并以此表达含蓄的愿望、含蓄的陈述、委婉的语气和
间接的告诫等言外之意。
总之，本文是在前人研究的基础上，从认知的角度对英语时态的意
义进行探究的一种尝试。实质上时态与时间之间的不一致是具有若干共
性的不同心理空间动态合成的产物。用合成空间理论阐释时态意义的构
建为时态研究提供了一个全新的视角。
Tense, which has long been studied by linguists and grammarians, is traditionally defined as "a grammatical category for expressing time distinctions", but this traditional definition cannot apply to all situations, for it limits our observation and study within the scope of pure time. It also makes it more difficult to interpret and learn tense, for different situations are located on the one-dimensional time level. This thesis interprets the meanings of the English tenses by providing new definitions of them, and provides motivations for the enlargement of the meanings of the English tenses from a cognitive perspective. On the basis of this, the thesis explores the pragmatic functions of the English tenses.
In this thesis, tense is tentatively defined as "a grammatical category which expresses time relations between the action state denoted by the verb and its reference time". In this definition, action states refer to the states of the action denoted by the verb in a specific time sphere. They fall into objective action states and subjective action states, the former referring to action states that actually take place or those that the speaker thinks will take place; the latter referring to action states that are imagined or hypothesized by the speaker. Reference time refers to the time point that constructs a referential relationship with the time of the action state denoted by the verb, or the time point according to which the speaker determines the time sequence of the action state and the tense form to express the time relation. Reference time includes unmarked and marked reference time. The former refers to the present moment of speaking. The latter refers to the reference time marked by verbs of speaking
or by other linguistic forms. The reference time is open; it can move along the time axis according to the speaker's needs. Time relations refer to the relative time relations between the action states and their reference
time, which include priority, simultaneity and posteriority. A certain time relation, either priority or simultaneity or posteriority, definitely exists between the action state and its reference time, no matter where the reference time is on the time axis. In contemporary English, these time relations fall into objective time relations and subjective time relations. The present tense expresses time relations of connection. When used with objective action states, it expresses objective time relations, which reflect the genuine time relations of connection between the action states and their reference time. When used with subjective action states, it expresses subjective time relations, which reflect the imaginary time relations of connection between the action states and their reference time. The past tense expresses time relations of distance. When used with objective action states, it expresses objective time distance, which reflects the genuine time relations of distance between the action states and their reference time. When used with subjective action states, it expresses subjective time distance, which reflects the imaginary time relations of distance between the action states and their reference time.
The enlargement of the meanings of the English tenses is a cognitive process of cross-space mapping. In such a conceptual integration network, the source domain (correspondence between the tense and the time existing in nature) constructs one input space (genuine time space Ii), and the target domain (non-correspondence between the tense and the time existing in nature) constructs one input space (imaginary time space I2). The generic space abstracts the commonalities from the input spaces (time relations of "connection" of the present tense and time relations of "distance" of the past tense) and determines the content of the cross-space mapping. Then the nature of "time relations of connection" and "time relations of distance" are mapped
onto the fourth space--the blended space. Through composition,
completion and elaboration, the emergent structure is developed,
引文
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—. 1984. Aspect." An Introduction to the Study of Verbal Aspect and Related Problems. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Coulson, Seana. 2001. Semantic Leaps: Framing-shifting and Conceptual Blending in Meaning Construction. Cambridge University Press.
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—. 1997. Mappings in Thought and Language. Cambridge University Press.
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Binnick, Robert I. 1991. Time and the Verb: A Guide to Tense & Aspect. Oxford University Press. Brroe, Eva Ejerhed.
—. 1974. The Syntax and Semantics of English Tense Markers. Stockholm: Stockholm University Institute of Linguistics.
Comrie, Bernard. 1976. Tense. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
—. 1984. Aspect." An Introduction to the Study of Verbal Aspect and Related Problems. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Coulson, Seana. 2001. Semantic Leaps: Framing-shifting and Conceptual Blending in Meaning Construction. Cambridge University Press.
Curme, George O. Syntax. Boston, D.C: Heath And Company. 1931.
Declerk, Renaut. 1991. Tense in English: its structure and use in discourse. Word Publishing Corporation.
Fauconnier, G. 1985. Mental Spaces: Aspects of Meaning Construction in Natural Language. The MIT Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts. London, England.
—. 1997. Mappings in Thought and Language. Cambridge University Press.
Fauconnier, G & Eve Sweetser. 1996. Spaces, Worlds, and Grammar. The University of Chicago Press.
Fauconnier, G & M.Turner. 2002. The Way We Think: Conceptual Blending and the Mind's Hidden Complexities. Published by Basic Books.
Harder, Peter. 1996. Functional Semantics: A Theory of Meaning, Structure and Tense in English. Mouton de Gruyter. Berlin. New york.
Hopper, P. J. & E. C: Traugott. 1993. Grammaticalization. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Jespersen, Otto. 1951. The Philosophy of Grammar. London: George Allen & Unwin Ltd. Repr.
—.1931. A Modern English Grammar on Historical Principles. Part Ⅳ: Syntax. Vol. 3. London: George Allen & Unwin, and Copenhagen: Ejanar Munksgaard.
—.1933. Essentials of English Grammar: New York: Henry Holt And Company.
Joos, M. 1964. The English Verb: form and meaning. Madison: The University of Wisconsin Press.
Lakoff, George and Mark Johnson. 1980. Metaphors We Live By. The University of Chicago Press Ltd.
Langacker, R.W. 1987. Foundations of Cognitive Grammar, Vol. Ⅰ Theoretical Prerequisites. Stanford University Press.
Leech. G. 1983. Principles of Pragmatics. New York: Longman.
Leech, Geoffrey N. And Svartvik. 1974. A Communicative Grammar of English. Longman Group Limited.
Palmer, F. R. 1974. The English Verb. Longman Group Limited.
Poutsma, H. 1926. A Grammar of Late Modern English. P. Noordhoff Publisher Groningen.
Quirk, et al. 1985. A Comprehensive Grammar of the English Language. London: Longman.
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