摘 要: Quirk等的虚拟语气或与祈使句或与陈述句的形式完全相同, 这显然有悖语言学对于语法范畴是某种语法意义和表达这种意义的形式这两者的统一体的基本理论。通过语法化理论的略论, Quirk 等的be 型虚拟语气实质上是祈使句的变体。过去时的本质特性是距离性, 包括时间距离、与真实性的距离。Quirk 等were 型虚拟语气实质为过去式表与真实性方面的距离, Quirk等的“虚拟语气”不存在。
关键词: 虚拟语气; 语法化; 距离性;
Abstract: The verb forms of Quirkspsubjunctive are the same with the imperative or the declarative , which violate the basic rulesof the
linguistics that Grammatical category is the unityof a grammatical sense and its verbforms. By the analysisof grammaticalization , Quirkspbe
- subjunctive is substantially the variation of the imperative. The essence of past tense is the remoteness , remote in time or in reality.
Quirkspwere - subjunctive is the past tense actually- the remote tense in reality, Quirksp“subjunctive mood”does not exist.
Key words: subjunctive mood; grammaticalization; remoteness
一、 引言
Quirk等[1] §3116 在A Grammar of Contemporary English 中指出: “The subjunctive is not an important category in contemporary
English and is normally replaced by other constructions.”1985 年,Quirk 等[2](P155)在 A Comprehensive Grammar of the EnglishLanguage 中又重新对虚拟语气作出评价, 他用极为谨慎、严谨的措辞写道:“The subjunctive in modern English is generally an
optional and stylistically somewhat marked variant of other
constructions, but it is not so unimportant as is sometimes
suggested.”从“not an important category”到“not so unimportant
as is sometimes suggested”, 这种认识上的前后矛盾, 语焉不详表明Quirk等似乎也难以把握虚拟语气。语言学告诉我们某种语法意义和表达这种意义的形式这两者的统一是构成某一语法范畴的根本要素; 语法范畴必须包括两个 (或者更多)相互处于对立联系的同类语法意义; 相同语法形式不能表示
两个或两个以上处于对立联系的同类语法意义。根据语言学的基本理论, Palmer[3](P48)、易仲良[4](P72 - 88)等认为英语动词根本就没有虚拟语气语法范畴: “…the notion of a subjunctive
mood is a simple transfer from Latin and has no place in English grammar.”本文从历时探讨和共时探讨出发, 通过解读Quirk等的虚拟语气理论, 探讨所谓虚拟语气的语法化现象, 研讨虚拟语气的实质, 从而否定虚拟语气语法范畴。
二、解读Quirk等的虚拟语气
Quirk等将传统语法中与所谓陈述语气的过去时态、过去完成体及含过去时情态助动词之短语同形的所谓虚拟语气统统剔除, 认为那些属于时态范畴或情态语法范畴, 只留下“两型三式”。“两型”即传统上认为的“现在虚拟语气”(be型) 和“过去虚拟语气”(were 型) ; “三式”指的是“现在
虚拟语气”中的“命令性虚拟语气”和“成语性虚拟语气”,再加上“were 型”虚拟语气。[1] §3116如下图所示:Subjunctive present mandative formulaic were - subjunctive
11命令性虚拟语气和间接祈使命令性虚拟语气 (mandative subjunctive) 是Quirk 等的在虚拟语气两大类中的一类, 它仅有一种形式, 即原形(V) , 这就是说在主语和第三人称单数现在时的限定性动词之间, 没有通常应有的一致性, 也就是说现在时和过去时不分。这种虚拟的用法是广泛的, 如果主句含有推荐、决定、要求和惊奇等词 (We demand , require , move , insist , suggest ,
ask , etc. that …) 的话, that - 从属分句中的任何动词就都能用虚拟语气。[1] §3116如:
(1) Our decision is that the school remain closed.
(2) It is necessary that every member inform himself of these rules.(3) There was a suggestion that Brown be dropped from the
team.
(4) We ask that the individual citizen watch closely any
developments in this matter.Jespersen[5](P161)称: 在这种由that 引导的主语、宾语、表
语、同位语四种名词分句中, “祈使句被作为直接引语完整的保存下来, …讲话人觉得这里的be 型虚拟式是未经转变的指未来的祈使语气”。Quirk 等[2] §14133也指出: 所有主要句子类型皆可变为间接引语, 而在转型后的间接祈使句中, 并无时态之后移。如果我们将这些命令性虚拟语气的深层语义和形式与祈使句作一对比, 便可发现二者有着十分密切的关系。如:
(5) “Do it right away.”I insistently said (to John) .
(6) I insisted that John do it right away.
(7) “Have another apple ,”Caral suggested (to me) .
(8) Caral suggested that I have another apple.
例 (5) 、(7) 属于隐主语型祈使句, 其主语是交际双方中的受话者you , 谓语动词为意指未来的一般现在时第二人称的形式。[6]
Quirk 等[2](P828)
说过: “It is intuitively clear that the meaning of a directive implies that the omitted subject is the 2nd
person pronoun you.”易仲良教授[4](P45)也撰文指出: 祈使句式
的主语无论隐没不现, 还是使用外现, 使用时不管是you 或是貌似第三人称的不定代词或名词词组, 都是受话者, 其谓语动词形式是限定动词现在时的第二人称形式。例 (6) 、(8) Quirk等称之为命令性虚拟语气。而我们的看法却不，英语论文范文，英语论文 |
