摘要
As a long term goal,Cognitive Grammar envisages a unified account of linguistic structure,processing,and discourse.A key requirement is that it properly reflect the dynamicity of language,in all its aspects(including grammar).Consisting as it does in patterns of activity,language is something that happens: it unfolds through time,and how it does so is essential for its characterization.Language structure involves the complex interplay of serial and hierarchical organization.Linguistic theory has generally overemphasized the latter,as witnessed by the predominant role of grammatical constituency based on the metaphor of composition("building" a complex structure out of smaller "pieces").More promising for a unified treatment of structure,processing,and discourse is an alternative metaphor,in which a "moving window" of attention allows serial access to complex conceptions that are mostly already in place.Serial processing proceeds concurrently on different time scales,in windows of different duration.This provides a dynamic basis for hierarchical organization.Constituency arises when conceptions accessed in windows on one time scale figure in a distinct and more elaborate conception(with its own,emergent properties) accessed in a single window on a larger time scale.Based on the alternative metaphor,an approach is outlined that features serial access,windows of attention,levels of activation,and conceptual overlap.It is then applied,in exploratory fashion,to a number of grammatical phenomena.The "access-and-activation" approach directly accommodates reference point relationships,the basis for possessive and topic constructions.It lends itself quite well to the characterization of informational focus,marked in English by unreduced stress.The requisite descriptive notions are then extended and adapted for ellipsis,which has rather different properties.The same notions prove useful for handling problematic aspects of coordinate constructions.Finally,they provide a straightforward means of dealing with "zero-anaphora".The access-and-activation approach does not entail any modification of Cognitive Grammar.It simply makes explicit certain descriptive options afforded by its central claims.
As a long term goal, Cognitive Grammar envisages a unified account of linguistic structure, processing, and discourse. A key requirement is that it properly reflect the dynamicity of language, in all its aspects （ including grammar）. Consisting as it does in patterns of activity, language is something that happens： it unfolds through time, and how it does so is essential for its characterization. Language structure involves the complex interplay of serial and hierarchical organization. Linguistic theory has generally overemphasized the latter, as witnessed by the predominant role of granlmatical constituency based on the metaphor of composition （ ＂building＂ a complex structure out of smaller ＂pieces＂）. More promising for a unified treatment of structure, processing, and discourse is an alternative metaphor, in which a ＂moving window＂ of attention allows serial access to complex conceptions that are mostly already in place. Serial processing proceeds concurrently on different time scales, in windows of different duration. This provides a dynamic basis for hierarchical organization. Constituency arises when conceptions accessed in windows on one time scale figure in a distinct and more elaborate conception （with its own, emergent properties） accessed in a single window on a larger time scale. Based on the alternative metaphor, an approach is outlined that features serial access, windows of attention, levels of activation, and conceptual overlap. It is then applied, in exploratory fashion, to a number of grammatical phenomena. The ＂access-and-activation＂ approach directly accommodates reference point relationships, the basis for possessive and topic constructions. It lends itself quite well to the characterization of informational focus, marked in English by unreduced stress. The requisite descriptive notions are then extended and adapted for ellipsis, which has rather different properties. The same notions prove useful for handling problematic aspects of coordinate constructions. Finally, they provide a straightforward means of dealing with ＂zero-anaphora＂. The access-and-activation approach does not entail any modification of Cognitive Grammar. It simply makes explicit certain descriptive options afforded by its central claims.
出处
《外国语》
CSSCI
北大核心
2012年第1期2-25,共24页
Journal of Foreign Languages
