英语教材 应用文体学-Chapter III 文体学(1).ppt

,ChapterIIIStylisticMeaningsofEnglishWords,I.Bystylisticmeaning,Englishwordscanbeclassifiedintothefollowing5types:,1.Commonwords:Commonorpopularwordsarewordsconnectedwiththeordinarythingsoractivitiesnecessarytoeverydaylife.ThegreatmajorityofEnglishwordsarecommonwords.Thecoreofcommonwordsisthebasicwordstock(whichismadeupofnativeEnglishwords).Theyarestylisticallyneutral,andthereforetheyareappropriateinbothformalandinformalwritingandspeech.,Takethefollowingsentenceforexample,“Therepeatedtelephonecallsonlyannoyedmebutmademysisterveryangry.”,Allthewordsinthesentencearecommonwords,andsothissentencecouldbeusedinbothspeechandwriting,andonformalandinformaloccasions.,2.Literarywords:Literarywordsarechieflyusedinwriting,especiallyinbookswritteninamoreelevatedstyle,inofficialdocuments,orinformalspeeches.Theyarecomparativelyseldomusedinordinaryconversation.,JustasFowlerpointsout:“aministeroftheCrownmayforeseetheadvantageofhispolicyandoutlineittohiscolleaguesbutinpresentingittoParliamenthemayvisualizethefirstandadumbratethesecond.”,Thecommonwordsforeseeandoutlineareappropriatewhenoneistalkingorwritingtoonescolleagues,buttheliterarywordsvisualizeandadumbrateareusedinsteadonaformaloccasion,Likewise,letuscomparethefollowingtwosentences:1)Feelingfatigued,Tomretiredearly.2)Tomwenttobedearlybecausehefelttired.,InEnglishmostoftheliterarywordsareofFrench,LatinorGreekorigin.Manyofthemhavetheireverydaysynonyms:albeit/although,cast/throw,edifice/building,endeavor/try,locate/find,matrimony/marriage,purchase/buy,expectorate/spit,corpulent(Latin)/fat,valorous(Latin)/brave,concourse(F)/crowd,costume(F)/get-up,commence(F)/begin,vivacious(Latin)/lively,Apprisemeoftheresultofyourdeliberation.(Pleasetellmeyourdecision).,Amongtheliterarywords,twocategoriesarenoteworthy:,(a)Archaicwords（archaisms）:Archaicwordsarewordsnolongerincommonuse,althoughretainedforspecialpurpose.Theyaresometimesemployedinpoetry,businessletters,legaldocuments,religiousspeeches,andprose:,abed/inbed,behold/see,belike/probably,natheless/nevertheless,perchance/bychance,quote/say.，,Suchwords,oncethestandardvocabularyofgreatauthors,occurinolderEnglishliterature,asin:“Todie,tosleep;Tosleep:perchancetodream.”(fromWilliamShakespeare:Hamlet),Archaicwords,markedarch.,shouldnotbeconfusedwithobsoletewords,whicharecompletelyoutofuse.Wordsenteralanguageinresponsetoaneed;theydisappearwhentheyarenolongerneeded.Theirlivesdependonthedegreeoftheirusefulnessforthelanguage.Countlessancientobjects,institutions,organizations,ortechniqueshavedisappearedfromsociallifewiththeadvanceofcivilization,andsotheirnameshavedroppedoutofthelanguage.,法律英语中使用的古词语显而易见。D.Crystal和D.Davy说得好：“任何一段法律英语都充满某种古词语，只有律师们才会使用它们.”hereat:becauseofthis由是/因此;hereof:ofthis,concerningthis关于这个;hereon:uponthisthing,subject关于这个,etc;therefrom:fromthatorthere;thereon:uponthatthing,point,subject;wherein:intowhatplace;whereof:ofwhatorwhichpersonorthing关于那事/那人,在新闻报道中古词语偶尔也会出现，因为生疏的词往往比熟悉的词更能引人注目：HisambitiouswifegrowsbitteranddecidesthatthefastwayupHongkongssocialladderistosleepwiththeboss.That-andtheaccidentaldeathofhisbelovedsonprovethelaststrawforhim:heabruptlyembarksonamad,murderousrampage(暴跳如雷，横冲直撞)thatthepoliceseemwell-nighhelplesstostop.（Asiaweek,November20,19801）Thattraditionisbeginningtofade,albeitslowly,asJapanswomenbecomemoreassertive（武断）.(Time,March2,1970),(b)Poeticalwords:Poeticalwords,markedpoet,arewordsthataretraditionallyusedinpoetry:array/outfit/dress,thedeep/sea,steed/horse,morn/morning,eve/evening,aught/anything,well-nigh/almostire/anger,bliss/happiness,oft/often,woe/sorrow,mere/pond/lake,Somewordsarebothpoeticalandarchaic.Themostcommonpoeticalarchaicwordsarefoundinpronominalforms:e.g.,thouandtheeforthesecondpersonsingular,yeforthesecondpersonplural,thyandthineforthepossessiveyourandyours.Othercommonpoeticalarchaicwordsare:aught/anything,betwixt/between,naught/nothing,main/mainland,vale/valley,yon/overthere,Belowaretwopoemsusingpoeticwords:,WhenIamdead,mydearest,Singnosadsongsforme;Plantthounorosesatmyhead,Norshadycypresstree:BethegreengrassabovemeWithshowersanddewdropswet;Andifthouwilt,remember,Andifthouwilt,forget.(C.G.Rossetti,Song:WhenIAmdead”),Beholdher,singleinthefield,YonsolitaryHighlandlass!Reapingandsingingbyherself;Stophere,orgentlypass!Aloneshecutsandbindsthegrain,Andsingsamelancholystrain(曲调/乐曲);Olisten!ForthevaleprofoundIsoverflowingwithsound.(W.Wordsworth:TheSolitaryReaper,thefirststanza),3.Colloquialwords:Incontrastwithliterarywords,colloquialwordsorexpressionsareusedmainlyinspokenEnglish,asinconversationamongfriendsandcolleagues.Theycanalsobeusedininformalwritings,butareinappropriateinformalspeechesorwritings,orinconversationwithapersonwhomonedoesnotknowwellorwhoisonessuperior.Theyaremarkedcolloq.orinfml(informal)indictionaries.,Thefollowingtwopairsofsentencesillustratethedifferencebetweenliteraryandcolloquialwords,andthatbetweencommonandcolloquialwords:1)Feelingfatigued,Tomretiredearly.2)Tomfeltsodog-tired,sohehitthesackearly.3)Johnwasdismissedforpettythieving.4)Johnwasfiredforpettythieving.,如果在日常生活中使用书面语交谈，那就显得极不得体，令人啼笑皆非。例如：一个年轻女子从学校归来，对一位老妇讲如何吸吮鸡蛋：Takeanegg,andmakeaperforation（穿孔）inthebaseandacorrespondingoneintheapex（顶点）,thenapplythelipstotheaperture（孔/缝隙）,andbyforciblyinhalingthebreaththeshellisentirelydischargedofitscontents.(故弄玄虚，矫揉造作)听罢这话，老妇说到：WhenIwasagal,theymadeaholeineachendandsucked.,Theuseofliterarywordsinordinaryconversationusuallyhasapretentiousorjocularring:DonotopentheportalHaveyouperusedthepaperthismorning?,A.G.Gardiner曾对日常生活中的一次对话作过如下的描写：Iwascuttingdownthenettles(荨麻)bythehedge(树篱)withabillhook(钩刀）whenasmallmanwithspectacles,astrawhat,awhitealpaca（羊驼毛）jacket,andabookunderhisarmcameup,stooped,andlookedon.Isaid“Goodevening”,andhesaid“Goodevening”.Thenpointingtomyhandiwork(whatIwasdoing),heremarked:“Youfindthenettlesverydifficulttoeradicate（根除）?”IsaidIfoundthemhardtokeepdown.“Theydisseminate（传播)themselvesmostluxuriantly（茂盛地）,”hesaid.Irepliedthattheyspreadlikethedickens（麼鬼）.,“Buttheyhavetheirutilityintheeconomy(组织/系统)ofnature,”hesaid.IrepliedthatNaturewaswelcometothemasfarasIwasconcerned.Hethenremarkedthatitwasmostsalubrious（healthful）weather,andIagreedthatithadbeenafineday.Buthewasafraid,hesaid,thatthearidity(贫瘠)oftheseasonwasdeleterious（有害的）tothecrops,andIrepliedthatmypotatoesweredoingbadly.Afterthat,Ithink,itoccurredtohimthatwedidnotspeakthesamelanguage,andwithanother“Goodevening”hepassedonandIreturnedtotheattackonthenettles.,granny,daddy,fatty,doggy,birdie,lassietoasty,goosey（呆头呆脑的）,edgy(irritable),bossy,juicy(津津有味的）,christmasy，brainy(clever),spoon（笨蛋）,hedgehog/hardnut（难对付的人）,jay（爱唠叨的人）,half-baked（肤浅的，无见识的）,4.Slangwords:SlangisdefinedintheSCD(StandardCollegeDictionary)as“language,wordsorphrasesofavigorous(forceful),colorful,facetious(funny),ortaboonature,inventedforspecificoccasions,oruses,orderivedfromtheunconventionaluseofthestandardvocabulary.”,Whenwedistinguishbetweencolloquialandslangwords,thereis,ofcourseoverlap;thatistosay,itisunusualtofindslangoutsidecolloquialspeech.Yetdescribingausageas“colloquial”meansonlythatittendsnottobeusedonformaloccasions,thoughitisperfectlypoliteandacceptableininformalconversation.Aslangusage,ontheotherhand,isnotgenerallyusedininformalconversationunlessthespeakersareonintimateterms;slangembracesthosedaringandnewexpressionsthathavenotbeenacceptedbythemajorityofpeopleasstandardEnglish.,Thechiefreasonfortheformationanduseofslangexpressionsistosecurefreshnessandnovelty,suchasbuzz“telephonecall”,knockout“anoutstandingorirresistiblepersonorthing”,nuthouse“mentalhospital”andtoplayhookey“toplaytruant”:.Someslangwordsasspiel“speechesp.gliborpersuasiveone”(COD)orhoopla“pretentiousnonsense”haveaparticularvividqualityasin:,“Herecomeselectionyear.Herecomesthehopefuls(有希望被选上的人),theconventions,thecandidates,thespiels,thepostures,thepressrelease,andtheTVperformances.Herecomestheyearofthehoopla.”,Beingvividandexpressive,slangisverypopularandnewexpressionskeepcroppingup.Buttoachievenovelty,slanghastobeconstantlyrenewed.Assoonastheirnoveltyhaswornoff,slangexpressionstendtopassoutofuse.,However,slangcanbecome“respectable”,too,andachievealastingplaceinthevocabularyofstandardEnglish.Forinstance,someslangexpressionshaverisentotherankofcolloquialisms,e.g.flunk,nineteenthcenturycollegeslang,hasbecomeacolloquialword.Expressionssuchascutitout住嘴,standsomebodyup不守约会/婚约andpussyfoot观望态度,whicharementionedasslanginthe1957editionofA.CBaughsAHistoryoftheEnglishLanguage,arenowlabeledascolloquialismsinpresent-daydictionaries.,有些slangexpressions能经受时间的考验，终于成为普通词语，例如：VIP,highbrow（自以为有高度文化修养的人）/lowbrow,killjoy（扫兴的人），chap/guy,booze（痛饮）,byhookorcrook（不择手段地）,Still,itiswisefornon-nativelearnersofEnglishtorememberthat“slangvocabularyisnotpopularverylongandthatsuchwordsshouldonlybeusedifoneissurethattheyarenotdated,thattheywillsoundquitenaturalwhenused,andthattheywillnotcauseoffence.”,Slangexpressionsusedatuniversities:1)Hesjustabooker(Hestudiestoohard)2)Thosegirlsliketogogrub(Thosegirlsliketowearoldclothes)3)Yourenuts(Youreinsane).4)Youreoutofyourtree(Youreoutofyourmind)5)Watchit!Youmightrattlethetroops.(Dontupsetyourparents),5.Technicalwords:Technicalorspecialwordsrefertothosewordsusedinvariousspecialfields.Everybranchofscience,everyprofessionortrade,everyartandeverysortofsportshasitsowntechnicalterms.,ThefunctionofthesetechnicalwordsispartlytodenotethingsorprocesseswhichhavenonamesinordinaryEnglish,andpartlytoincreaseprecisioninnomenclature术语.Technicalwordslikeelectronorpsychoananlysishaveonespecificmeaningonly,andthereforewillnevercauseambiguityorconfusiononthepartoftheirlisteners(technicallyorientedlisteners).MostofthesetechnicaltermsareLatinorGreekinorigininfact,theyarepartofliterarywords.TheyareevenusedineverydayEnglishconversationwhenspecialistsaretalkingabouttheirspecialsubjects.,Theuseoftechnicaltermssavestime,foritismuchmoreeconomicalt