基于语料库的英语经济新闻语篇中的语义韵对比研究_英语论文

A Corpus-based Contrastive Study of the Semantic Prosody of the “Cause” Verbs in English Economic News

摘要

近年来，语义韵的研究越来越受到语言学届的重视，在字典编撰、翻译、语言的教学等领域中得到了广泛的应用。然而很少有人注意到英语经济新闻语篇中语义韵及类联接的运用，国内外对英语经济新闻语篇中的语义韵及类联接的研究也很少。

本文采取基于语料库的方法，考察导致类动词在英语经济新闻语篇中的语义韵。目的在于分析导致类动词在英语经济新闻语篇中的搭配及类联接特点并揭示它们的语义韵。

基于对自建语料对导致类的三个典型词“cause”, “lead to” and “result in”的分析，我发现了导致类动词的语义韵。 在本研究中选择的第一个导致类动词是“cause”。 “cause”是英语经济新闻中最广泛使用的。 首先，常常会出现诸如问题，伤害等等的负面含义。 因此，可以得出结论，大多数“cause”具有负面的语义韵。 本研究中选择的第二个导致类动词是“lead to”。 相关的频繁搭配是活动，事件，社会问题等。 因此，可以得出结论，“lead to”一般携带中性语义韵。 在本研究中选择的第三个导致类动词是“result in”。 相关的频繁搭配是政治，经济，研究等。 因此，可以得出结论，一般来说，“result in”具有中性语义韵。

关键词：语料库；英语经济新闻；导致类动词；语义韵

Abstract

In recent years, semantic prosody has been paid more and more attention in such fields as dictionary compilation, translation and language teaching. However, few people have noticed the use of semantic prosody in English economic news and fewer studies than expected on semantic prosody are made at home and abroad.

This paper takes a corpus-based approach to examine the semantic prosody of causative verbs in English economic news by analyzing collocations and colligations of causative verbs in a bid to reveal their semantic prosody.

Based on the analysis of the three typical words including “cause”, “lead to” and “result in” in the self-built corpus, semantic prosody of the causative verbs is identified. The first causative verb as node word chosen in this study is “cause”. “Cause” is the most widely used in English economic news. First of all, “cause” often with the negative meaning of the words such as problem(s), harm and so on. Therefore, it can be concluded that “cause” carried negative semantic prosody in most. The second causative verb as node word chosen in this study is “lead to”. The frequent collocates associated are activities, events, social issues and so on. Therefore, it can be concluded that “lead to” carried neutral semantic prosody in general. The third causative verb as node word chosen in this study is “result in”. The frequent collocates associated are politics, economics, researches and so on. Therefore, it can be concluded that “result in” carried neutral semantic prosody in general.

Key Words: Corpus; English economic news; Causative verbs; Semantic prosody

Contents

Acknowledgments                             ⅰ

Abstract & Key words in English                       ⅱ

Abstract & Key words in Chinese                      ⅲ

Introduction                                 1

1. A literature review                              1

1.1 An introduction of semantic prosody                   .1

1.1.1 The definition of semantic prosody                 . 2

1.1.2 The classification of semantic prosody               3

 1.1.3 The functions of semantic prosody                 . 3

1.2 Collocation and colligation                       . 4

   1.2.1 The definition of collocation and colligation            . 4

   1.2.2 The classification of collocation and colligation           . 5

2. Methodology                                .6

2.1 Data collection                             6

2.2 Data analysis                             7

3. Analysis and discussion                           . 8

3.1 Analysis of the contrastive high-frequency “cause” verbs         8

3.1.1 The semantic prosody of “cause”              . 8

3.1.2 The semantic prosody of “lead to”                .13

 3.1.3 The semantic prosody of “result in”                . 17

Conclusion                                 21  

References                                 .26