英汉词汇空缺的认知语言学研究_英语论文

A Cognitive-linguistic Study of English and Chinese Lexical Gaps

摘要

词汇空缺现象一二十年来一直受到语言学家关注，相关研究相继问世。为了从认知角度对词汇空缺做出研究，此篇文章将努力在认知语言学角度全面展示词汇空缺。

第一章作为词汇空缺的概述章节，也包括一些前人的研究分析。

在第二章中，对词汇空缺的定义的提出基于一些学者对词汇空缺的基本定义。基于克鲁斯及一些前人的研究，笔者对词汇空缺的发现程序和认知理据做出了一些研究。发现程序包括比例系列、层次结构以及对立词。而认知理据则包括心理突出、感知突出和典型性三点。笔者对发现程序和认知理据里的每一点都做了认真分析。

此篇文章中对词汇空缺做出的分类也是基于前人研究的基础之上。一种语言之内的也就是语内词汇空缺主要研究由克鲁斯提出的比例系列、层次结构以及对立词。两种语言之间，也就是语际词汇空缺主要根据具有独特文化的词与非等效文化的词来进行分类。

第五章是此文的结论部分。

关键词：词汇空缺； 发现程序； 认知理据

Abstract

Lexical gaps have engaged the attention of linguists in recent decades, and some research results in this field have been published. To gain comprehension of the lexical gaps from a cognitive view, the author tries to present an integrated picture of the lexical gaps in cognitive-linguistic perspective in this thesis.

The part of introduction serves as a general introduction of lexical gaps, including the existing research. 

In Part I , the definition was proposed on the basic of definitions of some scholars, including the research results of linguists at home and abroad in recent decades. In Part II, a new definition is proposed on the basis of the definition of some scholars. According to the study of Cruse, the author made a study of discovery procedure and cognitive motivation of lexical gaps. Discovery procedure includes proportional series, hierarchies, and opposites. Cognitive motivation includes psychological salience, perceptual salience, and typicality, and the author does careful research on every factor of discovery procedure and cognitive motivation.

The classification given in this thesis is also based on the previous study. The categorization of lexical gaps within one language is explored in proportional series, hierarchies, opposites proposed by Cruse. Lexical gaps between languages are classified in culturally-unique words and culturally-nonequivalent words or phrases.

The last part is the conclusion of this thesis.

Key words: lexical gaps; discovery procedure; cognitive motivation

Contents

Introduction..............................................................................................................1

1. Overview of Cognitive-linguistics and Lexical Gaps............................................2

  1.1The definition of lexical gaps...............................................................................3

1.1 The definition of inter-lingual lexical gaps.....................................................3 

1.2 The definition of intra-lingual lexical gaps.....................................................3 

  1.2Discovery procedure and cognitive motivation of lexical gaps............................3

    1.2.1Proportional series..........................................................................................3

    1.2.2Hierarchies.....................................................................................................5

    1.2.3Opposites........................................................................................................7

    1.2.4Psychological salience....................................................................................8

    1.2.5Perceptual salience.........................................................................................8

    1.2.6Typicality........................................................................................................9

2. Inter-lingual Lexical Gaps.....................................................................................10

  2.1The classification of inter-lingual lexical gaps....................................................10

    2.1.1Culturally-unique words...............................................................................10

    2.1.2Culturally-nonequivalent words/ phrases.....................................................10

  2.2Causes of inter-lingual lexical gaps.....................................................................11

    2.2.1Geographic locations....................................................................................11

    2.2.2Customs........................................................................................................12

    2.2.3Religion........................................................................................................12

  2.3Major filling-up methods in translation......................................................13

3. Intra-lingual Lexical Gaps.....................................................................................13

  3.1The concept of intra-lingual lexical gaps............................................................13

  3.2Causes of intra-lingual lexical gaps.....................................................................14

Conclusion...................................................................................................................14

References...................................................................................................................16