句法修辞偏离操作

修辞的实质就是“最有效地运用语言以期更充分透彻、鲜明地表情达意的一种艺术”,也就是说修辞的目的就是为了生动有效地表达思想、传情达意。修辞操作就是“为了达到事实上的修辞效果,语言使用者需要对语言进行一系列的操作。这种操作不改变言语的意义,只是让语言的语义发生偏离,加以形态变异,调换语言成分的位置;或者改变话语的结构,调整话语的顺序,使用有特殊语篇修辞效果的技巧,等等”。丛莱庭教授将修辞操作分成宏观修辞操作和微观修辞操作。前者是指某些修辞学家(如《修辞图说谱》的作者)用以展开段落、构建语篇的较大范围的谋篇操作,即组句成篇;后者主要是指语言成分的增减、换位等修辞操作,即遣词造句。本章节主要讨论句子层面的微观操作。与前面讨论的句法不同的是,修辞操作并不讨论其句法的合法性或者说可接受性,而是讨论如何在句子层面提高语言的表达能力,达到表情达意的目的。

句法修辞操作包括两个内容:一是负偏离操作,二是正偏离操作。句法负偏离是指不合句法规则且造成理解障碍的现象。句法修辞正偏离操作是指通过对句子成分的增减、替换、换位等操作手段,创造积极的修辞效果的操作。

偏离的目的就是为了更好地表情达意,有效地表达作者的思想。一种意思通常只有一种最佳的表达方式,修辞操作的目的就是为了找到这种最佳的表达方式。通常来说我们可以通过添加操作、抑减操作、替换操作、换位操作、离合操作等五种方式来实现修辞的目的。

7．4．1 添加操作

我们首先来看添加操作,所谓添加操作就是通过加词的方法来提高语言的表现力,增强语言的美感。

例如,根据语境的需要我们可以把“The qualities of our living have gone from bad to worse．”改成:“There is no denying that the qualities of our living have gone from bad to worse．”这样我们就可以把一个普通的简单句通过增加“There is no denying that”改笔成带宾语从句的主从复合句。原句虽然没有任何语法错误,但是通过改笔之后的句子明显能够表达肯定的修辞意图。

“所谓添加操作就是通过加词的方法来提高语言的表现力,增强语言的美感,例如增加限定成分,丰富描述信息或利用词汇复义现象增强语气等”。

1)添加后置修饰语:介词词组

Many years passed．

→Many years passed in a flash

这句通过添加一个介词短语作状语,得到“Many years passed in a flash．”。这样就生动地描写了光阴似箭的心理感觉。

2)添加动词

It is a small city with industrial estate．

→It is a small city featuring with industrial estate．

Featuring在这里突出了以房地产业为主的城市特征。

3)重复语义

Now,he is dead．→Now,he is dead and gone．

andgone属于意义上的冗余重复,包含了缅怀之意。

4)增加小句

A poor little girl was still wandering about the streets．

→A poor little girl,with bare head and feet,was still wandering about the streets．

此句通过添加一个介词短语作后置修饰语得到“A poor little girl,with bare head and feet,was still wandering about the streets”。这样一个衣衫单薄的可怜女孩的形象跃然纸上,无不让读者升起一种怜悯之心。

5)添加形式主语成分

Knowledge plays an important role in our life．

→It is conceivable that knowledge plays an important role in our life．

“Itisconceivablethat”突出了作者要表达的修辞意图。

6)添加副词

I kept those pictures for any other children who might be interested．

→I kept those pictures for any other children out there who might be interested．

此句通过添加“out there”表达了随时与人分享图片的愿望

7)添加后置形容词修饰语

Last semester,my classmates and I went to the key cultural relics protection site of Dongguan,Keyuan garden．

→Last semester,my classmates and I went to the key cultural relics protection site of Dongguan,Keyuan garden,characteristic of Southern architectural style of Qing dynasty．

这句通过添加“characteristic of Southern architectural style of Qing dynasty”传达了具体的、丰富的旅游胜地的信息。

7．4．2 抵减操作

有时候并不是从句越多句子越长,就越具有表现力,相反,短小的简单句更能体现作者的意图,打动读者。例如我们可以把“He snarled:‘Go out of my room!’”改成“He snarled:‘Out!’”。后面一个单词“Out!”比起前面的四个单词“Go out of my room!”更能够体现一个人的愤怒情绪。这种减词的修辞操作手法,我们称之为抑减操作。所谓抵减操作是指“删除冗余或与表意无关的成分,利用词的转义、搭配的隐含义、信息量大的词、分词的功能等抑减重复或冗余的信息,以达到对信息的优化选择”。

1)删除重复信息

Last but not least,travelling in Fujian broadened my mind and made me narrow-minded．

→Last but not least,travelling in Fujian broadened my mind．

2)删除冗余成分

In my town or some big cities in Guangdong province,road is made to wide and lots of trees and plants will be planted in both sides of the road．

→In my town or some big cities in Guangdong province,road is wide with lots of trees lined on both sides of the road．

3)利用分词,将复合句或复杂句转为简单句。

Wuyuan is a place in China and are frequently traveled by visitors

→Wuyuan is a much traveled place of China．

4)利用介词优势

There is no rule but has exceptions．

→There is no rule without exceptions．

5)利用词的转义

He left with a flag on his shoulder．

→He shouldered a flag and left．

6)利用搭配的隐含义

She smiles to show her thanks．

→She smiles her thanks．

7)利用信息量大的词或词组

He goes home as fast as he can in spited of the difficulties．

→He made the best of his way home．

7．4．3 替换操作

更多的时候我们会使用替换操作来增加语句的表现力。所谓替换操作就是选用更有表现力的词或者短语来替代原来的词或短语,使得语句更加生动。试比较下面两句话

I lived in a dream that I would be enrolled by Qinhua University,and my father told me not to be too optimistic before I got admission．

I lived in a dream that I would be enrolled by Qinhua University,and my father told me not to count my chickens before they were hatched．

后一句中将谚语“nottocountchickensbeforetheywerehatched”替换了原来的“nottobetoooptimisticbefore Igotadmission”,两者相比,后者不仅表达生动优美,而且还达到了传播文化的目的。

1)助动词替换前指动词

I call myself workaholic,as my friends call me,but you,my honey,why not call worklover．

→I call myself workaholic,as my friends do,but you,my honey,why not call me worklover．

2)肯定句式替换否定句式

I cannot convey my meaning．

→Words fail to convey my meaning．

The learning environment is bad．

→The learning environment leaves much to be desired．

3)辞格替换

I told my mother that I would be enrolled by Beijing Foreign Language University,and my mother told me not to be too optimistic before I got admission．

→I told my mother that I would be enrolled by Beijing Foreign Language University,and my mother told me not to count my chickens before they we were hatched．

4)委婉语替换

He always lied．

→He always distorted the fact．

5)语体替换

I'd like to say thanks to my tutor,Prof．Yang,who direct me into the study and give me a lot of help．

→I have eternal gratitude to Professor Yang,my tutor,who has initiated me into my research on empirical studies and offered her generous guidance and professional help,for her inestimable help and valuable instruction．

“助动词替换前指动词”,有效地避免了重复;“肯定句式替换否定句式”,以偏离常规的形式产生了一定的修辞效果;“辞格替换”,不但表达优美,而且达到了弘扬古典文化的目的,因为辞格或谚语有着丰富的文化背景;“委婉语替换”和“语体替换”使得表达更加得体,符合语言的交际功能。

我们再来看换位操作。有时候增词、减词、替换等修辞操作方法并不能达到理想的修辞目的,这时候我们就要想到换位操作。“所谓换位,就是位置或顺序关系的变换”。换位操作是属于实体关系的偏离。换位操作往往可以改变原来解码的视角和方法,从而在读者的大脑里面留下和原来不一样的意象图示。例如,我们可以把主格换成宾格,从而使动作的受动者变成施动者,这样就改变了解码的切入点,从而收到很好的修辞效果。试看以下各组例句:

A1:His work is highly praised．

A2:His work is beyond all praise．

B1:The environment wasn't polluted under our careful protection．

B2:The environment was free from pollution．

C1:He was too fearful to move．

C2:Fear rooted him to the ground．

在A1中,“hiswork”是动作的受动者,A2中“hiswork”变成了动作的施动者,被赋予了主动的色彩,有了拟人的味道,从而增强了语句的表现力,而且修饰词“all”,要比“highly”表示程度更高,A2比A1能够给读者留下更深刻的印象,取得更好的表达效果。同理我们也可以看出B2比B1要生动,C2比C1要富有表象能力。

最后我们再讨论以下离合修辞操作。离合操作,顾名思义就是把长句通过意义重新整合的方法变成更有表现力的短句。与抑减操作不同的是,离合往往注重意义的整合,还不仅仅是词语的增减。如:

D1:He goes home as fast as he can in spite of the difficulties．

D2:He made the best of his way home．

E1:He professed that he was satisfied with it．

E2:He professed himself satisfied．

F1:I came to realize that if I behaved that way,I would not win her heart．

F2:Behavior like that would not recommend me．

G1:She couldn't make herself heard since the classroom is very noisy．

G2:She couldn't make herself heard above the noise of the classroom．

改笔后的D2、E2、F2和G2,在形式上比原来的D1、E1、F1和G1更加简练,表意上更具效果。但是并不是通过删减单词的方法来达到效果的,而是在整合重组通过改变句式和表达方式来达到效果的。

7．4．4 换位操作

“所谓换位,就是位置或顺序关系的变换”“换位操作是属于实体关系的偏离。换位操作往往可以改变原来解码的视角和方法,从而在读者的大脑里面留下和原来不一样的意象图示,并从各个角度创造修辞效果”。倒装句是典型的换位操作的结果。“离合操作,顾名思义就是把几个相关的句子,按照一定的逻辑关系整合起来的操作,或将长句通过意义重新整合的方法变成更有表现力的短句。与抑减操作不同的是,离合往往注重于意义的整合,还不仅仅是词语的增减”。

1)表语前置

Although he is clever,he still cannot find a way out．

→Clever as he is,he still cannot find a way out．

表语clever前置,起到了强调的修辞效果。

2)状语前置

The hero came in,confidence was on their faces．

→The hero came in,on his faces was confidence．

状语onhisfaces前置,拉近了Thehero和其指称his的距离,保持前后指称紧凑。

The boy rushed out．

→Out rushed a boy．

状语out前置,使得对男孩如虎冲出的形象更加生动,增加语言表达效果。

3)定语后置

The days to fight by torchlight have gone．

→The days have gone to fight by torchlight．

定语tofightbytorchlight较长,后置可以保持句子内部平衡。

4)补语前置

Click,click,click,came the bell from the clock．

→The bell came click,click,click,from the clock．

补语click,click,click前置,通过重复拟声,先声夺势,渲染气氛,突出表现了一种静得可怕的氛围。

换位操作是英语中的一个重要修辞手段。它不但能使表达更加生动有力,而且丰富了篇章句式手段。因此,掌握换位操作,不仅会提高我们对英语语言的欣赏能力,对英语表达能力的提高也将大有裨益。

7．4．5 离合操作

“离合操作,顾名思义就是把几个相关的句子,按照一定的逻辑关系整合起来的操作,或将长句通过意义重新整合的方法变成更有表现力的短句。与抑减操作不同的是,离合往往注重于意义的整合,还不仅仅是词语的增减”,离合操作可以实现句子的结构平衡,增强语义表达,明确句子结构,突出重要信息等等,具体如下:

1)整合以实现句子结构的平衡,如下例:

English is so important that our school give the most emphasis on it．

→English is so important that is given first place in our school．

2)整合以实现意义的增值。如第一例,整合后的句子形成了对比意义。第

二例整合后的句子形成了条件关系。第三例整合后的句子展示了一幅风景画。

①He is lazy．

His sister is diligent．

→He is lazy while his sister is diligent．

②Study harder．

You will get the full mark．

→Study harder and you will get the full mark．

③The grass is green．The flower is blooming．The landscape seems vibrant．

→The green grass and the blooming flower form a vibrant landscape．

3)分隔以使句子结构明朗。

You can't wait and you should leave now．

→You can't wait,in other words,you should leave now．

此例通过用一个插入语将语义重复的小句进行分隔,插入语在这里起了一个信号的作用,告诉读者后一小句可暂时不看,因为不会影响话语理解。

There's no denying that Fujian is a tourist attraction for many people,such as Qing Yuan Mountain,Wu Yi Mountain,Qing Yun Mountain,Gu Lang Yu and so on．

→There's no denying that Fujian is a tourist attraction for many people, famous for its natural beauty,such as Qing Yuan Mountain,Wu Yi Mountain, Qing Yun Mountain,Gu Lang Yu and so on．

此例通过一个插入语,突出了“naturalbeauty”这一信息。

总之,句法修辞偏离操作就是让学习者在掌握基本句法规则的基础上,进行有限度的偏离。具体来说,就是在保证符合基本语法规则的基础上,创造出一些新颖的表达方式,以增强语言的表达能力,达到正偏离的修辞效果。从零度偏离理论的视角来看,句法修辞操作就是零度句法基础上实现正偏离的主要修辞方法和手段。目的在于增强文章的表达效果,拓展句子的表意功能。