Theme and Rheme 主位与述位

ThefourthclassThefirstperiod&thesecondperiodTheme/Rheme(主位、述位)TheconceptofTheme&RhemeAsweknow,intheprocessoftextproduction,theproducerscanonlychooseonesinglelexicalitemtoputitintothesentenceandthenorganizetheserespectivesentencesintoatext.Actually,whatthetheoryofthemeandrhemedescribesisjustaspeakerorwriterchoicemadeindependentlyofthepropositional(陈述的，主张的)contentofthemessage.Inotherwords,wecansayitisadecisionmadebyspeakerorwriteronhowtoorganizetheinformation,wheretostart,sotospeak,inpresentingthemessage.*TheconceptofthemeandrhemewasfirstputforwardbyMathesius(马泰休斯),oneofthefoundersofthePragueSchool(布拉格学派).1）Hispurposetoproposethemeandrhemelayinstudyingdifferentrolesplayedbydifferentelementsofsentencesinlanguagecommunication2）Hefoundthattheelementinthefrontoftheclauseplayedaspecialroleintheprocessofthecommunicationandthisspecialrolewastoserveasastartingpointforwhataspeakerorwriterwantstosay.3)Mathesiuscalledtheelementinthefrontoftheclause“theme”whiletherestpartoftheclause“rheme”.4)Hepointedoutthatthemegenerallyconveyedgiveninformationwhilerhemenew.ThePragueschool’stermsofthemeandrhemeareacceptedbythesystemic-functionalschool(系统功能学派).Now,let’slookatHalliday’sviewpointontheme&rheme.TheThemeistheelementwhichservesasthepointofdepartureofthemessage;itisthatwithwhichtheclauseisconcerned.Theremainderofthemessage,thepartinwhichthethemeisdeveloped,iscalledinPragueSchoolterminologytheRheme.Asamessagestructure,therefore,aclauseconsistsofathemeaccompaniedbyarheme;andthestructureisexpressedbytheorder-whateverischosenasthethemeisputfirst.---Halliday是从功能而不是从成分分布的角度对主位进行界定的。他认为：主位是信息（message）的起点（pointofdeparture），是小句所关心的成分（theelementwithwhichtheclauseisconcerned）。述位一般是句子的信息中心（informationfocus）所在，即句子所要表达的最重要的新信息。Accordingtothedegreeofthecomplexityofthethemeitself,Hallidaydividedthemesintothreecategories,say,simpletheme(单项主位),clausetheme(句项主位),andmultipletheme(复项主位).Simpletheme:referstothethemeofaclauseconsistingofjustonestructuralelement,withneitherinterpersonalnortextualtheme.Thestructuralelementcanberepresentedbynominalgroup,adverbialgrouporprepositionalgroup,whosenumbermaybeonlyoneormorethanone.----单项主位指的是那些只包含韩礼德所说的概念成分而不包括人际成分和语篇成分的主位。其表现形式为名词词组、副词词组或介词短语。e.g.(1)Themaninblack(T)laughedatme.(R)(2)Slowlyandquietly,(T)hepushedthewindowopen.(R)(3)Fromdoortodoor(T)hewendhisway.(R)2)Aclauseasthetheme:referstousingthemainclauseorsubordinateclausetoserveastheme.---句项主位指小句充当主位，传统语法所说的主从复合句中的主句和从句都可以成为主位。当主位由一个小句表示时，它本身内部又可含有主位述位结构。e.g.(1)Givethatteapotaway(T)//ifyoudon’tlikeit.(R)(2)Ifyoudon’tlikethatteapot(T)//giveitaway.(R)(3)Ifwinter(T)comes(R)(T)//canspringbefarbehind?(R)3）Amultipletheme:referstothethemeconsistingofnotonlystructuralelement,butalsotextualelementorinterpersonalelement.Ifallthesethreeelementsturnupinthesametheme,thesequenceofthethemeis,textualelement---interpersonalelement---structuralelement.----复项主位是由多种语义成分构成的主位，它具有内部结构，可以进一步划分为语篇主位（textualtheme）、人际主位（interpersonaltheme）、和话题主位（topicaltheme）（structuraltheme）。当三种主位同时并存时，其出现顺序为：语篇主位—人际主位—话题主位。---Textualthemeincludesthecontinuativeelements(连续成分)like:yes,no,well,oh,now;orthestructuralelements(结构成分)like:yet,so,evenif,however;ortheconjunctiveelements(连接成分)like:therefore,inotherwords,asfarasthatisconcerned.---Interpersonalthemeincludesthemodalelements(情态成分)like:certainly,tobefrank,broadlyspeaking;orthefiniteelements(一般疑问句中的限定成分)likedoes,do;orthevocativeelement(称呼成分)likeJohn,MrsJones,ladiesandgentlemen.---Structuralelementreferstothetopicalelement(主题成分),whichcanalsobecalledastopicaltheme(主题主位),anditisthelastcomponentofthemultipletheme.e.g.(1)Conversely(textual),possibly(interpersonal),females(topicaltheme)//feltmoreateaserespondingtoanon-specificfemaleaddress.(2)Ontheotherhand(textual)maybe(interpersonal)onaweekday(topicaltheme)//itwouldbelesscrowded.(3)Well(连接)but(结构)then(连接)(textual)Ann(称呼)surely(情态)wouldn’t(限定成分)(interpersonal)thebestidea(topicaltheme)//betojointhegroup?Besides,it’sworthyofpointingoutthat1)Interrogative:(1)Yes—Noe.g.Had(finite)+she(subject)(theme)//writtenabout…(2)wh-:wh-wordsserveasthetheme2)Imperative:predicatore.g.Don’t//touchthat.Pleasedon’t//touchthat.Write//itdown.3)Exclamative:Wh-word+complement;wh-word+adv.e.g.(1)Whatneatwriting//you’vegot!(2)Howsweetly//shesings!Conclusion:1)Now,wegettoknow,inEnglish,aclauseissupposedtoconsistoftwoelements.Oneistheme,theotherisrheme.2)Themeisimportantbecauseitiswhattheclauseisabout.Ontheonehand,itactsasthepointoforientationbyconnectingbacktopreviousstretchesoftextandhencemaintainingacoherentpointofview.Ontheotherhand,itactsasthepointofdeparturebyconnectingforwardandthuscontributingtothedevelopmentofthelatterstretches.3)Rhemeisalsoimportantbecauseitiswhatthespeakersaysaboutthetheme.Itistheimportantelementinthestructureofaclausebecauseitcarriestheverynewinformationthespeakerwantstoconveytothehearer.Besides,itfulfillsthecommunicativepurposeoftheutterance.*Thethird&thefourthperiod*Thematicprogression&Patternsofthematicprogression(主位推进与主位推进模式)ThematicProgression(1)Asweknow,everyisolatedclausewillhaveitsownth