《生而解析》一书的作者David W.Lightfoot是美国乔治敦大学(Georgetown University)语言学系教授,他的主要研究领域为历时句法和语言习得理论.该书是Lightfoot教授结合历时句法探讨儿童语言习得的又一力作.作者提出,儿童先天就具有解析(parse)语言的能力,为外部语言(External language)赋予语言结构,在不断发现和选择语言结构的过程中,逐步形成成熟的内部语言(Internal language).除序言外,全书共六章,下面逐章介绍,并作简要评述.

本文在形式句法理论框架下,从英汉对比视角探讨现代汉语选择疑问句的句法特性,论证“A-not-A疑问句”和“正反疑问句”作为选择疑问句的合理性,分析现代汉语选择疑问句在析取表达上的特殊性.此外,本文还为现代汉语是非疑问句作为一个独立的疑问句类型提供了相应的形式句法理论支持.

本研究在形式句法框架下探讨英汉比较级省略现象.基于历时和共时的例证分析,提出“比”字应被视为并列连词,其省略结构涉及“右节点提升”,可以在“多项支配”的框架下得到解释;英语than在多数情况下体现为从属连词,可以引导内嵌小句,但它在少数情况下也体现了并列连词属性,这一点与现代汉语“比”字类似,亦可以采用同样的分析方法.

本文探讨了涉及“的”字和量词的现代汉语名词短语省略.鉴于“的”字的历史来源,本文认为现代汉语存在两个“的”,即“轻名词”(的1)和“连接词”(的2),前者构成了独立“的”字结构(“的”字短语),而后者则构成了“的”字名词短语.根据Hankamer&Sag (1976)的“深层vs.表层回指说”,本研究认为,现代汉语中独立“的”字结构和量词短语省略结构应被视为“深层回指”,而涉及语音式删除操作的“的”字名词短语则为“表层回指”.

在“小句左缘理论”框架下,本文提出,现代汉语论元类特殊疑问短语以及非论元类特殊疑问短语截省句涉及不同句法操作,从而解释了汉语截省句在“萌生”上所体现出的与英语截省句的异同.此外本文认为,特殊疑问词“谁”和“什么”截省句涉及空主语pro,应被视为“假截省”结构,而短语类特殊疑问词截省句则涉及删除操作,类似于英语的截省结构,从而解释了“是”在前者中的必要性.

This paper deals with gapping in Modern Chinese under the framework of the Generative Grammar.This paper argues that the "canonical" gapping in English does not exist in Modern Chinese.Though there is some prima facie evidence for gapping in Modern Chinese,they actually belong to the situational ellipsis.This paper further suggests that the(non-)existence of clausal coordinators determines the parametrical difference among languages concerning whether the sentence-bound ellipsis like the "canonical" gapping exists or not.

Under the framework of the Minimalist Syntax, this paper starts from categorizing the types of VP ellipses and analyzes the syntactic status of shi (是) in Mandarin Chinese. This paper argues that there exist two types of shi in Mandarin Chinese — copula shi and dummy auxiliary shi. The dummy auxiliary shi normally appears in coordinate context and is located in CFocus, licensing the topic focus in its specifier position. In addition, on the basis of "derivation by phase" theory and the "deletion approach", this paper proposes the "Parallelism Condition" to account for the different syntactic properties of VP ellipsis in Mandarin Chinese and English. Finally, this paper makes an extended study on gapping and pseudogapping in an attempt to account for their syntactic properties in Mandarin Chinese and English under a unified theoretical framework.

This paper discusses the concept of phase and its theoretical limitations under the framework of the Minimalist Syntax.The paper suggests that in terms of the conceptual significance and empirical value,the concept of phase lacks adequate motivations,and in terms of the syntactic properties and theoretical status,it is also confronted with a number of challenges.

<最简主义中的推导>(Derivation in Minimalism)一书是密歇根大学语言学系教授Samuel D.Epstein和东密歇根大学语言学系教授T.Daniel Seely再次共同合作的结晶.

The essay discusses the philosophical conflict between L&J's cognitive linguistic theory and Chomskyan linguistic theory in terms of their differences in methodology and epistemology.The author finds that whether L&J's cognitive linguistic theory has formed a revolution against Chomkyan linguistic theory is yet to be acknowledged in the linguistic community.

Spell-out is a very important concept in minimalist syntax.When and how spell-out will apply directly determine the derivational model and working mechanism of the minimalist syntax.Based on the latest development of the minimalist program,this paper discusses the proposals on multiple spell-out as suggested by Chomsky and Epstein under the framework of the minimalist program and analyses their respective theoretical limitations.

Modern Syntax by Professor Mei Deming is a book which gives a comprehensive introduction to the syntactic theory of formal linguistics.Centering on Chomsky’s Generative Grammar,it has also touched upon some pioneering studies and some hot focus of research which are closely related to the syntactic theory.With abundant examples,illustrations and a clear focus,it is by any standard an exceptional coursebook for postgraduate students majoring in linguistics as well as a good reference book for both language teachers and researchers.The publication of this book will undoubtedly promote the development of teaching and research in syntax in China.

Chomsky's Generative Grammar makes its minimalist turn since the 1990s,which has stimulated an active minimalist drive in linguistic research.This paper analyzes Chomskyan minimalist turn from three perspectives,including its theoretical background,its theoretical connotations as well as the direction of the theory's latest development.

本文在最新的最简方案的框架下,集中探讨了核心功能语类v*在汉语中的句法特性,提出了汉语是一种"宾语漂移"的语言的观点,探究了"宾语漂移"可能产生的强"约束受阻效应"或"反循序式移位"的问题,并尝试结合最新的最简方案的研究成果对汉语中比较常见的"零宾语"现象中的空语类加以理解和诠释。