figure & ground 图形背景理论

Chapter 3 Theoretical Framework
Figure-Ground Segregation
The Principle of Pragnanz
• The Principle of Pragnanz is a guiding principle which reflects the way that people choose something as figure.
• (4) Contingency principle: • She dreamt while she slept. • She dreamt is figure; while she slept is ground.
• I liked him because he treated me well. • I liked him is figure; because he treated me • (5) Substitution principle: well is ground, • (3) Inclusion principle: • She awarded two scholarships during her university life. • She awarded two scholarships is figure; during her university life is ground.
• In English, I put you up to my point of view is put in the first place, and then we go any further. Chinese also follows the same time order, namely,我要先让你明白 我的观点,然后才能往下谈.Still, English and Chinese follow the same time sequence.
Chapter 2 Literature Review
• Figure-ground theory is one of the basic cognitive principles. It was first introduced into psychology by Danish psychologist Edgar Rubin in 1915, and later integrated into more comprehensive framework of perceptual organization by the gestalt psychologists.
Contrastive Study of English and Chinese Word Order from the Perspective of Figure-Ground Theory
图形背景理论视角下英汉语序的对比研究 论文的总结
Outline of the thesis
• Chapter 1 Introduction
• “Principle of Proximity": individual elements with a small distance between them will be perceived as being somehow related to each other. • "Principle of Similarity”: individual elements that are similar tend to be perceived as one common segment. • “Principle of Closure": perceptual organization tends to be anchored in closed figures.
• Talmy (1978) also studies figure-ground theory in simple and complex sentences and between events. The conclusion is that the relation of figure and ground in complex sentences is decided in accordance with the following five principles:
sequence principle cause-result principle inclusion principle contingency principle substitution principle
• (1) Sequence principle: • The girl watched TV after she finished her homework. • The girl watched TV is figure; she finished her homework is ground. • (2) Cause-result principle:
• It is firmly believed that the contrastive study of English and Chinese word order from the view of figure-ground theory would contribute to fluent translation between two languages.
• Chapter 2 Literature Review • Chapter 3 Theoretical Framework • Chapter 4 A Case Study of the Moonstone and Its Chinese Version from the View of Figure-Ground Theory • Chapter 5 Conclusion
• “Principle of Continuation": elements will be perceived as wholes if they only have few interruptions.
• A book is on the desk .
• the book of the sentence achieves the gestalt principles easily, such as the principle of closure and the principle of continuation.Therefore, the book rather than the desk has a better chance to be perceived at the first sight, and it becomes salient enough for people to take it as “figure”, Furthermore, the book is more likely to be moved around than the desk and this may also contribute to the selection of figure.
Research methodology
• The case study collects data mainly from world classic works The Moonstone written by Wilkie Collins as well as its Chinese version.
• In Chinese, events that happen earlier will be described first, and events that happen later will be talked about afterwards. Sometimes • In English, sentences will be constructed according to the sequence of action or events.
Time Order:Similarities
• “In that case,” says MnFranklin. “suppose I put you up to my point of view, before we go any further “ • “既然这样,”弗兰克林先生说,“我要先让你明白我的观点,然后才能往下谈……,,
• The data analysis is aim to analyze the distinction between English and Chinese word order which lies in different choosing of figureground models in information processing.
• I would have a cold drink rather than coffee. • I would have a cold drink is figure; coffee is ground.
• Langacker, a little different from Talmy, introduces another pair of “figure and ground", namely, “trajector and landmark". • The trajector refers to the entity serving as a moving figure or as being located relative to the landmark and the landmark refers to the ground of a moving figure.
• Only yesterday, I opened my Robinson Crusoe at the place. Only this morning (May twenty-first, Eighteen hundred and fifty), came my lady ’s nephew, Mr. Franklin Blake, and held a short conversation with me. • 就在昨天,我把我的《鲁宾逊漂流记》翻到了此处。就在今 天早上(1850年的5月21日)我的女房东的外甥,弗兰克林.布 莱克先生来了,他与我简短交谈。
Chapter 4 A Case Study of the Moonstone and Its Chinese Version from the View of Figure-Ground Theory
• Contrastive Study and Analysis of Word Order under the Figure-Ground Theory
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Generally, Chinese complies with rules of time sequence, rules of cause-effect sequence, etc. Nevertheless, English word order is more flexible.
Time Order
• In terms of present study, figure-ground theory is demonstrated to explain many language phenomena efficiently, such as syntactic diversity, sentence structure, use of preposition, definition of adverbial of time,and stress mechanism of inversion, etc.