倒装句的语篇功能

倒装句的语篇功能

（Textual Functions of English Inversion）

An inverted sentence is a sentence in which the predicate (verb) comes before the subject (noun).

An inverted sentence has the following kinds of textual function:

话题导入（topic-introducing）功能、情境设定（situation-setting）功能、焦点凸显（focus-highlighting）功能、焦点对比（focus-contrasting）功能、语篇的衔接与连贯（textual cohesion and coherence）功能等。

1.话题导入功能

话题导入功能就是运用一定的句法手段为语篇提供一个话题，即语篇将要谈论、说明或叙述的人或事。即将某人或某物作为新信息置于句末，为语篇导入一个话题，以供下文谈论之用。例如：Three score and nine years old was thered-bearded king, Frederick Barbarossa. He wasby right the master of Germany. He hadsubdued Italy and had been crowned in theimperial city of Rome. Throughout Europe his name was known and feared; in his owncountry he was the hero of heroes.（《西方传说故事选》）

这是一则故事的首段。第一句就使用了一个倒装句。与这一倒装句相对应的常式句是Thered-bearded king, Frederick Barbarossa was threescore and nine years old.就信息结构而言，倒装句的信息焦点为the red-bearded king, FrederickBarbarossa，而常式句的信息焦点则是three scoreand nine years old；再从语篇的建构和发展来看，采用倒装

手段，把thered-bearded king, Frederick Barbarossa 置于句末，使之成为信息焦点，不仅为语篇的发展导入了所要谈论的话题，而且使整个语篇的前后衔接更加紧密。这一点可以从倒装句引出的话题the red-bearded king, Frederick Barbarossa 同下文的三个he 和两个his之间所形成的照应关系（anaphora）中得到很好的证明。

2．情境设定功能

倒装句的情境设定功能就是为语篇引入一个时间范围或空间范围，使其能够在这一情境内叙述将要发生的事件，从而保证语篇的顺利发展。

It was a dark September morning. There was a storm at sea. A ship had beendriven on a low rock off the shores of theFarne Islands. It had been broken in two by thewaves, and half of it had been washed away. The other half lay yet on the rock, and those ofthe crew who were still alive were clinging toit. […]

Could any one save the poor, half-drowned men who were there?On one of the islands was a lighthouse;and there, all through that stormy night, GraceDarling had listened to the storm.

[…]

In the darkness of the night, above thenoise of the winds, she heard screams and wildcries. When daylight came, she could see thewreck, a mile away, with the angry water allaround it. She could see the men clinging tothe masts. “We must try to save them!” she cried. “Let us go

out in the boat at once!”

倒装句On one of the islandswas a lighthouse 的前置成分on one of theislands 与上文中的the Farne Islands 具有衔接关系，是已知信息，而后置的主语a lighthouse则是以信息焦点方式为下文所设定的空间情境，即地点。这一语篇正是以a lighthouse 为情境参照而继续展开的。Grace Darling 所听到的、看到的和想要做的等都是在这一空间情境范围内发生的。

3.焦点凸显功能

所谓焦点凸显功能是指在语篇建构中倒装句的运用可以把交际者想要传递的重要信息置于句末，使之成为信息焦点而得到突出。例如：The beggar made no answer. Hegrasped his staff with a firmer grip and gazedacross the hall where the lofty stairwaythat led to the queen’s chambers. Down thestairs came Pennelope, stately and beautiful,with her servants and maids around her.

被置于倒装句句首的成分down the stairs是可推知已知信息。Down the stairs 可从the lofty stairway that led to the queen’schambers 推知；而被置于句末的Pennelope, stately and beautiful,with her servants and maids around her则是新信息，是交际者要刻意凸显的信息焦点。

4 .焦点对比功能

倒装句的焦点凸显功能是把新信息作为信息焦点突出出来，而倒装句的焦点对比功能则是使用两个倒装句，把两个成分并置于句末，使之形成强烈的对比性焦点而突出之。例如：