由小品词up构成的英语新短语动词语义分析

曲 莉

(天津外国语大学英语学院,天津300204)

一、引言

(一)短语动词的定义

短语动词的定义有广义和狭义两种。从广义来讲,短语动词包括动词+副词小品词、动词+介词小品词和动词+副词+介词小品词。从狭义来说,短语动词是动词和副词小品词的组合。本篇论文所使用的是Palm er(1974)提出的概念,即短语动词由两部分组成,即动词和副词小品词。副词小品词跟随在动词之后,它可以被看作是动词的一部分,就如同动词的后缀一样。有的短语动词表达的是字面意义,这时小品词表明动作的方向。例如:

He pulled up the rope.

有的短语动词的意义是完全习语性的,这时很难看出小品词的方向性。例如:

The enemy gave in.

The contestant gave up.

The old car gave out.[1]

(二)小品词

小品词往往与前面的动词形成修饰和补充说明的语义关系,本身不能单独充当句子成分和独自带宾语。小品词位于词汇动词之后,其词形固定不变,和动词组成一类特殊的动词。

如:d rink up,dispose of和get aw ay w ith中的up,of,away,w ith。小品词又分为两个不同、但相互有重叠的类别,即介词小品词和方位副词小品词(有些副词小品词并不含有方位的含义)。夸克(Quirk:1151)把小品词分为:

(A)against,among,as,at,beside,for,from,into,like,of,onto,upon,w ith,etc.

(B)about,above,across,after,along,around,by,down,in,off,on,out,over,past,round,th rough,under,up,etc.

(C)aback,ahead,apart,aside,astray,away,back,forward(s),hom e,in front,on top,out,together,etc.

(A)中的词只能作介词;(C)中的词只能作方向副词;(B)中的词即能做介词又能做方向副词。介词和方向副词的最显著的区别在于:介词后面要跟随名词短语作为介词的补语,而副词并不需要。[2]

二、数据的采集

本项研究的前提是建立一个最新英语报刊新闻语料库。为此,笔者对2005年8月至2009年3月间国内外报刊(主要是英美报刊)的文章进行摘录,建立了190多万字的最新英语报刊新闻语料库。在此基础上,找出近几年出现的新短语动词,总共是103个(如表1),然后用语料库检索软件Wordsm ith对其进行分析。

(一)近几年出现的新短语动词

表1 近几年出现的新短语动词汇总表

(二)出现频率最高的前8个小品词

图1 出现频率最高的前8个小品词显示图

(三)由小品词up构成的新短语动词

表2 由小品词up构成的新短语动词表

三、由up构成的新短语动词的语义特点

(一)新短语动词的意义

由小品词up构成的新短语动词的语义分为以下几个方面。

a.表示整合的过程。

wrap-up(综合报道,简讯)

b.表示提升或提高。

trickle up(逐渐从一个层次升到更高层次)、dumb up(提高某人的智力和文化水平)、up shift(从事竞争力更强,压力更大的工作)、upcycling(利用可回收的物质生产出价值更高的产品)、upconvert(把影像的画面尺寸变换成更大尺寸的行为,特别是指把从来的普通电视广播尺寸的SD品质的影像变换为高精细电视尺寸的HD品质的行为)、upskill(提高员工的技能)、upgradate(更新)、upstaff(增加员工的数量)、m ash up(组合网络上提供的信息和服务制作的新的软件,服务和数据库)等。

c.表示从事某种活动或行为。

fit up(安装)、up-sell(尝试说服顾客购买较昂贵的商品或服务)、back up(备份计算机资料)、boot up(预设置程序启动)、wash-up(饭后洗餐具)、brew up(沏茶)、run-up(将引擎加速使热以供试验)、wedge up(为抗议或防止狱吏的鞭打,犯人将牢门揳牢)、set-up(陷害,栽赃)、upskirt(在人群聚集的地方拍摄女人裙子以上部位)等。

d.表示瞬间的行为或状态。

pop-up(浏览页面时,不断跳出的视窗)

e.表示互动的行为或状态。

tweet up(通过Twitter网站在现实生活中见面)、break up(因受到干扰,在电话中听不到对方的声音)等。

f.表示事物存在的状态。

walk-up(没有电梯的公寓或办公楼)、tucked-up(把衣服的某些地方暂时挽在一起)等。

g.表示事物不断进展的过程。

melt up(市场严重过热导致价格上就涨到前所未见的程度)、ro ll up(影片逐渐在众多影院上映)等。

h.表示某种精神状态。

sex up(以轻松愉快的方式展现)、pumpedup(振作起来)、sit-up(突然感到兴奋或惊讶)等。

(二)小品词up的意义

Up在这些新短语动词中的意义分为以下四种。

a.准备和开始。

Up与动词搭配,表明事情正在准备之中或正在开始。例如:

You have to be kiddingm e thatwe have to boot up the TV in the bed room.

b.价格等的提高、质量的增强和改善。

在这些由up与动词组合的新短语动词中,表达此意义的up数量最多。例如:

You hear more or less serious arguments these days that earnings don’t count,that interest rates are irrelevant,that the macro backdrop is a distraction.Otherwise erudite observers use the phrase“melt-up”in their analyses.Melt-up?It can’t be a well thought-outmarket if it is rep resented by so unlikely an image.

It’s a Knockout,and Sir Cliff Richard,why not a salon of musicians and historians,poets and scientists,endowed Royal Scholars,Royal Fellow s,Royal Professors?Elitist?Of course it is,but who begrudges an lite that inspires the rest of us to dumb up and join it?

The reasons to buy an upconverting DVD player are compelling.Consider cost and perform ance.Are you really in a hurry to start a new HD-DVD or Blu-ray library at＄30 to＄40 a pop?Also,rem ember that you’re facing am in imum＄500 price tag for Toshiba’s entry-level player and a Blu-ray price of twice that amount.You can buy excellent upconverting players for＄200 and breathe new life into your existing DVDs.

Mr.Kalin is big on‘upcyc ling,’a process whose name was coined by William Mc Donough,an architect,and Michael Braungart,a chem ist,in their 2002 book,‘Cradle to Cradle:Remaking the Way We Make Things.’They used the term to describe the process of taking something that’s essentially waste and moving it up the consumer-goods chain.‘I love upcycling,’Mr.Kalin said.’I love this idea of bringing something from lower down and elevating it.

c.在一起或合起来。

Twitter has been taken up so exuberantly by the connected comm unity that it’s now used by the MTV Music Video Awards,presidential candidate John Edwards,and even some new sorg anizations and fire departments to communicate their urgent messages.Its ow n vocabulary has even em erged:As mentioned earlier,a Twitter post is called a“tweet”,and“tweetups”have taken p lace w here“ tweeps”have met up in the real world for social gatherings.

d.出现或创造。

Many legitim ate advertisers on the Internet use window s that pop up in the middle of your screen to display a message.They might also open when you click a link or button on a Web site,and they might open either over or under the window you wish to view.Some pop-ups are help ful.

Electric supercars sex-up eco-friend lymotoring.

(三)Up构成的短语动词的名词化

表3 由小品词up构成的名词化短语动词表

在由小品词up构成的30个新短语动词中,名词化的短语动词就有17个,约占总数的57%。根据《朗文语言教学及应用语言学辞典》(Longm an Dictionary of Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics)(Richards,2000),名词化是“指把其他词性的词,一般为动词或形容词,变成名词的语法过程”。[3]由up构成的名词化新短语动词的结构分为三大类:左分支结构(left branching)和右分支结构(right b ranching)。左分支结构是指“小品词+动词”,共9个;右分支结构指“动词+小品词”,共6个。另外,还有以动名词或分词+小品词构成的名词化短语动词,共2个(如表3)。这些名词化的新短语动词在句中的成分分为:作主语、宾语、定语、表语和同位语等。例如:

Along the way,mapmashups are providing perhaps the c learest idea yet of commercial applications for the generation of so-called social technologies they rep resent.(作主语)

Upskirt is a slang term usually referring to up skirt photography,images of the viewup a woman’s skirt.(作主语和定语)

When work experience girls and boys arrive at the Exam iner they rarely partake of our regular brew-ups,preferring water or soft drinks.(作介词宾语)

The Hartford has written rap-ups for several major private development and infrastructure projects this year.(作动词宾语)

What is tucked-up?It describes an abdomen of s mall circumference as compared to the thorax or to the normal outline for the individual animal.Norm ally seen in some breeds of dogs,e.g.Whippet,Greyhound.(作表语)

we were really pumped up for the race.(作表语)

The term wash-up is the act of washing yourself(o r another person).(作同位语)

短语动词的名词化生成新词新义的潜力较大,速度较快,大大增加了英语的构词能力,使原本动态的过程变为静态。名词化的短语动词,在表达意义时浓缩了信息、增加了小句的信息量,并且更加生动和形象,与其他动词共用,为语言增加了更多的色彩。如pop-up refers to computingsomething that appears over or above the open window on a computer screen(浏览页面时,不断跳出的视窗);Up-sell is a sales technique whereby a salesman attempts to have the customer purchase more expensive item s,upgrades,or other add-ons in an attempt to make a more profitable sale(尝试说服顾客购买较昂贵的商品或服务);Upshift refers to taking on a fast-paced,high-stress job after having previously retired or moved to a low-stress job(从事竞争力更强,压力更大的工作);wrapup is a brief final summary,as of the new s(综合报道,简讯);Upconvert is the act of converting one set of values to a higher set of values(把影像的画面尺寸变换成更大尺寸的行为,特别是指,把从来的普通电视广播尺寸的SD品质的影像变换为高精细电视尺寸的HD品质的行为);Walk-up is an apartment house or office building with no elevator(没有电梯的公寓或办公楼)等。

四、结语

综上所述,以最新英语报刊新闻语料库为研究基础的由小品词up构成的30个新短语动词有如下语义特点。

第一,新短语动词所表达的语义包括:表示整合的过程、表示提升或提高、表示从事某种活动或行为、表示瞬间的行为或状态、表示互动的行为或状态、表示事物存在的状态、表示事物不断进展的过程、表示某种精神状态等几个方面。

第二,Up在这些新短语动词中的意义分为以下几种:准备和开始、价格等的提高质量的增强和改善、在一起或合起来、出现或创造。

第三,在由小品词up构成的30个新短语动词中,名词化的短语动词就有17个,约占总数的57%。其结构分为三大类:左分支结构、右分支结构,还有以动名词或分词+小品词构成的名词化短语动词。这些名词化的新短语动词在句中的成分分为:作主语、宾语、定语、表语和同位语等。这些名词化的短语动词意义表达更加生动和形象,为语言增加了更多的色彩。

[1] Palmer,F.R.The English Verb.New York:Longman Group Limited,1974.

[2] Quirk,Ret al.A Comprehensive Grammar of the English Language.New York:Long man World Publishing Corp,1985:1150-1167.

[3] Richards,Jack C.et al.Longman Dictionary of Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics.Beijing:Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press,2000:309.