英汉语比较研究.docx

1、英汉语比较研究英汉语比较研究 英汉语语音层与音系层比较 英汉语词层与语义层比较 英汉语句层比较 英汉语语篇层比较 英汉语修辞比较Chapter One The Comparative Study in Phonetics and Phonology1.0 GeneralizationEach language, indeed, each sub-variety of a language, has its own unique “sound”, yet the number of possible sound distinctions that may be made in any langu

2、age is quite limited, and all languages share at least some sets of sounds. However, two languages differ from each other in the ways the sounds are put together, the ways in which they influence each other, and especially the rhythm, stress, and pitch patterns. These patterns of combination are hig

3、hly restricted in any given language variety, but are not completely fixed. As different speakers enter the community, or as social groupings change, the sound system may change too.Linguists study speech sounds in two ways: phonetically and phonologically. By phonetics we mean the study of the inve

4、ntory of sounds in language in general, and of how they produced (articulatory phonetics) and perceived (acoustic phonetics). By phonology we mean the study of how sounds organized in a particular language, that is, which sounds can be distinctive in a language, in what position they may occur, and

5、what types of automatic variants of a sound are possible. And also the term is used to refer to the system of sound patterns in a language.The production of any speech sound involves the projection of the air stream from the lungs through the mouth and / or the nose. In its passage, the air stream i

6、s shaped in various ways by tongue and jaw movements. It may be momentarily interrupted or not interrupted at all. It may be made to vibrate a lot or a little by the vocal cords. We will discuss the basic articulatory features of consonants and vowels of both languages to show their differences.1.1

7、Differences between Chinese and English ConsonantsIt is customary to classify consonants according to place of articulation and manner of articulation. The places involve both lips: the upper and lower lips (labials: p, b, m); the lower lip and upper teeth (labio-dentals: f, v) Other sounds are prod

8、uced by the tongue between the teeth (inter-dental: th) ;by movement of the tongue toward the hard ridge immediately behind the front teeth (alveolars: t, d, s, z); by movement of the tongue toward the hard palate behind the alveolar ridge (palatals: sh, ch); by movement of the tongue toward the sof

9、t palate (velars: k, g, ng).Manner of articulation involves presence or absence of voicing and of nasality, as well as degree of obstruction. A comparative study shows the two languages differ in consonants in the following ways.1) When pronounced isolatedly the Chinese consonants are combined with

10、vowels while the English ones are not: b-o 玻p-o 坡m-o 磨 f-o 佛 d-e 得 t-e 特 n-e 讷 l-e 勒g-e 格 k-e 克 h-e 喝 j-i 机 q-i 其 x-i 西2) The differences between labials:Almost naught3) The differences between the labio-dentals:/f/ (Chinese)the teeth right on the top of the lower lip/f/ (English)the teeth on the in

11、ner side of the lower lip/v/-no such a voiced consonant in Chinese4) The differences between the interdentals:/ / and / /-no such sounds in Chinese5) The differences between alveolars:The Chinese /s/ can make a syllable: 思，四，斯；There is no /z/ in Chinese as a frictive but an affrictive that sounds so

12、mewhat like the English consonant cluster /dz/: 资，自；There is no / c / in English, which sounds like the English consonant cluster /ts/ :次，此；6) The differences between palatalsBoth languages have / / (sh) but the positions are different ;The Chinese /r/ sound like the English / /, while the English /

13、r/ is produced as a liquid.7) The differences between velarsThere is a palatal /h/ in Chinese (喝，河，和), while the English /h/ is a glotal (hot, hard);Both languages have / t / (ch) and / d / (zh), but the positions are different.1.2 The Differences between English and Chinese VowelsA vowel is a speec

14、h sound in which the breath is let out without any stop or any closing of the air passage or throat that can be heard. A comparative sutdy of the two languages shows great differences in producing their vowels.1) The English single vowels are divided into three: Front vowels: / i: /; / i /; /e /; /

15、/ ; Central vowels: / : /; / /; / /; Back vowels: / u: /; / u /; / : /; / /; / a: /; The Chinese vowels are classified according to the shape of the lips: Open vowels: / i: /; / a: /; / o /; / e /; Dental vowels: / ia /; / ie /; Close vowels / u /; / ua /; Protruded vowels: / /; / e /.2) The differe

16、nces between diphthongsThe Chinese diphthongs are / ei /; / ao /; / ou /; / ai /;/ iao /; iou /; / uai/ ; / uei /.But the English diphthongs fall into:Close diphthongs: / ei /; / ai /; / i /; / au /; / u /;Central diphthongs: / i / ; / /; / u /; / /.3) The English language has no nasal vowels but the Chinese language has sixteen: an ian uan uan en in uen un ang