中文會話中的主題性與手勢的使用

Topicality and Gesture in Chinese Conversational Discourse

本研究探討在中文會話中「語句主題性」與「手勢使用」的關係。研究發現每一類的手勢出現在「主題子句」和「非主題子句」的比例是差不多的，所以手勢類型跟語句主題性沒有關係。此外，分析了手勢所對應的語詞，發現當說話者傳達舊訊息，無論是主題性還是非主題性，都很少做手勢。但是，在傳達主題性的新訊息時，說話者較常使用那種跟語詞有直接語意關係的手勢，而且這類手勢大多包括準備階段，或者手勢會出現在對應語詞之前，以提示聽話者注意即將傳達的新訊息。

This paper investigates the relationship between topicality of utterances and gestural use in Chinese conversation. First, it is found that gestural types per se do not distinguish topical and non-topical clauses, since their respective occurrences across these two types of clause are similar. However, when the information state of the associated referents is considered, the use of iconic gestures is found to be related to topicality, in that they are mainly produced for new information in topical clauses. The patterning of given and new information accompanying metaphoric, deictic, spatial, and beat gestures is similar across the two types of clauses. Finally, speakers rarely gesture for referents conveying given information, be it topical or not. Based on the finding that the information state of referents is relevant to the use of gestures, the temporal patterning of iconic hand shapes and new referents also evidences the distinction between topical and non-topical information: Either onsets tend to occur in topical clauses or strokes would come before the associated words. Both function to signal that the upcoming new information is noteworthy and deserves attention.