試論前置和后置時間狀語結構的語篇功能

On the Discourse Functions of Preposed and Postposed Temporal Adverbial Constructions

本項研究旨在説明英語敘事文中各類前置和後置時間狀語結構（包括副詞、介系詞片語和狀語子句）的語篇功能。本項研究對數量可觀的前置時間狀語結構的分析表明，以往的研究視前置時間狀語結構的主要功能爲語篇“組織者”的看法不夠有説服力。本項研究嘗試將它們在前置位置的使用看作是配合語言使用者理解敍事文中時間關係策略的一種最佳的方式。從這一視角對語料的分析證明是合理的，因爲這一分析不僅能説明敘事文中前置時間狀語結構縂的分佈形態，它還有助於我們看到后置時間狀語結構相對於前置時間狀語結構的互補功能。

This study is intended to characterize, in the context of English narrative texts, the discourse functions of preposed and postposed temporal adverbial constructions (TACs) of various types including adverbs, prepositional phrases, and adverbial clauses. An analysis it carried out of a large group of preposed TACs indicates that the previous characterization of preposed TACs primarily as a discourse organizer may not be adequate. The study attempts to view the use of preposed TACs as an optimal way to provide temporal information in collaboration with the processing strategy adopted by language users in interpreting the temporal relationships between recounted events. The analysis of the data from this perspective proves to be useful because it can not only provide a coherent account of the overall distribution patterns of preposed TACs in the narrative texts, it can also help us to discern how postposed TACs function in a way that complements their preposed counterparts.