Evaluative adverbs and background proposition - the syntax and semantics of Chinese pianpian

Abstract

This paper is a corpus-based study on the distribution and function of Chinese pianpian, which is a speaker-oriented evaluative adverb and functions as a high predicate of a clause. It occurs before the negative element, event modals, and temporal, locative and degree adverbials. The speaker uses it to indicate the contrast between some background proposition and the proposition of the clause in which it occurs. Its core function is to suggest the speaker’s surprise about the contrast and this function should be somehow made clear in the English translation. 本文以大量真实语料为基础，考察汉语副词“偏偏”在句子中的分布和用法。“偏偏”是一个言者指向的主观评注副词，在小句中充当高谓语，结构位置高于否定成分、事件情态动词、程度副词等。说话人使用“偏偏”，是要说明本句命题与背景命题形成对立，而且是一种“事与意违”或“事与料违”的对立。本文还讨论了“偏偏”的几个主要英语释义的合理之处和相应的语义损失，给出了相对准确、全面的释义。