Abstract:The formulae for comparison of inequality are more…than… construction and less…than… construction in English. Conversely in Chinese only Bi (“比”) � construction is used to express comparison of inequality. To analyze these constructions accurately, we formalize them structurally as follows:
Key words: English Sentences; Chinese Sentences; Comparation
中图分类号:G711 文献标识码:A文章编号:1003-2851(2010)07-0256-01
1. Syntactic Contrast of the English and Chinese Comparative Sentences
English basic construction for comparison of inequality is X W than Y as illustrated in (1), whereas Chinese one is X 比 Y W as exemplified in (2):
(1)I am taller than you.
X W thanY
(2) 我比你高.
X bi YW
In these two patterns, X and Y stand for the first comparative term and the second comparative term respectively with W representing the comparative result. What the author wants to specify is that in X W than Y construction W can be modified by such modifiers of degree or quantity as a bit, much, far, even, still, a lot, lots, a great deal, slightly, somewhat, twice, two inches and so on, as illustrated in:
(3) This question is much more difficult than that one.
(4) It is a bit colder today than yesterday.
While in X 比 Y W construction W can be preceded by such as adverbs as 更,还,要……更 is used when the superior degree is to be emphasized, though not necessarily intensified. Thus, 比那个更/还好 is said when the speaker suspects that the listener may assume that it is not better and wished to emphasize the superior degree, though it need not be much superior. 要 is used without changing meaning, Besides, in X 比 Y W construction W can also be followed by such words as 一点儿 or 一些儿 signaling the difference is not so big and 得多, or 多了, or 极了.
2. A Contrast of Comparative Semantic Meaning
In X W than Y construction, the semantic meaning focuses on W, which attaches importance to objective description. In contrast, in X 比 Y W construction the semantic meaning centers on 比 Y, which gives prominence to subjective judgment and comparative meaning. For instance:
(1) He runs faster than my brother.
(2) 他跑得比我弟弟快。
The semantic meaning of (1) is that he runs faster (and faster than my brother), which focuses on describing the fact that he runs faster and than my brother is used to make complementation of �er suffix added to the adverb fast. Sentence (2) means he runs faster in comparison with my younger brother but not in comparison with others, that is to say, X 比 Y W centers on 比 Ybecause Chinese lay emphasis on covert coherence and consecution of thing (Lian Shuneng, 1993: 53).
X W than Y is compact in its structure and integrative in forms with strong restraints, the ambiguity of which derives from ellipsis in the comparative clause. Whereas the X 比 Y W construction is not so tight as X W than Y in its structure and is rich in semantic meaning without paying much attention to its form, which results from pause or ellipsis. For instance:
(3) Jim likes Lily more than Sue.
(4) 吉姆比苏喜欢莉莉。
We can have at least four interpretations with respect to (3). Firstly, Jim likes Lily more than Sue did. Secondly, Jim likes Lily more than Lily likes Sue. Thirdly, Jim likes Lily more than Jim likes Sue. Fourthly, Jim likes Lily more than Sue likes Jim.
As for (4), we may understand it in the following ways:
a.吉姆/比苏喜欢莉莉。(别人不一定比苏喜欢莉莉)
b.吉姆比苏/喜欢莉莉。(吉姆不比别人喜欢莉莉)
c.吉姆比苏喜欢/莉莉。(吉姆不比苏喜欢玛丽)
The sentences above are explained by different pauses. And the following interpretations result from different topics.
d.比苏,吉姆喜欢莉莉。(吉姆更喜欢莉莉,不喜欢苏)
e.莉莉,吉姆比苏更喜欢。(吉姆比苏更喜欢莉莉,但他不比苏更喜欢玛丽)
3. Reasons for the Differences between the English and Chinese Comparative Sentences
The first reason is about language structures. It is well known that, English and Chinese belong to two different language families. The former is a member of Indo-European language family, and the latter is a member of Han-Zang language family. English is an alphabetic language composed of Latin letters which represent the sound of words; whereas Chinese is an ideographic language composed of logographic characters which represent ideas or things rather than the sound of words. The second reason is due to cultural differences. Language is a unique feature of human society. It serves not only as a means for conveying ideas and feelings but also as a semiotic system to store information. Since culture is the particular system of art, thought, feeling, belief, and custom of a society, the language structure is shaped to a very significant extent by the functions that it performs in a particular culture.
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