理论与方法专栏｜基于合并的论元结构原则

Abstract：

In Principles of Argument Structure, Chris Collins investigates principles of argument structure in minimalist syntax through an in-depth analysis of properties of the English passive construction. He formulates a new theory of argument structure based on the only structure-building operation in minimalist syntax, Merge, which puts together two syntactic objects to form a larger one. This new theory should give rise to detailed cross-linguistic work on the syntactic and semantic properties of implicit arguments. Collins presents an update and defense of his influential 2005 theory of the passive, including a completely original theory of implicit arguments. He makes a direct empirical argument for the Theta-Criterion against various claims that it should be eliminated. He also discusses the conception of voice in syntactic theory, arguing that VoiceP does not introduce external arguments, a position otherwise widely accepted in the field. He shows how the "smuggling" approach to the passive extends naturally to the dative alternation accounting for a number of striking c-command asymmetries. He compares syntactic and semantic approaches to argument structure, outlining conceptual problems with adopting formal semantics as the basis for a theory of argument structure. The book will be of interest not only to syntacticians and semanticists, but also to typologists investigating the cross-linguistic properties of the passive, psycholinguists and computer scientists working on natural language understanding, and philosophers thinking about the issue of "implicit content." It includes an appendix that provides common-sense guidelines for doing syntactic research using internet data.

简介：

在《基于合并的论元结构原则》一书中，作者深入分析了英语被动结构的特点，探讨了最简句法理论框架下的论元结构原则。他基于最简句法中唯一的结构构建操作，即合并（两个句法成分结合形成更大的成分），提出了解释论元结构的新理论。该理论详尽地分析了隐性论元（implicit argument）的跨语言句法语义特点。作者更新并完善了他于2005年提出的被动结构理论，其中包括对隐性论元的新解。他基于一项直接的实证证据，认为题元准则不应该被摒弃。同时，他还讨论了句法理论中语态（Voice）的概念，并否认了学界广泛认可的VoiceP引进外部论元这一观点。作者还证明了针对被动结构的“偷渡”分析（smuggling approach）可以延伸到能解释很多非对称成分统制中的与格交替（dative alternation）现象。作者对论元结构的句法和语义方法进行了对比分析，并且阐述了以形式语义学为基础的论元结构理论中存在的概念性问题。本书的受众对象不单单是句法学家和语义学家，还包括研究被动结构跨语言特点的类型学家、探讨自然语言理解的心理学家和计算机科学家、关注隐含成分的哲学家在内的其他领域研究者。除此之外，附录部分还提供了一份利用互联网数据进行句法研究的通识指南。

-Chris Collins-

Chris Collins，美国纽约大学语言学系教授、句法学家，主要研究非洲语言，其研究话题包括回指现象、论元结构、否定和省略。

Chris Collins is a Professor of the Department of Linguistics New York University. He is a syntactician, with an interest in African languages. His research Topics include anaphora, argument structure, negation and ellipsis. 

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编辑：黄静雯 董泽扬

排版：黄静雯

审校：时仲 吴伟韬 董泽扬

英文编审负责人：黄静雯 董泽扬