篇章连接副词however的句法和语义特征分析

卢 莎

（上海师范大学外国语学院 中国 上海 200234）

0 引言

语篇是意义相关的句子通过一定的承接词语合乎逻辑地组织起来的语义整体，它是一个社交语义单位，所要表达的是意义而非形式。语篇的衔接和连贯则是语篇研究的核心（胡壮麟，1994：iii），其中衔接是话语或语篇内不同句子间或句子内不同成分间的表层语法、词汇接应关系，而连贯是话语语句意义或语篇句子意义的深层功能连接关系。因此，完整意义上好的语篇既要语篇的内部衔接也要意义上的连贯。对于however的语篇功能国内外学者有不少研究，如Brown&Yule(1983)，Halliday(1994)，Johannessen(2005)， 屈 承 熹(1991)，胡壮麟(1994)，王江(2005)原苏荣(2009,2011)等，但对于however的专题研究还不够。本文主要讨论作为连接副词的however的语篇连接功能，集中分析连接副词however的句法特点和语义特征。

1 However的基本语法意义

关于however的语法意义，前人已有所研究，如Fowler(1926)，Peters(2004)，Procter(1978)和郭志良(1999)等都对 however的语法意义作了一定分析和研究，本文专论however的句法和语义特征，包括语法意义。

在一些具有代表性的词典中，我们主要选取其中一本的释义Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English(Paul Procter,1978)：

However：(conj.)In whatever way：

In one’s own home one can act however one wishes.

(Adv.)a.to whatever degree：

However cold it is,she always goes swimming.

I refuse,however favourable the conditions.

b.in spite of this;nevertheless

It is raining hard.However,I think we should go out.

c.not formal(showing surprise)=how

However did you find it?

对however的释义，正如上面所列举的解释，其他各家也都大同小异。根据Pan Peters 2004年在The Cambridge Guide to English Usage一书中把however分为 Indefinite however和Contrastive however，他认为只单独充当副词或连词作用且无转折含义的however称为 Indefinite however，例如：

However hard they walked,they would not get back before dark.(adverb)

However they went,it would take half a day.(conjunction)

而Contrastive however则表示however是作为对上下文具有转折对比作用的连接副词（conjunctive adverb），且在句中的位置比较灵活。本文主要是对作为连接副词的however进行分析讨论。

2 However的句法特征分析

however作为连接副词，连接句子或大于句子的结构成分，一般位于后续句子中，且位置灵活多变，可位于后续句句首（主语之前），句中和句尾。本文所选用的例句都来自于英国批判现实主义时期著名的小说家们的经典作品。

2.1 位于句首

位于句首的however用来修饰其后的整个句子，表示对前一个句子或语篇意义上的转折或强调，并通常用逗号隔开。例如：

（1）He told me to put on my cloak and run to Gimmerton for the doctor and the parson.I could not guess the use that either would be of,then.However,I went,through wind and rain,and brought one,the doctor,back with me.(Emily Bronte Wuthering Heights)

（2）They say she had nearly burnt her husband in his bed once：but I don't know about that.However,on this night,she set fire first to the hangings of the room next her own,and then she got down to a lower storey,…(Charlotte Bronte Jane Erye)

（3）“Dear boy!” she said—“he is just like my—” Emotion choked her further utterance,but Amelia understood,as well as if she had spoken,that Becky was thinking of her own blessed child.However,the company of her friend consoled Mrs.Crawley,and she ate a very good dinner.(William Makepeace Thackeray Vanity Fair)

在这些例句中，however都位于第二个语段的头上，位于句首，且都有连接上下文的作用，使句义逻辑清晰。

2.2 位于句中

2.2.1 位于主语后

位于句中的however把所修饰的句子主谓部分断开，它只修饰后面的谓语部分，一般however前后都用逗号隔开，且however前面的主语一般由名词性成分 （名词/代词/名词短语）充当。例如：

（4）These,however,were only the exceptions required to prove the rule that the sparrows in the plane-tree behind the house,and the echoes in the corner before it,had their own way from Sunday morning unto Saturday night.(Charles Dickens A Tale of Two Cities)

（5）Mary,however,was too much interested by the wonders of the deep to perceive the incredulity with which Job Legh received.(Mrs.Gaskell Mary Barton)

（6）Most of Mr.Spray's hearers,however,were incapable of following his subtleties,and many old-fashioned Dissenters were much pained by his “siding with the Catholics”;while others thought he had better let politics alone.(George Eliot The Mill on the Floss)

可见，例（4）位于代词之后;例（5）位于名词之后;而例（6）位于名词短语之后。

2.2.2 位于短语（介词性短语/谓词性短语）之后

当however在一个句子内部，连接A和B两个部分，从句法分析的角度，它通常是在A和B两个部分之间，B部分的前面。A部分通常为介词性短语或谓词性短语，B部分为主句，且用逗号隔开。例如：

（7）Instead of pulling out a book,however,he pulled open a cupboard,only inhabited by a lazy housemaid's broom and duster,at which he looked exceedingly discomfited.(William Makepeace Thackeray The Book of Snobs)

（8）In spite of her care,however,he was always in debt.(William Makepeace Thackeray Vanity Fair)

（9）Being very tired with his walk,however,he soon fell asleep and forgot his troubles.(Charles Dickens Oliver Twist)

从这些例句中可知，（7）位于介词性短语之后；（8）位于介词性短语之后；（9）位于谓词性短语之后。

2.2.3 位于小句之间

however用在一个复句内部，连接句子前后两个部分，意义上具有转折含义，并用逗号隔开。例如：

（10）My Spring is gone,however,but it has left me that French floweret on my hands,which,in some moods,I would fain be rid of.(Charlotte Bronte Jane Erye)

（11）It seemed to me so long,however,since I had been among such boys,or among any companions of my own age,except Mick Walker and Mealy Potatoes,that I felt as strange as ever I have done in my life.(Charles Dickens David Copperfield)

（12）It was not for Alice,however,you may be pretty sure;no,they knew each other too well.(Mary Barton)

2.2.4 位于句中其他位置

however在句中的位置较比灵活，基本上可出现在任何位置，有转折或对比强调之义，且前后一般都用逗号隔开。例如：

（13）He recovered himself so quickly,however,that Mr.Lorry had doubts of his business eye.(Charles Dickens A Tale of Two Cities)

（14）When it came to my turn,I drank,for I was thirsty,but did not touch the food,excitement and fatigue rendering me incapable of eating：I now saw,however,that it was a thin oaten cake shared into fragments.(Charlotte Bronte Jane Erye)

（15）Perhaps the insults of the men were not,however,so intolerable to her as the sympathy of certain women.Mrs.CrackenburyandMrs.WashingtonWhitepassed through Boulogne on their way to Switzerland.(William Makepeace Vanity Fair)

（16）Maggie sat apart near the table where the books and work were placed,doing nothing,however,but listening abstractedly to the music.(George Eliot The Mill on the floss)

2.3 位于句尾

however位于句尾的情况并不多，它的转折之义比较弱，主要起衔接作用，一般however前用逗号隔开。例如：

（17）Her face cleared up as she read the document,however.The idea of sharing poverty and privation in company with the beloved object is,as we have before said,far from being disagreeable to a warm-hearted woman.(William Makepeace Thackeray Vanity Fair)

（18）The Jew rubbed his hands;and,sitting down at the table,affected to laugh at the pleasantry of his friend.He was obviously very ill at ease,however.(Charles Dickens Oliver Twist)

3 However的语义特征分析

从以上的句法结构分析中可知，however作为篇章接连成分主要用于句子或大于句子的结构之中，它的功能就是连接前后两项，使篇章更加连贯。从语义角度看，however主要有两种语义功能：一是表转折，二是表对立。

3.1 表转折

however在表转折关系时，指在句子或语篇中，后一部分意义不是顺着前一部分的意思往下说，而是逆着说或从另外一个角度说，是对前面预期事实的不同面的叙述，且要表示的重点往往是后一部分的意义。例如：

（19）This was no very great consolation to the child.Young as he was,however,he had sense enough to make a feint of feeling great regret at going away.(Charles Dickens O-liver Twist)

（20）“Dear boy! ” she said—“he is just like my—” Emotion choked her further utterance,but Amelia understood,as well as if she had spoken,that Becky was thinking of her own blessed child.However,the company of her friend consoled Mrs.Crawley,and she ate a very good dinner.(William Makepeace Thackeray Vanity Fair)

在例（19）中，however被用于句中，表示句子内部的转折，虽然他(Oliver)还很年轻，但他有足够的意识来佯装另一种感觉。

在例（20）中，however被用于句首，属于语篇上的意义转折，使语篇更加连贯。由前一句句义可知，虽然Becky情绪激动，话语哽咽；紧接着下一句，然而在她朋友的安慰下，情绪有所恢复，并开心地吃下晚宴。

3.2 表对比

however在表对比关系时，是指前后语段意义上对立或有明显的差异，后一部分的意义是与前一部分意义相反的叙述。所要表达的重点是突出对比而并非着重强调哪一部分。例如：

（21）How long they might have sat and looked at each other,in a state of uncertainty not the most pleasant of its kind,it is difficult to guess.It is not necessary to make any guesses on the subject,however;for the sudden entrance of the two young ladies whom Oliver had seen on a former occasion,caused the conversation to flow afresh.(Charles Dickens Oliver Twist)

（22）He told me to put on my cloak and run to Gimmerton for the doctor and the parson.I could not guess the use that either would be of,then.However,I went,through wind and rain,and brought one,the doctor,back with me;the other said he would come in the morning.(Emily Bronte Wuthering Height)

在例（21）中，however位于复句中，前半部分表明宾客的谈话并非必要，但however之后的语段意义则明显谈话自然且流畅，在意义上形成对比。

在例（22）中，however位于句首，意义上表前后语段的对比，既主人公心里所想的和所做事情的比较。“我”(Mrs.Heathcliff）心里并不认为去请医生和牧师有用，可“我”还是去请了。however在此用于连贯语篇，且意义上表对比。

4 结语

本文基于真实例句，分析了语篇连接副词however在句法上和语义上的使用特点：从句法上看，however的使用较灵活，不拘泥于特定结构，主要看所要表达的语篇意思，可位于句首，句中和句末；从语义上看，主要用于衔接语段，且其前后语段间的关系表转折或对比。通过以上的分析讨论可知，however作为连接副词对语篇的衔接和连贯有重要作用，使上下文逻辑清晰，意义连贯通顺。

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