文档介绍：English vs Chinese: Ten Pairs of Features 英汉对比研究
Synthetic vs. Analytic
(综合语与分析语)
A synthetic language is characterized by
frequent and systematic use of inflected forms
(曲折变化形式,词尾变化的词语) to express
grammatical relationships.
An analytic language is marked by a relatively frequent use of function words, auxiliary verbs, and changes in word order to express syntactic relations, rather than of inflected forms.
Modern English has e analytic but still frequently uses some hereditary inflections from Old English. It is therefore a synthetic-analytic language. Chinese
is a typical analytic language.
Inflection, word order and the use of function words are employed as the three grammatical devices in building English sentences.
Inflectional vs Non-inflectional
In English, nouns, pronouns, and verbs are inflected. Such grammatical meanings as parts of speech, gender, number, case, person, tense, aspect, voice, mood, etc. can
be expressed by the use of inflected forms with or without
the help of function words and word order, which is generally
not true of Chinese. In Chinese the above grammatical
meanings are mostly implied in contexts or between the lines,
Though often with the help of word order. .
He moved astonishingly fast.
He moved with astonishing rapidity.
His movements are astonishingly rapid.
His movements astonished us by their rapidity.
他行动之快令人惊讶。
他行动之迅速令人惊讶。
他行动之迅速令我们惊讶不已。
Word Order: Flexible vs. Inflexible
The less inflective a language, the more rigid the word order.
Word order in English is not so rigid as in Chinese. More ways
Of inversion are often seen in English. .
What in the world do you mean?
你的意思究竟是什么?
What a beautiful voice you have!
你有多美的嗓音啊!
Not a finger did I lay on him?
我从来没有指责过他。
The Use of Function Words: English and
Chinese Employ Different Types of
Function Words
English function words include the articles,
prepositions, auxiliary verbs, coordinators and
subordinators, While Chinese func