本文以系统功能语言学为理论依据,对比了英汉非限定小句的功能及体现形式?从功能意义看,英汉非限定小句比较一致?从经验功能角度,它们所表达的过程不具有“直接定位”功能;同时,主语参与者的参与度呈现出一个从强到弱变化的连续统?从逻辑功能角度,英汉非限定小句在配列关系上体现的嵌入性呈现出一个从强到弱的连续统;在逻辑语义关系上与限定小句形成投射关系和扩展关系,但扩展关系通常具有不明确性?从人际功能角度,英汉非限定小句没有语气选择,不能单独承担言语功能?从语篇功能角度,英汉非限定小句体现的信息缺失性促进语篇连贯, 推动语篇发展?从体现形式看,一方面英汉非限定小句都以较相同的隐性方式表达其逻辑?人际及语篇功能,另一方面在经验功能表达上,如过程定位及主语参与者的体现形式方面,英语表现出比汉语更高的语法化程度?

Within the framework of Systemic Functional Linguistics, this paper explores the functions and realizations of nonfinite clauses in English and Chinese. From the perspective of metafunctions, nonfinite clauses in English and Chinese are similar. From the angle of experiential metafunction, they do not have their processes directly located. Meanwhile, the degrees of their subject-participant’s participation are in a continuum with the stronger degree and the weaker degree as two poles. From the angle of logical metafunction, the embedding power of nonfinite clauses in English and Chinese are in a continuum with the stronger power and the weaker power as two poles; while nonfinite clauses in English and Chinese can also form the projection and expansion relations. From the angle of interpersonal metafunction, nonfinite clauses in English and Chinese have no mood choices, which means that they have no speech functions. Form the textual perspective, nonfinite clauses in English and Chinese can make the text coherent on account of the deletion of some information. From the perspective of realizations, the logical, interpersonal and textual metafunctions of nonfinite clauses in English and Chinese are realized through the similar covert ways, while the experiential metafunctions such as the location of process and participants serving as the Subject element are realized through a more grammatical means in English than in Chinese.