本文基于大型历时语料库考察当代英语动词及物与不及物用法的边界渗透现象。研究发现：(1)英语动词的及物性并不是一成不变的静态属性，及物性的变化程度可通过边界渗透性加以量化。(2)动词双重及物性的边界渗透性主要存在四种演变模式：上升、下降、上升 下降、下降 上升，且下降模式最为显著。(3)边界渗透性的下降表明动词及物性在演变过程中有逐渐规约化和固化的倾向，反映了语言演变中的 “马太效应”。

Based on a large diachronic corpus, the present study investigates the boundary permeability between transitive and intransitive uses of ambitransitive verbs in Present-day English. Our findings reveal that: (1)transitivity is not a fixed attribute of English verbs and the change of transitivity can be measured by boundary permeability;(2)four types of change patterns of verb ambitransitivity are identified, namely, increasing, decreasing, increasing-decreasing, and decreasing-increasing, and decreasing pattern is the dominant one;(3)the dominance of decreasing pattern reflects the conventionalization and entrenchment of verb transitivity, indicating a “Matthew Effect” in language change.