在现代汉语中,“然后”的虚化过程显示出三个主要特征:表时间关系＞表空间关系;表客观性＞ 表主观性;连词功能泛化。这和认知语言学提出的“空间＞时间”和“主观＞客观”的认知过程发生了偏离。到目前为止,学术界还没有对“然后”虚化进程特殊性的原因进行合理解答。本文运用心智哲学的相关理论分析“然后”的虚化过程,发现“然后”虚化进程是以意向内容聚焦在“先后关系”上为起点,受心物随附性影响,在“关系”所辖的上下层级关系中,不断涌现出新的“关系”的结果。具体经历了三个阶段:(1)顺序先后关系阶段:主体产生“先后关系”的心理属性,从时间关系涌现出空间关系,再到量级关系;(2)主观顺序的延展阶段:在第一阶段“顺序先后关系”基础上,涌现出事理逻辑关系、客观无序事件(平等对比转折等关系);(3)话语标记功能和话语助势功能阶段:由第一、第二阶段的客观事例关系跨越到话语关系。

In modern Chinese, the grammaticalization of “Ranhou”(然后) is characterized by three main features: temporal relation > spatial relation, objectivity> subjectivity, generalization of the functions. This is a reverse process against the cognitive processes of “space> time” and “subjectivity> objectivity” in cognitive linguistics. The former studies have not given a proper illustration to this phenomenon. Based on the theory of philosophy of mind, this essay shows that the starting point of Ranhou's grammaticalization process is the intentional content focus of “relationship”. Affected by mental-physical supervenience, it is a result of the emergence of different new “relationships” between different levels under the domain of “relationship”. The grammaticalization process of Ranhou experiences three stages: (1) objective order to subjective order stage: with the mental property of “the sequence” relationship, it emerges from time relation to space relation, and then the magnitude relation; (2) the extension stage of subjective sequence: based on the first stage, the emergence of a logic relationship and objectively disordered events (parallel, comparison relations, etc. ) happens in this stage; (3) discourse marker and discourse assistance element stage: a period from objective events relation to discourse relation.