名词化视角下英美法系话语中的责任规避探析

An Analysis of Responsibility Evasion in Anglo-American Legal Discourse from the Perspective of Nominalization

摘要: 近年来，名词化作为语言学中的重要研究对象，尤其在法律话语中引起了广泛关注。然而，现有研究对名词化在英美法系话语中如何实现责任规避的探讨仍有所不足。本文基于语法隐喻理论中的名词化，以英美法系话语为分析对象，综合运用词频、搭配及索引进行分析，探讨了带有-ion、-ment、-ity、-ness等多产性后缀的名词化结构在法律话语中的作用。研究发现：第一，名词化结构通过将具体行为转化为抽象名词，客观化了法律并实现了去行为者化；第二，名词化帮助法律话语规避了对具体责任的归属，进而促进了责任的模糊化。本文揭示了法律话语如何通过名词化强化其权威性与制度化特征，为法律文本的解读和实践提供了新的视角。

Abstract: In recent years, nominalization has become an important focus in linguistic research, especially within legal discourse. However, existing studies have not yet fully addressed how nominalization functions to realize responsibility avoidance in English and American legal texts. Based on the theory of grammatical metaphor, this paper analyzes English and American legal discourse, employing word frequency, collocation, and keyword-in-context analyses to examine nominalized structures with productive suffixes such as -ion, -ment, -ity, and -ness. The study finds that: first, nominalization abstracts concrete actions into nouns, objectifying the law and achieving de-agentization; second, nominalization assists legal discourse in evading explicit responsibility, thereby promoting the blurring of accountability. This research reveals how nominalization strengthens the authority and institutional characteristics of legal discourse, offering new perspectives for interpreting and applying legal discourse.