3. Clause as message 3.0 Lead-in Activity Analyze the following to excerpts in terms of thematic and information structure (1) Alice was beginning to get very tired of sitting by her sister on the bank, and of having nothing to do: once or twice she had peeped into the book her sister was thought Alice without pictures or conversation 2, it and what is the use of a book reading, but it had no pictures or conversations So she was considering in her own mind(as well as she could, for the hot day made her feel very sleepy and stupid ) whether the pleasure of making a daisy-chain would be worth the trouble of getting up and picking the daisies, when suddenly a White Rabbit with pink eyes ran close by her (2)雨是最寻常的,一下就是三两天。可别恼,看,像牛毛,像花针,像细 丝,密密地斜织着,人家屋顶上全笼着一层薄烟。树叶子却绿得发亮,小草也青 得逼你的眼。傍晚时候,上灯了,一点点黄晕的光,烘托出一片安静而和平的夜 乡下去,小路上,石桥边,撑起伞慢慢走着的人;还有地里工作的农夫,披着蓑, 戴着笠的。他们的草屋,稀稀疏疏的在雨里静默着。(朱自清,《春》) 3.1 Theme and rheme We may assume that in all languages, the clause has the character of a message it has some form of organization whereby it fits in with, and contributes to, the flow of discourse. But there are different ways in which this is achieved In English, as in many other languages, the clause is organized as a message by having a distinct status assigned to one part of it. One part is enunciated as the theme; this then combines with the remainder so that the two parts together constitute Following the terminology of the Prague School, we shall use the term Theme as the label for this function. The Theme is the element which serves as the point departure of the message; it is that which locates and orients the clause within its context The remainder of the message, the part in which the Theme is developed, is called in the Prague School terminology the rheme As a message structure, therefore, a clause consists of a Theme accompanied by a rheme, and the structure is expressed by the order- whatever is chosen as the Theme is put first For example (1)李赵法田中吝手仁刁了)(水方书愿Lt)。 (2)The present work is intended to supply, with respect to the English languag desideratum hitherto unsupplied in any language ()the duke has given my aunt that teapot my aunt has been given that teapot by the duke that teapot the duke has given to my aunt Theme Rheme (4)Once in a blue moon a man comes along who grasps the relationship between1 3. Clause as message 3.0 Lead-in Activity Analyze the following two excerpts in terms of thematic and information structure. (1) Alice was beginning to get very tired of sitting by her sister on the bank, and of having nothing to do: once or twice she had peeped into the book her sister was reading, but it had no pictures or conversations in it, ‘and what is the use of a book,’ thought Alice ‘without pictures or conversation?’ So she was considering in her own mind (as well as she could, for the hot day made her feel very sleepy and stupid), whether the pleasure of making a daisy-chain would be worth the trouble of getting up and picking the daisies, when suddenly a White Rabbit with pink eyes ran close by her. (2)雨是最寻常的，一下就是三两天。可别恼，看，像牛毛，像花针，像细 丝，密密地斜织着，人家屋顶上全笼着一层薄烟。树叶子却绿得发亮，小草也青 得逼你的眼。傍晚时候，上灯了，一点点黄晕的光，烘托出一片安静而和平的夜。 乡下去，小路上，石桥边，撑起伞慢慢走着的人；还有地里工作的农夫，披着蓑， 戴着笠的。他们的草屋，稀稀疏疏的在雨里静默着。(朱自清，《春》） 3.1 Theme and Rheme We may assume that in all languages, the clause has the character of a message: it has some form of organization whereby it fits in with, and contributes to, the flow of discourse. But there are different ways in which this is achieved. In English, as in many other languages, the clause is organized as a message by having a distinct status assigned to one part of it. One part is enunciated as the theme; this then combines with the remainder so that the two parts together constitute a message. Following the terminology of the Prague School, we shall use the term Theme as the label for this function. The Theme is the element which serves as the point of departure of the message; it is that which locates and orients the clause within its context. The remainder of the message, the part in which the Theme is developed, is called in the Prague School terminology the Rheme. As a message structure, therefore, a clause consists of a Theme accompanied by a Rheme; and the structure is expressed by the order – whatever is chosen as the Theme is put first. For example: (1) 李さんは 田中さんに 手伝ってもらう（ようお愿いした）。 (2) The present work is intended to supply, with respect to the English language, a desideratum hitherto unsupplied in any language. (3) the duke has given my aunt that teapot my aunt has been given that teapot by the duke that teapot the duke has given to my aunt Theme Rheme (4) Once in a blue moon a man comes along who grasps the relationship between