The Definition of Theme and Rheme
The point of departure is equally presented to the speaker and to the hearer – it is their
rallying point, the ground on which they meet. This is called the THEME. The goal of
discourse presents the very information that is to be imparted tot eh hearer. This is
called the RHEME. It is believed that the movement from the initial notion (Theme)
to the goal of discourse (Rheme) reveals the movement of the mind itself. Language
may use different syntactic structure, but the order of ideas remains basically the
same.
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English: lengthy sentences; flexibility of attributives and adverbials; beginning focus
易于组成长句；定语和状语的位置比较灵活；句首重心
Chinese: parallel short sentences; fixedness of attributives and adverbials; end focus
适合连锁式断句；定语和状语位置相对稳定；句末重心
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Information focus:
1English: beginning focus
2Chinese: end focus
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英汉两种语言句法结构上的差异，还可体现在定语、状语位置的分布上， 这两
种句子成分对语句重心的分布有极大的影响。
在英语中，名词、代词、形容词或动名词作定语时一般放在所修饰的名词（语
句重心）前；从句和各种短语作定语时则放在所修饰的名词后。而汉语则往往
把定语都放在所修饰名词之前，这就需要在翻译时进行语序的交换。