摘要：Now it is undeniably conceivable that a beginningless series ofsuccessive utterers should all do their work in a brief interval oftime, and that so should an endless series of interpreters. Still, it isnot likely to be denied that, in some cases, neither the series ofutterers nor that of interpreters forms an infinite collection. Whenthis is the case, there must be a sign without an utterer and a signwithout an interpreter. ... Neither an utterer, nor even, perhaps, aninterpreter is essential to a sign. … I am led to inquire whetherthere be not some ingredient of the utterer and some ingredient ofthe interpreter which not only are so essential, but are even morecharacteristic of signs than the utterer or interpreter themselves.– C.S. Peirce (1998: 403-404)
