语言学论文.docx

语言学论文.docx

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语言学论文

HedgesinDesperateHousewives

by

JinNing

ThesisAdvisor:

Ms.GuJimei

SubmittedtotheB.A.CommitteeinpartialfulfillmentoftherequirementsoftheDegreeofBachelorofArtsintheEnglishDepartmentofSchoolofForeignLanguagesofLangfangTeachersCollege

13June2011

廊坊师范学院

本科生毕业论文

题目：

《绝望的主妇》中的模糊限制语

学生姓名：

金宁

指导教师：

顾冀梅

二级学院：

外国语学院

系别：

英语系

专业：

英语

年级：

2012届

学号：

08030142009

完成日期：

2011年6月13日

Title:

HedgesinDesperateHousewives

Abstract:

Inthereallife,wesometimesdon’tneedtogivedetailedinformation,orwearenotsureaboutthenewsresource;thereby,hedgeisoneoftheusefulstrategiestomakethecommunicationeffectiveandappropriate.ThispapermainlydiscussesdifferenttypesofhedgesandtheirpragmaticfunctionsinDesperateHousewives.Itfirstlyintroducesthedistinctformsoftwomainkindsofhedges（ApproximatorsandShields）.Secondly,itexamineswhatpragmaticfunctionscanbeachievedbyusinghedges.Thirdly,fromtheperspectivesofthecooperativeprinciple,thepolitenessprincipleandface-savingtheory,itexplainshowhedgescanmakesuccessfulcommunication.

Keywords:

Hedges;DesperateHousewives;Classification;PragmaticFunctions

题目：

《绝望的主妇》中的模糊限制语

摘要：

现实生活中，我们有时不必给出具体信息，或者不确定信息来源，因而模糊限制语成了进行有效得体交流的一个重要策略。

这篇论文主要讨论模糊限制语的不同类型以及他们在《绝望的主妇》中所起的语用功能。

首先介绍了它的两种不同类型（变动型模糊限制语和缓和型模糊限制语），然后又探讨了其语用功能，最后在合作原则、礼貌原则和面子理论基础上，解析它如何实现成功的交流。

关键字：

模糊限制语；《绝望的主妇》；分类；语用功能

Contents

1.Introduction……………………………………………………………………..1

2.TheClassificationsofHedges…………………...……………………………...2

2.1Approximators………………………………………………………………2

2.1.1Adaptors………………………………………………………………2

2.1.2Rounders……………………………………………………………...2

2.2Shields……………………….………………….………..………………....3

2.2.1Plausibilityshields……………………………………………………3

2.2.2Attributionsheilds………………………………………………...…..3

3.TheFunctionsofHedges……...…………………………………………….......5

4.TheAnalysesofHedges……………………………...…..………..…….…..….6

4.1Thecooperativeprinciple…….……….……………………….…………....6

4.2Thepolitenessprincipleandface-savingtheory............................................6

5.Conclusion………………………………………………………………………8

WorksCited………………………………………………………..…..……...…...9

Acknowledgements

MysinceregratitudefirstgoestoMs.GuJimei,mysupervisor,forherconstructivesuggestions,valuableideas,greatpatienceandencouragement.Withoutherhelp,thecompletionofthisthesiswouldhavebeenimpossible.

IowegreatgratitudetoalltheteachersintheEnglishDepartment.Theirlecturesandinstructionshavebeenofgreathelptomystudy.

Iwouldalsoliketoexpressmythankstomyfriendsfortheirconstantconcern,generoushelp,andmeaningfulcommentsonthestudy.

Finally,ImustsayIowegratitudetomyparents.Theirloveandencouragementhavesupportedmetoovercomedifficultiesandachievethefinalsuccess.

1.Introduction

Inthearticle“FuzzySets”,L.A.Zadehfirstlyevokedthedevelopmentofstudyingvaguelanguageinthefieldoflinguistics（338-53）.Theconceptof“vagueness”gavelinguistsadifferentideatostudylanguageandmadesomecontributionstothefieldsofsemantics,psychologyorsociology.

Seenfromtheeyesofthedeadwoman---Alice,DesperatehousewivestellscolorfullivesofagroupofwomeninthestreetofWisteriaLane.Theyworkthroughdomesticstrugglesandfamilylifewhilefacingthesecrets,crimesandmysterieshiddenbehindtheirdoors.Therefore,toprotecttheirprivacyandsoftentheconflicts,theytendtousevaguelanguage,particularlyhedgesmakingthecommunicationpoliteandappropriate.Throughanalyzingthedialogues,itisbettertohelpunderstanddifferenttypesofhedgesandtheirpragmaticfunctions.ThroughanalyzingthedialoguesinDesperateHousewives,itisbettertohelpunderstanddifferenttypesofhedgesandtheirpragmaticfunctions.

2.AClassificationofHedges

AccordingtoG.Lakoff,hedgemeansthewordswhichmakethethingsvague（qtd.in何自然、冉永平，177）.G.Yuledefineshedgeas“cautiousnotesexpressedabouthowanutteranceistobetakenwhengivinginformation”（130）.Tothisregard,theusageofhedgesdependsonthespecificcontextinwhichitisembedded.

Accordingtowhetherthehedgecouldchangethetruth-conditionofanutteranceorchangethemeaningoftheutterance,hedgescouldbedividedintotwomajortypes:

approximatorsandshields（何自然、冉永平，178-81）.

2.1Approximators

Approximatorsareusedtochangethemeaningortomodifytheoriginalmeaningoftheutterancetoacertaindegree.Theycanavoidthearbitrarinessincommunicationandmaketheutterancesmoreobjective.Theycontaintwodifferentkinds,thatis,adaptorsandrounders.

2.1.1Adaptors

Adaptorscanchangethedegreeofthetruthofastatementbyusingthewordslike“sortof,really,almost,somewhat,moreorless,alittlebit”andsoon.Theyareusedwhenoneisnotcompletelysureaboutwhathesaid,orwhenoneshowshisrequestindirectly.

WhenGlenninvitesTomtobetheC.F.O.andoffersgreatsalary,herefusesitforheandCarolsarefriends.However,temptedbyrichtreatment,hedecidestotalkaboutthepromotionwithCarols:

TOM.Butitisaverygenerousoffer,andIfigureifthat’smyvalueinthemarketplacethatmaybeIshouldbe…doingalittlebetterhere[…].

CAROLS.Youknowroughthingshavebeen…you’veseentheemptydesks.Wejustcan’tofferyouthatkindofmoney（DesperateHousewivesepisode17）.

Tomisunsureaboutwhetherhecangetthesalaryincreaseornot,sohesays“alittlebetter”toindicatethathedeservesaraise.AndtoCarols,itiseuphemistictorefuse“thatkindofmoney”.Ontheoccasion,hedgescanmaketherequestorrefusalproperandreasoning.

2.1.2Rounders

Roundersaresomeapproximatorswhichcanrestricttherangeofvariation.Theyarealwaysusedasmodifierstothenumberstoimplyuncertainty,suchas“about,around,somethingbetweenXandY,approximately”.

Forexample,Susandoesn’tknowabouttheexactdaywhenshecangetakidney,soshedoesn’tneedtotelltheprecisenumber.Onsuchkindofoccasion,usinghedgesistomaketheconversationappropriate.

BREE.Andhowlongwillyouneedtohavethis?

SUSAN.Tilltheyfindmeadonor.

GABY.Well,thatwon’ttakeverylong,willit?

SUSAN.Threeorfiveyears（DesperateHousewivesepisode11）.

Moreover,hedgescanbeusedwhenitisnotnecessarytomentiontheexactnumber.WhenCarolsasks,“Howmanyyearshavewebeenmarried?

”Gabysays“Toomany”（DesperateHousewivesepisode11）.Ofcourse,Gabyknowsexactlyhowlongtheyhavebeenmarried,butshedoesn’tmeantoansweritforsheknowswhatCarolsmeans,justsaying“toomany”.

2.2Shields

Shieldsdonotchangethemeaningoftheutterances.Theysoftentheaffirmativetonebyembeddingasentenceorawordintheutterance.Therearetwotypesofshields,whichareplausibilityshieldsandattributionshields.

2.2.1Plausibilityshields

Plausibilityshieldsareusedasoneshowshishesitationandindicateshisspeculation.Someintroductoryphrases,suchas“Ithink/believe,I’mafraid,probably,asfarasIcantell”,ortheuseofmodality“may,might”,canexpresshesitationorpossibilities.

Itisknownthatbloodrelativesarethebestchanceforamatch,sotheythinkSophie（Susan’smother）canbeadonor.Butsheisknowntobeaselfishwoman,implyingJulieorM.J.maybepossible.However,Mikeindicates“Youknow,wewereactuallythinkingyoumightbeapossibledonor”,andhesitatesifsheiswillingtotestit（DesperateHousewivesepisode12）.

AndwhenBreefaints,thedoctorisunsureaboutthecause,saying“I’mnotexactlysure.Sheprobablyjustoverexertedherself”toshowherguess.

2.2.2AttributionShields

Attributionshieldsaredifferentfromtheplausibilityshieldsinthattheydon’texpressone’shesitationorspeculationdirectly.Byquotingtheideaofthethirdparty,like“itissaid,asiswellknown,accordingtoone’sestimate,someonesaysthat,theprobabilityis”,onecanmakehisstatementobjectiveandconvincible.

Forinstance,whenPaulwantstobuyMrs.Cluskey’shouse,hesays“thedoctorsaysyouwillnolongerliveonyourown”whichmeansthatyouaretoooldanditisbettertosellthehouserightnow.Soafewdayslater,asBethgreetswithMrs.Cluskey:

BETH.Morning,Mrs.Cluskey.Howareyoutoday?

MRS.CLUSHEY.Ifeelgreat.Sorrytodisappointyou.

BETH.Oh,oh,what?

MRS.CLUSHEY.Justhadmyannualphysical.DoctorsaysI’mgonnabearoundforyears.Soyoucantellthatvulturehusbandofyours.He’llpickatsomeoneelse’scarcass（DesperateHousewivesepisode4）.

“Doctorsays”canproveauthoritativelythatMrs.Cluskeycanlivelonger,indicatingthatPaul’strickcannotberealized.ItalsoindirectlyshowsherhatredandangertoPaul.

Additionally,LeeisfurioustohearBobplayingwithanotherguy.Buthewasn’tsureaboutit;hestatesthat“JasontoldHunterwhotoldSerigowhotoldmeBobhasbeenseenoutthreetimeswithsomehunkylatino”（DesperateHousewivesepisode7）.Tosomeextent,itcanlowerhisuncertainty.

3.TheFunctionsofHedges

AsYangYujunstatesthathedgesaredifferentfromidiomsandtheyarenotusedtoresumeorfillinapauseinaconversation.Theyareakindofcommunicativestrategyandapartofthelanguagespeaker’scompetenceindailycommunication.Insomesituations,hedgesareessentialtoachievethecommunicativegoalasfollows（20-25）:

Firstly,theyareusedforlackingspecificinformation.WhenSusan’sfriendsareconcernedabouthowlongittakestogetakidney,sheisnotsureaboutit,indicating“threeorfiveyears”.

Secondly,theycanbemeantforpowerandpoliteness,asonewayofobservingthepolitenessprincipleandofnot