语用学英语论文.docx
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语用学英语论文
语用学英语论文
TheCooperativePrincipleofPragmatics:
AnAnalysisoftheVerbalHumourintheSitcomHomewithKids
Sincethelanguagewasborn,theresearchofithasneverinterrupted.Humoristhespiceofourlives,leaveitthelifewillbeboring.PragmaticsisamainbranchofLinguistics,withthedevelopmentofpragmatictheory,linguistsandhobbyistsfrommanyanglesanalysisonverbalhumorandachievedfruitfulresults.Whilecooperativeprinciple,asoneofthemostimportantpragmaticprinciple,makesasystemicstudyaboutlanguageuseandlaysasolidfoundationforlaterdevelopmentofpragmatics.Theviolationofcooperativeprinciplecanoftengenerateconversationalimplicatureorachievecertaincommunicativeeffects.Onthebasisofprevioushumourandpragmatictheoryresearch,Iwillanalysisfromthepointofthecooperativeprincipleofthoseverbalhumourdialogueinthesitcom"HomewithKids",whichreflectsthedailylifeofarebuiltfamilyandattractsmanyChineseaudiencesbyitscreatingwriting,goodactingaswellasitswonderfultranscripts.
1.FourMaximsoftheCooperativePrinciple
In1975,thelanguagephilosopherH.P.Gricepublishedaseminalarticleentitled“TheCooperativePrinciple”whichcreatedquiteastirinthelinguisticworldandgeneratedalargenumberoflinguisticpublicationsthatarebuiltonGrice'spostulates.
AccordingtoGrice,inconversationalexchange,peopleusuallytrytoreachacommongoalbymutualeffortsoratleastmaketheconversationdevelopinthedirectionoftheirexpectation.Toachievethis,peopleneedtocooperatewitheachother.Grice'theoryofthecooperativeprincipleexplainshowitispossibleforthespeakertoconveymorethanwhatisliterallysaidandfoethehearertounderstand.
ThefourmaximsofCPareQuantityMaxim,QualityMaxim,MannerMaximandRelationMaxim.Themaximofquantityhastwosub-maxims
Xing:
You'dbetternotinterferewithmybusinessfromnowon!
（以后我的事情你少管.）
Mei:
Whatdidyousay?
Idon'tinterferewithyourbusiness?
Whydidn'tyousayitwhenIbreast-fedyou?
Whydidn'tyousayitwhenyouweresick?
Whydidn'tyousayitwhenyoufelltotheground?
Whydidn'tyousayitwhenyoucouldn'twalk?
Youdon'twantmetointerferewithyounow,becauseyouaregrownupandcandowhateveryouwant?
（你说什么呢?
再说一遍!
我少管?
你小时候喝奶的时候怎么不说?
小时候生病的时候怎么不说呀?
摔跟头时候怎么不说呀?
学会走路时候怎么不说?
这时候让我少管。
你翅膀硬了,自个会飞了?
）
Inthisepisode,themotherisveryangryaboutwhatLiuXingdidandsaid;sheissoangrythatshecan’thelptalkingexcessivelyaboutthematter,whichsoundshumorous.Thisobviouslyviolatesthesecondsub-maximofquantity:
Donotmakeyourcontributionmoreinformativethanisrequired.
（2）Let'stakeanotherepisodeasanexample:
Daddidn'tgethomeontime,LiuMeiaskXiaoYutocallhiscellphone,aftermadethephonecall
Mei:
Whoansweredthephone?
（谁接的电话?
）
Yu:
Awoman.（一个女的。
）
Mei:
What?
Whatdidshesay?
（嗯?
说什么?
）
Yu:
Shesaid,"sorry,youdialtelephonetemporarilyunabletogetthrough."（“对不起，您拨打的电话暂时无法接通……”。
）
Inthisdialogue,XiaoYuintentionallydidnotsaythatitisthevoicepromptsbutawomantopickupthephone,shedidnotgiveenoughinformationatthebeginning,therefore,sheviolatedthelackingofinformationcriteriainordertocreateatenseatmosphere.
2.2FloutingtheQualityMaxim
Themaximofqualityrequiresthatone'sverbalcontributiontoaconversationshouldbetruthful.Thetheoryalsoclaimsthatyouviolatethequalitymaximwhenyoudeliberatelylieorcommunicateinawaythatdoesnotreflectanhonestintention.ThefollowingaretwoexamplesdrawnrespectivelyfromHomewithKidsandGrowingPainswhichcanexplainhowfloutingthemaximofqualityproduceshumor:
（1）（InEpisode101ofHomewithKids,thereorganizedfamilyjustlivetogether.XiaYuandhismotherLiuMeihavesuchadialogue.）
Yu:
Mum,myhandwasbittenbytheinsect.
（妈，我的手被虫子给咬啦.）
Mei:
Oh,what'sthematter?
Wasitbittenbymosquito?
Comeon,letmescratchforyou.
（呦，怎么回事儿啊，蚊子给咬的吧！
妈给挠挠啊.可怜了.）
Yu:
WhydoesthemosquitoonlybitemeinsteadofLiuXing?
Thisisn'tmyhome?
（为什么蚊子只咬我不咬刘星?
是不是这不是我的家啊？
）
Mei:
Nonsense!
Ofcoursethisisyourhome.Hereareyourdadandmum.DoyouknowwhythemosquitoesonlybiteyouinsteadofLiuXing?
（别胡说，这就是你的家啊。
你看爸爸妈妈不都在呢？
你知道为什么蚊子只咬你不咬刘星吗？
）
Yu:
Why?
Mei:
BecauseyourbloodissweetwhileLiuXing'sisstinking.
（因为你的血是甜的，刘星的血是臭的.）
Whenaspeakersayssomethingthatisfalseorforwhichhelacksadequateevidence,hefloutsthemaximofquality.Inthisconversation,itisobviousthatthemothertellsalietoXiaoYu.Asamotherandanadult,sheknowsthereasonwell.InordertohoaxXiaoYuandmakehimfeelgood,shedeliberatelysayssomethingwhichisobviouslyfalse.Inthisway,LiuMeidoesn'tobservethefirstsub-maximofquality:
Donotsaywhatyoubelievetobefalse.Butitisjustherdeliberatefloutingofthemaximthatmakesherson（XiaoYu）feelbetterandatthesametimegeneratesahumorouseffect.
2.3FloutingtheMannerMaxim
"Avoidingobscurity"meanswhatyousaymustbeeasilyorclearlyunderstood."Avoidingambiguity"meansthereshouldbenoexistenceofmorethanonemeaninginwhatyousay."Beingbrief"and"beingorderly"meanwhatyousayshouldbeconciseandwellarranged.Themaximofmannerisfloutedbyspeakingredundantly,disorderlyorunclearly.Onthisoccasionthespeakerseemsveryuncooperative,butactuallyheintendstoproduceanimplicaturetobededucedbythehearer.Inverbalcommunication,peopleoftenmisunderstandtheambiguousexpressions,thusresultinginahumorouseffect.ThefollowingdialoguebetweenLiuMeiandhersonLiuXingisacaseinpoint.
Mei:
Whydoesn'tthegorillaevolve?
（猩猩为什麽不进化啊？
）
Xing:
Givemeareasonforitsevolution.（给我一个进化的理由。
）
Mei:
Whydoesn'tittalk?
（它为什麽不说话啊？
）
Xing:
Whatdoyouwantmetosay?
（您让我说什麽呀？
）
Mei:
Itliesinitsdefectinlistening.（在于听力的缺陷。
）
Xing:
Myearsarequitegood.（我耳朵挺好哒！
）
Mei:
Goaway.Don'tbotherme!
（去!
别在这儿捣乱。
）
Xing:
Aren'tyoutalkingaboutme?
（您不是说我呢吗？
）
Mei:
Iamtalkingaboutthegorilla.（我这儿说大猩猩呢。
）
Thepronunciationofgorilla（xingxing）inChineselanguageisthesamewithLiuXing'snickname.LiuMeiistalkingsomethingaboutthegorilla,butLiuXingmisunderstandsthemeaningofxingxing.Obviously,thismisunderstandingcomesfromthetwopossibilitiestointerpretthesoundxingxing（"猩猩"and"星星"）.Theambiguoususeoftheword（sound）,whichviolatesthemaximofmanner,isthereasonofhumorproductionhere.
2.4FloutingtheRelationMaxim
Themaximofrelationtellsustomakeourcontributionsrelevant.Thedemandforrelevancesimplymeansthatthespeakershouldonlyconveyinformationthatisrelevanttothetopicbeingcommunicated.Ifonepartywantstoavoidthetopicunderdiscussionandstartsanotherseeminglyrelevanttopic,hewillfloutthemaximofrelevance.Andthisseeminglyrelevantansweroftenmakesanotherpartyfeelfunny.Themaximofrelationisfloutedwhenaresponseiscompletelyirrelevanttothesubjectorthegoaloftheconversation.Lookatthefollowingexample:
（1）（AfterXiaDonghaicomesbackfromtheparents'meetingheldinLiuXing'sschool,hehasadialoguewithLiuMei.）
Mei:
AreyouOK?
Theremustbehugegapinyourmindnow.Doyouhavethethoughttofindawaytoescape?
（没受刺激吧，就你这种给小雪那种好学生开过家长会的你肯定心理有巨大的落差,想找个地缝转进去…）
DongHai:
Themeetingisquitewell.（开的还算比较圆满。
）
Mei:
WhatdidtheteachertellyouaboutLiuXing?
（老师都给刘星告什么状了？
）
（Thegrandmacoughs,indicatingXiaDonghainottotellthetruth）
DongHai:
Err,Itakesomemedicineforgrandma.（啊，我给姥姥去拿点药去。
）
Mei:
Quickly,whatdidtheteachertellyou?
（你快说啊，老师都说刘星什么了？
）
DongHai:
Well,hesaid…nothing.（他说啊，没什么。
）
Inthisepisode,aftertheparents'meeting,fromourbasicunderstandingaboutLiuXingandXiaDonghai'sfacialexpressions,weknowthatLiuXingmusthavedonesomethingwronginschool.IfXiaDonghaitoldthetruthtoLiuMei,shemustpunishherson.SoXiaDonghaiintendsnottotellhiswifethetruthandavoidsansweringherinquiry.Hisanswerisapparentlyirrelevanttohiswife'squestion.Inthislightatmosphere,hehascreatedhumorbyfloutingtherelevancemaxim.
（2）Let'slookatanotherdialogue.
Xin:
Didyouknow,todaytheteacherfoundagenius,that'sme.
（大家知道吗啊，今天老师发现一天才，这天才就是我。
）
Mei:
Ha-ha,thispeachisreallysweet.
（呵呵，这桃真甜。
）
Xin:
thereareseveralkindsofgenius,notjusttheonewhomakesthehighscore,dad,isthatright?
（这天才分好多种，不光是得高分的，对吧老爸?
）
DongHai:
ThispeachletmerememberedoftheginsengfruitintheJourneytotheWest.
（这桃子让人想起西游记里那人参果。
）
Xin:
Ah,you'dlistentome.TeacherlosthercarkeytodayandIfoundit.
（哎呀，你们倒是听我说啊。
今天老师车钥匙丢了，是我给找着的。
）
DongHai:
ItseemsthatShaSengalsolovetoeat.
（好像沙僧也爱吃。
）
Xin:
GuesswheredidIfindit?
Inthecar'slock.Sheforgottopullitdown.
（你们猜我从哪找出来的，从车锁上找着的。
忘了拔下来啦。
）
DongHai:
Actually,TangMonkisalsolovetoeat,heiscleveranddon'twanttosay.
（其实啊，唐僧也特爱吃，他就是贼，不爱说出来。
）
Xin:
Whileothersdidnotthinkofit,whichsuggestedthatIwasagenius,really,justalittletraining,Iwillbecomeadetectivescientist,justlikeSherlockHolmes.
（可是别人都没想到，就我想起来了，这说明我在这方面就是天才，真的，只要稍微培养一下，就是个侦探学家，就跟福尔摩斯似的……）
LiuXingwastalkingaboutwhathappenedintheschool,whilehisparentswerepaidtheirattentiontothepeach.Althoughinasamedialogue,theytalkabouttheirowntopicsandwithoutrelation.ItispreciselythiskindofirrelevantandtheignoranceofLiuXing'sboastcausesthehumorouseffectproduction.
3.Conclusion
AgreatnumberofsamplesselectedfromHomewithKidsareusedheretoillustratehowverbalhumorcanbeinterpretedfrompragmaticpointsofview.Basedontheanalysisanddis
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