语言学 间接言语行为分析与应用

AnAnalysisandApplicationofIndirectSpeechActsSunHe孙和Class2,Grade2012No.312045108012TheSchoolofForeignLanguage

ChinaWestNormalUniversityAPaperforGenerdlLinguisticsDec.,2012AnAnalysisandApplicationofIndirectSpeechActsAbstract:Searle’smostimportantcontributiontospeechactstheoryisthatheisthefirstonewhoputsforwardindirectactstheory(ISA).Thispapermainlyfocusesonthatindirectspeechactscanpresentthemutualsocialdistance,showtheevasionofsomesubtleproblemsandindirectspeechactsaresomelinguisticskillswhichcanreachcertainpurposesincommunication.Attheendofthispaper,IwilltalkabouttheenlightenmentofindirectspeechactsinEnglishteachingandtalkaboutwhatweshoulddotosolvetheseproblems.KeyWords:pragmaticfunction,indirectspeechacts,utterance,EnglishteachingIntroductionSpeechactisatechnicalterminlinguisticsandthephilosophyoflanguage.ThecontemporaryuseofthetermgoesbacktoJ.L.Austin'sdiscoveryofperformativeutterancesandhistheoryoflocutionary,illocutionary,andperlocutionaryacts.Speechactsarecommonlytakentoincludesuchactsaspromising,ordering,greeting,warning,invitingandcongratulating.Amongthespeechactstherearedirectandindirectacts.Theindirectactsisaroundaboutwayoftalking.Thatistosay,peopledonotexpresstheirthoughtsinadirectwaybutthroughindirectoreuphemisticwaystofulfilltheirpurposeincommunication.Theindirectoflanguageappearswhenthereisaninconformitybetweentheliteralmeaningandtheimplicationmessage.SpeechacttheoristSearleputsupindirectspeechacttheorytoexpresstheindirectiveoflanguagebasedonthespeechacttheoryitself.Andhedefinesanindirectspeechactisaspeechactperformedindirectlybyperforminganotherspeechact.Searlehasdividedtheindirectspeechactintoindirectspeechactsandnon-conventionalindirectspeechact.Theformerisimplicitcontentaccordingtothesentencesyntacticform,worditselfwiththeconventionalmeaningtodecide.Accordingtothehabitcanimmediatelyinferindirect"illocutionaryforce"(meaning),canbeusedtoexplaintheidiomtheory.Thelatterrelymainlyonbothsidesoftheknowninformationandspeakincontexttoinferthe"illocutionaryforce",canpushtheorytoexplain.DevelopmentofindirectspeechactsSearleisthemanwhoofferedtheideaofindirectspeechacts,butoutofalotofreasonssuchasphilosophyfoundation,researchlimitationandsoforth,hisstudyinindirectspeechactshasnotgoessodeep.Lateron,anotherspeechactstheoristGricestartedhisjourneytoresearchforthedetailofindirectspeechactstheories.Grice,wantstoexplainthephenomenonofindirectspeechthroughthe"conversationalimplication(conventionalimplication),hethinks,inallcommunication,inordertoachievespecificobjectives,thereexiststheConversationalCooperativePrinciplebetweenthespeakerandhearer(cooperativeprinciple).Theseprinciplesareembodiedinfourmaxims:themaximofquantity,providetherequiredforinformation,butalsonottoolittle;qualitystandards,nottomentionthelackofevidence,orthatarefalsewords;associationrule,nottosayandspeaktounrelatedwords(i.e.one);attitudemaxim,avoidambiguity,readytoaccepteithercourseorwordywords,languageshouldbeorganized.However,whenitcomestobeinactualconversation,outofsocialneeds,peopleoftenpurposefullyviolatessomecooperationprinciple.Forexample,tospeakinordertoconcealthetruthlies,isnotobedient.Morepeoplesometimesviolatesaprincipletomakethepersonfeelstoachievecertaineffectsorsuggestingsomething,thenitmeansobedientpersonthathecalled"conversationalimplication".Nodoubt,"conversationalimplicature"isanimportantexpressionofindirectspeech.Recentyears,thetopicofindirectspeechactshaswonalotofattention.Forexample,inaskingifapersoncanopenawindow,thespeakercanindirectlyrequestthepersontoopenthewindow.Canyouopenthewindow?Sentence2.1isaninterrogativesentence.Itcanbesaidtohavetwomeanings.First,theliteral,directmeaningofsentence2.1isreflectedininterrogativesentencetype.Thesecondmeaningofthesentenceisanadditional,indirectmeaningwhichisarequestandthisistheutterancemeaning.Thisisanindirectspeechact(ISA).Byusingsentence2.1,thespeaker’smainintentionistorequestthehearertoopenthewindowbutnottoaskaquestion,andthisisperformedindirectlybyperforminganothercommunicativeact—askingaboutthehearer’sabilitytoopenthewindow.Mostoftheeveryday-conversationandsomewrittenworksbelongtoindirectspeechact(ISA).Pleaselookatthefollowingexample:Couldyouturndownthemusicalittle?Thisutterancemayprobablybeheardinadormitory.Oneofthemembersinthedormislisteningtomusicwhileanotherwantstoread.Thus,byusingthesentence2.2,thespeakerwouldlikethehearertoturndownthemusicinsteadofansweringthesentencewith"Yes”withoutturningdownthemusic.Thespeakerhereusesanindirectspeechactandexpresseshisorherthoughtindirectly.Inourdailylife,peoplewouldliketouseindirectspeechactsbecausetheywouldliketoexpresstheirthoughtsindirectly.So,whatisthepragmaticfunctiondotheindirectspeechactshaveinourdailylife?PragmaticfunctionofindirectspeechactsInourdailycommunication,indirectspeechactscanbecommonlyseen.Itisveryimportantinourdailycommunication.AsfarasIamconcerned,indirectspeechactshaveseveralpragmaticfunctions.Therearemainlythreepragmaticfunctions:thepresentationofmutualsocialdistance,ortheevasionofsomesubtleproblemsandsomelinguisticskillsforreachingcertainpurposesincommunication.Then,Iwillexplainitindetail.Firstly,indirectspeechactscanpresentthemutualsocialdistance.Whenaskedwhypeopletakeindirectspeechlanguagebehavior,wecanusetheprincipleofpolitenesstoexplaintheimplicationandindirectspeechacts.Tobehavepolitelyindailylifeisagoodwayforpeopletocontributetotheharmoniousinterpersonalrelationships.Consideringthefollowingexamples:TV?TurnontheTVwillyou?MaywehavetheTVturnedonplease?WouldyoupleaseturnontheTV?WouldyoumindturningontheTV?IwonderifyoucouldturnontheTVIamsorrytotrouble,butcouldIaskyoutoturnontheTVforme?Bysayingallthesentencesabove,thespeakerhasthesamerequest,whichistoaskthehearertoturnontheTV.Butasthestatusoftheconversationobjectschange,familymembers,guestsorstrangers;elders,peersoryouths;thehigher,thesamelevelorlowerindifferentpeerrelationships,thetonechangesfromthesimplecommandtothepoliterequest,andmoreandmoreindirectly,suchasthesentencesfrom3.1to3.7.Modalverbssuchascould,mayandwouldmakethetoneofthespeakermuchmoremildly.Inordertobemorepolite,thespeakercanuseotherwordstoexpresstheirmeaningtorespecttheconversationobject,suchasplease,sorry,trouble,wonder,andmindandsoon.Let’slookatsomesentencesfirst.Dance?MayIhavepleasureindancingwithyou?10CouldIdancewithyou?3.11Wouldyouliketodancewithme?3.12Perhapsyouwouldliketodance?Thesentencesabovemaymostprobablyoccurinapartyoraball,whenagentlemanwantstoaskaladytodancewithhim.Wecanlearnfromthesesentencesthatrelationshipbetweenthespeakerandthehearervariesfromsentencetosentence.Sentences3.8,3.9and3.10concentrateonthespeaker.InSentence3.8,therelationshipbetweenthespeakerandhearerismoreclose,casualandintimate.Andthespeakerwouldliketoshowpolitenesswhenusingthesentence3.9and3.10.Itisclearthatthetoneofsentence3.9and3.10aremoreindirectthanthatofsentence3.8.Sentences3.11and3.12concentrateonthehearer.Secondly,indirectspeechactsshowtheevasionofsomesubtleproblems.Mostofthetime,peoplewouldalwaystrytoavoidsomecertainconceptsorthingswhichtheydonotwanttomention.Butsometimeswehavetoexpresssomeideassuchasdisagreementsorcriticismwhichmaydispleasethehearer.Atthistime,thespeakermustchooseindirectlanguagetoavoidcertainsensitivetopicsasmuchaspossible.Hereisanexample:“Whatisyourmathscorelastweek?”JimaskedTom.“Iwanttogotobednow."Tomsaid.“Buttellingmeyourscorewon’twasteyoumuchtime."“IamsotiredthatIhavetosleep."“Butwhycan’tyoutellmeyourscore?”“Stoptalking!IsaidIwanttosleep!"ThedialogueaboveisbetweentwodormmatesJimandTom.InfacingJim’squestion,Tomviolatedthecooperationprincipledeliberately,thatmeansTomdidnotanswerJim’squestion.ButwhydidnotTomanswerJim'squestiondirectly?Wecanpredictthebackgroundofthisdialogue:lastweek,Tomhadamathexamination;unfortunately,hedidnotevenpasstheexam.However,Jimdidnotknowtheresultwassobad,hekeptaskingjustwantedtoshowhiscaretoTom.Tomfeltsosadthathedidnotwanttosayanythingaboutit.Soit’sdifficultforTomtotellJimthetruth.IfTomtellsJimhisscore,maybebothofthemwillfeelsad.ThisindirectspeechactshowsTom’sevasionofthesubtleproblemfromJim.Thirdly,indirectspeechactsaresomelinguisticskillswhichcanreachcertainpurposesincommunication.Thespeakerwillmorelikelytoreachhisorhergoalwhenusingindirectspeechactsthandirectspeechacts.Pleaselookattheexamplebelow:A:“It’scoldhere,right?"B:“Yes,IthinksPA:“Well,wouldyoupleaseclosethewindow,sir?”B:“Sure,withpleasure,madam!"(Theactionofclosingthewindow)Inthisdialogue,AhasarequestthatshewantsBtoclosethewindow.Atthebeginning,sheusedanunconventionalindirectspeechacttoexpressherrequest,butBdidn’trecognizetheindirectact.SoAhadtouseaconventionalindirectspeechacttoexpressherrequestlessindirectly.BgotAsrequest,andthenheclosedthewindow.AwasrejectedbyB.Aftershechangedherexpressiveskill,hergoalwasachieved.IhavementionedseveralkindsofexpressionofrequesttoturnontheTVbefore.Actually,thespeakercanuseadirectwaytoexpresshisorherrequestsuchas“TurnontheTV!"Butinthisway,thehearermaydoesn’twanttohelpthespeakerbecausedirectspeechactsmakeothersfeeluncomfortable.However,whenthespeakerusesanindirectwaytoexpresshisorherrequest,thehearerwilloftenbegladtohelpthespeakerbecausetheindirectspeechactsmakespeoplefeelpleasedandintimate.So,it’seasierforspeakertogethisorherpurposeinthecommunicationwhenusingtheindirectspeech.3.EnlightenmentIndirectspeechacts,asaspeciallanguagephenomenon,haveparticularfunctionsandeffectsonourdailylanguagecommunicationsuchasEnglishteaching.Englishlearners,especiallythenewlearners,willfinditdifficulttolearnEnglishbecauseoftheindirectspeechactsinEnglish.Asnewlearners,itiseasyforthemtomakemistakesinEnglishcommunicationbecausetheyarenotfamiliarwiththecharacteristicsandfunctionofindirectspeechacts.So,inordertohelpthenewlearners,weneedtoteachstudentssomeknowledgeofEnglishindirectspeechactsandindirectcommunicationstrategies.Whatshouldwedothen?Inordertohelpstudentswiththeircomprehensionofreadingmaterials,teachersshouldleadstudentstoidentifytheillocutionaryforcesofspeakersinverbalcommunicationandperceivetheintentionofauthorsinliteraryworkswiththehelpofinterpretationofindirectspeechactstheory.Asaresult,studentscanexpressthemselvesindirectly,politelyandappropriatelyinverbalcommunication.Next,forcollegeEnglishteaching,themoredifficultthingisnottoletstudentsinterpretsentencemeaningbutimpliedmeaning,n