12-pragmatics-cooperative-principle

Today’sLecturePragmatics:TheCo-operativePrinciple&ConversationalImplicatureLasttimeSpeechactDirectvs.indirectspeechactUnderstandinghowpeoplecommunicateisactuallyaprocessofinterpretingnotjustwhatspeakerssay,butwhatthey“intendtomean”.(Yule2000:134)Whatmightthesecondspeaker‘mean’ineachofthefollowingdialogues?Thinkabouthowyouinferredthismeaning.(a)Virginia:Doyoulikemynewhat?Mary:It’spink!(b)Maggie:Coffee?James:Itwouldkeepmeawakeallnight.(Peccei2000)Idon’tlikeyournewhat.Iwon’thavecoffee.Conversationalimplicature(c)Linda:Haveyoufinishedthestudentevaluationformsandthereadinglists?Jean:I’vedonethereadinglists.(d)Phil:AreyougoingtoSteve’sbarbecue?Terry:Well,Steve’sgotthosedogsnow.(e)Annie:Wasthedessertanygood?Mike:Annie,cherrypieischerrypie.Ihaven’tdonetheevaluationforms.Idon’tthinkI’mgoingtoSteve’sbarbecue.No,thedessertwasprettyboring.Let’slookatMary’s,Jame’s,Jean’s,Terry’sandMike’sresponsesagain–thistimewithadifferentutterancefromthefirstspeaker.Thecontentofthesecondspeaker’sutteranceremainsthesame,butdoesthemeaning,or,theconversationalimplicature(i.e.,inferencesmadefromutterancesincontext),remainthesame?(Peccei2000)(f)Virginia:Trytheroastpork.Mary:It’spink!(g)Maggie:WewenttoseeTheOmenlastnightbutitwasn’tscary.James:Itwouldkeepmeawakeallnight.I’mnothavingtheroastpork.Ithinkthemoviewasscary.(h)Linda:Youlookverypleasedwithyourself.Jean:I’vedonethereadinglists.(i)Phil:Hisgardenlooksawful.Terry:Well,Steve’sgotthosedogsnow.(j)Annie:Ithoughtthepiewouldcheeryouup.Mike:Annie,cherrypieischerrypie.I’mpleasedwithmyselfbecauseI’vedonethereadinglists.Steve’sdogshavewreckedthegarden.Ittakesmorethancherrypietocheermeup.Nowwereturntotheoriginaldialogues,(a),(b)and(e).Howdoyouthinkthefirstspeakerwouldinterpretthesecondspeaker’sresponseifyouhadthefollowingextrainformation?(a)Virginia:Doyoulikemynewhat?Mary:It’spink!(b)Maggie:Coffee?James:Itwouldkeepmeawakeallnight.(e)Annie:Wasthedessertanygood?Mike:Annie,cherrypieischerrypie.PinkisMary’sfavouritecolourandVirginiaknowsthis.JameshastostayupallnighttostudyforanexamandMaggieknowsthis.Mikelovescherrypie.Asfarashe’sconcerned,noonecanruinacherrypie,andAnnieknowsthis.(Peccei2000)PaulGrice:THECO-OPERATIVEPRINCIPLE一条合作原则Fourmaxims四个准则Toapplythistheorytoexplainpragmaticinferences.Themainpoint:Weassumethatinaconversationtheparticipantswillco-operatewitheachotherwhenmakingtheircontributions.QUANTITY:Makeyourcontributionsufficientlyinformativeforthecurrentpurposesoftheconversation.Donotmakeyourcontributionmoreorlessinformativethanisnecessary.QUALITY:Donotsaywhatyoubelievetobefalse.Donotsaythatforwhichyoulackadequateevidence.RELATION(RELEVANCE):Makesurethatwhateveryousayisrelevanttotheconversationathand.MANNER:Donotmakeyourcontributionobscure(notclear),ambiguousordifficulttounderstand.ExamplesofspeakerscooperatingwitheachotherandadheringtothemaximsoftheCo-operativePrinciple.Question:Dowealwaysadheretothesemaxims?Anexample:fromateacher’sreference(Peccei2000)Xhasregularlyandpunctuallyattendedallmyclasses.Allhisassignmentswerehandedinontimeandveryneatlypresented.IgreatlyenjoyedhavingXinmyclass.Whatmaxim(s)doestheteacherseemtoflout(violate)?Whatimplicaturewouldyoudrawabouttheteacher’sopinionaboutX?Whydoyouthinktheteacherphrasedhisopinionthisway?A.QuantityMaxim1.OnefarmermeetsSamandsays:“Hey,Sam,myhorse’sgotdistemper.Whatdidyougiveyourswhenhehadit?”“Turpentine,”gruntedSam.Aweeklatertheymeetagainandthefirstfarmershouts:“Sam,Igavemyhorseturpentinelikeyousaidanditkilledhim.”“Sodidmine.”NoddedSam.2.A:Whereareyougoing?B:I’mgoingtothebathroomtodoweewee.B.QualityMaximA:Oh,whatbeautifulhandwriting!B:No,no,notatall.Youarejoking.A:…Whatmaxim(s)doesthespeakerseemtoflout?Youarereallyafinefriendofmine.(irony)Youarethecreaminmyoffice.(metaphor)Hewasalittleintoxicated.(understatement)Johnrunsasfastasadeer.(hyperbole)A:BeirutisinPeru,isn’tit?B:AndRomeisinRomania,Isuppose.C.RelationMaximA:Let’sgotothemovietonight.B:Ihavetostudyfortheexam.Johnny:Hey,Sally,let’splaymarbles.Mother:Howisyourhomeworkgettingalong,Johnny?A:I’mrunningoutofwritingpaper.B:There’sashoproundthecorner.A:Johnisreallymischievous,isn’the?B:Well,boysareboys.Conversationalcohesion!D.MannerMaximFather:Let’sgetthekidssomething.Mother:Okay,butIvetoC-H-O-C-O-L-A-T-E.A:Whereareyougoingwiththedog?B:TotheV-E-T.AnalyzingjokeswithCooperativePrincipleCustomer:What’sthisflydoinginmysoup?Waiter:Lookslikebreaststroke,sir.TheRelationMaxim(oftheCooperativePrinciple)isflouted(Waiter’sreplyismadetothedirectbutnottheindirectspeechact,i.e.,theintendedmeaningofthecustomer)Whydopeopleintentionallyflout(i.e.,violate)theMaximsintheCooperativePrincipleinconversationalexchanges?Politeness(PolitenessPrinciple)CreativityEconomySummaryConversationalimplicatures(inferencesmadefromutterancesincontext).Theco-operativeprincipleanditsfourmaximsThespeaker’sflouting(or,violation)ofamaxim(combinedwiththehearer’sassumptionthatthespeakerisstilladheringtotheco-operativeprinciple)leadstoabarrieroranimplicatureincommunication.Jokesoftenrelyonourknowledgeofrulesofconversation(e.g.:coop