(7)关联理论

关联理论(RelevanceTheory)[e-mail]ory(RT),asageneraltheoryofcognitivepragmatics,isfirstproposedinthebookRelevance:CommunicationandCognition(Sperber&Wilson,1986).Itintroducesusitsuniqueideasaboutrelevance,recommendsitsfamousostensive-inferentialcommunicationmodel,andestablishesageneralprincipleofinterpretingtheinnermechanismofhumancommunication.DanSperber(1942-)Withitsfirstformalpresentationinthebook,itaimstolayafoundationforaunifiedtheoryofcognitivescienceandtogetherwithanattempttoshiftthewholecenterofgravityofpragmaticstoageneraltheoryofcognition.Aspragmaticinterpretationissubstantiallyseenasapsychologicalmattergovernedbythecognitiveprincipleandcommunicativeprinciple,RThasbeenconsideredthefundamentalsofcognitivepragmaticsbecauseofitsexplanatorypotentialandpromiseforthefuture.Ithasalsoprovidedabrand-newperspectiveandapproachtostudycommunicativeandpragmaticproblems.2.Themainideas(1)Ostensive-inferentialcommunicationThecommunicatorproducesastimuluswhichmakesitmutuallymanifesttocommunicatorandaudiencethatthecommunicatorintends,bymeansofthisstimulus,tomakemanifestormoremanifestasetofassumptionsI.(p155)SperberandWilsondefinecommunicationas“ostensive-inferentialact”(1995:50-54).Onthespeaker’sside,communicationisanostension,thatis,communicationisbehaviorwhichmakesmanifestanintentiontomakesomethingmanifest;onthehearer’sside,communicationisaprocessofinference.Thatis,thehearerinferstheimpliedintentionfromtheinformationprovidedbythespeaker’sostension.(2)CognitiveenvironmentandmutualmanifestationVisiblephenomenaareforvisualcognition,manifestfactsareforconceptualcognition.Afactismanifesttoanindividualatagiventimeifandonlyifheiscapableatthattimeofrepresentingitmentallyandacceptingitsrepresentationastrueorprobablytrue.Acognitiveenvironmentofanindividualisasetoffactsthataremanifesttohim.(3)MutualcognitiveenvironmentAnysharedcognitiveenvironmentinwhichitismanifestwhichpeopleshareitiswhatwewillcallamutualcognitiveenvironment.(4)InformativeintentionAcommunicatorproducesastimulusintendingtherebyInformativeintention:tomakemanifestormoremanifesttotheaudienceasetofassumptionsI.(5)ThecommunicativeintentionTocommunicateintentionallybyostensionistoproduceacertainstimuluswiththeaimoffulfillinganinformativeintention,andintendingmoreovertherebyCommunicativeintention:tomakeitmutuallymanifesttoaudienceandcommunicatorthatthecommunicatorhasthisinformativeintention.Forinstance,whenMarysaystoPeterthat“Thestoreisclosed”,sheintendstoconveythisinformationtoPeterandhashimknowthefactthatthestoreisclosed.ThisintentionisMary’sinformativeintention.Atthesametime,MaryintendstomakeitmanifesttoPeterthatshehassuchaninformativeintentionsothatPeterwouldabandonhisplantogotothestore.ThisisMary’scommunicativeintention.（1）信息意图玛丽有把“商店的门已经关了”这个信息告诉彼得，让他知道这一事实的意图。（2）交际意图同时玛丽又有向彼得明示这一意图以便彼得放弃到商店的计划这一意图。(6)RelevanceRelevance:Anassumptionisrelevantinacontextifandonlyifithassomecontextualeffectinthatcontext.(SperberandWilson,1995,122)(7)Contextualeffectandconditionsforrelevance1.ThedefinitionofcontextualeffectAccordingtoSperber&Wilson’stheory,thenotionofacontextualeffectisessentialtoadescriptionofthecomprehension.Brieflyspeaking,contextualeffectisthecontextualimplicationthatresultsfromtheinteractionbetweennewly-presentedinformationandcontextualassumptions(oldinformation),alongwithwhichnewcontextisconstructed.Whenthenewly-presentedinformationinteractswiththecontextualassumptioninoneofthefollowingways,thenewcontextualeffectwillresult:(1)Thenewly-presentedinformationstrengthenstheexistingcontextualeffect.Forexample:Sueishappytoday.Shegotaphone-call.Thoughtheinformation“gettingaphone-call”doesn’talwaysmakepeoplehappy,in(2),itimpliesthatthenewly-presentedinformation“Suegotaphone-call”furtherexplainsthereasonswhySueishappytoday.Soitstrengthensthepresentcontextualassumptionandthusproducesnewcontextualeffect.(2)Thenewly-presentedinformationcontradictsthepresentcontextualassumption,oritispowerfulenoughtonegatethepresentcontextualassumption.Forexample:Maxcan’tread;he’salinguist.Inthisexample,thenewly-presentedinformationwon’tstrengthenthepresentcontextualassumption.Onthecontrary,iftaking“Maxcan’tread”astheexistingcontextualassumption,thenthenewinformation‘heisalinguist’contradictsthisassumption,andevennegatesit..Inthiscase,thehearersmayproducevariouskindsofcontextualeffectsonbasisoftheirrespectivecontextualassumptions:itmightbeinferredthatthespeakerwasjoking,forMaxisatruelinguist;orthatMaxdoesn’tdeservetobecalledalinguist,forhecan’tread,etc.(3)Thenewly-presentedinformationcombineswiththepresentcontextualeffect,thusproducesakindofcontextualimplication.Thiscontextualimplicationisakindoflogicalimplication,butitisnotinferredfromthenewly-presentedinformationorthecontextualassumptionalone,butfromthecombinationofthetwo.Forexample:A:Isthereanyshoppingtodo?B:We’llbeawayformostoftheweekend.Inthisexample,Bonlyprovidestheinformation“we’llbeawayformostoftheweekend”.ItisofnohelptodetermineB’srealintention.Ifitistakenasanassumption,itisstilluncertainthatwhethe