合作原则与礼貌原则在语言交际中的关系

The Relationship between Cooperation Principle and Politeness Principle in Verbal Communication

Abstract: Cooperation principle, a center major theory in pragmatics, is proposed by Oxford linguist philosopher H. P. Grice, but cooperation principle itself converses endless to consummate. Sometimes, because of politeness and different occasions, people violate cooperation principle, which leads to the produce of conversational implicature. English famous linguist G. N. Leech proposed politeness principle theory, and thought politeness principle and cooperate principle may mutually make up for the profit, and politeness principle may save cooperate principle.

Key words; Cooperation principle, politeness principle, conversational implicature, relations Introduction: The cooperation principle explained the relations between the words’ literal significant and its practical significant and how the conversational implicature is produced, but cooperation principle had not explained why people did have to violate the conversation criteria to implicitly, indirectly express our own intention. In order to make up this kind of insufficiency, G. N. Leech put up with politeness principle to “rescues” the cooperation principle. This article will introduce the relations between cooperation principle and politeness principle, with the insufficiency of cooperation principle as well as the daily conversation which actually observe politeness principle but violate cooperation principle to achieve arts of speaking.

ⅠCooperation principle and politeness principle

In daily life, people don’t usually say things directly, but tend to imply them. In Grice’s theory, the two participants of the conversation communicate with each other smoothly because they keep some basic principles, which make them cooperate with each other and understand each other. Our talk exchanges do not normally consist of a succession of disconnected remarks, and would not be rational if they did. They are characteristically, to some degree at last, cooperative efforts; and each participant recognizes in them, to some extent, a common purpose or set of purpose, or at least a mutually accepted direction.（胡壮麟，2006，P191）In other words, we seem to follow some principle like the following: “Make your conversational contri bution such as is required, at the stage at which it occurs, by the accepted purpose or direction of the talk exchange in which you are engaged.”

To specify the cooperation principle, Grice introduced four categories of maxims as follow:

QUANTITY:

1、Make your contribution as informative as is required (for the current purposes of the exchange).

2、Do not make your contribution more informative than is required.

QUALITY:

Try to make your conversation one that is true.

1、Do not say what you believe to be false.

2、Do not say that for which you lack adequate evidence.

RELA TION:

Be relevant.

MANNER:

Be perspicuous.

1、A void obscurity of expression.

2、A void ambiguity.

3、Be brief (avoid prolixity).

4、Be orderly.

Only keeping the four maxims, can a conversation go on smoothly. If one participant tells lies on purpose, but the other participant is not aware of this, then the conversation is actually cheating, not cooperating. If one participant comes up with a topic, but the other participant answers something unrelated, which will end the conversation. Besides, more asking and less answering, obscure language, as well as talking ambiguously all hinder the continue of a conversation. So, keeping the four maxims of cooperation principle is the basic foundation for two participants to sincerely cooperate with each other.（任铁平，2006，P181）

Grice’s main contribution was he found the violation of the maxims would produce conversational implicature. He distinguished the violation of the maxims into four situations.

1、The speaker violates one of the maxims by stealth. In this situation, he or she may cheat or misleads the other participant.

2、The speaker publicly claims that he or she will not cooperate with the other participant. For example, “I have no comment to make” or “I do not want to talk”. This is an extreme condition, which certainly lead to the interruption of the conversation. So, it won’t produce conversational implicature.

3、The speaker confronts conflicts among the maxims, and in a dilemma. He or she may satisfy