语言学英语

外国语学院

英语语言学2学期论文

2013 至 2014学年度第2学期

题目：从合作原则解读《傲慢与偏见》

中人物对话

姓名：李晓瑞

年级：13级专升本一班

学号：0407130123

The analysis of the Characters’ Dialogue

of "pride and prejudice" according

to the Cooperative Principle

Abstract:Pragmatics is the study of meaning in context. It deals with particular utterances in particular situations. It is concerned with the way language is used to communicate and it has close relationship with literature. Based on the basis of the theory of the Conversational Implicature and the cooperative principle, the paper analysis the dialogues of"Pride and Prejudice", through present some dialogues which violate the four maxims, so that can make the readers understand the language features of the novel better, accurately grasp the fiction comedy and improve the ability of readers' appreciation of literature.

Key Words: Conversational Implicature; cooperative principle; "pride and prejudice".

Linguist Hu Zhuanglin had pointed out in the paper Pragmatics: pragmatics is a powerful weapon to study the linguistic features of literature language. (Shu,2012) The novel "Pride and Prejudice" is mainly composed by many dialogues, thus to create an atmosphere and present the theme. This paper will analyze the characters in the novel the violation of the cooperative principle in dialogue to show reveal character using the conversation principle theory, so as to achieve the language features in the novel a deeper understanding.

1. The Theory of Conversational Implicature and the Cooperative Principle

America language philosopher Grice put forward the theory of Conversational Implicature in 1976, its core is the cooperative principle. Grice thinks that both sides of normal language exchange is mutual cooperation, in order to achieve a common purpose of communication, the speaker and hearer must follow certain principles. Grice called it as the Conversational Cooperative Principle, or CP for short. The cooperative principle includes four maxims. Firstly,quantity principle (Make your contribution as informative as is required (for the current purposes of the

exchange). Do not make your contribution more informative than is required.) Secondly, quality principle (try to make your contribution one that is true. Do not say what you believe to be false and that for which you lack adequate evidence.) Thirdly, relation principle (Be relevant.) Fourth, manner principle (Be perspicuous. Avoid obscurity of expression. Avoid ambiguity. Be brief. Be orderly.) However, in the really conversation, people doesn’t always abide by the CP, because all kinds of needs, people will deliberate violation of cooperative principle (Hu, 2012).

2. The Dialogues of "Pride and Prejudice" Violate of the Maxims

2.1 Violation of the Maxim of Quantity

In the first chapter of the novel, Mrs. Bennet knew that a rich named Bingley move to, she can’t help waiting to share the news with their husbands. Mr. Bennet is forced to meet the wife want to talk.

“What is his name?”

“Bingley.”

“Is he married or single?”

“Oh，single，my dear，to be sure! A single man of large fortune；four or five thousand a year. What a fine thing for our girls! ”(Jane Austen, 2012)

Mr. Bennet has no inerests for the new comer, but he also cares about her daughter's marriage. So after finished asking name, he asked whether they are married. But Mrs. Bennet is clearly satisfied with the new golden bachelor. In the provision of information right is "single", she also provides many additional information: a rich man, an annual income of four thousand or five thousand pounds. This violates the maxim of quantity-- don't make your words than the requested information more fully. From this simple dialogue we can see that Mrs. Bennet is a typical worry daughter marriage mother image, and has the characteristics of middle-aged women chatter without stop.

2.2 Violation of the Maxim of Quanlity

When Mrs. Bennet knew a bachelor rents Netherfield. She said to her husband: