软弱地基语言学论文 合作原则

2020年12月20日发(作者：庞雄飞)
The Presentation of Cooperative Principle in Gossip Girl
合作原则在《绯闻女孩》中的体现

Abstract:

With the development of internet, Hoolywood movies and American TV
series become increased in popularity in teenagers. This article attempts to
analysis the discourse in gossip girl with the cooperative principle in
pragmatics so as to emphasize the significance of exploring the
conversational implication with the help of a deep understanding of CP.

摘要：

随着网络的发展，好莱坞电影和美剧越来越受到青少年的青睐。 本文
尝试用语用学中的合作原 则分析《绯闻女孩》中的部分对话，从而说明
了深刻理解合作原则对挖掘会话含义的重要性。

Key words
:
cooperative principle, conversational implication, Gossip Girl

关键词：合作原则；会话含义；绯闻女孩

Guide Reading：

1. Opening paragraph
2. Cooperative principle of Grice and conversational implication
—the maxim of quantity
—the maxim of quality
—the maxim of relation
—the maxim of manner
3. Analysis of some examples from Gossip girl which violate the CP
—violation of the maxim of quantity
—violation of the maxim of quality
—violation of the maxim of relation
—violation of the maxim of manner
4. Conclusion

提纲：
1. 引言
2. Grice的合作原则与会话含义
— 量的原则
— 质的原则
— 关系原则
— 方式原则
3. 《绯闻女孩》中违反合作原则的实例分析
— 违反量的原则
— 违反质的原则
— 违反关系原则
— 违反方式原则
4. 结语

Ⅰ. Opening


With the development of internet, Hoolywood movies and American TV series begin to grow
popularity in teenagers. In fact, having the eye feast of American movies and TV series not only
can arouse the interest of English learning but also offer chance to let English learners expose to
the real accent of Americans. But because of the cultural differences between Chinese and English,
it’s really hard to get the whole meaning of the conversations for Chinese students even if there
are Chinese characters below to help. So if we learn and understand the Cooperative Principle
which will sometimes cause conversational implication, it will be beneficial to our English
learning and the appreciation of American TV series.

Ⅱ. Cooperative principle of Grice and Conversational Implication

As we all know, communication is the purpose of language. Pragmatics is to explain how
language is used to effect successful communication and conversation which has drawn the
attention of many scholars.
A philosopher and logician, Paul Grice made an attempt to explain the course of natural
conversation, in which implied messages are frequently involved. His idea is that in making
conversation, the participants must first of all be willing to cooperate; otherwise, it would to be
possible for them to carry on the talk. This general principle is called the Cooperative Principle,
abbreviated as CP. To be more specific, there are four maxims under this general principle:
—the maxim of quantity
1. Make your contribution as informative as required（for the current purpose of the
exchange）.
2. Do not make your contribution more informative than is required.
—the maxim of quality
1. Do not say what you believe to be false.
2. Do not say that for which you lack adequate evidence.
—the maxim of relation
Be relevant
—the maxim of manner
1. Avoid obscurity of expression.
2. Avoid ambiguity.
3. Be brief (avoid unnecessary prolixity).
4. Be orderly.
It is interesting and important to note that while conversation participants nearly always observe
the CP, they do not always observe these maxims strictly. These maxims can be violated for
various reasons, but only when they are “flouted”, to use Grice’s term, the “conversational
implications” occur. When we flout a maxim, our language becomes indirect. The following four
conversations from Gossip Girl illustrate the violation of the four maxims and the resultant
implications respectively.

Ⅲ.
Analysis of some examples from Gossip girl which violate the CP

1.
Violation of the maxim of quantity

Rufus: Dan, Jenny, over here!
Jenny: Hey, Dad！
Rufus: Hey，hey, you made it! Welcome back. How was your weekend? How’s your mom?
Dan: Fine.
Jenny: She’s good. Uh, fine and good.
Dan: She’s...she is good and fine.
Rufus: Like “maybe I never should’ve left Manhattan” fine or “taking a time out from my
marriage was the best idea I ever have” fine?
Dan: Dad, you know what? I-I am, uh I am starving.
This dialogue is from the first sequel in which Dan and Jenny just had finished their weekend
with their mother in Mahattan and met their father who was waiting for them in the airport. When
Rufus asked how their weekend and their mother were, Dan said “fine” and at the same time,
Jenny said “she’s good”. When Jenny realized her brother said fine about the holiday, she added
“good and fine”. After a little pause, Dan said “she’s good and fine” again. So obviously, the two
violate the maxim of quantity.
While these answers were not enough to content Rufus, so he continued to ask what kind of fine
they were meaning to. Perhaps out of avoiding their divorce this sensitive subject, Dan changed
their topic to starving. While at last, Rufus observed their avoiding eyes, he understood the
implied meaning.

2．Violation of the maxim of quality
Bart: Lily, how are you?
Lily: Oh Bart, hello. How are you?
Bart: Hey, Eric. How’s Miami?
Eric: It was good, thanks. You know, go Marlins. Would you excuse me, please?
This dialogue is about Eric who was forbidden by his mother to join social activities because his
gay thing. Before coming to this party, his mother Lily told everyone Eric was lived with his aunt
in Miami. So when Bart asked him how Miami was, he said it was good and could go Marlins.
Obviously he was lying, because he had never left New York city. He violates the maxim of
quality to keep his mother’s lie believable.
3. Violation of the maxim of relation
Dan: Hey dad, listen! I gotta run. Are you gonna be okay?
Rufus: Yeah .Yeah. Your mom will be back. She is always been a free spirit. That’s one of the
reasons I fell for her in the first place.
Dan: I meant with the fliers.
This dialogue is between Rufus and his son who were pasting the fliers for the band
performance. At that moment, Dan got a message from his sister who had a emergence and needed
his brother there. So Dan asked his father whether he could handle with these fliers alone. While
Rufus got Dan wrong and thought his son was asking about his single life, so his answer was
totally irrelevant with the question. He breach the maxim of relation. But according to his answer,
we can see that he is still thinking about his wife and have a faith that one day his wife will come
back to him.
4. Violation of the maxim of manner
Serena: So how’s your mom doing with the divorce and everything?
Blair: Great. So my dad left her for another man.. She lost 15 pounds. Got an eye lift. It’s been
good for her.
Serena: I’m really sorry.
Blair: Yeah, I could tell. Since you didn’t call or write the entire time it was happening.
Serena: No, I …I know, I was just…boarding school is like…
Blair: I don’t even know why you went to boarding school to begin with. Do you know how it
felt calling your house when you didn’t show up at school and having your mom say “Serena
didn’t tell you that she moved to Connecticut?”
Serena: I just. I …I had to go. I just… I needed to get away from everything. Please just trust
me.
This dialogue is between Serena and Blair who were best friends before and met firstly after
Serena came back to New York from boarding school to which Serena went without saying
goodbye to Blair and even no explanation. This is how this dialogue occur. When Blair asked why
she didn’t write to her, Serena began to make her words vague and unclear. She continuously
avoided from giving a direct answer facing Blair’s so many doubts and questions. She just said:
“Uh, I just…I just…please just trust me”. So Serena clearly violate the maxim of manner. Her
words are obscure and ambiguous. If we continue to keep an eye on the following plots, we will
understand the whole actions of Serena. That night before she left, she was so drunk that had sex
unconsciously with Blair’s boyfriend Nate. So she felt embarrassed and sorry for Blair and she
thought Blair would never forgive her. And in addition, she witted a man going to die out of taking
dugs and didn’t call the ambulance out of fear. So she didn’t tell Blair the reason because of
intending to get Blair out of the trouble. She breach the maxim of manner to protect her friend’
feeling.

Ⅳ. Conclusion

These examples above are just a little part of the excellent conversations from Gossip Girl
which can be used as good materials for us to study Cooperative Principle and Conversational
Implication. I believe that if we English learners can spend some time to analyze the dialogues
from these popular American TV series with the theory of CP in pragmatics; we will have a better
understanding of American English and American culture. In addition, we can apply the theory of
CP to our daily life, and make efforts to get the implied meaning of others which will make us
have a successful communication and a harmonious atmosphere of conversation. As English
learners, we have the responsibility to know the world and let the world know China as well.


Reference:

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【3】《绯闻女孩》第一季，电视台出品。
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