学 士 学 位 论 文
论文题目: INTERPRETING DEVIATIONAL USE
OF LANGUAGE IN ADVERTISING WITH RELEVANCE THEORY 通过关联理论透视广告语言变异现象
e
姓 名： 石怡丹 学 号： 0501603 院 系： 外国语学院 专 业： 英语 指导教师： 方立 王丽虹
二〇〇 九 年 五 月
Interpreting Deviational Use of Language in Advertising
with Relevance Theory
by Shi Yidan
Supervised
by Fang Li Wang Lihong
Submitted to the English Department
in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of
Bachelor of Arts
at
Beijing Language and Culture University
May 2009
论文摘要
语言变异，意即对语言违反常规的使用，被广泛地应用在当代广告中，其目的在于吸引公众的注意。英语广告中的语言变异可被分为几大类别，例如词汇变异，语法变异， 语义变异等。本文试图运用斯波伯和威尔森于1986年提出的关联理论来回答以下两个问题: 一是广告受众是如何解读变异了的语言的，二是为什么语言变异能如此引人注意。另外，本文还对今后的研究方向提出了建议。
本文主体由三部分组成：
第一部分介绍了相关的基本定义和在广告语言研究中各种流派的理论，同时回顾并评论了中国学者之前在此领域的研究状况。
第二部分系统地讲解了关联理论的理论构架。这一理论提出了交际是一个”明示-推理”的过程， 发话人通过”刺激信息”创造出一个发话人与听话人共同的语境，并表达自己的交流意图。听话人接收到”刺激信息”会自动寻求”最佳关联”，并推理出发话人的意图。
第三部分作者根据语言变异的不同种类出发，将广告例子和关联理论紧密结合，运用该理论分析了对广告语言变异的理解过程，并解释了其深得人心的原因。文章的最后，作者对本文的分析做出推论并提出建议。
关键词： “明示-推理”交际，关联原则，语言变异，英语广告，解读
i
Abstract
Contemporary advertising utilizes deviation, meaning the use of language that departs from normality, to gain public attention The deviational use of language in English advertising can be divided in several categories, such as lexical deviation, grammatical deviation, semantic deviation，etc. How do advertisement receivers interpret deviational language? What is the reason for deviation to be so arresting? This thesis endeavors to answer the two questions under the theoretical framework of Relevance Theory, proposed by Sperber and Wilson in 1986, and offers suggestions for future studies.
The thesis consists of three parts.
The first part introduces basic definitions, different approaches in the study of advertising language and reviews of the previous studies in China in this field.
The second part systematically deals with the theoretical framework of Relevance Theory. It is proposed in Relevance Theory that communication is an “ostensive-inferential” process. The communicator designs a stimulus to create a cognitive environment where his communicative intention is mutually manifest. On receiving the stimulus, the receiver will search “optimal relevance” and infer the communicator’s intention.
In the last part, by categorizing deviations, the author will explain how Relevance Theory is reflected in the advertising language and why deviation stands out itself. The thesis is concluded by examining the implication of the analysis and offering suggestions for future studies.
Key words: Ostensive-inferential communication; Relevance Theory; deviational
use of language; English advertising; interpretation
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Contents
Abstract in Chinese…………………………………………………….……………i Abstract in English………………………………………………………………....ii Introduction…………………………………………………………………….1 1. Research background………………………………..……………………….2
1.1 Definitions……….……………………………………………………2 1.2 Readings of relevant theories..……………………………………………....2
1.2.1 Foregrounding theory………………………………………………...2 1.2.2 Defamiliarization theory………………………………………….….3 1.2.3 Economic principle……………………………………………….….3 1.2.4 Conversational implicature…………………………………………..3 1.2.5 Advertising as discourse …………………………………………….5 1.2.6 Study of rhetorical devices…………………………………………...5 1.3 Literature review of previous studies in China……………………………....5 2. Relevance Theory ..…………………………………………………………....6
2.1 Definitions………………………………………………………………..6
2.1.1 Relevance……………………………………………………………7 2.1.2 Cognitive effect and processing effort……………………………….8 2.1.3 Mutual cognitive environment and mutual manifestness……………8 2.1.4 Informative intention and communicative intentions………………...9 2.2 Ostensive-inferential communication…………………………………...........9 2.3 Optimal relevance and principle of relevance….………………................10 3. Interpreting Deviation from the Perspective of Relevance Theory……....12
3.1 Lexical deviation………………………..……………………………….. 12 3.2 Grammatical deviation ……………………………………………………13 3.3 Graphological deviation……………………………………………………14 3.4 Semantic deviation…………………………………………………………15 3.5 Other deviations…………………………………………………………....16 Conclusion……………………………………………………………….…….16 Bibliography……………..………………….……………………………………….17