Abstract
This thesis mainly aims to explore the numerous humorous effects brought about by violating Grice’s Cooperative Principle (CP) with examples from the dialogues of the sitcom the Big Bang Theory. The first chapter gives a brief introduction about the CP, its implicatures, and humor. The second chapter presents the previous researches on humor, done from foreign theories to domestic theories. The third chapter investigates the humor brought about by violating the CP from four aspects. The last chapter summarizes the significance of conducting research about CP since it could not only help us appreciate some TV programs better, but also improve our ability to understand and communicate with others, and make us enjoy the life better.
Key words: cooperative principle implicature humor
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摘要
本论文主要以情景喜剧《生活大爆炸》中的对话为例，分析由于违背格赖斯的合作原则而产生的众多幽默效果。第一章主要对合作原则及其会话含义，幽默的定义及其分类作简要概述。第二章主要讨论中外语言学家关于言语幽默的语言学研究成果。 第三章从四个角度分析在《生活大爆炸》中通过违反合作原则所产生的幽默效果。第四章讲述研究合作原则的重要意义。因为它不仅可以帮助我们更好的欣赏电视节目，还可以提高我们理解他人，与他人交流的能力，从而使我们更好的享受生活。
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关键词： 合作原则 会话含义 幽默
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Table of Contents
Chapter1 Introduction….........................................................................................................1
1.1Cooperative principle…………………………………………………………..1 1.2 Humor Introduction………………………………………………………….2
1.2.1 Definition of Humor…………………………………….....................2 1.2.2 Classifications of Humors…………………………………………….4 1.3 Significance of Present Research………………………………………………4
Chapter2 Literature Review…………………………………………………..........................6 2.1 Linguistic Approaches on Verbal Humor Study Abroad………………………6 2.2 Linguistic Approaches on Verbal Humor Study at Home……………………...7 Chapter3 Violation of CP on Humor in the Big Bang Theory...................................................9 3.1 Humor created by violating the maxim of Quantity…….……………………..9 3.1.1 Use of repetition………………………………………….........................9 3.1.2 Use of ellipsis…………………………………………………………….10 3.1.3 Use of roundabout sentences…………………………….........................11 3.2 Humor created by violating the maxim of Quality……………........................12 3.2.1 Use of irony……………………….......................................................... 13 3.2.2 Use of metaphor…….…….……………………………………………..14 3.2.3 Use of rhetorical question….....................................................................15 3.3 Humor crated by violating the maxim of Relation……………........................15 3.3.1 Partial irrelevance…..................................................................................15 3.3.2 Complete irrelevance …………………………………………………...17 3.4 Humor created by violating the maxim of Manner…..........................................18 3.4.1 Use of prolix sentences………………………………………………….18
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3.4.2 Use of hyperbole………………………………......................................19 Chapter4. Conclusion……………………………………………………………………….21 Bibliography…………………………………………………………….…..........................22
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Chapter1. Introduction
1.1 Cooperative Principle
Cooperative Principle (CP) was proposed by an Oxford philosopher Herbert Paul Grice. It first became known to the public in 1967 through the William James lectures Grice delivered at Harvard. Part of the theory was published in his Logic and Conversation in 1975. “In a conversation, a speaker and a hearer are supposed to respond to each other in their turn and exchange with needed information that benefits both of them” (Crowley and Mitchell, 1994: 140). Only through this can the participants create a successful and smooth conversation. According to Grice (Grice, 1975), to achieve such effect, people are supposed to follow a certain set of principles, that is, the Cooperative Principle.
These principles are what participants should follow in order to achieve a satisfactory and efficient conversation. However, Grice found that in many cases, people fail to fulfill them in various ways though they still want to create a successful communication. By violating them, people can express their deep meanings or use it as a strategy to communicate. Grice used a term “implicature” to refer to such kind of deep meaning. Generally speaking, if we study it further, we can find out that a lot of laughter and humor can be created and understood through understanding the implicature. The CP is stated as follows:
“Make you conversational contribution such as required at the stage at which it occurs, by the accepted purpose or direction of the talk exchange in which you are engaged” (Grice, 1975:45).
To specify the CP further, Grice introduced four categories of maxims as follows: Quality: Try to make your contribution one that is true.
1. Do not say what you believe to be false.
2. Do not say what for which you lack adequate evidence. Quantity:
1. Make your contribution as informative as is required (for the current purpose of exchange).
2. Do not make your contribution more informative than is required.
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从合作原则角度分析《生活大爆炸》中的对话幽默英语论文
