A Pragmatic Analysis of Tautology

校园英语/语言文化A Pragmatic Analysis of Tautology河南检察职业学院/吉冰冰[ Abstract ] Tautology is a kind of special linguistic phenomenon Conversational Implicature takes place and what characteristicswhich is a repetition or duplication of an idea using the words the Conversational Implicature has, what kind of languagewith the same meaning. Tautology seems to be pointless in the attitudes the speakers would like to express. Then, somelogical perspective but shows rich meaning on the pragmatic examples of tautologies related to the above theories will beanalysis. The focus of this paper is to present the pragmatic presented in order to summarize Conversational Implicature asanalysis on the basis of the Cooperative Principle, Conversational a type of implied meaning, which is deduced on the basis of theImplicature and Language Attitudes. That is, speakers violate conventional meaning of words together with the context, underthe Cooperative Principle in the conversation and express the guidance of the CP and its maxims.certain language attitudes; while listeners try to obtain such1.2 Specific Examples and Analysisconversational implicature depending on the specific context. InAccording to different semantic meanings, we can dividethis case, the pragmatic value and effect of tautology become the tautology into three categories. First, N is N.“ Politics arefocus of this article.politics”and “ Business is business”are such examples.[Key Words ] tautology; pragmatic analysis; Cooperative Such structure is defined to certain human activities which arePrinciple;special lifestyles. It implies that people have clear atude to theConversational Implicature; Language Attitudesactivities. Second, A (n) N is a (n) N. For instance, A promise1 Pragmatic Analysisis a promise; A singer is a singer. This kind of tautology is to1.1 Theoretical Contributionexpress certain duty and responsibility. In a broad sense, it is theIn this chapter, some theories will be provided for pragmatic regulation of the human behaviors. Third,AisA,B is B. East isanalysis of tautology. First, the theory of Cooperative Principle, east, west is west. This one is different from the above two. ItConversational Implicature and Language Attitudes will be shows the difference in essence between two persons or things.showed, including what the Cooperative Principle is, how the (Mao, 1997)(6) The car drives fast.的构式成分为主语，谓语和附加语，即“NP+V+ADV”。主例(5)中“the clothes”具有其自身的特点，如质地柔软、语并非向中动词的施事者，而为其受事，具有非施事性。谓布料高档，这些衣服轻松易洗就成为主语“衣服”的一-个属语动词 具有恒时性，而附加语副词具有非事件性，它们描述性特征。例(6)中 “fast” 泛指该汽车的车速，在驾驶它时，的 事物或事件的类属特征、状态或泛指施事的感受。总之，任何人都可以感受到其快速，该副词描述的是施事的感受特对其构式特征的探析有助于学习者加深对英语中动结构的认征。可见，中动结构中的副词有一- 个共同特点，就是不描述识和理解， 有助于我们参照汉语的特征，深化认识英语语言具体事件。所以，作为中动结构的构式标记附加语的副词，的构式特性。在其语义选择上是有要求的，即不用来描述具体事件，而是参考文献:对事物或事件类属特征、状态或泛指性施事的感受的描述，它具有非事件性。[1]Keyser,J.& T. Roeper. On the middle and ergative constructions中动结构谓语动词为及物动词，主语是它的受事。英语in English [].Linguistic Inquiry,1984,(15).作为严格的主谓结构式语言，但是中动动词对主语的支配[2]Goldberg, E.Construtions: AConstruction Grammar Approach能力减弱，不具有述谓的特征。为了达到构式的平衡，中to Argument Structure[M].Chicago: the University of Chicago动结构中就必须有附加修饰语。附加语与动词的关系不大，Press,1995.主要用来描述主语的性质特征，这似乎该由形容词来补充。[3]Quirk et al. A Grammar of Contemporary English [M]. London但附加语描述的主语的性质特征是在动作发生时，即是当主and New York: Longan,1985:735.语处在动词的事件状态之中时才会得到体现，作为句子的中[4]何 文忠中动构句条件1].外语教学20,() 124-29.心动词V的作用受到削弱，因此，修饰语部分由于受到动词[5]何文忠中动结构的界定[].外语教学,2005, (7): 9-14.的影响而由副词充当。换言之， 虽然附加语在语义上指向[6]李航,英汉中 动结构句法特征对比研究[]语言应用研究，主语名词，在结构上它仍旧指向动词。英语中动结构构式2011,(5): 95-97.中国煤化工“NP+V+ADV”就这样得到了。三、结语*课题资助:MHCNMH G -项目(X1224)中动结构作为英语语言中普遍存在的一种结构，其典型英语中动结构的ICM视角研究的科研成果。校园英语1语言文化2 The Comparison of Implicit Meaning with Favorable and“ mothers are mothers.”Although on the surface, this passageUnfavorable Declensiondoes not directly give us above-mentioned meanings, we .2.1 Brief Introductioncan obtain them in our mind. We can even say this tautologyThere are two kinds of situations to occur in the course of highlights the whole passage. By using such a simple and shortimplicative inference. Beyond the literal meaning, the implicature sentence structure, it actually conveys a lot of information andcomes about either with favorable declension or with unfavorable gives more room for readers to think and feel. This is a greatdeclension. Whether it goes this way or the other way depends example to convey the attitude of greatness.on the context. The implicit meaning with favorable declensionWars are wars. Reasons for going to war have been debatedmeans that it has the favorable implicature or the good side over and over for centuries. There are no good wars. Wars are allbeyond the literal meaning of the sentence; while the implicit bad. Wars kill people.meaning with unfavorable declension refers to the unfavorableThis example also presents the author’s feeling of hatred.implicature or the undesirable side beyond the literal meaning Most modern people in the world love peace and search for aof the sentence. Anyhow, the implied meaning should be inpeaceful and harmoniousworld. People hate wars because theyagreement with the current context or speaking environment. have brought destruction and all kinds of disaster. So far, the warAccording to the different contexts, different aitudes are noticed, is so cruel that it has become the saddest and most terrible thingsuch as atitudes of admiration and disappointment, attitudes of in the world. In the human history, wars have ever led to the deathapproval and disapproval, attitudes of care and hatred, and so on.of innumerable people, the painful tears and endless sorrow of2.2 Attitudes of Praise and Criticismmany people left. In a word, no one wants to see wars as warsThe attitude of praise means that with the implicit meaning mean death, blood and damage. As a result, this tautology justdetected from tautology in certain context, the speaker can show strengthens the sense of hatred.his praise to the person or thing he is talking about. For example,3 ConclusionPremier Zhou is Premier Zhou. The above example has obviouslyTautology is not a simple meaningless repetition, itaffectionate tendency. Premier Zhou is well-known for his is abundant in the pragmatic value in spite of the seemingwisdom, politeness, grace and so on. Therefore, when people usesimplicity of their structures.That is, it violates the Cooperativesuch utterance, they mostly want to praise him no matter from Principle, Conversational Implicature happen correspondinglywhat perspectives.and expresses the Language Attitudes of the speaker or theSpeaking of the atitude of criticism, it means we are very author. What' s more, there are mainly three kinds of opinionsdissatisfied with something and just use the tautology to show our of tautology research, but the pragmatic explanation is moredissatisfaction. For instance, No matter how the crow decorates reasonable. According to the analysis of meanings expresseditself with the feather of the peacock, the crow is the crow. A by various tautologies, the further study should focus more oncoward is a coward. To the above two examples, there is even the exploring the concrete course of expressing conversationalno need for us to consider the context, because we can easily implicature and making clear the concrete mechanism workednderstand the tone of emotion. After all, the crow and the coward>ut by communicators. If it is made clear, it will bring importantcan hardly make us reflect on the pleasant and good things.effect of a variety of phenomenon, such as metaphor, metonymy2.3 Attitudes of Gratfulness and Hatredandsoon...No matter what nationality we have, mothers are mothers.Mother' s comfort, sofness, trust and deepest love that lavishesReferences:upon her child are never going to change. Mother is enduring and [1]Farghal, Mohammed. Colloquial Jordanian Arabic Tautologies.everlasting...Journal of Pragmatics, 1992(3).The beginning of this passage just tells us: To dfferent [2]Fraser, Bruce. Motor oil is molor oil: An account of Englishmothers, although they treat their children in different ways, thenominal tautologies. Journal of Pragmatics, 1988 (2).love they express is similar. Perhaps an Italian and a Japanese[3]Levinson,Stephen C. Pragmatics. Cambridge: Cambridgemother have nothing in common, no matter in customs, religion,University Press,1983.politics, and habits, they may be absolutely different. However,[4]高航,张凤.同语的语用研究.Journal of PLA Foreignthere is one thing which will never change and is incredibly Languages Uvivsity,199().similar when speaking of the motherhood and their felingsof [5]胡壮麟 语言学数程[M1.北京大学出版社2001being a mother of their own children, even if the geographic [6]刘德 周.同语的中国煤化工rmal of Yunnan .and cultural distances can make them difrent from each other. Normal UniversityMHCNM HGAll the words above are what we can deduce from the tautology