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TheCooperativePrincipleofPragmatics:AnAnalysisoftheVerbalHumourintheSitcomHomewithKidsSincethelanguagewasborn,theresearchofithasneverinterrupted.Humoristhespiceofourlives,leaveitthelifewillbeboring.PragmaticsisamainbranchofLinguistics,withthedevelopmentofpragmatictheory,linguistsandhobbyistsfrommanyanglesanalysisonverbalhumorandachievedfruitfulresults.Whilecooperativeprinciple,asoneofthemostimportantpragmaticprinciple,makesasystemicstudyaboutlanguageuseandlaysasolidfoundationforlaterdevelopmentofpragmatics.Theviolationofcooperativeprinciplecanoftengenerateconversationalimplicatureorachievecertaincommunicativeeffects.Onthebasisofprevioushumourandpragmatictheoryresearch,IwillanalysisfromthepointofthecooperativeprincipleofthoseverbalhumourdialogueinthesitcomHomewithKids,whichreflectsthedailylifeofarebuiltfamilyandattractsmanyChineseaudiencesbyitscreatingwriting,goodactingaswellasitswonderfultranscripts.1.FourMaximsoftheCooperativePrincipleIn1975,thelanguagephilosopherH.P.Gricepublishedaseminalarticleentitled“TheCooperativePrinciple”whichcreatedquiteastirinthelinguisticworldandgeneratedalargenumberoflinguisticpublicationsthatarebuiltonGrice'spostulates.AccordingtoGrice,inconversationalexchange,peopleusuallytrytoreachacommongoalbymutualeffortsoratleastmaketheconversationdevelopinthedirectionoftheirexpectation.Toachievethis,peopleneedtocooperatewitheachother.Grice'theoryofthecooperativeprincipleexplainshowitispossibleforthespeakertoconveymorethanwhatisliterallysaidandfoethehearertounderstand.ThefourmaximsofCPareQuantityMaxim,QualityMaxim,MannerMaximandRelationMaxim.Themaximofquantityhastwosub-maximsthatrequirethecooperativespeakertosayasmuchasbutnomorethanisrequiredforhisparticularpurposesinthetalkexchange.Themaximofqualityalsohastwosub-maxims,whichdemandsthatthespeakersayonlywhathebelievestobetrueandforwhichhehassufficientevidence.Themaximofrelationurgesthespeakertomakehiscontributionrelevanttothecommunicationcontext.Themaximofmannerrequiresthespeakertobemethodicalandtoavoidambiguity,prolixity,andobscurity.Inshort,asGriceputitforthecooperativeprinciple,makeyourconversationalcontributionsuchasisrequired,atthestageatwhichitoccurs,bytheacceptedpurposeordirectionofthetalkexchangeinwhichyouareengaged.Thecooperativeprincipleisthefoundationofpragmaticinterpretationofhumor,ofwhichthefloutingofmaximsplaysaveryimportantrole.2.FloutingsofCPMaximsandHumorProductionInactualconversation,aparticipantmaydeliberatelyfloutCPmaximsforsomereasonorspecialneed.Asanimportantcategoryofnon-observanceoftheconversationalmaxims,afloutisdistinguishedbydeliberatelytriggeringthehearer'ssearchforanimplicature.Thespeakeremploysthiswayseeminglyagainstthecooperativeprincipletoreinforcethecommunicativeeffect.Inthiswaythespeakercanmakehisconversationhumorousandthusproducetheeffectofhumor.Infact,floutingoftheCPisoftenseeninChinesesitcoms.Ofcourse,sitcomwritersalsodeliberatelyflouttheprincipleinordertoachievehumorouseffects.2.1FloutingtheQuantityMaximWhenaspeakeroffersmoreorlessinformationthanisrequiredbythesituationwiththeintentionofgeneratinganimplicature,hefloutsthemaximofquantity.Lookatthefollowingexample:(1)(InEpisode093,LiuXinggoestoInternetcaféandLiuMeikeepsaskingwhathedidthere.)Xing:You'dbetternotinterferewithmybusinessfromnowon!(以后我的事情你少管.)Mei:Whatdidyousay?Idon'tinterferewithyourbusiness?Whydidn'tyousayitwhenIbreast-fedyou?Whydidn'tyousayitwhenyouweresick?Whydidn'tyousayitwhenyoufelltotheground?Whydidn'tyousayitwhenyoucouldn'twalk?Youdon'twantmetointerferewithyounow,becauseyouaregrownupandcandowhateveryouwant?(你说什么呢?再说一遍!我少管?你小时候喝奶的时候怎么不说?小时候生病的时候怎么不说呀?摔跟头时候怎么不说呀?学会走路时候怎么不说?这时候让我少管。你翅膀硬了,自个会飞了?)Inthisepisode,themotherisveryangryaboutwhatLiuXingdidandsaid;sheissoangrythatshecan’thelptalkingexcessivelyaboutthematter,whichsoundshumorous.Thisobviouslyviolatesthesecondsub-maximofquantity:Donotmakeyourcontributionmoreinformativethanisrequired.(2)Let'stakeanotherepisodeasanexample:Daddidn'tgethomeontime,LiuMeiaskXiaoYutocallhiscellphone,aftermadethephonecallMei:Whoansweredthephone?(谁接的电话?)Yu:Awoman.(一个女的。)Mei:What?Whatdidshesay?(嗯?说什么?)Yu:Shesaid,sorry,youdialtelephonetemporarilyunabletogetthrough.(“对不起，您拨打的电话暂时无法接通……”。)Inthisdialogue,XiaoYuintentionallydidnotsaythatitisthevoicepromptsbutawomantopickupthephone,shedidnotgiveenoughinformationatthebeginning,therefore,sheviolatedthelackingofinformationcriteriainordertocreateatenseatmosphere.2.2FloutingtheQualityMaximThemaximofqualityrequiresthatone'sverbalcontributiontoaconversationshouldbetruthful.Thetheoryalsoclaimsthatyouviolatethequalitymaximwhenyoudeliberatelylieorcommunicateinawaythatdoesnotreflectanhonestintention.ThefollowingaretwoexamplesdrawnrespectivelyfromHomewithKidsandGrowingPainswhichcanexplainhowfloutingthemaximofqualityproduceshumor:(1)(InEpisode101ofHomewithKids,thereorganizedfamilyjustlivetogether.XiaYuandhismotherLiuMeihavesuchadialogue.)Yu:Mum,myhandwasbittenbytheinsect.(妈，我的手被虫子给咬啦.)Mei:Oh,what'sthematter?Wasitbittenbymosquito?Comeon,letmescratchforyou.(呦，怎么回事儿啊，蚊子给咬的吧！妈给挠挠啊.可怜了.