Looking Closely At The Views On Communication In Relevance Theory Based On The Verbal Humor

Relevance-theoretic communication view regards the communication activity as an "ostensive-inferential " cognitive course of mutual manifestness from cognitive angle, with reference to traditional "the Code Model " and "the Inferential Model" of the communication view development history. It is the "mutual manifestness" that is the basically cognitive point for both sides of communication. According to this, they will finish to recognize the communication goal limitlessly. Asserting the nature of communication that determines that the failure of communication is inevitable. Our research object is located in the range of the successful communication mode, among them, the most typical case is such special general pragmatic phenomenon as the humor which considers the failure as victory. Proceeding with verbal humor , we will analyse thoroughly relevance-theoretic communication view through taking it into consideration. §1 The cognitive foundation of relevance-theoretic communication view--mutual manifestness1.1 Theoretic prerequisite of the traditional communication mode They regard "mutual knowledge" this assumption as their theoretic prerequisite. "Mutual knowledge" is that both sides in the communication circulate to understand the other side's situation thoroughly. The assumption of "mutual knowledge" fails to establish because of lacking the psychological reality and objective reality. 1.2 Theoretic prerequisite of relevance-theoretic communication viewRelevance-theoretic communication view regards "mutual manifestness" as their own theoretic prerequisite. We will grasp it from two grades of "manifestness" and "mutual manifestness".1.2.1 ManifestWe will reveal that the notion of "manifest" is weaker than the notion of "known"through analysing the essential distinction between the cognitive view of objectivism and empiricism.1.2.2 Cognitive environment and mutual manifestness1.2.2.1 Cognitive environmentThe psychological cognitive nature of the context has determined it is a variable in the communication course. What does not change is the relevance between speech act and communicative intention . Then, we will regard the invariable relevance as our research object in this article.1.2.2.2 Mutual manifestness"Mutual manifestness" is that "the fact that it is manifest to the people who share this environment is itself manifest". It has found a cognitive start for both sides of communication. Thus, it has jumped out the circulative limitlessly strange circle of "mutual knowledge" prerequisite in traditional mode, has established the solid cognitive foundation for the relevance-theoretic communication view. §2 The cognitive assumption of the relevance-theoretic communication view--relevance2.1 Cognitive relevance—maximal relevanceIt is to achieve the greatest effect at the smallest processing cost.2.2 Communicative relevance--optimal relevanceWhat is followed by speech communication is the optimal relevance principle --People always try hard to obtain enough cognitive effect with minimum processing effort. In the course of communication, relevance offers one communication activity platform of operation to both sides. §3 Sending link of the relevance-theoretic communication view— ostensionOstension is that "behavior which makes manifest an intention to make something manifest". Ostensive behavior may be divided into two layers of expression intention: the first-order informative intention and the second-order communicative intention. The optimal relevance is that communicative intention of communicator has relevance to ostensive behavior itself, and it can be divorced from symbol. This is the communicative principle of Relevance Theory—Every act of ostensive communication communicates a presumption of its own optimal relevance. §4 Comprehension link of the relevance-theoretic communication view—inferenceThat research of Comprehension law to audience is the key issue of the relevance-theoretic communication view.4.1...