On The C-e Interpretation Of Diplomatic Fuzzy Language

This thesis mainly probes into the interpretation of fuzzy language in the regular press conference of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with the relevance theory as the theoretical base.In relevance theory, communication is considered as an ostensive-inferential process and abides by the principle of relevance. In other words, the speaker will convey his communicative intention by certain ostensive stimulus; and the listener produces relevant explanation by means of inference with the help of ostensive stimulus and context. The ostensive stimulus and the context are the base of optimal relevance. Thus, the context in interpretation is the base for interpreters to make inference and inference relies on relevance.The complexity and political sensitivity makes context an especially significant role in the diplomatic fuzzy language interpretation. The notion of context in relevance theory is a psychological concept. According to Sperber and Wilson (2001), context is a subset of the hearer's assumptions about the world. Thus, context is also called contextual assumptions in relevance theory. There are three types of information in contextual assumptions, i.e. logic information, encyclopedic information and lexical information. By analyzing contextual assumptions in those three aspects, interpreters try to find out the optimal relevance and produce relevant version. Therefore, cognitive context is employed in this thesis together with other key notions in relevance theory in order for successful communication. By applying relevance theory to make account of diplomatic fuzzy language interpretation, the thesis concludes that diplomatic fuzzy language interpretation is an act of ostensive-inferential communication. In the process of diplomatic fuzzy language interpretation, the interpreter loads a double responsibility, i.e. inferring the informative information and communicative intention by analyzing the contextual assumptions; making optimal relevance manifest to the audience according to the principle of relevance. Thus the interpreter's task is achieved. In terms of interpretation strategies, the thesis concludes that inference and making accounts are a proper series of strategy in diplomatic fuzzy language interpretation. The interpreter's task is to search for optimal relevance in relevance-theoretic framework, therefore, only do the interpreters infer out the intentions of the communicator, can they make manifest the communicative intention to the audience. Thus, successful communication is achieved.