| This paper focus on the semantics positioning and rhetoric functions of Chinese double negative structure which always represents affirmative, but often turns out to be emphasized or low-key statement. Emphasizes have intensive functions as over-volume affirmative, such as:无非,无不,不能不,不得不,不算不,不可不,不会不,不敢不,不该不,非……不可,不可谓不,low-key statement functions as weak volume affirmative, such as:不无,莫非,不失为,不一定不,未必不,不见得不等Many Chinese grammar books (see Ding Shengshu(1961), Lu Shuxiang(1982), Wang Li(1985), Hu Yushu(1989), Huang Borong, Liao Xudong (1991)) have described the strengthening and weakening functions of double negative. Relative Gricean Conversational Implicature Theory (Horn (1989), Levinson (2000)) also discussed both functions of double function from the pragmatic point in which simple expressions suggest a typical, conventional meaning while complex expressions imply deviation from the typical and unconventional meaning. Hence comparing to a single affirmative, double negative is a tag type that leads M-implicature which has different marginal meaning from that of single affirmative, and represents higher in descriptive degree. Nevertheless there are two problems in this interpretation:(a) the over-volume function of double negative is also a type of deviation from the typical or literal meaning, so why not ascribe this function to M-implicature? (b) a lot of double negatives or multiple negations (eg:不是不,不能不说是,不是不能够,未免,不免,未免不)have ambiguous meanings as (1) with strong affirmative, while the same structure has the opposite function and imply low-key tone as (2), then how to figure out the implicature and function on both situation?(1) He was not unhappy, in fact, he was very happy.(2) She is happy, or at least not unhappy.We believe that negative structure has the function of litotes, which means the proposition with ambiguous meaning instead of a clarified one, can be only understood under the specific context. Therefore, this paper firstly deals with the internal contradictory and antagonistic relationship and analyzes the semantics ambiguity of the logic meaning, as well as the potential over volume and low-key affirmative function of double negation. Secondly, with principle of optimal relevance of Sperber & Wilson (1986/1995). we explored the listener's process of determine the semantics expression and rhetorical function of double negation under Contextual Assumptions related to the specific context. Finally, we reconsidered two-way Optimization Theory of Blutner (1999), and used table to show the cognitive process of double negation and the ambiguity resolution which left by General Conversational Theory as tow problems.This paper makes some contribution in these areas:First, re-examine the implicature features of double negation from angle of litotes, and discuss the over volume and low-key function of it. Second, use Relevance Theory and pragmatic location method to explain the ambiguity of double negative structure, which cannot be solved by Levinson (1991,2000), Horn (1989) under the structure of General Conversational Implicature Theory. Third, visualize and formalize the cognitive process from angles of both speaker and listener by replacing an important factor of two-way optimal table. Fourth, summarize the distribution context of double negation, rules of relative marks of double negation and contextual condition. Fifth, review the relation between proposition and context to research the reason of low-key affirmative function of double negation.ChapterⅠintroduces the two rhetoric and pragmatic location function of double negative litotes and illustrates the function of over-column and low-key affirmative function.ChapterⅡReviews previous research results and gives comments on General Conversational Implicature Theory, logic meaning of philosophy, semantics meaning in linguistics, and double negation research of other areas.ChapterⅢ, with examples of double negative in Chinese, points out that there are five features of the implicature double negative:Cancellability, No detachability, Calculability, Non-conventionality, and Indeterminacy, which contribute to the ambiguity meaning of double negation. While the Quality and Quantity principles of the General Conversational Implicature (Grice,1989)can determine some the pragmatic motivation of speaker to use double negation, it is weak to to resolve the issue of double negative's ambiguity from the perspective of the listener.ChapterⅣanalyzes the logic and semantics ambiguity of double negation, points out that only implicature which is enriched under specific context could determine the its entailment relations true value of the statement. The process of implicature deducing is highly determined by the notion of pragmatic location in Relevance Theory (Sperber & Wilson,1986/1992) and can verify a single meaning from semantic ambiguity in the specific context.Chapter V reviews the two-way Optimization Theory (Blutner,2000) and replaces economic generative factor by specific context parameters in the cognitive process of double negative to show the generation and formal description of it.Chapter VI is the conclusive view of full paper. |
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