An OT-based Approach To Production Mechanism Of Vagueness In FMSR

Vagueness, pervading into every aspect of human communication, is fully embodied in FMSR. From a pragmatic perspective, previous researchers have conducted a lot of studies, in which vagueness is mainly studied as a communicative strategy with its features, functions and reasons being enthusiastically discussed. In their studies, observance or violation of maxims of CP and PP are found the most striking factors for vague language phenomena in diplomatic language. However, the studies mainly focus upon an overall analysis of CP and PP in this aspect by simply discussing the violation or observation of certain maxims, while rarely touching upon vagueness production mechanism.Therefore, the present study attempts to conduct a research from the perspective of Optimality Theory, a brand-new angel, to probe into the production mechanism of vagueness in FMSR. With references to the previous studies as well as rationale of establishing constraints, the present study eventually sifts out some of the principles or maxims that are most closely tied with vagueness in FMSR, which include Quality (Con1A), Quantity (Con1B), Manner Maxim (Con1C)) of CP (Con1),(Tact (Con2A), Generosity (Con2B), Agreement (Con2C) Maxim of PP (Con2), Principle of National Interest and Economy Principle of language, to be working constraints to investigate into the interactive role among relative principles or the maxims and the inner relation among them, i.e., the hierarchical ranking of the conflicting constraints during the process of vagueness production.The present study mainly contains two stages. The first one is to prove persuasive force of OT at a theoretical level for interpreting vagueness. Secondly, this thesis aims to probe into the production mechanism of vagueness in FMSR on the basis of press conference records of four spokespeople in China's Foreign Ministry in2010from the following aspects:pragmatic principles (and maxims of principles), i.e., constraints, from the perspective of Optimality Theory, by means of which the spokespeople are confined to employ vagueness; sentential levels at which vagueness are specifically reflected; interactive role and the inner relationship among the relevant constraints, i.e., the hierarchical ranking of the constraints, by virtue of which final optimal forms of vagueness are produced in FMSR.Through detailed analysis and discussion, we found that OT is of greater explanatory force in interpreting production mechanism of vagueness. In addition, elaborate analysis on vagueness in FMSR at various vague sentences manifests the following hierarchical ranking of the constraints in the production of vague language in FMSR based on violation frequency of each constraint:Principle of National Interest (Con4)》 Quality Maxim (Con1A)》 Agreement Maxim (Con2C)》 Economy Principle (Con3)》 Tact Maxim (Con2A)》 Quantity Maxim (Con1B)》 Generosity Maxim (Con2B)》 Manner Maxim (Con1C). It is under interaction among these constraints following the above-mentioned hierarchical ranking that vagueness in FMSR is produced.