An Interpretation Of Verbal Humor In Miao Fu And Wang Sheng’s Crosstalk From The Perspective Of Conceptual Blending Theory

As a traditional artistic expression, crosstalk dates back to late Qing Dynasty. It is a comic performance in the form of, typically, a dialogue between two performers. Crosstalk is one of China’s most popular performing arts. Verbal humor is the outstanding characteristic of crosstalk. The exaggerated and vivid language is delivered in a rapid, bantering style. Therefore, the studies on verbal humor in crosstalk attract much attention.Conceptual blending, also called conceptual integration is a theory of cognitive linguistics developed by Gilles Fauconnier and Mark Turner. The strong explanatory power in interpreting the meaning construction of every aspect enables Conceptual Blending Theory to be used to study linguistic and non-linguistic phenomena.This thesis attempts to analyze verbal humor in Miao Fu and Wang Sheng’s crosstalk from the perspective of Conceptual Blending Theory. Some pieces of Miao Fu and Wang Sheng’s crosstalk are sorted into four categories:simplex networks, mirror networks, single-scope networks and double-scope networks. The on-line processing of verbal humor will be discussed separately and elaborately by figures.The study demonstrates that Conceptual Blending Theory has strong explanatory power in explaining verbal humor in Miao Fu and Wang Sheng’s crosstalk and enriches the study of crosstalk from a new perspective. Therefore, it deepens the understanding of this traditional art form and e.nriches Conceptual Blending Theory to some degree.