A Pragmatic Study Of Chinese Self-denigrations Based On The Adaptation Theory

Self-denigration is a kind of speech act in which a speaker performs a specific pragmatic function by denigrating himself /herself or people,things that are closely related to himself / herself.Gu Yuguo pointed out that one of the most important characteristic of Chinese politeness is to denigrate self and show respect for other people.This politeness maxim has undergone some changes in modern times,and the “humbleness” component has gradually been replaced by the elements of “selfdenigration” and “self-humiliation”.He further claims that Self-denigration Maxim means to denigrate self or elevate other.Based on the perspective of Self-denigration Maxim in Chinese culture and Verschueren's Adaptation Theory,the present study attempts to define Chinese self-denigrations as not only a language strategy,but also an outcome of language choice and a dynamic process of adaptation to communicative contexts.In the novel Moment in Peking translated by Zhang Zhenyu,the characters in the novel carry out a lot of self-denigrations strategies to promote successful communication.This study attempts to start from a pragmatic perspective and use Verschueren's Adaptation Theory as a foundation to analyze the linguistic realizations,the adaptation mechanism and pragmatic functions of Chinese self-denigrations applied in the novel Moment in Peking.The present study shows that in the novel Moment in Peking,four types of linguistic realizations are mainly used to realize Chinese self-denigrations through the selection of expressions and sentence patterns.They are address forms,deixis,negative structures and the use of disparaging terms.Besides,Chinese selfdenigrations are the outcome of language choices and also a dynamic process of adaptation to the communicative contexts.The adaptation to the mental world consists of adaptation to interlocutors' emotions and their psychological motivations.And the adaptation to the social world contains adaptation to interlocutors' power relation,social distance and Chinese culture.The adaptation to the physical world includes the adaptation to spatial and temporal factors.This study also explores the pragmatic functions of Chinese self-denigrations and discovers five major functions.They can be used to hold a weak and inferior position,show politeness and modesty,show respect for others,express gratitude and show praise and appreciation.Based on the Adaptation Theory and through the analysis of Chinese selfdenigrations in the novel Moment in Peking,the thesis attempts to discuss the linguistic realizations,the adaptation mechanism and pragmatic functions of Chinese self-denigrations.This thesis can enrich the study data of Chinese self-denigrations and in the practical level,the study hopes to help interlocutors make appropriate linguistic choices to achieve successful communication.