Research On Indirect Speech Acts In Dramas From The Perspective Of Frame-shifting Theory

Indirect speech act(ISA)is a sort of linguistic expression in people's daily communication,which communication parties more often than not adopt for being polite and face-saving.The studies of ISA have drawn the attention of many linguists after American philosopher and linguist,Searle(1975),proposed this concept.The thesis focuses on how ISAs in the drama,Teahouse,are interpreted from the perspective of frame-shifting theory.After doing this research,the author arrives at the following conclusions: First,ISAs can be interpreted from the perspective of frameshifting theory.Communication is of dynamic nature.In understanding ISAs in dramas from the cognitive perspective,readers/hearers must shift continuously their cognitive frames.Only when a subversive frame is activated and the old,dominant frame is overturned can the implied meaning of ISAs be obtained.Otherwise,communicative failure would occur.Second,the shifting not only occurs between two different cognitive frames but also within one same cognitive frame.The present paper generates the research significance that follows: First,the present research produces a refined definition of the frame.Second,the semantic mechanism of frame-shifting theory proposed by Coulson(2001)can be further refined with the introduction of metaphor and metonymy as well as dialect.Third,applying the frame-shifting theory into ISAs in dramas can achieve a more in-depth understanding of the mechanism of ISAs from a cognitive view.Fourth,the research produces positive implications for the translation of metaphor and metonymy in dramas.