摘 要

本文以顺应论为理论框架，将中国外交部网站上显示的新闻发言人在例行新闻发布会上答记者问的原文为语料，主要研究在外交活动中被大家经常使用的语用模糊策略。中国外交部通过举办例行记者会来发布信息，它是沟通中国和世界的桥梁之一，所以举办例行记者会是非常重要的外交活动。在外交活动当中，人们经常会使用语用模糊策略。所以在很长一段时间里，针对外交过程中的语用模糊语的研究都是一个十分重要的研究课题。

维索尔伦的顺应论为语言学的研究提供了一个新的视角。在他看来，使用语言的过程就是一个不断在进行语言选择的过程，而对于语言的选择，人们可能是有意识的，有时可能是无意识的。通过语言适应作出了语言选择。本文将在其中部分理论的指导下，来分析外交部例行记者会中的出现的语用模糊现象，来帮助我们更好地理解外交语言以及其运行机制。在第一部分，主要提到了本文研究背景，研究目标和研究意义。第二部分主要回顾了国内外已有的研究文献。第三部分详细阐述了顺应论，论文以顺应论作为研究理论基础。第四部分以外交部发言人答记者问的具体文本为例，分析其在外交场合下，如何在交流中运用语用模糊。最后对本文的主要成果和预期展望进行阐述。

关键词：语用模糊；顺应论；外交部

Abstract

From the perspective of Adaptation Theory, this paper studies the pragmatic vagueness, taking the Chinese Foreign Ministry (CFM) spokesmen’s remarks, which are adopted from Chinese Foreign Ministry website, in the regular press conference as linguistic data. It is important to hold press conference through which Chinese Foreign Ministry posts messages. This is a significant bridge between Chinese and foreign countries to communicate. The spokesman uses a large amount of pragmatic vagueness to answer sensitive questions in the press conference. It is a significant subject of the study of pragmatic vagueness in the diplomatic language for a long time.

Verschueren’s Adaptation Theory makes it possible for us to use a new perspective to study the linguistics. In his mind, the process of language use is a process of choosing, and adaptation leads to the language choice. With the help of the Adaptation Theory, the paper analyses the pragmatic vagueness used in spokesmen’s remarks in the press conference, which can further strengthen the understanding of diplomatic language and its operating mechanism. In the first part of paper, it provides the background, objects, and meanings of this paper. The second part states the existing theories home and abroad. The third part studies the theoretical framework which is Verschueren’s Adaptation theory and further introduces four aspects to understand the notion of the adaptability. The fifth part which is the most important one makes the concrete analysis of spokesmen’s remarks in the regular press conference and tries to figure out the ways they use the pragmatic vagueness in diplomatic occasion. The final part expresses the major findings of paper and expectations.

Key Words: pragmatic vagueness; Adaptation Theory; Chinese Foreign Ministry

Contents

1 Introduction 2

1.1 Background of the Study 2

1.2 Brief Introduction of Foreign Ministry Spokesman’s Regular Press Conference 2

1.3 Purpose and Significance of the Study 3

1.4 Outline of the Study 3

2 Literature Review 4

2.1 The Definition of Vagueness 4

2.2 Previous Studies of Vagueness Home 5

2.3 Previous Studies of Vagueness Abroad 5

2.4 Researches on Pragmatic Vagueness 6

3 Theoretical Framework 7

3.1 Verschueren’s Adaption Theory 7

3.2 Four Aspects of Adaptability 8

3.2.1 Contextual Correlates of Adaptability 8

3.2.2 Structural Objects of Adaptability 9

3.2.3 Dynamics of Adaptability 9

3.2.4 Salience of Adaptation 9

4 Analysis of the Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman’s Remarks in Press Conference 10

4.1 Pragmatic Vagueness Analysis on Lexical Level 10

4.2 Pragmatic Vagueness Analysis on Sentential Level 12

4.3 Pragmatic Vagueness Analysis on Discourse Level 13

5 Conclusion 15

5.1 Major Findings 15

5.2 Limitation and Suggestions for the Future Study 15

References 17

Acknowledgements 18

A Study of Pragmatic Vagueness from the Perspective of Adaptation Theory:

A Case Study of Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesmen's Remarks in Press Conference

1 Introduction

1.1 Background of the Study

Vagueness, an intrinsic feature of the language, has drawn more and more attention. We have many researches about vagueness nowadays, in different fields, such as daily conversations, advertisements, newspaper, business affairs, science and so on. But, people pay more attention to the semantic field instead of the pragmatic perspective.

China is one of the most promising developing countries in the world. In the stage of world, China is involved in contacts with many countries. So in many diplomatic activities which are a bridge between different nations to maintain their relations, China has faced many challenges, especially in Chinese Foreign Ministry (CFM) spokesmen’s remarks in press conference. During the activities, the spokesmen convey different intentions and attitudes to foreign countries towards various goals.

To study the communicative purposes and how to enhance the communicative effect, this paper researches transcript of spokesmen’s remarks, on the website of CFM, from the perspective of Adaptation Theory.

1.2 Brief Introduction of Foreign Ministry Spokesman’s Regular Press Conference

In China, Foreign Ministry will hold at least two news conferences each week, which can be called as regular press conferences. During the conference, Foreign Ministry will release information and introduce major events. There are two objections. On one hand, they introduce the domestic new measures, shown to media, provoking some responses. On the other hand, they want to clarify the facts relative to some problems, to set up good image of our country among other countries. Spokesman plays a very significant role in the diplomatic activities and is of paramount importance in the press conference. To some extent, he represents our nation. He may be confronted with the journalists from all over the world. Actually, the journalists usually throw out quite challenging or sensitive questions, which are hard to deal with. Moreover, the remarks will be transmitted throughout the world as soon as possible. Therefore, there’s no doubt that spokesmen should adopt some strategies, avoiding being put in a passive position.

1.3 Purpose and Significance of the Study

The paper aims to analyze pragmatic vagueness used in CFM spokesmen’s remarks in press conference, applying the Adaptation Theory. The paper analyzes the realization of pragmatic vagueness, by means of collecting and analyzing the remarks in the press conferences, from deferent perspective, such as lexical level, syntactic level as well as on the discourse level in the diplomatic language. Finally, we can achieve a better understanding of the implication in press conference and make sense of the policy.

China plays a more and more important role in the world. We pay attention to build a better international image for our country. On the diplomatic occasion, each sentence may make differences so the spokesmen take a lot of risk and they should be pretty serious and cautious. Applying the pragmatic vagueness to remarks can effectively reduce the possible risks. Studying the pragmatic vagueness can make us have a clear understanding of diplomatic language.

1.4 Outline of the Study

On the whole, the paper consists of 5 parts. Chapter 1 is the introduction of the whole paper. This part introduces the background, the Foreign Ministry Spokesman’s Regular Press Conference, the purpose and significance of the study, and the outline. Chapter 2 is about the literature review part, including the definition of vagueness, the definition of pragmatic vagueness, previous studies of vagueness home and abroad and other researches on pragmatic vagueness. Chapter 3 is the theoretical framework, focused on Verschueren’s Adaption on Theory. Chapter 4 shows the analysis of Pragmatic Vagueness in the CFM Spokesman’s Remarks in Press Conference in terms of lexical level, syntactic level and on the discourse level. The conclusion will summarize the major finding and point out the limitation of this paper and provide some suggestions for the future study.

2 Literature Review

This part involves the definition of pragmatic vagueness and the relevant researches of it at home and abroad. Researchers have conducted large quantities of researches on pragmatic vagueness.

2.1 The Definition of Vagueness

As we all know, vagueness plays a significant role in our daily communication. This part will present a lot of information about the vagueness. Different linguists have different views towards the vagueness.

Channell was the first one to give a definition on language vagueness. In his mind, if the proposition is concerning with many states of things, it is intrinsically uncertain. Then this proposition is vague. When the speaker thinks over it, he may look these states of things could be allowed or excluded by the proposition (Channell, 2000).