回声评价的互动功能

Interactional Functions of Echo Assessments

在回应前面的评价时,回应者有时会复用前面评价者的部分内容来构建自己的评价,这种含有第一评价成分的回应性评价通常被称为回声评价。本文采用汉语自然会话语料,考察回声评价的类型与互动功能。语料分析表明,汉语会话中的回声评价从类型上可以分为简单重复型、复合型、转换型三个大类,这三类回声评价具有不同的互动功能。简单重复型回声评价表达简单同意或强同意。复合型回声评价可以进一步分为三个小类:前面带有应答标记的回声评价、后面带有确认标记的回声评价、同时带有回应标记和确认标记的回声评价。其中,前面带有回应标记的回声评价承接话轮并表示同意;后面带有确认标记的回声评价结束评价序列;同时带有回应标记和确认标记的回声评价兼有两种功能,即承接话轮并准备结束评价序列,不挑战前面说话人的认识权威。转换型回声评价可以进一步分为四个小类:转换评价项、调整限定成分、在回声评价结构前添加“言说/认证类”主句、延伸评价规程。转换评价项用以纠正或表达不同意。调整限定成分或在回声评价结构前添加“言说/认证类”主句强化认识权威。延伸评价规程则添加解释或完成评价规程。三个大类的回声评价体现了不同的主动性、认识地位和抽象等级。其中,转换评价项体现的主动性、认识地位和抽象等级最高。

When responding to prior assessments,recipients often repeat components of the prior assessments to construct their own responses.These responses which contain components of the prior assessments are called echo assessments.Based on naturally occurring Mandarin conversations,this study examines the formats and the interactional functions of echo assessments.Analysis of data reveals that echo assessments in Mandarin conversation may fall into three major categories:(1)simple repetition of minor or major clauses;(2)complex echo assessments;and(3)reformulated assessments.These three groups of echo assessments perform different interactional functions.Specifically,by simply repeating the assessment items of the prior assessments,the speakers are performing an action of agreeing with the prior speakers.Complex echo assessments fall into three subcategories:those with prefaces,those with postfaces,and those with both pre-and postfaces.Echo assessments prefaced with response tokens often show the taking of turn and meanwhile expressing agreement.Those postfaced with confirmation tokens indicate strong tendency of closing the assessment sequence.Those both prefaced with response markers and postfaced with confirmation tokens combine the interactional function of both,i.e.,taking the turn and getting prepared to close the assessment sequence,with no intention to challenge the epistemic authority of the prior speakers.Reformulated echo assessments can be further divided into four groups,namely,reformulated assessment items,revising qualifiers,adding main clauses with verbs of saying,epistemics and evidentials,and extending the assessment agenda.Reformulated echo assessments perform the functions of correcting or negating the prior assessments.By revising the qualifiers,and adding main clauses with epistemic,evidential verbs or verbs of saying,the recipients have a strong tendency to claim epistemic authority over the assessables.Extended echo assessments often offer explanation or complete assessment agenda.Different formats of echo assessments demonstrate different degrees of agency,epistemic status and levels of abstraction.Among these echo assessments,reformulated echo assessments display the highest degree of agency,epistemic authority and level of abstraction.