修辞问句的认知机制

Cognitive Mechanism of Rhetorical Questions

借助Panther&Thornburg的言语行为转喻理论,揭示修辞问句所实施的两种言语行为提问和陈述之间的关系。通过建立修辞问句言语行为实施的场景模型,发现了提问和陈述两种行为间具有转喻关系,即提问可以通过突显修辞问句场景模型内的任一部分来转喻陈述。同时,这种转喻关系解释了为什么修辞问句的听话人能快速地解读说话人的交际意图。

The present study, in drawing upon the theory of speech act metonymy put forward by Panther ＆ Thornburg, tries to unearth the mechanism lying behind the use of rhetorical questions, or the relationship between the act of asking questions and that of making statements. By establishing tentatively the scenario of making statements by rhetorical questions, we hold that the two acts are of metonymic relationship. To be specific, the speaker is able to make statements by asking rhetorieal questions through highlighting one of the components of the RQ Scenario. At the same time, the scenario also facilitates the ease of the hearer＇ s understanding of the speaker＇ s intentions.