话题转换与礼貌

Topic Changes and Politeness

本文利用关联顺应模式对话题转换与礼貌的相互关系进行探讨。分析指出 :话题转换表面上是一种威胁面子的行为 ,但本质上话题转换既可以是不礼貌的 ,也可以是礼貌的——不礼貌不是话题转换的必要特征。话题转换的礼貌与否取决于听话人对该明示行为进行推断所取得的最佳关联对他本人所处物质世界和心理世界的顺应程度。

The paper aims to explore the relationship between topic change and politeness in the light of the Relevance-Adaptation Model. The analysis reveals that although a topic change is seemingly an FTA, it can be impolite, and it can also be polite. Impoliteness is not a necessary feature of topic change. Thus, (im)politeness of a topic change depends on the optimal relevance the addressee has achieved from the interpretation and the adaptation of it to his physical and psychological world.