In this research, the author considers the evidence provided by a corpus of Late Modem English grammars for our understanding of the development of the modals as politeness markers. It is possible to see how the modal...In this research, the author considers the evidence provided by a corpus of Late Modem English grammars for our understanding of the development of the modals as politeness markers. It is possible to see how the modals and their accompanied senses are explained in an official （and often either prescriptive or proscriptive） perspective. This is another aspect which cannot be ascertained from the usage based on corpora which seem to be popular as sources of evidence in historical pragmatics. In this sense, this research brings some novel perspective to this aspect of academic study. It is possible to notice that the significations involves concept or senses which extend across a semantic--pragmatic domain which includes politeness. We can see that certain softening senses are key elements to mark polite usage. The main data used come from the descriptions of the modal auxiliary verb in a corpus of grammar books from the period. Usage and manner books are also consulted as a secondary resource. The manner book in particular is quite helpful for our understanding of how linguistic politeness was regarded at the time. Such texts also help us to find a certain network of senses which are related to polite expressions.展开更多
This paper is built on the study of one key blog-Wang Xiaofeng＇s No Guess （2006-2011） to explore how a Chinese intellectual uses his satirical skills in the blogosphere, how his blog reshapes the form of political ...This paper is built on the study of one key blog-Wang Xiaofeng＇s No Guess （2006-2011） to explore how a Chinese intellectual uses his satirical skills in the blogosphere, how his blog reshapes the form of political culture, and how the blogosphere through such interventions proceeds in the development of political communications in China. Two key issues are addressed in the paper. Firstly, drawing on the concept of ＂blogging culture＂, the author argues that blogging has potentially reconfigured political information around people＇s everyday lives, offering alternative modes of ＂public talk＂. The case of Wang Xiaofeng shows that satire can be used to make fun of the state, policies, and established ideologies, improving a previously restricted communicative environment toward more open. Secondly, the rise in the value placed on individualism in China, and the rise of peer-to-peer media mean that bloggers who pursue self-expression simultaneously through such self-expression. In other words, Wang Xiaofeng＇s No Guess blog demonstrates that individual opinions across the blogosphere have implicitly challenged political discourse; however, they always have to struggle with an ongoing censorship, negotiate an unstable discursive space and thus, can only enjoy a limited success.展开更多
文摘In this research, the author considers the evidence provided by a corpus of Late Modem English grammars for our understanding of the development of the modals as politeness markers. It is possible to see how the modals and their accompanied senses are explained in an official （and often either prescriptive or proscriptive） perspective. This is another aspect which cannot be ascertained from the usage based on corpora which seem to be popular as sources of evidence in historical pragmatics. In this sense, this research brings some novel perspective to this aspect of academic study. It is possible to notice that the significations involves concept or senses which extend across a semantic--pragmatic domain which includes politeness. We can see that certain softening senses are key elements to mark polite usage. The main data used come from the descriptions of the modal auxiliary verb in a corpus of grammar books from the period. Usage and manner books are also consulted as a secondary resource. The manner book in particular is quite helpful for our understanding of how linguistic politeness was regarded at the time. Such texts also help us to find a certain network of senses which are related to polite expressions.
文摘This paper is built on the study of one key blog-Wang Xiaofeng＇s No Guess （2006-2011） to explore how a Chinese intellectual uses his satirical skills in the blogosphere, how his blog reshapes the form of political culture, and how the blogosphere through such interventions proceeds in the development of political communications in China. Two key issues are addressed in the paper. Firstly, drawing on the concept of ＂blogging culture＂, the author argues that blogging has potentially reconfigured political information around people＇s everyday lives, offering alternative modes of ＂public talk＂. The case of Wang Xiaofeng shows that satire can be used to make fun of the state, policies, and established ideologies, improving a previously restricted communicative environment toward more open. Secondly, the rise in the value placed on individualism in China, and the rise of peer-to-peer media mean that bloggers who pursue self-expression simultaneously through such self-expression. In other words, Wang Xiaofeng＇s No Guess blog demonstrates that individual opinions across the blogosphere have implicitly challenged political discourse; however, they always have to struggle with an ongoing censorship, negotiate an unstable discursive space and thus, can only enjoy a limited success.
