TheCooperativePrincipleofPragmatics:AnAnalysisoftheVerbalHumourintheSitcomHomewithKidsSincethelanguagewasborn,theresearchofithasneverinterrupted.Humoristhespiceofourlives,leaveitthelifewillbeboring.PragmaticsisamainbranchofLinguistics,withthedevelopmentofpragmatictheory,linguistsandhobbyistsfrommanyanglesanalysisonverbalhumorandachievedfruitfulresults.Whilecooperativeprinciple,asoneofthemostimportantpragmaticprinciple,makesasystemicstudyaboutlanguageuseandlaysasolidfoundationforlaterdevelopmentofpragmatics.Theviolationofcooperativeprinciplecanoftengenerateconversationalimplicatureorachievecertaincommunicativeeffects.Onthebasisofprevioushumourandpragmatictheoryresearch,Iwillanalysisfromthepointofthecooperativeprincipleofthoseverbalhumourdialogueinthesitcom"HomewithKids",whichreflectsthedailylifeofarebuiltfamilyandattractsmanyChineseaudiencesbyitscreatingwriting,goodactingaswellasitswonderfultranscripts.1.FourMaximsoftheCooperativePrincipleIn1975,thelanguagephilosopherH.P.Gricepublishedaseminalarticleentitled“TheCooperativePrinciple”whichcreatedquiteastirinthelinguisticworldandgeneratedalargenumberoflinguisticpublicationsthatarebuiltonGrice'spostulates.AccordingtoGrice,inconversationalexchange,peopleusuallytrytoreachacommongoalbymutualeffortsoratleastmaketheconversationdevelopinthedirectionoftheirexpectation.Toachievethis,peopleneedtocooperatewitheachother.Grice'theoryofthecooperativeprincipleexplainshowitispossibleforthespeakertoconveymorethanwhatisliterallysaidandfoethehearertounderstand.ThefourmaximsofCPareQuantityMaxim,QualityMaxim,MannerMaximandRelationMaxim.Themaximofquantityhastwosub-maximsthatrequirethecooperativespeakertosayasmuchasbutnomorethanisrequiredforhisparticularpurposesinthetalkexchange.Themaximofqualityalsohastwosub-maxims,whichdemandsthatthespeakersayonlywhathebelievestobetrueandforwhichhehassufficientevidence.Themaximofrelationurgesthespeakertomakehiscontributionrelevanttothecommunicationcontext.Themaximofmannerrequiresthespeakertobemethodicalandtoavoidambiguity,prolixity,andobscurity.Inshort,asGriceputitforthecooperativeprinciple,"makeyourconversationalcontributionsuchasisrequired,atthestageatwhichitoccurs,bytheacceptedpurposeordirectionofthetalkexchangeinwhichyouareengaged".Thecooperativeprincipleisthefoundationofpragmaticinterpretationofhumor,ofwhichthefloutingofmaximsplaysaveryimportantrole.2.FloutingsofCPMaximsandHumorProductionInactualconversation,aparticipantmaydeliberatelyfloutCPmaximsforsomereasonorspecialneed.Asanimportantcategoryofnon-observanceoftheconversationalmaxims,afloutisdistinguishedbydeliberatelytriggeringthehearer'ssearchforanimplicature.Thespeakeremploysthiswayseeminglyagainstthecooperativeprincipletoreinforcethecommunicativeeffect.Inthiswaythespeakercanmakehisconversationhumorousandthusproducetheeffectofhumor.Infact,floutingoftheCPisoftenseeninChinesesitcoms.Ofcourse,sitcomwritersalsodeliberatelyflouttheprincipleinordertoachievehumorouseffects.2.1FloutingtheQuantityMaximWhenaspeakeroffersmoreorlessinformationthanisrequiredbythesituationwiththeintentionofgeneratinganimplicature,hefloutsthemaximofquantity.Lookatthefollowingexample:(1)(InEpisode093,LiuXinggoestoInternetcaféandLiuMeikeepsaskingwhathedidthere.)Xing:You'dbetternotinterferewithmybusinessfromnowon!(以后我的事情你少管.)Mei:Whatdidyousay?Idon'tinterferewithyourbusiness?Whydidn'tyousayitwhenIbreast-fedyou?Whydidn'tyousayitwhenyouweresick?Whydidn'tyousayitwhenyoufelltotheground?Whydidn'tyousayitwhenyoucouldn't2.3FloutingtheMannerMaxim"Avoidingobscurity"meanswhatyousaymustbeeasilyorclearlyunderstood."Avoidingambiguity"meansthereshouldbenoexistenceofmorethanonemeaninginwhatyousay."Beingbrief"and"beingorderly"meanwhatyousayshouldbeconciseandwellarranged.Themaximofmannerisfloutedbyspeakingredundantly,disorderlyorunclearly.Onthisoccasionthespeakerseemsveryuncooperative,butactuallyheintendstoproduceanimplicaturetobededucedbythehearer.Inverbalcommunication,peopleoftenmisunderstandtheambiguousexpressions,thusresultinginahumorouseffect.ThefollowingdialoguebetweenLiuMeiandhersonLiuXingisacaseinpoint.Mei:Whydoesn'tthegorillaevolve?(猩猩為什麼不進(jìn)化啊？)Xing:Givemeareasonforitsevolution.(給我一個(gè)進(jìn)化的理由。)Mei:Whydoesn'tittalk?(它為什麼不說話啊？)Xing:Whatdoyouwantmetosay?(您讓我說什麼呀？)Mei:Itliesinitsdefectinlistening.(在于聽力的缺陷。)Xing:Myearsarequitegood.(我耳朵挺好噠！)Mei:Goaway.Don'tbotherme!(去!別在這兒搗亂。)Xing:Aren'tyoutalkingaboutme?（您不是說我呢嗎？）Mei:Iamtalkingaboutthegorilla.（我這兒說大猩猩呢。）Thepronunciationofgorilla(xingxing)inChineselanguageisthesamewithLiuXing'snickname.LiuMeiistalkingsomethingaboutthegorilla,butLiuXingmisunderstandsthemeaningofxingxing.Obviously,thismisunderstandingcomesfromthetwopossibilitiestointerpretthesoundxingxing("猩猩"and"星星").Theambiguoususeoftheword(sound),whichviolatesthemaximofmanner,isthereasonofhumorproductionhere.2.4FloutingtheRelationMaximThemaximofrelationtellsustomakeourcontributionsrelevant.Thedemandforrelevancesimplymeansthatthespeakershouldonlyconveyinformationthatisrelevanttothetopicbeingcommunicated.Ifonepartywantstoavoidthetopicunderdiscussionandstartsanotherseeminglyrelevanttopic,hewillfloutthemaximofrelevance.Andthisseeminglyrelevantansweroftenmakesanotherpartyfeelfunny.Themaximofrelationisfloutedwhenaresponseiscompletelyirrelevanttothesubjectorthegoaloftheconversation.Lookatthefollowingexample:(1)(AfterXiaDonghaicomesbackfromtheparents'meetingheldinLiuXing'sschool,hehasadialoguewithLiuMei.)Mei:AreyouOK?Theremustbehugegapinyourmindnow.Doyouhavethethoughttofindawaytoescape?(沒受刺激吧，就你這種給小雪那種好學(xué)生開過家長(zhǎng)會(huì)的你肯定心理有巨大的落差,想找個(gè)地縫轉(zhuǎn)進(jìn)去…)DongHai:Themeetingisquitewell.(開的還算比較圓滿。)Mei:WhatdidtheteachertellyouaboutLiuXing?(老師都給劉星告什么狀了？)(Thegrandmacoughs,indicatingXiaDonghainottotellthetruth)DongHai:Err,Itakesomemedicineforgrandma.(啊，我給姥姥去拿點(diǎn)藥去。)Mei:Quickly,whatdidtheteachertellyou?(你快說啊，老師都說劉星什么了？)DongHai:Well,hesaid…nothing.(他說啊，沒什么。)Inthisepisode,aftertheparents'meeting,fromourbasicunderstandingaboutLiuXingandXiaDonghai'sfacialexpressions,weknowthatLiuXingmusthavedonesomethingwronginschool.IfXiaDonghaitoldthetruthtoLiuMei,shemustpunishherson.SoXiaDonghaiintendsnottotellhiswifethetruthandavoidsansweringherinquiry.Hisanswerisapparentlyirrelevanttohiswife'squestion.Inthislightatmosphere,hehascreatedhumorbyfloutingtherelevancemaxim.(2)Let'slookatanotherdialogue.Xin:Didyouknow,todaytheteacherfoundagenius,that'sme.(大家知道嗎啊，今天老師發(fā)現(xiàn)一天才，這天才就是我。)Mei:Ha-ha,thispeachisreallysweet.(呵呵，這桃真甜。)Xin:thereareseveralkindsofgenius,notjusttheonewhomakesthehighscore,dad,isthatright?(這天才分好多種，不光是得高分的，對(duì)吧老爸?)DongHai:ThispeachletmerememberedoftheginsengfruitintheJourneytotheWest.(這桃子讓人想起西游記里那人參果。)Xin:Ah,you'dlistentome.TeacherlosthercarkeytodayandIfoundit.(哎呀，你們倒是聽我說啊。今天老師車鑰匙丟了，是我給找著的。)DongHai:ItseemsthatShaSengalsolovetoeat.(好像沙僧也愛吃。)Xin:GuesswheredidIfindit?Inthecar'slock.Sheforgottopullitdown.(你們猜我從哪找出來的，從車鎖上找著的。忘了拔下來啦。)DongHai:Actually,TangMonkisalsolovetoeat,heiscleveranddon'twanttosay.(其實(shí)啊，唐僧也特愛吃，他就是賊，不愛說出來。)Xin:Whileothersdidnotthinkofit,whichsuggestedthatIwasagenius,really,justalittletraining,Iwillbecomeadetectivescientist,justlikeSherlockHolmes.(可是別人都沒想到，就我想起來了，這說明我在這方面就是天才，真的，只要稍微培養(yǎng)一下，就是個(gè)偵探學(xué)家，就跟福爾摩斯似的……)LiuXingwastalkingaboutwhathappenedintheschool,whilehisparentswerepaidtheirattentiontothepeach.Althoughinasamedialogue,theytalkabouttheirowntopicsandwithoutrelation.ItispreciselythiskindofirrelevantandtheignoranceofLiuXing'sboastcausesthehumorouseffectproduction.ConclusionAgreatnumberofsamplesselectedfromHomewithKidsareusedheretoillustratehowverbalhumorcanbeinterpretedfrompragmaticpointsofview.Basedontheanalysisanddiscussion,themajorfindingscanbesummarizedasfollows:First,the