語用學角度下《越獄》中沉默形式的分析

Abstract:Levinson (1983) employs turn-taking system to fall silence within conversation into three forms. Each type of silence has its own features， functions and even values. In the paper， these three forms， combining the concrete conversations selected in Prison Break， will be analyzed carefully， in order to make the distinguish among these three types clear.

摘 要：Levinson在1983年時依據話輪理論對于有語用涵義的沉默進行了分類。每一種沉默的形式都有其自身的特點、功能和價值。這篇論文中，作者從美劇《越獄》中摘出若干沉默的會話實例，對Levinson提出的沒種沉默的形式加以描述并分析。

Key words:silence; Prison Break; Within-turn silence; Inter-turn silence; Turn silence

關鍵詞：沉默、《越獄》、話輪內沉默、話輪間沉默、話輪沉默

[中圖分類號]：H31 [文獻標識碼]：A

[文章編號]：1002-2139(2012)-03-0150-01

Prison Break is an American television series， created by Paul Scheuring. It is his favorate work， in which all kinds of characters was impressively dramatized through camera lens， with not only witty and popular languages， but behavious and face expressions， especially in conversations.

1. Within-turn silence

The within-turn silence occurs within a turn taking. Generally speaking， such silence is applied to organize the words or to think for a speaker. It is also called pause actually. Example 1

Scofield: Abruzzi， I need you to hire me a P.I.

Abruzzi: Beat it.

Scofield: Maybe you ought to hear what I got to say.

Abruzzi: You got nothing I need.

Scofield: Wouldn't be too sure of that. (Scofield gives Abruzzi a folded-up bird made of paper)

Abruzzi: My mistake. Just what I need... a duck.

The first example is a dialogue happened between Abruzzi and Michael Scofield. Michael works out a deliberate plan to help his brother Lincoln escape from the Fox River. In order to approach the guard resting room， he talks with Abruzzi and gives him a folded- up bird made of paper， which makes Abruzzi so confused. The silence in conversation “My mistake. Just what I need... a duck” occurs within a turn， meaning the time for Abruzzi to plan his words. It is not difficult for Abruzzi to recognize the thing Michael offers， but Abruzzi employs silence by intention here， just for expressing a tone of sneer， jeer and defiance. Therefore， the silence is within-turn silence.

2. Inter-turn silence

Inter-turn silence locates between two adjacent turn takings. First of all， according to Levinson (1983:326)， inter-turn silence can be divided into two sub-types: gap and lapse. When speaker A ends his words， speaker A does not choose the next speaker B. Gap means the silence occurs before speaker A or the next speaker B continues to speak. However， lapse happens when speakers A and B both stop continuing to speak. Example 2

Sara: No redness or swelling， so it's no sign of infection. I'm gonna keep you on antibiotics for the next ten days. You should be good.

Michael:

In order to get something from Michael， Abruzzi cut his toe with a garden shed， but invalid. In example 7， Sara， a prison doctor， is giving Michael’s foot a treatment. The silence should be an inter-turn silence. In this conversation， when Sara ends his words with “you should be good”， none is chosen to be the next speaker to come forward after Sara’s talking. Then， Sara continues the next turn. The silence Michael employs may implicate “OK， thanks” or something like that. The silence marks the ending of the present turn taking. Therefore， the silence is regarded as lapse.

3. Turn silence

Turn silence is also named significant or attribute silence. Such the turn silence can be a separate turn in a conversation. When speaker A ends the present turn， he selects B to be the next speaker. Although speaker B keeps silence， the silence has some implication. Example 3

Lincoln: Lewis， take these off.

Lewis: Sink， I can't do that.

Lincoln: Come on， man， I'm in a cage. Ten minutes. Please. It's my kid.

Lewis:

Before seeing his son face to face， Lincoln asks the guard Lewis to take off the cuff， in order to leave a great impression for his son. When Lincoln gives the turn to Lewis， Lewis chooses to be silent. Lewis’s silence here plays a role of a separate turn， and through Lewis’s eyesight and action， it is easy to judge that his silence means “OK”. Therefore， the silence in example 14 must be turn silence.

Although within-turn silence appears now and then in Prison Break， to take an overall view， nevertheless， most of the silence in this television series falls in to the categories of inter-turn silence and turn silence. Each type of silence serves a special function.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

[1]、Levinson S C. Pragmatics [M]. Cambridge: CUP， 1993.

[2]、安娜.沉默之力—從語用學的角度分析會話中的沉默現象[D].哈爾濱工業大學，2006.