[精品]利用语境理解词汇意义

利用语境理解词汇意义 Context in Interpretation of Word Meaning 湖北省荆门市掇刀石中学刘艳红何庆华 Abstract This paper makes a brief introduction to the theory of context. A number of typical examples are cited to demonstrate the role of context in eliminating ambiguities, removing vagueness, indicating referring meanings. The mastery of contextual knowledge and the analysis of the stylistic features are proposed as the keys to the correct interpretation of word meaning. Key Words context linguistic context non-linguistic context word meaning I Introduction The interpretation of word meaning is of paramount importance for a non-native learner both in reading and communication. The meanings of most words are dependent on context because the meanings are influenced immediately by the linguistic environment, and in many cases by the whole speech situation as well. Without context, there is no way to determine the meaning that the speaker intends to convey, whereas with the context there is generally no danger of misinterpretation, for meaning lives in context and the context throws light on meaning Zhang, 1997, P210. In order to interpret meaning correctly, it is necessary to study context and research on the importance of context. The emphasis of this paper focuses on the role of context in the interpretation of meaning. II Context and Its Definition The anthropologist Bronislow Malinowski first raised Context of situation,, in the 1920s. According to him, the meaning of an utterance does not come from the idea of the words comprising it but from its relation to the situational context in which the utterance occurs. He 1923 writes, When we pass from a modern civilized language...to a primitive tongue... there it should be clear at once that conception of meaning as contained in utterance is false and futile utterances and situation are bound up inextricably with each other and the contest of situation is indispensable for the understanding of the words. In the 1930s,J.R.Firth advanced the theory of context. According to J.R.Firth, context consists of two parts; one is inter-language, the other is extra-language, namely, the special situation and condition in which the speech occurs. After 1970s, as many new linguistic branches such as semantics and pragmatics appeared, more and more linguists realize the importance of context. J. Lyons holds that context is a notion of theory. J.Lyons interprets context according to knowledge. He concludes that contest is composed of the knowledge of the following aspects 1 Each of the participants must know his role and status. 2 The participants must know where they are in space and time. 3 The participants must be able to categorize the situation in terms of its degree of ality. 4 The participants must know what medium is appropriate to the situation. 5 The participants must know how to make their utterances appropriate to the subject-matters, and the importance of subject-matter as a determinant in