Connotative Meaning内涵意义

,Unit10ConnotativeMeaning,AssociativeMeaning:IntheUnitedNations,thenon-English-speakingcountriesoftenrefertotheSecuritycouncilas“thehighestorgan”，but“thehighestorgan”oftenhasthesexualassociationsinthemindofthenativespeakers:“mansgenitalorgan”.SomeVipssometimescall“theSecurityCouncil”“thisawesomeorgan”,（含有“不文之物”之意）,or“AugustBody”.,FromJapan:Specialcocktailsfortheladieswithnuts.Youareinvitedtotakeadvantageofthechambermaid.,FromMexico:Themanagerhaspersonallypassedallthewaterservedhere.FromRome:Ladies,leaveyourclotheshereandspendtheafternoonhavingagoodtime!,FromZurich:Becauseoftheimproprietyofentertainingguestsoftheoppositesexinthebedrooms,itsuggestedthatthelobbybeusedforthispurpose.FromCopenhagen:Wetakeyourbagsandsendtheminalldirections.,Fromthemostdistinguishedtobaccohouseintheworld.(fromanadvertisementforDunhills)“house”mightbeconsideredbytheuninitiatedanunremarkablealternativeforfirmormanufacturers;butitsassociationsarewithgentlemanlybusinessescarriedonbylong-establishedfamilyfirms.,CigarettesbyJohnPlayer,England.Itisnotsomuchthechoiceofwordsasthesyntacticconstruction(thatofbyconnectingtwonounphrases)thatsuggestsexclusiveness.,Thisconstructionusuallyindicatessomekindofartisticactivity:LandscapegardeningbyX;FloralarrangementsbyY;CostumesbyZ,Fromthemostdistinguishedtobaccohouseintheworld.CigarettesbyJohnPlayer,England.Soherethereisanefforttodignifythesomewhattarnishedimageofcigarette-makersand-marketerswithovertonesofqualityanddistinction.,ABBCprogrammeon11February1969reportedaproposalforestablishinganewcategoryofordainedpriest,whowoulddofull-timeworkinafactoryorofficeinadditiontohispastoralduties.,Whenthequestionaroseofwhatthisnewtypeofclericwouldbecalled,theBBCinterviewermadethreesuggestions:auxiliarypriests,part-timepriests,andworkerpriests.,Forreasonsnotdifficulttoappreciate,allofthesewererejected:auxiliarypriestsandpart-timepriestssoundtoomuchlikesecond-rateassistants,whereasworkerpriestsseemstoallegethatotherpriestsdonotwork.Thusthearrivalatasatisfactorytitlewasamatterofdiscardingtitleswithunfortunateassociations.,Aconceptualexplanationcanalsobegiven,e.g.part-timepriestistheologicallyinaccuratebecauseapriestisapriestallthetime,evenwhenworkinginafactory;workerpriestispleonasticinasmuchasallpriestshaveworktodo.Thusanissueofassociationsof“therightimage”caneasilybeturnedintoanargumentaboutdictionarymeanings.,ConnotativeMeaning:Connotativemeaningisthecommunicativevalueanexpressionhasbyvirtueofwhatitrefersto,overandaboveitspurelyconceptualcontent.,Ifthewordwomanisdefinedconceptuallybythreefeature(+human,-male,+adult),thenthethreepropertieshuman,adult,andfemalemustprovideacriterionofthecorrectuseofthatword.,Butthereisamultitudeofadditional,non-criterialpropertiesthatwehavelearnttoexpectareferentofwomantopossess.,Theyincludenotonlyphysicalcharacteristics(biped,havingwomb),butalsopsychologicalandsocialproperties(gregarious,subjecttomaternalinstinct),andmayextendtofeatureswhicharemerelytypicalratherthaninvariableconcomitantsofwomanhood(capableofspeech,experiencedincookery,skirt-or-dress-wearing).,Stillfurther,connotativemeaningcanembracetheputative(推定的)propertiesofthereferent,duetotheviewpointadoptedbyanindividual,oragroupofpeopleorawholesociety.,Sointhepastwomanhasbeenburdenedwithsuchattributes(frail,pronetotears,cowardly,emotional,irrational,inconstant)asthedominantmalehasbeenpleasedtoimposeonher,aswellaswithmorebecomingqualitiessuchasgentle,compassionate,sensitive,hard-working.,Obviously,connotationsareapttovaryfromagetoageandfromsocietytosociety.Connotationswillvary,tosomeextent,fromindividualtoindividualwithinthesamespeechcommunity.Intalkingaboutconnotation,oneisinfacttalkingabouttherealworldexperienceoneassociateswithanexpressionwhenoneusesorhearsit.,Connotationsarerelativelyunstable:thatis,theyvaryconsiderably,accordingtoculture,historicalperiod,andtheexperienceoftheindividual.,Connotativemeaningisindeterminateandopen-endedinasenseinwhichconceptualmeaningisnot.Connotativemeaningisopen-endedinthesamewayasourknowledgeandbeliefsabouttheuniverseareopen-ended;,Affectivemeaningislargelyaparasiticcategoryinthesensethattoexpressouremotionswerelyuponthemediationofothercategoriesofmeaning:conceptual,connotative,orstylistic.,littleSmallfamousnotoriousslim/slenderskinnydeterminedpigheaded,Fastidious,fussy,particularcriticalfault-findingpickyfad,vogue,stylecunning,artful,slyclique,gang,groupencourageinstigatepromote,AffectiveMeaningcandependonthecontext:Heisbrightandambitious.Knowledgeofinequalityhasstimulatedenvy,ambitionandgreed.,Someonewhoisaddressed:Youareavicioustyrantandavillainousreprobate,andIhateyouforit!isleftinlittledoubtastothefeelingsofthespeakertowardshim.,HayakawaS.I.(1978)在他所著的“LanguageinThoughtandAction”一书中描述了这样一个故事：一位著名的黑人社会学家外出旅行受到了一对白人夫妇的热情款待，为他提供食宿等便利条件。见GeoffreyLeech的著作Semantics:thestudyofmeaning.1981.SecondEdition.PenguinBooks.P44.,“Whosinsultingyou,son?”saidtheman.“Youare,sir-thatnameyourealwayscallingme.”“Whatname?”“Uhyouknow.”“Iaintcallinyounonames,son.”“Imeanyourcallingmenigger.”“Well,whatsinsultinaboutthat?Youareanigger,aintyou?”,可是这对白人夫妇总是称他为“nigger”，使得这位黑人在感激这对夫妇的同时，又因被称为“nigger”内心又受到了伤害，因此在无法忍受的情况下，终于鼓足勇气要求白人夫妇不要使用“nigger”这一带有侮辱含义的词。下面是他们之间的部分对话：,Emotionalexpressionthroughstylecomesabout,forinstance,whenweadoptanimpolitetonetoexpressdispleasure,orwhenweadoptacasualtonetoexpressfriendliness.,Ontheotherhand,thereareelementsoflanguage(chieflyinterjections,likeAha!andYippee!)whosechieffunctionstoexpressemotion.Whenweusethese,wecommunicatefeelingsandattitudeswithoutthemediationofanyotherkindofsemanticfunction.,Reflectedmeaningisthemeaning,whicharisesincasesofmultipleconceptualmeaning,whenonesenseofawordformspartofourresponsetoanothersense.,Inachurchservice,thesynonymousexpressionsTheComforterandTheHolyGhost,bothrefertotheThirdPersonoftheTrinity,butthereactionstothesetermscanbeconditionedbytheeverydaynon-religiousmeaningsofcomfortandghost.,TheComfortersoundswarmandcomforting(althoughinthereligiouscontext,itmeansthestrengthenerorsupporter,whileTheHolyGhostsoundsawesome.,Moreexamples:Sincetheirpopularizationinsensesconnectedwiththephysiologyofsex,ithasbecomeincreasinglydifficulttousetermslikeintercourse,ejaculation,anderectionininnocentsenseswithoutconjuringuptheirsexualassociations.,Thisp