| The Cooperative Principle (hereafter abbreviated as CP) and Politeness Principle (hereafter abbreviated as PP) are widely known pragmatic principles used to interpret the literal sense and pragmatic force of utterances. However, they are not universal when different cultures are taken into account. Therefore, this thesis aims to compare the pragmatic phenomena in English-speaking and Chinese cultures in the hope of broadening the field of comparative study and helping people to communicate appropriately in cross-cultural communication.This paper falls into six chapters.The first chapter reviews the major researches done by Chinese scholars, and points out the objects and significance of this study.Chapter Two specifies Grice's Cooperative Principle, Leech's Politeness Principle and Brown and Levinson's Politeness Principle, all together forming the theoretical foundations of the present thesis.Chapter Three makes a comparative study on the differences between the Chinese and the Western cultures, which make it possible that different pragmatic phenomena occur. Chapter Four examines the application of CP in English-speaking and Chinese cultures. The focus is on the flouting of the sub-maxims of CP in the intercultural communication. It points out that Chinese violate or sacrifice the CP mainly because in Chinese culture, collectivism, large-power distance, harmony, the Doctrines of Mean, and Confucius' Li and Ren are highlighted. Hence, the author finds Chinese behavior does not necessarily conform to the CP.Chapter Five elaborates on the comparison of the PP under the English-speaking and Chinese cultural background. It is observed that both English-speakers and Chinese are politeness-loving people, but each group possesses its own unique way of showing politeness, that the Chinese culture gives PP a higher value and gives precedence to the Modesty Maxim which is realized through self-depreciation, and that individualism, privacy, equality, and assertiveness are valued most in English-speaking culture, while being reserved and mild is appreciated in Chinese culture.The last chapter is about the practical significance of CP and PP in English teaching and learning. |
