Chapter One Introduction 1
1.1 Research Orientation 1
1.2 Mitigation as a Means of Linguistic Regulation:The Object of Research 3
1.3 Rationale for the Study 6
1.4 Objectives of the Research 10
1.5 Research Methodology 14
1.6 Outline of the Thesis 16
Chapter Two Studies of Mitigation:A Literature Review 18
2.1 Introduction 18
2.2 Defining and Categorizing Mitigation 20
2.2.1 Defining Mitigation 20
2.2.2 Types of Mitigation 23
2.3 Approaches to Mitigation 27
2.3.1 The Rhetorical Approach 27
2.3.2 The Semantic Approach 29
2.3.3 The Sociolinguistic Approach 31
2.3.4 The Pragmatic Approach 35
2.3.5 The Cross-cultural/Interlanguage Pragmatic Approach 45
2.4 Mitigation and Politeness:Some Further Distinctions 48
2.5 Summary 51
Chapter Three Previous Studies of Language and Human Social Behavior:Theoretical Sources of LRT3.1 Introductiton 53
3.2 Language and Other Forms of Human Social Behavior:Previous Studies 54
3.3 Summary and Implications 63
Chapter Four Research Methodology and Data Collection 64
4.1 Introduction 64
4.2 Methodology for the Study of Mitigation 65
4.2.1 Previous Methods Considered 65
4.2.2 Methodology for the Present Research 68
4.3 Procedures for Collecting Data of Mitigation 69
4.3.1 Previous Procedures Considered 69
4.3.2 Procedures of Data Collection for the Present Study 74
4.4 Description of the Data 76
4.5 The Coding Framework 77
4.6 Summary 78
Chapter Five Pragmatics as a Linguistic Regulation Theory 79
5.1 Introduction 79
5.2 Pragmatics as a Linguistic Regulation Theory 80
5.2.1 Motivation for Linguistic Regulation:A Scale of Harmony and Conflict 81
5.2.2 Units of Regulation:Activity Type and Speech Act 84
5.2.2.1 The Concept of Activity Type 84
5.2.2.2 Aspects of Linguistic Regulation:Cooperation and Conflict 85
5.2.2.3 Activity Constraints in Linguistic Regulation 89
5.2.2.4 Dimensions of Linguistic Regulation 93
5.2.3 Possibilities for Linguistic Regulation:Variability,Negotiability and Adaptability 95
5.2.4 Cognitive Prerequisite for Regulation:Metapragmatic Awareness 98
5.2.5 LRT:A New Theoretical Inclusion 101
5.2.5.1 LRT and Other Theories concerning Language and Human Social Behavior 101
5.2.5.2 LRT,the Cooperative Principle and Politeness Theories 103
5.2.5.3 LRT and Levinson's(1983)Theory of Basic Units of Analysis 104
5.2.5.4 LRT and LAT 105
5.3 Mitigation as a Means of Linguistic Regulation:A Conceptual Framework 107
5.3.1 Mitigation Redefined 108
5.3.2 Regulation and Mitigation:A Diagram and a Conceptual Framework 110
5.4 Mitigation and TCM Clinical Interviews 112
5.4.1 TCM Clinical Interviews as a Typical Chinese Activity Type 112
5.4.2 Mitigation as a Means of Linguistic Regulation in TCM Clinical Interviews 115
5.5 Summary 116
Chapter Six Mitigation as a Means of Linguistic Regulation along the Physical Dimension of TCM Clinical Interviews6.1 Introduction 117
6.2 The Physical Dimension of TCM Clinical Interviews and its Constraints and Conflicts Revisited 118
6.3 Mitigation as a Means of Linguistic Regulation along the Physical Dimension of TCM Clinical Interviews:The Analysis 121
6.3.1 The Data 122
6.3.2 The Analysis 123
6.3.2.1 Mitigating Devices Employed by Patients 123
6.3.2.2 Mitigating Devices Employed by Doctors 146
6.4 Summary 158
Chapter Seven Mitigation as a Means of Linguistic Regulation along the Psychological Dimension in TCM Clini-cal Interviews7.1 Introduction 160
7.2 The Psychological Dimension of TCM Clinical Interviews and its Constraints and Conflicts Revisited 161
7.3 Mitigation as a Means of Linguistic Regulation along the Psychological Dimension in TCM Clinical Interviews:The Analysis 164
7.3.1 The Data 165
7.3.2 The Analysis 167
7.3.2.1 Mitigating Devices Employed by Patients 167
7.3.2.2 Mitigating Devices Employed by Doctors 172
7.4 Summary 190
Chapter Eight Mitigation as a Means of Linguistic Regulation along the Social Dimension of TCM Clinical Inter-views8.1 Introduction 193
8.2 The Social Dimension of TCM Clinical Interviews and its Constraints and Conflicts Revisited 194
8.3 Mitigation as a Means of Linguistic Regulation along the Social Dimension of TCM Clinical Interviews:The Analysis 197
8.3.1 The Data 198
8.3.2 The Analysis 199
8.3.2.1 Mitigating Devices Employed by Doctors 200
8.3.2.2 Mitigating Devices Employed by Patients 222
8.4 Summary 233
Chapter Nine Conclusions and Implications 236
9.1 Introduction 236
9.2 Major Findings from the Research 237
9.2.1 Findings on Mitigation 237
9.2.2 Findings on Pragmatics as a Linguistic Regulation Theory(LRT) 239
9.2.3 Findings on the Relationship between Mitigation and LRT 242
9.3 Implications of the Study 243
9.4 Limitations of the Study and Suggestions for Further Research 244
Bibliography 246
Appendix 261
后记 334
Figure 5.1 A Harmony-Conflict Scale 83
Figure 5.2 A Diagram for Regulation and Mitigation 110
Figure 5.3 A Simplified Flow Chart for the Operation of Mitigation in TCM Clinical Interviews 116
Table 6.1 A Frequency Distribution of Physical Mitigators 122
Table 7.1 A Frequency Distribution of Psychological Mitigators 166
Table 8.1 A Frequency Distribution of Internal Social Mitigators 198