从语用的角度重视英语听力的“弦外之音”，本文主要内容关键词为：弦外之音论文,英语听力论文,角度论文,重视论文，此文献不代表本站观点，内容供学术参考，文章仅供参考阅读下载。
人们用语言进行交流，总是传递一定的信息，以体现说话者的意图或目的。英语听力中的语用意义就是说话者借助自己所创造的语言环境向听话者传递自己的实际用意。例如：
M:Prof.Smith,we were wondering if we could sit in on your English class.
W:I wish I could say"Yes".But if I accept-ed you two,I wonder how to say "No" to a lot of others who have raised the same request.
Q:What does the professor mean？(B)
(A)She accepted their request.
(B)She rejected their request.
(C)She agreed to consider their request.
(D)She asked them to come with the other.
教授首先表明欢迎他们来听课，但借用but话题一转，表示不能为他们开先例，否则就无法再拒绝他人。同时又借用了虚拟语气，婉言谢绝了他们的要求。事实表明：英语考试等级越高，听力难度越大。说话者往往不是直截了当地表明自己的观点、态度和要求，而是借助一定的语言形式表达其真实含义。听力中的某些考题就是用来测试考生能否听懂说话人的“弦外之音”而设置的陷阱。因此，要善于听话听音，理解深层意义。从语用的角度来说，句子的重音、语调和语气是为说话者服务的，是用来表达谈论的重点，说话者的观点、态度和感情的。因此平时要注意这方面的听力训练。
一、句子重音
一般来说，英语句子的重音大多落在实词上，但有时为了强调也放在虚词上。一个词在句中的重读与否，与它在句中所起的表意作用有密切的关系。对话有个特点，它会把与对话情景相符的语气、态度等体现出来，而句子的重音恰好能发挥这方面的作用，能很好地体现说话者的主要意图和要强调的事物，听时要格外留心。
M:Isn't it rather cold outside,Sally？
W:It is a bit,but I can't stand the 'terrible'smoke 'inside.I' d rather stay here if you don't mind.
Q:Why does the woman want to stay out-side？(D)
(A)Because she feels very hot in the room.
(B)Because she wants to avoid meeting peo-ple.
(C)Because she wants to smoke a cigarette outside.
(D)Because she doesn't like the smell of smoke inside.
通常在句子中每个重读音节间相隔的时间大致相等。这句话通常的读法是...but I’can't 'stand the terrible'smoke in'side.这段对话中第二个说话者把句子的重音放在了'terrible'smoke'inside上，并将此作为一个意群一口气说完。正是这个不按常规的逻辑重读透露出说话者的意思。女士呆在室外是讨厌室内的烟味，因此正确答案为(D)。
W:I saw Jeff was reading a newspaper in the office yesterday evening.Why didn't he go home after work？
M:He said that 'hardly had he arrived home'when his wife started 'complaining.
Q:Why didn't Jeff go home after work？(D)
(A)He loved reading very much.
(B)He worked very hard.
(C)He didn't like doing housework.
(D)He didn' t like heating grumbles.
该对话中when是个连词，一般情况下应该弱读，但说话者为了强调他一回家他的妻子就开始抱怨，特别对hardly,when,complaining这三个词予以重读，而这三个词恰恰是问题的答案。正因为他不喜欢听抱怨声，所以不回家。因此正确答案为(D)。
二、句子语调
英语中，同一句话用不同的语调说出来可以表达完全不同的意思，如陈述句用降调表示谈话结束，不需要对方表态；若用升调则表示疑问、怀疑、惊讶，需要对方确认。再如反意疑问句，如反意疑问部分用降调，表示说话者对所陈述事情的肯定并希望得到对方的赞同；反之用升调，则表示他的不确定或征求对方的意见。所以在听的时候要特别注意说话者的语调，以便准确理解。
W:Peter,there's a phone call for you.
M:For me？ 
Who would be calling me atwork？
Q:What does the man mean by his question？(c)
(A)He wants a telephone of his own.
(B)He's looking for a new place to work.
(C)He doesn't usually get calls here.
(D)He doesn't know the woman's name.
For me？用升调读出，反问对方，不仅表示说话者的疑问，而且还表示强烈的感情色彩。此句表示男士在听到是他的电话时所流露出的惊讶之情，暗示出他工作时很少接到电话。因此正确答案为(C)。
W:That' s an amazing sculpture,isn't it
？
M:You can say that again.
Q:What does the man imply？(A)
(A)He agrees with the woman.
(B)He didn't hear what the woman said.
(C)He is surprised by her opinion.
(D)He thinks he should look at it again.
一般情况，反意疑问句第一部分为降调，第二部分为升调。此句的反意疑问部分用降调读出，表示一种委婉的肯定。女士认为这座雕刻了不起，并希望得到男士的赞同。男士的回答“我同意你的话”，印证了女方的看法。因此正确答案为(A)。
三、句子语气
英语句子的语气是用来表示说话者对某种行为或事物的观点或态度，主要借用动词的不同形式来体现，分为陈述、祈使和虚拟语气。听力考试中常用虚拟语气把原因藏在“弦外之音”中，看考生是否能掌握其真实涵义。由于虚拟语气是表示主观愿望和假想虚拟的情况，与现实情况相反，言外之意就是所说话题的相反事实，因此选择时要选与所听内容相反的答案。
M:How did your French exam go,Jane？
W:If I'd spent more time in the lab after class,I would have passed it.
Q:What does the woman mean？(D)
(A)She passed the exam because she spent a lot of time in the lab after class.
(B)She's going to spend a lot of time in the lab after class so that she can pass the exam.
(C)She won't do well in the exam if she doesn't spend more time in the lab.
(D)She failed the exam because she didn't spend enough time in the lab.
此题的关键是对虚拟语气的理解，说话者用假设回答了男士的提问，避免了尴尬，但事实刚好是假设（通过）的相反结果，即她没有通过。因此正确答案为(D)。
W:Your assistant shows a lot of enthusiasm for music.
M:I only wish he showed as much for his ex-periments.
Q.What does the man imply about his assis-tant？(A)
(A)He is not so enthusiastic about his work.
(B)He is not interested in music.
(C)He plays music better than others.
(D)He is interested in his experiments.
这里只要听出wish表示的是虚拟语气，就可以明确男士说的“我只是希望他对实验同样感兴趣就好了”，不过是一种愿望而已。因此，不准判断出正确答案为(A)。
除了上面介绍的几种情况外，说话者还用一种似乎答非所问的方式来回答提问者的问题，回答看似无关，实质答案就藏在里面。如下面这句：
W:Will you be joining us this evening？
M:I'll be meeting my girlfriend at the air-port.
女士问男士今晚是否和他们在一起，男士既不作肯定也不作否定的回答，只是罗列事实。听话者运用逻辑知识便可推知他的“弦外之音”，即：因为今晚要去机场接女朋友，所以不能和他们在一起。只不过后半句要听话者自己去体会。
听力的提高是靠日常的积累和用心的体会。如果在平时的听力训练中，脑中有个语用原则指导，仔细揣摩说话者的用意，那么对付听力考试就会游刃有余。