STYLE VARIATION IN JAPANESE CONVERSATION : ITS REALITY AND EFFECT

本研究以语篇为基础，对日语会话中的礼貌行为进行分析。该研究证实了B.Hill等人（1986）和Ide（1989）提出的日本礼貌的wakimae（辨别）方面。Brown & Levinson（1987）试图在Goffman（1967）提出的面子概念的基础上建立一个普遍的礼貌理论。这种礼貌理论尤其受到研究包含系统敬语系统的语言的语言学家的批评(参见Matsumoto (1988,1989), Ide (1989)， Ide等人（1992），Gu （1990), Mao(1994)）。这些批评在直觉上是可以理解的，但是基于数据的支持是必要的，这样它们才能更有说服力。因此，这项研究分析了三种不同类型的十八段对话，这些对话发生在不同社会阶层的人们之间。对这些谈话的观察表明，日语谈话中的礼貌是通过表达自己的洞察力来实现的。辨析被认为是日本礼貌的基础，原因有二：1)辨析必须由对话中的每个成员表达，2)正确使用策略取决于辨析。从这些观察中得出的一个结论是，一个全面的语言礼貌理论需要包括语言使用的社会条件方面，除了意志和可变方面。

This study is a discourse-based analysis of politeness in Japanese conversation. The study confirms the aspect of wakimae (discernment) in Japanese politenss which has been presented by B.Hill et al. (1986) and Ide (1989).Brown ＆ Levinson (1987) attempted to establish a universal politeness theory based on the notion of face presented by Goffman (1967). This politeness theory has been criticized especially by linguists who study languages which include systematic honorific systems (cf. Matsumoto (1988, 1989), Ide (1989), Ide et al. (1992), Gu (1990), Mao (1994)). These criticisms are intuitionally understandable, but data-based support is necessary so that they can be more persuasive. This study, therefore, analyses eighteen conversations, of three distinct types, between people of different social levels.Observations of these conversations reveal that politeness in Japanese conversation is achieved by expressing one's discernment. Discernment is considered to be the base of Japanese politeness for two reasons : 1) Discernment must be expressed by every member of the conversation, and 2) Appropriate use of strategies depends on discernment.One conclusion from these observations is that a comprehensive theory of linguistic politeness needs to include socially conditioned aspects of language use in addition to volitional and variable aspects.