论文标题
关于模糊的最佳性：“周围”，“之间”和Gricean Maxims
On the Optimality of Vagueness: "Around", "Between", and the Gricean Maxims
论文作者
论文摘要
为什么普通语言模糊？我们认为，在合作讲话者没有完整地了解世界的情况下，使用模糊表达可以在真实性（Gricean质量）和信息性（Gricean数量）之间提供最佳的权衡。着眼于近似值的表达，例如“周围”的语义模糊，我们表明它们允许说话者传达间接的概率信息，这种方式可以使听众更准确地表示扬声器可用的信息，而不是任何更精确的表达式（在形式之间的间隔）”。也就是说，模糊的句子比其精确的句子更有用。我们对“周围”的解释提供了一种概率处理，并为《理性语音法》（RSA）框架中“周围”陈述的解释和使用提供了模型。在我们的说法中，说话者分布的形状以不受RSA框架中用于模糊谓词的标准使用的词汇不确定性模型预测的方式而言。我们使用我们的方法来汲取有关模糊表达的语义灵活性及其对更精确含义的不可约性的进一步课程。
Why is ordinary language vague? We argue that in contexts in which a cooperative speaker is not perfectly informed about the world, the use of vague expressions can offer an optimal tradeoff between truthfulness (Gricean Quality) and informativeness (Gricean Quantity). Focusing on expressions of approximation such as "around", which are semantically vague, we show that they allow the speaker to convey indirect probabilistic information, in a way that can give the listener a more accurate representation of the information available to the speaker than any more precise expression would (intervals of the form "between"). That is, vague sentences can be more informative than their precise counterparts. We give a probabilistic treatment of the interpretation of "around", and offer a model for the interpretation and use of "around"-statements within the Rational Speech Act (RSA) framework. In our account the shape of the speaker's distribution matters in ways not predicted by the Lexical Uncertainty model standardly used in the RSA framework for vague predicates. We use our approach to draw further lessons concerning the semantic flexibility of vague expressions and their irreducibility to more precise meanings.
