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1、RhetoricalFunctionsofAccuracyandVaguenessVagueness,clearly,isamatterofdegree,dependingupontheextentofthepossibledifferencesbetweendifferentsystemsrepresentedbythesamerepresentation.Accuracy,onthecontrary,isanideallimit.BertrandRussell,Vagueness,http://www.cscs.umich.edu/~crshalizi/Russell/vagueness
2、/,Oct.212007Generallyspeaking,vaguenessisalanguageattribute,soweshouldbearitinmindthataccuracyaswellasvaguenessisacomparativedefinition.However,astwoimportantwaysofexpression,theybothpossessrhetoricalfunctions.Firstofall,accuracyenablesaspeakerorwritertoexpressideasexactlyandtothepointwhilevaguenes
3、sallowshimorhertocarryonthecommunicationsmoothly.Speechandwritingarealwaysman’simportantmethodsofcommunication,whichrequirespeopletoconveyinformationandideasintheexactdegree.Inotherwords,accuracyensuresexactexpressionincommunicativefunction.HereafterisanexampleabouttheBritishGeneralChurchill,whohig
4、hlystressedaccuracy.DuringtheWWII,anofficerworkinginDepartmentofChiefofGeneralStaffoftheBritishArmyoncereportedthathistroophadbeenfightingwiththeGermansatasmallvillageinItaly.BackcameChurchill’scopythat“WedonotfightwithGermans.Wefighteitherfororagainstthem.”Inthisexample,theofficerhadexpectedtoconv
5、eytheinformationoffightingagainstenemiesbutfailedtoexpressitexactly,whicharousedambiguityinmeaning.Thoughtit’sofgreatimportancetoadheretoaccuracy,whenonefindsitimpossibletobeaccurateorsuddenlyisatalossaboutexpressingsomethinginaexactway,heorshemayresorttoavaguetermtocarryonthecommunicationsmoothly.
6、e.g.“Oh…inthetradesomewhereroundfifteenthousanddollars.ButifitwasboughtonFifthAvenue,Ishouldn’tbesurprisedtohearthatanythinguptothirtythousandwaspaidit.”(W.SomersetMaugham,Mr.Know-All)Intheexampleabove,theexpressionslike“somewhereround”arevague3referencebecausethespeakercanhardlytellhowmuchandwhere
7、.Bydoingso,hewasabletoletthetopicmoveoninasmoothandnaturalway.Secondly,accuracyallowsnoambiguity,soaccurateexpressionisalwaysgrandanddirect.Ontheotherhand,vaguenesscanfulfillausefulfunctionoftactfulexpressi
