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【Abstract】This paper holds that relevance is the basis for disambiguation. The process of ostensive-inferential communication is the process of disambiguation. In communication， the hearer properly uses stimulus and manifestive method and pays attention only to the information which has optimal relevance to obtain maximal contextual effects with the least effort. In this process， ambiguity is eliminated and successful communication is achieved.
【Key words】relevance theory； ambiguity； elimination of ambiguity； context
1. Introduction
Ambiguity has enjoyed a long history of concentration， because of the fact that it is a pervasive nature of human language. It is characterized with having more than one meaning. However， The traditional study of ambiguity is a kind of static analysis or description， without considering context， mainly focusing on the forms themselves （phonologic， lexical， grammatical， etc.）， exploring the several possible interpretations of the same linguistic unit. Even if sometimes context is considered， this kind of context is imagined not actual， which seldom takes non-linguistic context into consideration and overlooks the flexibility and variety of language use. So， traditional study of ambiguity can’t explain the ambiguity phenomena created in specified contexts.
Relevance theory serves as the theoretical foundation for the analysis of ambiguity of everyday conversation， which focuses on people’s cognitive processes. On the basis of a thorough investigation of traditional researches on ambiguity， this study attempts to study the elimination of ambiguity from the perspective of relevance theory. To make a unified account of this phenomenon as well as to make some advisable suggestions on improving discourse comprehension is also the major concern of the present study.
According to relevance theory， to understand utterances correctly in communication， one should search for the optimal relevance in contexts by means of inference. The concept of context is very important in the relevance. On the basis of relevance theory， the author regards context as a dynamic and psychological concept， it is “the subset of the hearer’s assumptions about the world and the set of premises used in interpreting utterance” （Sperber and Wilson， 1986：15）. During the process of understanding， the degree of context is decided by the relevance principle. Once the optimal relevance is found in understanding， a certain context can be decided. So the communicator’s task is to try to search for the optimal relevance and create adequate contextual effect during the process of understanding， thus providing a sound basis for understanding. 2. Relevance Theory
Relevance theory was formally put forward by Dan Sperber
【Key words】relevance theory； ambiguity； elimination of ambiguity； context
1. Introduction
Ambiguity has enjoyed a long history of concentration， because of the fact that it is a pervasive nature of human language. It is characterized with having more than one meaning. However， The traditional study of ambiguity is a kind of static analysis or description， without considering context， mainly focusing on the forms themselves （phonologic， lexical， grammatical， etc.）， exploring the several possible interpretations of the same linguistic unit. Even if sometimes context is considered， this kind of context is imagined not actual， which seldom takes non-linguistic context into consideration and overlooks the flexibility and variety of language use. So， traditional study of ambiguity can’t explain the ambiguity phenomena created in specified contexts.
Relevance theory serves as the theoretical foundation for the analysis of ambiguity of everyday conversation， which focuses on people’s cognitive processes. On the basis of a thorough investigation of traditional researches on ambiguity， this study attempts to study the elimination of ambiguity from the perspective of relevance theory. To make a unified account of this phenomenon as well as to make some advisable suggestions on improving discourse comprehension is also the major concern of the present study.
According to relevance theory， to understand utterances correctly in communication， one should search for the optimal relevance in contexts by means of inference. The concept of context is very important in the relevance. On the basis of relevance theory， the author regards context as a dynamic and psychological concept， it is “the subset of the hearer’s assumptions about the world and the set of premises used in interpreting utterance” （Sperber and Wilson， 1986：15）. During the process of understanding， the degree of context is decided by the relevance principle. Once the optimal relevance is found in understanding， a certain context can be decided. So the communicator’s task is to try to search for the optimal relevance and create adequate contextual effect during the process of understanding， thus providing a sound basis for understanding. 2. Relevance Theory
Relevance theory was formally put forward by Dan Sperber