INFERENCES IN ADVERTISEMENTS: EXEMPLIFYING WITH RELEVANCE THEORY

Ever since Sperber and Wilson presented their theory of relevance, a lot of work has been done to corroborate or to refute it as the best available communication theory. What is known is that throughout the years not only linguists but cognitive theorists in general have applied the principles of Relevance theory to explain different phenomena concerning aspects of human communication. Our paper is no different. It discusses the possibilities of analysing advertisements with verbal and visual elements through relevance theory, specifically in terms of what triggers inferential comprehension in such pieces. The three pieces analysed do not engage in selling marketing products, but they sell ideas that become ostensive by means of merging visual and linguistic inputs to inferential understanding of what they mean.自斯珀伯（Sperber）与威尔逊（Wilson）提出关联理论（Relevance Theory）以来，学界已开展大量研究，旨在验证该理论作为现有最优传播理论的合理性，或对其提出驳斥。目前学界已达成共识的是，多年来不仅语言学家，广义上的认知理论家均已运用关联理论原则，解释人类传播各维度下的诸多现象。本研究亦不例外：本文探讨了借助关联理论分析兼具语言与视觉元素的广告的可行性，具体聚焦于此类广告中触发推理式理解的核心因素。本次分析的三则广告案例并非以营销实体商品为目的，而是旨在传播特定理念；它们通过融合视觉与语言输入要素，引导受众通过推理理解其内涵，使所传递的理念具备明示性。