摘要：广告在当今社会生活中无处不在，它是以文字表达的方式在广告人和受众之间传递信息的特殊形式。关联理论认为，广告也是一种特殊的交际行为。为了达到吸引消费者的注意力从而成功进行宣传推销的目的，广告商通常会采取各种各样的销售策略，尤其是语言策略。双关语作为广告界中最常见也最有效的语言修饰手段之一，具有引人入胜，丰富广告内涵的特点，所以受到广告商和消费者的喜爱。本文将从关联理论的角度出发，通过阐释“明示-推理”这一认知交际模式的运行机制以及它对于最佳关联的意义，对英语广告中双关语的典型例子进行分析，重点阐明四种双关策略，即谐音双关、语义双关、语法双关和仿拟双关，是如何获得最佳关联从而达到语境效果的。希望能为广告商在广告创作层面以及读者更好地理解双关现象方面提供一些启示。

关键词：英语广告，双关语，关联理论，最佳关联

TABLE OF CONTENTS

摘要

ABSTRACT

Chapter One Introduction-1

Chapter Two Literature Review-3

2.1 The early research on puns-3

2.1.1 The definition of puns-3

2.1.2 The classification of puns-4

2.1.3 The function of puns-5

2.2 Previous studies on advertising puns-6

2.2.1 Reading puns in advertising under Conceptual Blending Theory-6

2.2.2 Creating advertising puns from the perspective of cultural factors-7

2.2.3 Analysis of advertising puns in the perspective of violation of Cooperation Principle-8

Chapter Three Relevance Theory-9

3.1 Sperber and Wilson’s Relevance Theory-9

3.1.1 The definition of Relevance Theory-9

3.1.2 Relevance and contextual effect-10

3.2 Communicative process of Relevance Theory-11

3.2.1 Ostensive- Inferential model-11

3.2.2 Optimal relevance principle-12

Chapter Four Relevance Theory and English Advertising Puns-14

4.1 Relevance Theory and advertisements-14

4.1.1 Significance of advertisements-14

4.1.2 The guiding role of Relevance Theory in advertising-15

4.2 Relevance Theory and puns in advertising-16

4.2.1 Importance of puns in advertising-17

4.2.2 The instruction of Relevance Theory to puns in advertising-18

4.3 The application of Relevance Theory in advertising puns——acquisition of optimal relevance-19

4.3.1 Strategy of homonymous puns-19

4.3.2 Strategy of semantic puns-21

4.3.3 Strategy of grammatical puns-23

4.3.4 Strategy of imitative puns-24

Chapter Five Conclusion-27

REFERENCES-28

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS-30