Speech act theory is an important theory in the pragmatic study of language. It was originated with the British philosopher John Austin in the late 50’s of the 20th century.
言語行為理論是語言語用研究中的一個重要理論。它最初是由英國哲學家約翰.奧斯汀在20世紀50年代提出的。
According to speech act theory, we are performing actions when we are speaking.
根據言語行為理論，我們說話的同時是在實施某種行為。
According to speech act theory, a speaker might be performing three acts simultaneously when speaking: locutionary act, illocutionary act, and perlocutionary act.
根據言語行為理論，說話者說話時可能同時實施三種行為：言內行為，言外行為和言後行為。
a) A locutionary act is the act of uttering words, phrases, clauses. It is the act of conveying literal meaning by means of syntax lexicon and phonology.
言內行為是說出詞、短語和分句的行為， 它是通過句法、辭彙和音位來表達字面意義的行為。
b) An illocutionary act is the act of expressing the speaker’s intention; it is the act performed in saying something.
言外行為是表達說話者的意圖的行為，它是在說某些話時所實施的行為。
c) A perlocutionary act is the act performed by or resulting from saying something; it is the consequence of, or the change brought about the utterance; it is the act performed by saying something.
言後行為是通過某些話所實施的行為，或講某些話所導致的行為，它是話語所產生的後果或所引起的變化，它是通過講某些話所完成的行為。
American philosopher-linguist John Searle classified illocutionary acts into five general types. Each type has a common, general purpose.
美國的哲學語言學家約翰.舍爾把言外行為分為五類，每一類行為都有一個共同的、普遍的目的。這五大類是：
a) representatives: stating or describing, saying what the speaker believes to be true
闡述類：陳述或描述說話者認為是真實的情況
示例：
I have never seen the man before. / the earth is globe.
b) directives: trying to get the hearer to do something
指令類：試圖使聽話者做某些事情
示例：
Open the window! / Would you like to go to the picnic with us?
c) commissives: committing the speaker himself to some future course of action
承諾類：說話者自己承諾未來要有一些行為。
示例：
I promise to come. / I will bring you the book tomorrow without fail.
d) expressives: expressing feelings or attitude towards an existing state
表達類：表達對某一現狀的感情和態度。
示例：
I’m sorry for the mess I have made. / It’s really kind of you to have thought of me.
e) declarations: bringing about immediate changes by saying something
宣告類：通過說話引起驟變。
示例：
I now declare the meeting open. / I fire you.
Important remark:
All the acts that belong to the same category share the same purpose or the same illocutionary point, but they differ in their strength or forth.
每一類中的行為都有同樣的目的，但具有同樣目的的言外行為可能具有不同程度的言外之力。
