Abstract
Silence is a common phenomenon in communication, which works together with verbal language to transmit rich information for interlocutors. In the classification of silence, turn-silence is the most worthy of discussion because it is silence of significance which has conversational implicature. By applying qualitative and quantitative methods of analyzing data collected from English-Chinese conversations, this paper discusses the mechanism of silence from pragmatic-cognitive perspective that how silence works in communication based on the Relevance Theory and proposes a referential model of interpreting silence. In addition, with cognitive interpretation of silence, it is aimed at helping people to communicate effectively by using silence.
Keywords   Silence   Turn-silence   Relevance Theory  Cognitive-pragmatic Study    Communication

沉默是会话中屡见不鲜的现象，它和有声的语言互相联系、互相补充，传递着丰富的信息，共同体现了交际行为。其中，话轮沉默是最富有意义的沉默。目前已有的研究局限在会话框架理论之下，对话轮沉默从语用认知角度的研究匮乏。本文通过分析电视剧《幸福来敲门》等语料，运用关联理论对话轮沉默进行分析，从认知的角度探讨话轮沉默如何形成，有何功能，并结合其功能得出推理模式，以帮助人们在语言交际中正确运用沉默、准确理解话轮沉默传递的信息，从而达到有效交际。
关键词  沉默 话轮沉默  关联理论  认知语用   交际

As a saying goes, "there is meaningless speech and meaningful silence", silence is significant in the real world. It is a universal linguistic phenomenon, a metaphor for inner stillness in spirituality, a nonverbal expression of emotions whose functions can vary widely in various aspects of our lives. By serving alongside speech, fulfilling communicational functions, silence is sometimes to be seen as the preferred mode of expression .