商务信函中礼貌策略的对比分析

1、ContentsChinese Abstract2English Abstract31. Introduction41.1 A General Description of the Study 41.2 Aim of the Study41.3 Significance of the Study41.4 Outline of the Study52. A Survey of Relevant Literature52.1 Previous Studies52.2 Theoretical Foundation73. A Comparative Study of Politeness Strate

2、gies in EBC and CBC103.1 The Application of Politeness Strategies in EBC103.2 The Application of Politeness Strategies in CBC133.3 Similarities of Politeness Strategies Between EBC and CBC153.4 Differences of Politeness Strategies Between EBC and CBC164. Conclusion18References19英汉商务信函中礼貌策略的对比分析摘 要在国

3、际商务沟通中，信函是使用最频繁的主要工具之一。国内外对商务信函的研究大部分是从文体学角度或者从单一信函类别角度，对英汉商务信函中的礼貌策略对比分析还比较少。Brown 和Levinson的面子威胁理论提出了四类礼貌策略：积极礼貌策略、消极礼貌策略、直接性礼貌策略及间接性礼貌策略。本文将重点利用Brown 和Leech的积极策略和消极策略模型来对英汉商务信函应用情况进行分析并探究中国与西方英语国家在礼貌策略运用是否存在差异，以及产生异同的原因。从对比分析中发现，差异的原因来源于中西方对人际关系的理解不同和中西方价值观各有特点。中国崇尚长幼尊卑，西方则倡导人人平等。中国以和谐为主流文化价值观而西方

4、则追求自我满足的精神。中西方文化的巨大差异导致了其礼貌策略使用的差异,并且只有充分了解这些差异,人们才能有效地进行国际商务沟通,达到预期的目的。关键词：礼貌策略；英汉商务信函；对比分析AContrastiveAnalysisofPolitenessStrategiesinEnglishandChineseBusinessCorrespondenceAbstractCorrespondence is one of the most frequently used major tools in international business communication. The majority o

5、f the domestic and foreign research on business correspondence are mainly from the perspective of stylistics or from the perspective of a single correspondence category. Comparative analysis of politeness strategies in English and Chinese business correspondence is relatively fewer. According to Bro

6、wn and Leechs face threat theory, four types of politeness strategies are proposed: positive politeness strategy, negative politeness strategy, direct politeness strategy, and indirect politeness strategy. This paper will focus on the analysis of the politeness strategies used in English and Chinese

7、 business correspondence based on Brown and Levinsons positive and negative strategy models. It will also explore whether there are differences in the use of politeness strategies between China and Western English-speaking countries and the reasons for the differences. By comparison and contrast, it

8、 is found that the reasons of the differences lie in the different understanding of interpersonal relationship between China and the West and the different characteristics of Chinese and Western values. China upholds seniority rules while the West advocates equality for all. China takes harmony as t

9、he mainstream cultural values while the West pursues the spirit of self-satisfaction. The tremendous differences between Chinese and Western cultures have led to differences in the use of polite strategies and only by fully understanding these differences can people effectively conduct international

10、 business communication and achieve the intended purpose.Key words: politeness strategies; EnglishandChinese business correspondence; contrastive analysis1. Introduction1.1 A General Description of the StudyPoliteness is an essential part of peoples daily life and is a vital factor in human communic

11、ation. Many experts are interested in it. They have examined politeness strategies in different perspectives. Appropriate politeness strategies can be helpful for the effective exchange of information and the triumphant establishment or maintenance of social relations. Politeness research is one of

12、the most important research fields in recent decades, which has captured peoples attention. Politeness theory is not only widely used in peoples daily conversation and communication, but also can provide great help in a wide range of business written discourse fields. The problem of how to use diffe

13、rent politeness strategies in target-oriented business correspondence has arisen. Based on Leechs politeness principle, Browns face view and Lakoffs politeness view, this paper analyzes the characteristics of politeness strategies in English business correspondence and Chinese business correspondenc

14、e. The presupposition research can provide some guiding principles for the EBC and CBC writers from the cultural perspective so as to help them make polite application and improve their language and communication ability.1.2 Aim of the StudyThe purpose of the study is to compare the use of politenes

15、s strategies in EBC and CBC. It explores the differences between the application of politeness strategies in EBC and CBC. The expected result is to help Chinese English businessmen to improve their politeness strategic competence in order to overcome the obstacles in business communication, which co

16、uld facilitate effective cross-cultural communication. The study will answer the following questions:(1) What are the politeness strategies in business correspondence?(2) What are the politeness strategies generally used by CBC and EBC in business communication? What are the differences in the use o

17、f politeness strategies in EBC and CBC? (3) Are there any differences in the use of positive and negative strategies in EBC and CBC? If so, what is it?(4) What reasons can be put forward according to the use of politeness strategies in EBC and CBC from the perspective of cross-cultural communication

18、？ 1.3 Significance of the StudyIn the wake of vigorous development of economy in the 21st century, the international and domestic trade exchanges are increasingly frequent. The economic exchanges between China and the West are becoming more intense. Business correspondence is an essential link in tr

19、ade activities in business communication. Business correspondence is mainly used for external contact between organizations engaged in business or between business organizations and customers they serve. It is a more formal written style which is mostly used to contact the business, conduct business

20、 negotiations, communicate business matters, etc. Business correspondence is widely used as a communication bridge between buyers and sellers in social business activities. Communication starts from correspondence and ends at correspondence. Therefore, the business correspondence with accurate langu

21、age expression, standard format and reasonable layout often plays a decisive role in trade practice especially in the final decision of the transaction. A polite business correspondence can establish an excellent corporate image and create a harmonious business interpersonal relationship, in which t

22、he politeness strategy plays an important role.As the international language in the world, English is often used in international trade activities through EBC. Through the comparative analysis of politeness strategies in EBC and CBC, people can better understand the cultural connotation differences

23、between English and Chinese, the similarities and differences in the use of politeness strategies and pour attention into the differences of politeness strategies in business correspondence so that people can “know yourself and your partner, and never offend” in cross-cultural business communication

24、. Cross-cultural business communication can achieve substantive success by avoiding cultural conflicts in todays global trade development. 1.4 Outline of the StudyThis thesis is composed of four parts. Chapter one, Introduction, introduces a general description of the study, aim of the study, need f

25、or the study and outline of the study.Chapter two, A Survey of Relevant Literature, reviews the studies on politeness and provides different definitions of politeness in Chinese and English and business communication, then provides the theories of politeness between China and the WestChapter three,

26、A Comparative Study of Politeness Strategies in EBC and CBC, attempts to examine the use of politeness strategies in both EBC and CBC especially positive strategy and negative strategy and analyzes the difference between English and Chinese business correspondence from the across-cultural perspectiv

27、e.Chapter four, Conclusion, presents the findings and discusses the implications2. A Survey of Relevant Literature2.1 Previous StudiesPoliteness is a common phenomenon and it has influence on peoples daily life. As the world entered a new era, the demand for international communication and cooperati

28、on sharply increased. How to be polite in communications especially in business communication has aroused widespread attention and interest of quite a few researchers.He Zhaoxiong (1999) points out that politeness can be taken as a social phenomenon, a means to achieve good interpersonal relationshi

29、p. Chen Lintang (1992) said politeness is one of the weapons in the mall. Writing a correspondence without paying attention to politeness is like no bullet when fighting. Politeness is one of the main social constraints in interpersonal communication and it regulates their communicative behavior by

30、ceaselessly reminding participants to consider both parties feelings in that it is necessary to consider the feelings of each other in order to establish mutual comfort and public relations, which in turn accelerates and promotes human exchange. Politeness is a universal act in language.According to

31、 the origin and flow of politeness related to Chinese language and culture, Gu Yueguo (1990), a Chinese scholar, put forward four politeness features: respect, modesty, attitudinal warmth and refinement. There are similarities and differences in the interpretation of politeness strategies in differe

32、nt language environments and cultural backgrounds. Many domestic scholars continue to study deeply on the theoretical basis of foreign scholars. Dai Binghui (2010) studies the application of cooperative principle and politeness principle in English complaint letters under the guidance of cooperative

33、 principle and politeness principle theory. Xia Chunju (2009) analyzes the formation of refusal strategies and the influence of cooperative principle and politeness theory on five refusal strategies with a large number of selected texts. Xu Dongmei (2008) also studies the rejection strategies in con

34、flict letters. Yeung (1997) discusses the politeness requirements in CBC and EBC in Hong Kong. Cai Xianes Politeness strategies in Chinese and English Business Letters (2003) studies the application of politeness strategies in business letters from a cross-cultural perspective.Western research on po

35、liteness strategy originated in the 1960s. More and more scholars have studied from the perspective of pragmatics and put forward many “politeness” theories, which laid the theoretical foundation for politeness strategies. The famous British scholar Leech (1983) first proposed the “Politeness Princi

36、ple”, which explained the important role of politeness in language communication. The implementation of the politeness principle must follow six principles: (1) Tact Maxim, (2) Generosity Maxim, (3) Approbation Maxim, (4) Modesty Maxim, (5) Agreement Maxim, (6) Sympathy Maxim. Since then, American s

37、ocial linguist Robin Lakoff (1989) has also proposed three principles of politeness: (1) Dont impose, (2) provide choices, (3) friendly treat each other. According to the corresponding language and cultural background, the two scholars interpret the principle of “politeness” differently, which shows

38、 that politeness depends on the development of language and culture.In 1987, Brown and Levinson proposed the “Face-Saving Theory” based on the concept of “face” of Goffman (1959). The principle of politeness in Leech is supplemented and improved. They believed that the concept of politeness is strat

39、egic. Emphasizing on politeness is to try to maintain the face of both parties in communication and minimize the threat to the face of both parties from certain communication behavior. Yule (1996) used “borrowing pen” as an example to elaborate these five polite strategies. The speaker is the sender

40、 and the receiver is the recipient in business communications. Politeness principles and politeness strategies are the primary conditions for communication，which are widely reflected in business correspondence. EBC and CBC use different politeness strategies under the influence of different language

41、s and cultural backgrounds.Some scholars have studied the application of politeness strategies in CBC and EBC. Other scholars (Chiappini & Harris, 1996) have tried to study the differences in request strategies between native speakers and second language learners, and to explore the factors that inf

42、luence the choice of strategies. For example, Maier (1992) explores the politeness strategies of English-speaking and non-English-speaking people in business correspondence. Pilegaard (1997) explores politeness and politeness strategies in written business discourse from the perspective of written d

43、iscourse.To sum up, great progress has been achieved in the characteristics, writing and translation of business correspondence by many experts and scholars at home and abroad under the guidance of politeness principles and strategies. The study of politeness strategies is a new trend in the study o

44、f business correspondence in English and Chinese.2.2 Theoretical Foundation2.2.1 Leechs Politeness Principle“Politeness is a matter of degree. Different kinds and degrees of politeness are called for in different situations” (Leech, 1983: 104). Most of what we say and an army of the communication we

45、 have depend on our social relationships. Various strategies are needed in order to achieve proper politeness in a given situation. Leechs politeness principle is another influential politeness theory. Leech established himself as another important contributor of politeness research. Leech agreed wi

46、th Grices cooperation principle framework in principle but he suggested that it should be promoted. Grices “cooperative principle” and “conversational implicature” (Grice, 1975: 41-58) fails to fully explain why people deliberately violate the rules of dialogue because they should observe them and w

47、hy they choose to express themselves in a roundabout way rather than directly. Leech believes that this is out of concern for politeness in most cases. In his opinion, politeness has nothing to do with “pragmatic progress” but “achieving social goals” (Watts, 1992: 7). For example, it is the ultimat

48、e goal of politeness to bring the greatest benefit to the speaker and the listener at the lowest cost. Leech formulated his own politeness principle and maxims on the basis of Grices cooperative principle. He formed an influential theory on politeness as the adaptation and expansion of Grices Cooper

49、ative Principle in 1983.Leech believes that the principle of cooperation is not the only one that guides and constrains human interaction. The principle of cooperation itself cannot explain the relationship between reason and power. The principle of cooperation regulates what we say, which helps to

50、achieve some assumed speech goals. While the principle of politeness helps to maintain the friendly relationship between the interlocutors, which enables us to assume that the interlocutors are the cooperators first. The politeness principle “rescue” cooperation principle helps to explain why people

51、 deliberately violate dialogue maxims and choose to express them in a roundabout way.Modeling himself according to Grices cooperation principle, Leech (1983) also adopted the Grices framework and formulated a series of maximum and minor value. Leach summarized the six principles of politeness as fol

52、lows:(1)Tact MaximMinimize benefit to selfMaximize benefit to other(2)Generosity MaximMinimize cost to otherMaximize cost to self(3)Approbation MaximMinimize dispraise of otherMaximize praise of other(4)Modesty MaximMinimize praise of selfMaximize dispraise of self(5)Agreement MaximMinimize disagree

53、ment between self and otherMaximize agreement between self and other(6)Sympathy MaximMinimize antipathy between self and otherMaximize sympathy between self and other (Leech, 1983: 132)2.2.2 Brown and Levinsons Face TheoryB & L follows Grices theory of cooperation principles and advocates that verba

54、l politeness is a supplement to the principles of cooperation. They believe that verbal communication is essentially rational and clear. In view of this, B & L tries to use their theory to deviate from the principle of cooperation Speech acts provide a principled explanation (principled reasons). Th

55、ey point out that an ideal model person (Model Person) has two characteristics rationality and face (Brown and Levinson, 1987: 58). Identify and use the means that help to achieve the goal. Obviously, the theory of rationality adheres to the theoretical spirit of Grices cooperative principle. Face r

56、efers to the personal and social needs of the speaker. Both needs should be taken into account in the communication process, which is embodied in negative face and positive face. According to the definition of B & L, negative face refers to the basic requirements for the territory, the scope of pers

57、onal activities and the right not to be intruded. Positive face refers to the requirement that the communicator wants a good and consistent personal image or personality, and is recognized and appreciated (Brown and Levinson, 1987: 61). In short, the negative face expresses the personal needs of aut

58、onomy and the positive face expresses the social needs of approval.As the face problem is a process for you to come and go, any rational talker will try to avoid the behavior that damages face, or adopt some strategies to minimize the damage. B & L believes that (Brown and Levinson, 1987: 68-70) the speaker will choose the following five strategies according to the damage caused by FTAs (Face Threatening Acts) to the face of the addressee: (1) Bald on record(2) Positive politeness(3) Negative politeness(4) Off-record (5) Non-performanceB & L asserts that politeness in speech is not a