英语商务信函中的礼貌原则 毕业设计(3)

太原科技大学外语系2007毕业论文 陆柏成

human interaction that regulates participants? communicating behavior by constantly reminds them to take into consideration the feeling of others?. It?s necessary to consider their feelings so as to establish levels of mutual comfort and promote rapport, which in turn accelerate and facilitate human communication. Since politeness is cultural-specific, different cultures have different politeness principles and models. In English, Brown & Levinson bring forth five politeness strategies; while Gu Yueguo proposes five maxims and maintains that the Chinese hold dear to such values as respectfulness, modesty, attitudinal warmth and refinement. In this dissertation we are going to analyze how those business letters written under the stated politeness principles achieve die communicating goals by skillful employment of those politeness strategies and maxims.

Ⅲ Representation of Politeness in Business Letters

3.1 Politeness’ Positive Representation in Business Letters

Generally speaking, politeness strategies totally include Approbation, Sympathy, Agreement, and Intimacy in business correspondence.

3.1.1 Approbation

In Brown and Levinson?s viewpoint in the business correspondence, Approbation is such a strategy that it helps meet audience?s requirement. It is communication activator. It helps satisfy the audience?s amour-propre by using compliment and fair words so that the audience?s attention and interesting is aroused. Using appropriate words can bring happiness and satisfactions in life in different occasion, and make the friendship better. In business correspondence, it is necessary to praise the addressee usually, but not over praising. Even if the addressee?s reputation, products, and technology is worthy of being praised, we also need to keep the praising words in control, and avoid the over magnified words. “Too much water drowned the miller.” So while writing business letters, the writer must obey Politeness Principle and try to apply the Approbation as much as possible, besides, the writer also need to praise the addressee by appropriate words.

The following sentence is a classical example:

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太原科技大学外语系2007毕业论文 陆柏成

We find both quality and prices are satisfactory and are pleased to place an order with you for the following: … (Wu Qin yan,2002:1)

This praising sentence makes the addressee feel comfortable, without magnified.

3.1.2 Sympathy

Chinese think that both of sentiment and sympathies are very important, people often think of the others and comprehend them, especially when someone is unhappy or suffered from disaster. And Chinese will express sympathies and send regards to those people who are unhappy or suffered from disaster. This is named Sympathy.

An old says “A friend in need is a friend indeed.” It is also fit for being along with business friends. When friends are unhappy or suffered from adversity, it will make the friends feel touching if writers express sympathies and send regards to the friends, in spite of helping friends or not. And this kind of behavior shows that the writer is very kind and polite. For example,

We acknowledge receipt of your letter dated the 3rd this month enclosing the reprography of the insurance policy,we are regret for your loss.

This is a letter about a company talking on delivery time with the other company, which is suffering losing. In the letter, the writer expresses sympathies and regards to the addressee. This makes the addressee think that “A friend in need is a friend indeed.” and it is worth of doing business with the writer.

3.1.3 Agreement

In business correspondence, Face Threatening Acts is represented when the writer can not agree with the addressee?s viewpoint or the addressee?s request is unwilling to be satisfied. In order to save the addressee?s face and reputation and avoid deny the addressee?s viewpoint straightly, the writer need to avoid expressing the disagreement directly. For example,

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太原科技大学外语系2007毕业论文 陆柏成

We sincerely recommend you to accept our proposal as our stocks are getting lower and lower day and day, and we are afraid we shall be unable to meet your requirements if you fail to let us have your confirmation by return.

In the example, it will act against the politeness strategies if the writer changed the word “recommend” into “advice”. The word “advice” can be understood as commanding. It seems as the addressee has to accept the advice, otherwise, the addressee will suffer losses. Actually, whether the addressee accepts suggest or not, it?s up to the addressee. The writer has no right to force the addressee to accept it.

In a word, when both parties? standpoints can?t unify, the writer should comprehend first and respect the standpoint of the addressee. But the writer can argue on the basis of reason in the ordinary time, explain the writer?s viewpoint if the addressee?s suggestion is unreasonable or the addressee criticizing the writer is unfair, pay attention to the politeness, and avoid using the language offending nature.

3.1.4 Intimacy

In business correspondence, if the writer and addressee?s friendship is very well, the writer can show the friendship to the addressee by calling the addressee geniality by using words like “us” , “we”, “our”, etc, or taking certain suggestion into consideration on the addressee?s position. This is called Intimacy. For example,

In view of our longstanding business relationship that we make you such an offer. (Huang Dongmei,2003:24)

In the example, using the word “our” skillfully shows that the writer takes addressee as partner. Using this kind …… 此处隐藏：8020字，全部文档内容请下载后查看。喜欢就下载吧 ……