英语商务信函中的礼貌原则 毕业设计(5)

太原科技大学外语系2007毕业论文 陆柏成

praises the addressee? performance & high ability by stating the words “We heard that the business transacted through you last year amounts to more than $...” This helps the writer get along well with the addressee. But sometimes, some mendacious approbation will make the result become worse. So the writer should pay more attention to the approbation words the writer chooses while praising the addressee. This relates to APPROBATION.

Example 9:

A Considering our good relations, we are prepared to accept your counter offer. B In view of our longstanding, cordial commercial relationship, we would be very grateful if you would make a special effort to comply with our request.(Xian Yanhua,2006:103)

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 letter is relative with INTIMACY. In example A&B, using the word “our” skillfully shows that the writer takes addressee as partner. Using this kind of amiable words helps the writer save the addressees? face, and makes the addressee feel that the writer takes the both of parties? profit into consideration.

Example 10: Dear Ms White,

We regret to learn of the short delivery of 20 cases of shipment against your Order No. 226 and have contacted our forwarding agents here who inform us that your 20 cases were unloaded in error at Fuzhou and now are waiting for transshipment to your port. We hope they will reach you in time. We apologize for the inconvenience caused to you in this instance and hope this matter will not affect our good relations in future dealings.

Yours faithfully, Jessica Chen

(Xian Yanhua,2006:213)

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太原科技大学外语系2007毕业论文 陆柏成

In order to save the addressee?s face and reputation, and compensate for the addressee?s loss and make the addressee forgive the writer, the writer can apologize for the mistake or offense and promise to reasonability for it. In this example letter, the LITTLE SHEEP SWEATER FACTORY “learn of the short delivery of 20 cases of shipment against your Order No. 226” and apologizes that the factory will ship the short delivery of 20 cases as quickly as possible in order to “hope this matter will not affect our good relations in future dealings.” This is relative with APOLOGY (DIRECT APOLOGY)

Example 11:

We regret to advise that we are unable to make an offer for the time being owing to heavy demands. A cable to this effect has been sent today to you. However, we shall not fail to inform you whenever a fresh supply becomes available. ( Gan Changyin,1999:3)

The writer analysizes the objective factor of this case “we are unable to make an offer for the time being owing to heavy demands” to make the addressee accept the fact, and maintains the writer?s face simultaneously. And then the writer works out the method “we shall not fail to inform you whenever a fresh supply becomes available” in order to maintain the business relationship with the addressee. This is relative with APOLOGY (INDIRECT APOLOGY)

Of cause, international trade is also influenced by cross-culture communicating. The negotiation should be built on equality and mutual benefit on both sides in business correspondence. If the writer who wants to show manners or politeness to addressees but forgets to take itself into consideration and uses excessively humble words of expression, the writer might just get the opposite result, and make the addressee think that the writer is not the one fit for.

Example 12:

A. You could rest assured that we would make every effort to effect the shipment as soon as possible so as to meet your demand.

B. We assure you that we shall do our best to expedite shipment. (Fan Feiran, 2006)

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太原科技大学外语系2007毕业论文 陆柏成

From the two sentences, we can easily know that the sentence B is the proper one. And the sentence A shows that the writer is a self-abasement. From the words “make every effort to effect”, “as soon as possible”, “so as to meet your demand”, the sentence A cuts down the writer?s status and makes the addressee think that the writer might not satisfy the addressee?s requirement. In this case, the addressee may change the addressee?s mind to find another co-operated partner. The Tact Maxim is embodied in this sentence.

Also, Politeness is often influenced by cultural factors, i.e. history, geography, life way, faith, and so on. Every culture or cultural organization has its own culture trait & values. And differences of sensitivity in terms of manner degree exist. Moreover, they have different understanding to politeness. So we need to comprehend the meaning under the background of different cultures & cultural organizations while writing or reading letters. For example,

Example 13:

We regret that we are unable to consider your request for payment on D/A terms. As a rule, we ask for payment by L/C. But in view of our friendly relationship as well as our willingness to support our Indian friends, we will, as an exceptional case, accept payment for your trial order on D/P basis.(Liang Zhijian, 2006)

In order to express kindness, the writer designedly agrees with the Indian friend?s point. The writer thinks the behavior could be in polite; however, it?s just the opposite of his wishes. Moreover, what the writer has done makes the addressee think something like that: this is the carriage for occupying vantage pointing; this is self-superiority complex showing; this is racialism and e …… 此处隐藏：4857字，全部文档内容请下载后查看。喜欢就下载吧 ……