【作者】 刘丽；

【导师】 邓海；

【作者基本信息】 西南财经大学 ， 外国语言学及应用语言学， 2012， 硕士

【摘要】 随着世界经济全球化进程的进一步加强,各国间关系变得日益紧密,贸易往来也愈加频繁。商务英语信函作为各国间商界人士传递信息,交流思想,建立关系的重要媒介,已经被广泛应用并渗透国际贸易的各个方面,成为其日常工作中不可或缺的重要组成部分。委婉语作为商务信函的一个重要特征,其有效使用能最大限度地达到交际的和谐,关系的促进,进而促成贸易活动的顺利进行。在委婉语这一研究领域中,国内外专家学者对其进行了大量的研究,取得了丰富的成果。据作者统计,从1979至2011年间,中国知网中对委婉语进行研究的硕士博士学术论文有210篇,期刊高达2049篇。然而这些研究多局限于采用礼貌原则、合作原则、关联理论等对其在文学作品、新闻、演讲等文体中的运用进行探究,而从顺应的角度对商务英语信函这一文体中的委婉语进行探讨尚少。顺应论最早是在1987年由比利时语用学家Verschueren在“语用综观”的概念下提出,他把语用学看成语言整体的、功能性综观,对语言使用现象从认知、社会、文化方面进行综合观察。商务英语信函,作为有别于其他类型的文体,其委婉语的使用有着不同的特征。本篇论文拟采用定性和定量相结合的方法,以比利时语用学家维索尔伦提出的顺应论为理论基础,从语境关系的顺应和结构对象的顺应两方面对所搜集到的四种商务英语信函类型(询盘、订购、发盘以及索赔)74篇信函中的委婉语进行研究。在语境关系的顺应方面,主要研究了交际双方心理世界、社交世界以及物质世界上的顺应。委婉语在结构对象顺应方面主要从词汇以及语法层面进行分析。作者希望通过此研究能一方面进一步拓展顺应论的研究范围,使其适应于分析更多不同的文体；另一方面能对商务信函中委婉语的使用特点有更加全面深刻的了解,为商务英语写作提供一些参考,从而更好地发挥其应有的作用。通过分析,作者发现四种商务信函中委婉语的使用顺应了交际双方心里、社会和物质世界,也是顺应论中结构对象顺应的体现。其中在语境关系顺应中,信函作者习惯在不同社会场合采用委婉语间接礼貌地表达其情感和写作目的,使其作出连续不断的语言选择以满足交际需要,从而顺应交际双方的心理、社会、及物质世界。在结构对象顺应上,委婉语主要通过词汇和语法层面中模糊语、弱化的否定词、情态动词、被动语态、虚拟语气、过去式以及疑问句的使用实现其顺应。更多还原

【Abstract】 Along with the further strengthened globalization of the world economy, the relationship among countries all over the world becomes increasingly close to each other. However, the traditional tools to convey information can no longer satisfy the needs of the modernization. Business English letters, as an indispensible media for business people to convey information, exchange ideas, and build relationship, has been extensively applied in the field of international business trade.The effective employ of euphemism, an important feature of business English letters, makes great contributions for companies to achieve harmonious communication, promote relationship, and smooth trade activities to the greatest degree. In the field of researches on euphemism in business English letter, a large number of experts and scholars have conducted a series of studies on it and have achieved fruitful results. According to the statistics from1979to2011in CNKI, there are210papers in Master’s degree and doctor’s degree, and2049periodicals. However, those researches are conducted mainly in literary works, speech, and news by applying politeness principle, cooperative principle, relevance theory, etc, few has done in the field of business English letters on the basis of adaptation theory. Adaptation theory is firstly put forward by Belgium linguist Jef Verschueren in the year1987under the concept of "pragmatic perspective". He considers linguistics a general functional perspective on any aspect of language and examines phenomenon of language use in a comprehensive aspects of cognition, society and culture.Business English letters, as a distinctive style of other types of writing, has its own features. This present thesis, in line with the contextual correlates and structural objects of adaptability in adaptation theory, intends to do a detailed analysis of euphemism in the total74letters from four frequently used types of business English letters (letters of inquiry, letters of offer, letters of order and letters of claim) by employing quantitative and qualitative research methods. In the aspect of contextual correlates of adaptability, this present thesis mainly studies euphemism’s adaptation to the three worlds, namely, the mental world, social world, and physical world. In the aspect of structural objects of adaptability, the analyses of euphemism’s adaptation are done from the level of lexicon and grammar. Through this study, this thesis, on one hand, is in anticipation of enriching the research scope of Verschueren’s adaptation theory and making it more interpretative in more kinds of writing forms; on the other hand, this thesis intends to make the reader have a more comprehensive and deeper understanding of euphemisms employed in business English letters, and provide some references for future business letter writing in such a way that they can work out a number of effective letters that can help companies achieve interests and working proficiency of their companies.On the basis of those studies, it is found that the euphemisms in the four types of business English letters has been in adaptation to the mental, social, and physical world of the two parties, as well as the structural objects. In the adaptation to contextual correlates, writers are likely to adopt some euphemisms indirectly and politely to express their emotions and purposes when drafting a letter, and make continuous choice-making in order to adapt to the three worlds of the parties. In structural objects of adaptability, this thesis mainly achieves its adaptation through the level of lexicon and grammar by the use of vagueness, weakened negative words, model verbs, passive voice, subjunctive mood, past tense and interrogative sentences.更多还原