On E-C Translation Methods of Business Letters Conveying Bad News from the Perspective of Functional Context_英语论文

摘要

商务英语信函系专门用途英语语篇，是当前国际商务贸易往来的主要形式，在建立和维系商务关系方面有重要的作用。在书信形式的商务交流中，负面消息（Bad News）的传递不可避免。负面信息意味着带来客户流失，信誉受损，经济损失，因此对报忧类英语商务信函的翻译研究就显得尤为重要。

系统功能语言学派是Halliday主导的语言学派，在伦敦学派的系统理论基础上，研究和强调语言的系统功能。本文运用系统功能语法理论从语篇功能、人际功能、语境等方面对报忧类英语商务信函进行功能语篇及语境分析，由此总结出不同类型功能语境下报忧类商务英语信函的不同汉译方法，为英汉商务信函交流提供一定的支持和借鉴。

关键词：功能语境  商务信函  负面消息  翻译方法

Abstract

Business English letter is an English discourse for Specific Purposes (ESP), which is the main form of current international business transactions. They play a significant role in establishing and maintaining business relationships. In the form of correspondence, negative news (bad news) transmission is inevitable. Negative information means customer loss, reputation damage, and economic loss. Therefore, translation studies of English business letters are particularly important. 

The Systemic Functional Linguistics School is a linguistic school led by Halliday, which studies and emphasizes the systemic functions of language based on the systematic theory of the London School. This thesis uses the systemic functional grammar theory to analyze the functional discourse and context of the English-language business letters from the aspects of discourse function, interpersonal function and context, and concludes the different types of functional contexts. The different translation methods of letters provide some support and reference for the exchange of business letters between English and Chinese.

Key words：functional context  business letters  bad news  translation methods

Contents

Chapter One  Introduction 1

1.1  Introduction 1

1.2  Significance of This Thesis 1

1.3  Structure of This Thesis 2

1.4  Research Method of This Thesis 3

Chapter Two  Literature Review 4

2.1  Introduction 4

2.2  Perspective of Functional Linguistics 4

2.3  Perspective of Cognitive Pragmatics and Relevance Theory 5

2.4  Perspective of Functional Equivalence Theory 5

2.5  Politeness Principle in Translation 5

2.6  Comments 6

Chapter Three  Theoretical Framework 8

3.1  Introduction 8

3.2  Development of Systemic-Functional Grammar 8

3.3  The Three Metafunctions 9

3.4  Functional Context Theory 9

3.4.1 Intra-linguistic Context 11

3.4.2 Situational Context 11

Chapter Four  Translation Methods Based on Functional Context 12

4.1  Introduction 12

4.2  Characteristics of Business English Letter Discourse Translation 12

4.2.1 Lexical Features 13

4.2.2 Syntactic Features 13

4.2.3 Discourse Features 14

4.3  Functional Context in Translation 15

4.4  Translation Methods 16

4.4.1 Translation Methods on Intra-linguistic Context-oriented letters 17

4.4.2 Translation Methods on Situational Context-oriented letters 20

Chapter Five Conclusion 24

Bibliography

Acknowledgements