摘要

模糊与精确是人类语言的两种基本属性。“模糊”的概念和理论自从提出后的几十年里，人们对模糊语言进行了系统的研究。商务英语信函一贯要求内容和信息准确，所以商务英语信函中的模糊语一直被忽略了。本文从四个方面对模糊语之前的研究进行了归纳，然后对商务英语信函做出分析。最后探讨了以下两个问题：（1）不同类型的英语商务信函中模糊语的使用情况（2）在英语商务信函中模糊语具有哪些功能。从对相关英语商务信函的分析和研究，模糊语在中性或好消息，传递不愉快和不确定答复的信息和说服信三种信函中，运用是不同的。而且模糊语言在商务交际中有四个语用功能：使商务语言更礼貌和更有说服性；提高商务语言的灵活性，增强商务语言的正确性和提高写信人自我保护功能。

关键词：模糊；模糊语；商务信函；语用功能。

Abstract

  Vagueness and precision are the basic attributes of human language. Since the concept and theory of vague language was proposed by L.A Zadeh in 1965, much has been done in systematic and descriptive study of vague language. Business English has always been required to be clear and concrete, so the study of vague language in this field has long been neglected. The author takes a review of previous research on vague language from four perspectives and then makes an analysis on the business correspondence. This study attempts to explore the following two questions :( 1) How does the addresser use vague language in different type of business correspondence? (2)What pragmatic functions does the vague language make in business correspondence? Based on the definition and delimitation of vague language in the present study and the analysis of the data, it is found that the use of vague language is different in good-news and neutral letters, bad-news letter and persuasive letters. Vague language has four pragmatic functions in written business communication: (1) making the writing more polite and persuasive, enhancing the flexibility of business language, making the expression more accurate, and ensuring self-protection.

Key words: vague; vague language; business correspondence; pragmatic function.

1.    Introduction

Vagueness and precision are the basic attributes of human language, both of them are very important. Precision is needed most of time when people want to express emotion, while vagueness also plays an important role because some things are vague. In fact, vague language doesn’t affect communication; on the contrary, it has special functions, making the words more polite and flexible. As the development of international business, people pay more attention on the vague language in business corresponds. In the present thesis, the author finds that vague language is used to realize the addresser’s communicative intention, and it is the result of the adaptation to various contexts.