摘要

礼貌作为重要的语用概念一直引起各国研究学者的兴趣和关注，这一领域的研究成果有很多，其中尤以Brown和Levinson在1978年提出的面子和礼貌的理论框架和Leech的礼貌原则最具代表性和权威性。但是，目前存在的礼貌原则和策略都是构建于语言阶层，而忽视了非言语交际在人际交流中的重要的礼貌功能。然而，言语行为和非言语行为是构成交际行为的两个组成部分，二者是互相依存，互相作用，不可分割。因此，对非言语行为的面子理论和礼貌原则进行研究具有重要的价值和意义。本项研究正是基于这一想法。由于非言语交际涵盖的内容范围广泛，本文仅重点探讨身势语在日常生活中呈现的面子和礼貌作用。

关键词：体态语；面子理论；礼貌原则

Abstract

Politeness is a research area that has attracted a worldwide interest. Researchers from different cultures have got many achievements, among which Brown and Levinson’s face and politeness framework and Leech’s Politeness Principle is widely accepted as authoritative. But all the existing theories and strategies of politeness, including Brown and Levinson’s and Leech’s, are constructed at the linguistic level, with no consideration of nonverbal behaviors. However, language and nonverbal behavior are integrated in human communications. A study of Face Theory and Politeness Principle in nonverbal communication is of value and importance. Nonverbal communication covers a wide scope. This study focuses on how Face Theory and Politeness Principle functions in body language.

Key words: body language; Face Theory; Politeness Principle

1. Introduction
Communication is important, but without it, human life would be non-existent. The author believes good communication is the key to a good relationship. If we communicate well with the people in our lives, we are able to better understand what the people around us want, need, expect of us, and what they are able to do and likewise, they will understand what we want, need, etc. This includes not just the people we live with, but doctors, service providers of many kinds...the list is endless. We have to be able to communicate on a personal level, both verbal and non-verbal. Verbal communication is one way for people to communicate face-to-face.  Some of the key components of verbal communication are sound, words, speaking, and language. Nonverbal communication describes the process of conveying meaning in the form of non-word messages. Research shows that the majority of our communication is non verbal, also known as body language.