Abstract
Euphemism as a common linguistic phenomenon as well as cultural phenomenon is widely used in human communication. In the more civilized modern world, the interpersonal and international communication without euphemism is unimaginable. Correct and appropriate use of euphemism is helpful to obtain the success in English business communication.
Many scholars abroad and at home have done a lot of research work on euphemism in various fields. But it seems that most of them are mainly restricted to lexicon, sentence, grammar and rhetoric levels and ignore more or less the social cultural causes and other underlying impulses of euphemism employments. The purpose of this thesis is to present a detailed analysis of the application of euphemism in English business letters from the perspective of communication. Through analysis, we find that proper use of euphemism in English business letters can improve communication and help to arrive at the goals of business letters successfully.
This thesis is composed of three parts. The first part is the background of this study. The second part is the main body of this thesis. It mainly focuses on the application of euphemism in various kinds of business letters and its effects. The third part is the conclusion.
Key words: euphemism, business letter, communication, analysis
Content
1. Introduction1
2. Demonstration-3
2.1 Euphemism-3
2.1.1 The Definition of Euphemism-3
2.1.2 Way to Express Euphemism-3
2.1.2.1 Figure of speech-3
2.1.2.2 Semantic Method4
2.1.2.2 The Variety of Pronunciation4
2.1.2.2 Spelling Form4
2.1.3Communicative Functions of Euphemism4
2.1.3.1 Avoiding taboos-4
2.1.3.2 Indirectness5
2.1.3.3 Politeness-5
2.1.3.4 Dissimulation5
2.1.3.5 Compliment5
2.2 Business Letter-5
2.2.1Classification of Business Letters5
2.2.1.1 According to the Content-6
2.2.1.2 According to the different functions6
2.2.1.3 According to the nature of the information given-6
2.2.2 Function of Business Letters-6
2.2.3Goals of Business Letters-6
2.3    Application of Euphemism in Business Letters-7
2.3.1 Application in Competitive Business Letters7
2.3.2 Application in Convivial Business Letters-8
2.3.3 Application in Collaborative Business Letters8
2.3.4 Application in Conflictive Business Letters-9
3. Conclusion-9
Work Cited-11
Bibliography-12