摘 要：

随着国际贸易的迅速发展，英文商务信函在商业事务中发挥着不可替代的作用。然而，商务交往过程中存在大量拒绝言语行为，而这些行为中充分显露了不友好（即威胁被拒绝者的面子）及其冲突本质。因此，撰写英语商务信函时，注重拒绝信息的礼貌传递显得尤为重要，礼貌在商务英语信函中的作用是不容忽视的。本文先从Austin（1962）和Searle(1969)的言语行为理论出发简单阐述了言语行为；并对拒绝言语行为，尤其是商务信函中的拒绝言语行为以及布朗和列文森的面子理论进行阐述。在此基础上又分析了商务信函中的拒绝言语行为中体现的礼貌策略，旨在论证实施言语行为特别是拒绝言语行为时，采用礼貌策略的必要性和重要性。本文对礼貌策略中的积极礼貌策略跟消极礼貌策略进行研究，研究发现在商务信函中的积极礼貌策略包括使用积极词汇，寻找共同基础表明合作关系等；消极礼貌策略则包括谦让、道歉、说话语气委婉等。本文不仅可以为人们在商务沟通中更好地利用礼貌策略来表达拒绝言语行为，实现有效沟通建立良好的贸易关系；还可以就人们在英文商务信件的写作能力方面进行指导，从而更好地避免交际失误。

关键词：礼貌策略; 拒绝言语行为; 商务信函; 面子理论

Abstract:

With the rapid development of international trade, English business letters play an irreplaceable role in business affairs. However, there are a lot of refusal speech acts in the process of business contacts, which fully embody impoliteness and their nature of conflict. Hence, it is of enormous significance to politely convey the refusal messages in English business letters. The role of politeness in business English correspondence cannot be ignored. Based on the speech act theory of Austin (1962) and Searle (1969), this paper expounds the speech acts. The paper also makes an elaboration of the speech act of refusal in English business letters, and Brown and Levinson’s face theory. Based on the theory, this paper carries out a special study of politeness strategies for the speech act of refusal in English business letters to illustrate the necessity and importance of politeness strategies in the speech act, especially the speech act of refusal. In this paper, a study is made of the positive politeness strategy and the negative politeness strategy in terms of politeness strategies, and the study has found that positive politeness strategies in business letters include using the positive words, searching for common ground, showing cooperation, etc., and that negative politeness strategies include maintaining humility, apologizing, applying tactful voice tone, etc. It is hoped that this paper will enable people to make good use of the politeness strategies to express refusal in business communication in order to establish good trade relations via effective communication, and improve their writing ability in English business letters with a view to avoiding making communication errors.

Key words: Politeness strategies; speech act of refusal; business letter; face theory