Abstract:

With the deepening of reform and opening up as well as the development of Global economic integration of trade, more and more foreign countries swan into Chinese market. Then China’s foreign trade has developed a lot, and international business communication become more and more frequent. In international business communication, correspondence is the most important way in written communication. In correspondence, the two parties mostly have never met each other before, and they just express their ideas with the letters. In the letters, both of them should try to create a good image to keep the old customs and win the new customs with the purpose of making better profits. Politeness is an important language feature in business letter. Letters guided by the principle of politeness can establish a good image to the enterprise, improving the success of business activities. Whether business letters are good or not is very important to business of the enterprise. A decent business letter can help the company to build a good image. So it is obvious that the function of politeness in business letters can’t be ignored. This paper gives briefly the definition of politeness principle and argues that the principle of politeness is important through its application in English Business Letters. Also, it discusses how the principle helps to assist the business communication in business letters.

Key words: Business Letters; Politeness Principle; Importance

摘 要：

随着改革开放的深入和全球经济贸易一体化过程的不断推进，越来越多的外国公司涌入中国市场。所以，我国对外经济贸易得到了很大的发展，国际商务交往越来越频繁。在国际商务交往中，书信则是最重要的书面交往方式。在书信往来沟通中，双方极有可能不曾谋面，而只是以信传情达意。在传情达意中，双方应该努力塑造良好形象，争取并保住新老客户，以取得更好经济效益。礼貌性是商务信函的一个重要语言特征。礼貌原则指导下的信函能给企业塑造一个良好的形象，增大商业活动的成功率，其撰写的成功与否对企业的业务有着极其重要的影响。因此，一封礼貌有加的商务信函可以帮助一个公司建构起良好的商业形象。可见，礼貌在商务信函中的作用不容忽视。本文详细阐述礼貌原则的定义并通过礼貌原则在英语商务信函中的应用来阐述其重要性，探讨其如何渗透于商务信函并有效协助商务交流的目的。

关键词: 商务信函；礼貌原则；重要性