Abstract

As one of speech acts, refusal is prevailing in human communication. Refusal incites impoliteness. That means a series of politeness strategies have to be employed as it seeks to cushion interlocutors from face intimidating. Containing some sensitive issues, a diplomatic press conference is always branded with sharp requests. On this very note, refusal strategy is highlighted as an area of significant concern to smooth the communication in diplomatic press conferences.
Fifty press conferences’ texts have been selected respectively from Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China and US Department of State as the language materials. With the face and politeness theory and quantitative and qualitative analysis’s methods combined, the thesis analyses the refusal strategies conducted by the spokespersons and shows the comparisons of both sides. The gravity eyes on the indirect refusal strategies that embrace eight kinds of refusal techniques. Through the analysis of the statistics and case study, the differences and similarities spawn between the words and the lines. This contrastive study may help those who are desperately engaged in seeking the effectiveness of communication to better grip the tricky line in the press conferences as well as the refusal strategies adopted by the spokespersons.

Keywords: press conference; refusal; spokesperson; strategy. 

摘要

作为一种言语行为，拒绝在我们交流中时有发生。拒绝别人被视作是不礼貌的行为。这就意味着，我们需要运用一定的礼貌策略以缓解说话人面子受到威胁的问题。新闻发布会往往围绕着各种尖锐的问题以及敏感的话题展开。在这种情况下，为使整个发布会进行得顺利，拒绝策略就显得尤为重要。
作者从中国外交部和美国国务院（在美国国务院行驶外交权）网站各随机下载了50篇双方新闻发布会的语言文本作为研究材料。依照面子和礼貌理论，结合定量和定性的研究方法，本文试分析两国外交部发言人在新闻发布会运用的拒绝策略，并对双方拒绝策略的异同点给予介绍。文章将重点放在八种间接拒绝策略的研究上。文中的数据分析和例证说明使中美拒绝策略的异同点跃然呈现在论文的字里行间。这项对比研究也许会对那些努力参透交流效果从而更好地掌握新闻发布会敏感区域的学者有一定的帮助。同时也可能对研究新闻发言人的拒绝策略提供一些启发。

关键词：新闻发布会；拒绝；发言人；策略