Abstract

With the rapid development of economic globalization, business English correspondence is widely used in all kinds of business activities. Bad news concerning refusal, counter-offer, complains, claims and adjustments will threaten the other person’s face. According to Brown and Levinson, this kind of correspondence is regarded as bad news business English correspondence. Therefore, it is of great significance to focus on bad new business English correspondence. Vague language, as a kind of flexible and uncertain language phenomenon, is applied in bad news business English correspondence which can not only keep friendly relations with each other, but also promote commercial trade smoothly and successfully. This thesis concentrates on the study of vague language in business English correspondence based on bad news. Besides, pragmatic functions of vague language in bad news business English correspondence, namely, making the language more polite, self-protecting, improving the persuasion of language and increasing the flexibility of language, are also discussed in this thesis. With this study, people can further understand and use vague language in bad news business English correspondence, getting better communicative results.

Keywords: business English correspondence  bad news  vague language  pragmatic functions
 
摘要

随着经济全球化的快速发展，商务英语函电广泛应用于各类商务活动中。一些涉及拒绝，还盘，抱怨、索赔等方面的坏消息会威胁对方面子。根据学者布朗和列文森的面子理论，这类传达“坏消息”的商务函电被称为坏消息商务函电。因此对坏消息商务英语信函的研究意义重大。作为一种具有灵活性和不确定性的语言，模糊语被应用在坏消息商务英语函电中，既能够维护好双方关系，有能促进商务交易活动的顺利进行。本文集中对模糊语和坏消息的商务英语函电进行研究，此外，还分析了坏消息商务英语函电中模糊语的语用功能，即模糊语能使语言表达更礼貌、起到自我保护的作用、增强语言的说服力、使表达更灵活。通过上述研究，从而使人们对商务英语函电中的模糊语有个全面的认识和理解，以便更好得运用到实际交际中。

关键词: 商务英语函电；坏消息；模糊语；语用功能

Chapter One Introduction
1.1 The Background and Significance of the study
A large number of studies have focus on both vague language and bad-news business English correspondence separately. However few studies on vague language are based on bad-news. And in terms of bad-news business English correspondence, most studies are focused on face theory, interpersonal meaning and stylistic features. Besides, as a kind of English for special purposes, business English correspondence is traditionally clear and accurate and should not be ambiguous. Otherwise, some possible business disputes will appear easily to ruin a successful deal. In fact, vague language in bad-news business English correspondence actually can help to promote business relationship successfully.