Abstract:

Apology is a speech act which frequently appears in English and Chinese linguistic communication, and it plays an important role in Chinese and Western culture. It is also a crucial component of verbal communication in daily life. As cooperation and contacts increase between China and Western countries, misunderstandings or even conflicts may often arise in cross-cultural communications. Properly apologizing for own fault, and giving others “face” may realize mutual benefit in linguistic communication. In order to help people cultivate intercultural communicative competence and achieve the purpose of better communication, it is necessary to study the apologies in Chinese and English. This paper will firstly introduce the definition, functions and different types of apologies, and then make a comparison of English and Chinese apologies. Finally, the reasons of the differences between English and Chinese apologies will be analyzed from several aspects.

Key words: apology; speech act; intercultural communication

摘要：

道歉语是英汉语言交际中经常出现的一种言语行为，在中西方文化中起着极其重要的作用,道歉语又是言语交际的重要组成部分。随着中西方合作与接触的增多，在跨文化交际中，经常会出现一些误解甚至是冲突。正确做出道歉,给他人以“面子”可以在言语交际中令双方互利。为了在跨文化交际中获得更好的交际目的，提高跨文化交际能力，有必要对中英道歉语进行跨文化研究。本文将首先介绍道歉语的定义、功能和道歉语的不同类型，接着对中西方道歉语做出对比，最后将从几个方面分析中西方道歉语差异的原因。

关键词：道歉；言语行为；跨文化交际

Introduction
It is known to all that speech act has been one of the most important topics in the social linguistic field. Apology, as a speech act of human beings, is a crucial component of verbal communication in daily life. It’s a reflection of a certain society and culture, and it is also a key link in maintaining a harmonious interpersonal relationship with others and establishing a perfect individual image in other people’s mind. Making apologies is thought as a kind of virtue, and it is not only a way to resolve contradictions, but also a way to promote solidarity and cooperation between people. It can also bring the speaker a feeling of relaxation and relief and the hearer a feeling of being respected.