Abstract:
Business negotiation is a complex process. In order to avoid misunderstanding and inconvenience, language in business negotiations is believed to be precise. But actually, as an important part of the English language, vagueness is widely employed in business negotiations. How to explain this kind of phenomenon? Based on the authentic examples, the paper manifests that the negotiators employ vagueness to satisfy certain communicative purposes, for example, creating harmonious atmosphere, being flexible, avoiding or shifting responsibility, self-protection and being polite. By employing descriptive and qualitative methods, the author has a further exploration into the pragmatic vagueness in business negotiations based on the theoretical framework of Grice’s cooperative principle and Brown and Levinson’s face theory respectively. Vagueness is helpful to observe the maxims of CP and make the negotiation go smoothly. Sometimes, vagueness is also a useful way to convey some implied message by flouting the maxims of CP. In addition, vagueness is also a kind of polite strategy, especially can satisfy both the speaker and hearer’s face need.
Thus, the existence of vagueness in business negotiations is of great importance. It is hoped that the present study may enrich the research on vagueness and provide some hints to negotiators that the appropriate use of vagueness can help negotiators to communicate smoothly and achieve their goals successfully
Key Words      vagueness         business negotiations    cooperative principles    face theory 

 商务谈判是一个涉及诸多方面内容的复杂过程。为了避免误解和不便，人们普遍认为商务谈判中的语言应该是准确的，而不是模糊不清的。可事实恰恰相反，模糊语作为英语语言的重要组成部分，在商务谈判中应用非常广泛。怎样来解释这种现象呢？本文通过收集大量包含模糊语言的商务谈判的例子，发现谈判人员在谈判过程中使用模糊语言是为了达到一定的交际目的，即创造和谐的谈判氛围，增强谈判语言的灵活性；巧妙地避免不必要的责任；自我保护以及礼貌功能。通过定性和描述分析的方法，并借助格莱斯的合作原则及列文森和布朗的面子理论，作者进一步对商务谈判中的模糊语言进行语用角度的分析和研究。在本课题中，作者发现一方面通过使用模糊语言可以更好的遵守合作原则从而使谈判顺利的进行；另一方面，谈判人员利用模糊语言违反合作原则来表达某些暗含的意图。另外，从面子理论的角度分析，模糊语也是一种礼貌策略。通过使用模糊语，起到保护说话人和听话人面子的作用，从而有助于保持融洽的谈判气氛。
综上所述，商务谈判中模糊语的运用应该得到人们的重视。希望本文的研究结果不仅对模糊语的进一步研究有一定的意义，而且对谈判人员有一定的启示，即合理的使用模糊语言有助于谈判的顺利进行和谈判目标的实现。
关键词：模糊语  商务谈判  合作原则  面子理论