1、湖北工业大学毕业设计（论文）I摘 要随着世界经济和信息技术快速发展，商务英语信函已经成为对外贸易中不可或缺的重要组成部分。商务英语信函是在商务环境下，利用信函与具有不同文化背景的客户进行国际交流的行为。它是一种专业英语，是开展对外商务活动的基础和重要工具。在商务英语信函中，恰当地运用礼貌原则可以消除与读者间的文化分歧，增进双方认识，给读者留下积极印象；同时，得体地运用合作原则，能够使双方建立贸易关系，彼此信任，共同获利。为提高外贸人员对商务英语信函的礼貌原则和合作原则的认识，增强他们写作商务英语信函写作的有效性，本论文对礼貌原则和合作原则在商务英语信函中的应用进行了具体研究。关键词：商务英语信
2、函；合作原则；礼貌原则湖北工业大学毕业设计（论文）IIAbstractWith the rapid development of the world economy and information technology, business English letters have become the indispensable important component in the foreign trade. Business English letter is the behavior that uses letters to communicate with clients from d
3、ifferent cultural backgrounds in the business environment. It is a kind of specialized English and also the basis and important tool to carry out foreign business activities. In business English letters, the appropriate use of courteous principle between the reader and the author can eliminate the c
4、ultural differences and enhance mutual understanding, leaving a positive impression on the reader; meanwhile, the appropriate application of cooperative principle can help both parties to establish trade relations and mutual trust and gain mutual benefit. In order to improve the foreign trade staffs
5、 comprehending of courteous principle and cooperative principle in business English letters and to enhance the effectiveness of their business English letters writing, this paper makes a detailed study on the application of courteous principle and cooperative principle in business English letters.Ke
6、ywords: business English letters; courteous principle; cooperative principle湖北工业大学毕业设计（论文）IIIContents摘 要 IAbstractIIContents .III1 Introduction.12 Brief Introduction of Business English Letters and Pragmatic Principle .32.1 Definition of business English letters32.2 Features of business English lett
7、ers .32.3 Brief introduction of pragmatics principle in business English letters43 Brief Introduction of Courteous Principle and Its Application in Business English Letters .63.1 Brief introduction of courteous principle.63.1.1 Definition of courteous principle63.1.2 Features of courteous principle.
8、63.2 Application of courteous principle in business English letters74 Brief Introduction of Cooperative Principle and Its Application in Business English Letters .94.1 Brief introduction of cooperative principle94.1.1 Definition of cooperative principle.94.1.2 Features of cooperative principle104.2
9、Application of cooperative principle in business English letters.105 Conclusion .12Bibliography .13湖北工业大学毕业设计（论文）11 IntroductionBusiness English letter has attracted increasing scholars concerning from home and abroad. Its area involves translation, lexicology, semantics and pragmatics. At home, suc
10、h as: Wu Jinfengs The Features of Business English Letters and Translation; Huang Xuefangs The Analysis of the Lexical Features of Business English Letters; Wu Ruis The Study on Pragmatic Strategies in Business English Letters. Abroad, such as: Josephine Bakers Correct Business Letter Writing and Bu
11、siness English. Beam Brilliances New Business English; Leechs Principles of Pragmatics. Business English letter is widely researched and developed. It is based on economic life and uses words to express information in economic development. It is a foreign traders personnel assistant in economic acti
12、vities and economic work. From the view of academic research, business English letters writing is a research field. It is a new edge discipline that combines writing, information science, logic, linguistics and economics. Business English letter requires the author to have a basic knowledge of busin
13、ess. This kind of letter also requires a corresponding norm, which means different types of business articles require different genres (Fan Junfang，2012).From the statistic of these writings, the scholars from home and abroad are more concerned with the translation of business English letters, vocab
14、ulary and language, lacking the specific study on the application of courteous principle and cooperative principle in business English letters. This paper combines the courteous principle and cooperative principle with concrete examples to study the application of these principles in business Englis
15、h letters.It requires modest respect when treating people in business world. Courteous principle reflects in the written letter and business English correspondence is no exception. The stand or fall of communication success largely depends on the application this courteous principle. Courteous princ
16、iple not only uses more polite words, but also contains courteous expressions throughout letters. Courteous language statement is different and it is embodied in the tone. It is always ignored and not easy to acquire. It can help us to establish and strengthen trade relations in business negotiation
17、s, leaving a deep and good impression on each other, which even can have an unexpected effect.Cooperative principle can be used to figure out the requirements of business English letters writing and practice because of the requirements of the cooperative principle are consistent with the characteris
18、tics of business English letters writing. The 湖北工业大学毕业设计（论文）2purpose of business English letters writing is written communication whose purpose is to achieve the interests of both sides through cooperation. Cooperative principle can be used to analyze the success factors of business English letters
19、writing. Business English letter is a means to establish friendship and attract customers. It is the inherent requirement of smoothly carrying out business activities to flexibly use courteous principle and cooperative principle and is the key to the success of business communication, which is the f
20、oundation of establishing harmonious relationship (Beam Brilliance, 2010). Therefore, it is of great significance for foreign traders to study the application of courteous principle and cooperative principle in business English letters. 湖北工业大学毕业设计（论文）32 Brief Introduction of Business English Letters
21、 and Pragmatic Principle 2.1 Definition of business English lettersBusiness English letter is a variant of international English letters. Good business English letter involves using the same techniques and principles as used in any good letter. Business people cannot afford the time for, nor the exp
22、ense of, a personal visit each time they want to transact business in various parts of the world, so they write letters, send faxes, or e-mails instead (Hu Zhiwen, 2003).Business English letter is the letter especially related to international trade. It is a part of English for specific purposes and
23、 can be considered a specialism within English letters learning and teaching. Many non-native English speakers study the subject with the goal of doing business with English-speaking countries, or with companies located outside the Anglo sphere but which nonetheless use English as a shared language
24、or lingua franca. Much of the English communication that takes place within business circles all over the world occurs between non-native speakers. In cases such as these, the object of the exercise is efficient and effective communication. The strict rules of grammar are in such cases sometimes ign
25、ored, when, for example, a stressed negotiators only goal is to reach an agreement as quickly as possible (Jones L, Alexander R, 2001). Business English letter means different things for different people. For some, it focuses on vocabulary and topics used in the worlds of business, trade, finance, a
26、nd international relations. For others, it refers to the communication skills used in the workplace, and focuses on the language and skills needed for typical business communication such as presentations, negotiations, meetings, small talk, socializing, correspondence, report writing, and a systemat
27、ic approach. 2.2 Features of business English lettersIn business English letters, there are a number of conventions that should be used when writing a formal business letter. Furthermore, it should write as simply and clearly as possible, and not to make the letter longer than necessary (Wu Jinfeng,
28、 2006).A good business English letter must be well organized. Everything must be 湖北工业大学毕业设计（论文）4planned in advance. Business English letters always follow the same format, which consists of three parts: introduction, body, and closing.The introduction helps the reader understand in which context the
29、 letter should be considered. Possibilities include job interview inquires, business opportunity requests, complaints, and more. Each type of business letter has its own standard phrases. In the introduction you have told the reader what the letter is about. The body of the letter develops the intro
30、duction and adds any needed details. The detail section of a business English letter is extremely important. This is where you achieve your goals in writing a business English letter. The body contains all of the information that the reader needs to know to make decisions. The closing is a short and
31、 courteous goodbye. It does not include anything that has not already been introduced. It makes actions on the part of the reader easy. The closing is specific; it gives times and dates. The closing is the summary of the letter; it emphasizes the action that you want the reader to take; it states ex
32、actly what you want the reader to do, and it leaves the impression of courtesy (Lesikar, Raymond V, 1999).2.3 Brief introduction of pragmatics principle in business English lettersIn business English letters, some pragmatics principles should be followed. Pragmatics studies how people comprehend and
33、 produce a communicative act or speech act in a concrete speech situation which is usually a conversation. It distinguishes two intents or meanings in each utterance or communicative act of verbal communication. One is the informative intent or the sentence meaning, and the other the communicative i
34、ntent or speaker meaning (Jef Versehueren, 2000). The ability to comprehend and produce a communicative act is referred to as pragmatic competence which often includes ones knowledge about the social distance, social status between the speakers involved, the cultural knowledge such as politeness, an
35、d the linguistic knowledge explicit and implicit. There are some pragmatics principles in business English letters: clarity, conciseness, correctness, concreteness, courtesy and cooperation (Jiang Wangqi, 2000). Clarity means that message must be expressed clearly so that the reader will understand.
36、 To make message clear, it is necessary to present well-constructed sentences and paragraphs, and include necessary transitional words or expressions to link them up. Conciseness means saying things briefly but completely without losing clearness or courteousness. Correctness refers to appropriately
37、 and grammatically 湖北工业大学毕业设计（论文）5correct language, factual information and accurate reliable figures, as well as the right forms and conventions (Zhao Jun, 2012). Concreteness means that business English letters should have specific, definite and vivid message. Whether you are writing an initial le
38、tter or a reply, you must make sure that your letter contains all the information your reader needs to act upon. Courtesy is not mere politeness. It means using good human relation skills. The courteous writer should be sincere and tactful, thoughtful and appreciative. Cooperation means that what yo
39、u write in a business English letter furthers the purpose of this business letter. It is the key to the success of business communication (Wu Rui, 2010).湖北工业大学毕业设计（论文）63 Brief Introduction of Courteous Principle and Its Application in Business English Letters3.1 Brief introduction of courteous princ
40、iple3.1.1 Definition of courteous principleAccording to Leech, Grices cooperative principle is necessary and helps to account for the relation between what an utterance means in a particular context and what a speaker intends to mean in a particular conversation. But Leech reveals a few problems wit
41、h Grices cooperative principle. The courteous principle has seven maxims: tack, generousness, approbation, modesty, agreement, sympathy and consideration. Sometimes these maxims are violated deliberately to avoid embarrassing condition and to generate acceptable utterances. There is no doubt that th
42、ese maxims of courteous principle aim to regulate the action for participants of the cooperative communication. Leech argues that courteous principle is to rescue cooperative principle which is proposed by well-known linguist Grice. Leech formulates courteous principle, trying to remedy Grices coope
43、rative principle which is presumed to be unable to interpret why. For instance, people are prone to use indirect ways of saying things. It is courteous for Leech that motivates it.Social acts like competitive (ordering, asking, begging, etc.) demand politeness far more than other kinds like convivia
44、l and collaborative because the former makes a threat to the audiences face, or negative face. Various courteous strategies, thus, are employed to mitigate the face-threatening power. According to Leech, the greater the cost an act is to the audience, the more courteous the speaker ought to try to m
45、ake the utterance (Goody, 2009). Courteous principle is a request, and it is courteous by means of the smallness of the cost to the other person, and the courteous particle please. Meanwhile, it is also an order, impolite in nature.3.1.2 Features of courteous principleCourteous principle means using
46、 good human relation skills in business English letters. It is not mere politeness. The courteous writer should be sincere and tactful, thoughtful and appreciative. Treat the reader with respect and friendliness and write as 湖北工业大学毕业设计（论文）7if you care about the reader. It is impolite to show your an
47、ger in a business letter. If the occasions demand firmness, deal with it that way. However, it must be remembered that a letter may be firm and still be courteous. Courteous is a positive value. It is not neutral or negative. Merely not insulting the reader is no sign that the tone of your letter is
48、 satisfactory. The tone must convey positive goodwill, positive warmth, and positive interest in the reader as a human being. For best result, and also as a matter of courtesy, answer letters promptly.Courteous messages help to strengthen present business friendships, as well as make new friends. Co
49、urtesy stems from your sincere attitude. It is not merely polite with mechanical insertions of “please“ and “thank you“. Positive Courteous principle seeks to minimize the threat to the readers positive face. They are used to make the reader feel good about himself, his interests or possessions, and are most usually used in situations where the audience knows each other fairly well. In addition to hedging and attempts to avoid conflict, some strategies of courteous principle include statements of friendship, solidarity, compliments (Frank J, 2010). Negative courteous principl
