论文总字数：39362字

摘 要

1. Introduction 1

1.1 Research background 1

1.2 The purpose and significance of the study 2

1.3 The organization of the thesis 2

2. Literature Review 3

2.1 Overview of adaptation theory 3

2.2 Overview of euphemism 4

2.3 Previous research on business English correspondence at home and abroad 6

3. A Study on Euphemism in Business English Correspondence From the Perspective of Adaptation Theory 7

3.1 Definition and classification of euphemism 7

3.2 Functions of euphemism 8

3.2.1 Taboo function 8

3.2.2 Politeness function 8

3.2.3 Disguise function 9

3.3 Adaptation to contextual correlates 9

3.3.1 Adaptation to the mental world 10

3.3.2 Adaptation to the social world 12

3.3.3 Adaptation to the physical world 13

3.4 Adaptation to structural objects 14

3.4.1 Modality 14

3.4.2 Interrogation 15

4. Conclusion 16

4.1 Findings 16

4.2 Limitations 17

References 18

Acknowledgments

I really want to thank those who have helped and supported me when I was writing this thesis from my heart.

First of all, I would like to sincerely thank my supervisor Chen Haitao, who gave me a lot of guidance, so that I not only gained knowledge but also learned a lot of skills and experience. The teacher chose the hottest materials to keep pace with the times and helped me to set the topic. In order to allow us to complete the paper writing with quality and quantity, the teacher always give guidance patiently when we have a bad idea. Every time the paper is revised, the teacher will write detailed comments, which will allow me to learn new knowledge again and again. His tireless spirit has moved me deeply. Therefore, Chen Haitao gave me precious instructions in my studies as well as positive influence on my thought and life.

Then, I feel like giving my appreciation to my friends accompanying me when I was confronted with barriers in both thesis and life. I enjoy communicating with them and without their help, I couldn't successfully solved all kinds of difficulties in life.

Last but not least, I would like to express my profound love to my family, whose unwavering care and strong support in life contributed a lot to the successful completion of the present paper.

Abstract

As China's comprehensive strength has improved and international trade with countries is frequent, business English letters are one of the important communication methods. It will play a key role in daily business communication. Euphemism as a commonly used language rhetoric can indirectly and gently express emotional attitudes which is widely used in business letters.

This article systematically analyzes the euphemism function in business English letters. From the perspective of adaptation theory, the paper combined with the use of euphemism in four types of business letters (inquiry, offer, order, claim) to discusses how euphemism adapts to contextual relations and structural objects from two aspects. At the same time it analyzed the effect of euphemism on business communication. Through case analysis, the author found that traders are tend to use modal verbs, indirect words with politeness, praise and vague meaning to comply with the psychology of the party in order to achieve the purpose of the transaction and protect interests in business communication activities.

The first part of this article explains the research background, purpose and significance. The second chapter literature review introduces the research results of euphemisms and business English correspondence at home and abroad. Chapter 3 discusses the role and function of euphemism in business English correspondence from the perspective of adaptation theory. Chapter 4 summarizes the results, limitations and suggestions for researchers.

Key words: business English letters; euphemism; adaptation theory

中文摘要

由于中国综合实力提升，与各国间的国际贸易往来频繁，商务英语信函作为重要的沟通方式之一，在日常商务交际中起到关键作用。委婉语作为一种普遍使用的语言修辞手段，能够间接婉转的表达情感态度，在商务信函中得到广泛运用。
本文对商务英语信函中的委婉语功能进行了较系统的分析。从顺应论视角出发，结合四类商务信函（询盘，发盘，订单，索赔）中委婉语的使用，从两个方面探讨了委婉语如何顺应语境关系和结构对象，分析了委婉语对于商务交际沟通的影响。通过实例分析，在商务交际活动中，为了顺应对方心理，往往在信函中会使用情态动词，使用含有礼貌，赞美和模糊含义的间接词语，来达成交际目的和保护利益。

本文第一部分说明了研究背景，目的和意义。第二章文献综述介绍了委婉语和商务英语信函在国内外的研究成果。第三章讨论了顺应论视角下委婉语在商务英语信函中的作用和功能。第四章总结了本文的成果，不足和给未来研究者的建议。

关键词：商务英语信函；委婉语；顺应论

1. Introduction

1.1 Research background

Due to the increasing frequency of international trade, business correspondence is an important tool for many companies to be an effective and vital means of business communication. In international business, business English correspondence is to establish or consolidate business relations by dealing with business communication issues and transmitting information. In order to maintain a good business relationship, business letters can also be used as a way for buyers and sellers to express and exchange ideas with each other.

According to the British philosopher John Austin speech act theory, we divide business letters into two basic types: direct business letter and indirect business letter. Direct expression refers to the way of expressing your wishes directly when transmitting good news and responding to regular letters-the main points are put forward at the beginning, necessary details and explanations are given, and ending with the friendly wishes. The so-called indirect type refers to the use of euphemistic writing methods when transmitting bad news, persuasion, and lobbying—use polite language to make statements and reveal bad news. The scope of English business letters can be divided into enquiry letter, quotation letter, negotiation letter, order letter, confirmation order letter, payment letter, shipping and insurance letter, claim letter, etc.

Euphemism is a common phenomenon in language. According to existing research, scholars have done more research on euphemism at the vocabulary level. In fact, euphemisms in business English letters can also convey meaning through grammar and pragmatic methods. People often politely state their views and wishes in a gentle tone, and make requests or suggestions to gain the favor of each other and increase the success rate of trade.

1.2 The purpose and significance of the study

This paper aims at exploring the role and function of euphemism in business English letter under the adaptation theory. In business communication, politeness is the first factor to be considered, and business activities can only proceed smoothly in a friendly and polite atmosphere. In intercultural communication, it is necessary to maintain respect for the negotiators of different cultural backgrounds. The use of euphemisms for this purpose can make the words subtle and subtle. Because objective things are unstable, it is sometimes difficult to describe the substance of things in precise language. Usually, fuzzy language is used, which can make communication more infectious and build a good image. International business workers need to understand the status of euphemisms in business English letters to master the usage of euphemisms in business English letters, which helps to effectively communicate and reach agreement. Compared with ordinary letters, business letters require a more formal format, correct and polite language, and fluent sentences. Therefore, the writing of business letters is more difficult and requires higher skills. I hope that this article will help students improve their writing skills.

1.3 The organization of the thesis

This thesis attempts to explore the euphemism in business English correspondence from the perspective of adaptation theory. It is divided into four parts. The first chapter is the general introduction, in which has research background, research purpose and significance. Chapter two is literature review, involving overview of adaptation theory, overview of euphemism and previous research on business letters at home and abroad. Chapter three is an adaptation analysis of euphemism in business English Letters. Chapter four is conclusion including major findings, limitations and suggestions.

2. Literature Review

2.1 Overview of adaptation theory

Belgian linguist Verschuere's theory of language adaptation first appeared in pragmatics in 1987 as a working document of the IPRA (International Pragmatics Association) (Verschueren, 1987). In 1995, Verschueren edited the first Handbook of Pragmatics to perfect this theory. The book Understanding Pragmatics was published by Verschueren in 1999, which explained the first version of the theory and laid the foundation for the formation and development of language. Verschueren proposed pragmatics as a functional point of view of language use, rather than juxtaposing it with phonetics, morphology, grammar, and semantics as a branch of linguistics. According to Darwin's theory of biological evolution, Verschueren considers the use of language as one of the adaptive behaviors of human beings.

Verschueren (2000: 58-63) said that at least three key concepts related to hierarchy are mentioned in the language selection process. They are variability, negotiability and adaptability. Variability refers to the attribute of linguistic that define a reasonable range, a choice can be made (Verschuren, 1999). Variability is not just a change in a wide range of diachronic dimensions. This language function allows communicators to make continuous choices based on specific communication methods, choose alternatives or create new content for current exchange purposes. Negotiability means that language selection cannot be done mechanically or fixedly, but is based on highly flexible principles and strategies (Verschuren, 1999). This means that selection is not based on fixed rules or principles, so language selection requires strategy. Adaptability is that both sides of the conversation need to be adaptive in order to achieve satisfactory results in communication. Adaptability is an important tool for human survival.

Verschuren (1999) proposed three key concepts of language. The adaptive description of the language usage rules can be further explained from four interrelated aspects. Contextual correlates of adaptability, which includes that language choices must adapt to each other’s communicative context. The range of communicative contextual factors can be from the physical, mental, social and language environment which including contextual cohesion, intertextuality. Sex, order. Kramsch (2002) also mentioned that "the key to understanding context is the beginning, not the language, but the context." Various aspects of the actual environment, such as the effect of distance on acoustic loudness, social relationships between speakers, and the mentality of listeners and interlocutors. Structural objects of adaptation, including any hierarchy or level of organization, and structured principles. In addition to adapting to different environments, one should also choose the appropriate structure to achieve their goals.

Verschueren (2000: 66) described adaptive dynamics as "adaptive processes that change over time." To adapt dynamically, you need to use communication strategies and take appropriate explanations based on the context of your social communication. Language selection is a kind of psychological operation.

2.2 Overview of euphemism

Studies on euphemism abroad have a long history. The special religious and cultural environment in the western world provided the cultural basis for the development and rise of euphemism. Foreign studies on euphemism started very early. British writer George Blunt proposed the word "euphemism" in the 1580s, and defined it as a good or favorable interpretation of a bad word. American linguist Henry Rawson (1936) discussed in detail the causes and ways of euphemism in English based on American history and culture. James George Frazer, a Scottish social anthropologist, is one of the scholars who systematically studied euphemism. In the work The Golden Bough: A Study in Magic and Religion (1923), he conducted a large number of studies on euphemism in taboo words, actions, things and names.

In addition, contributions are made by scholars to the writing of euphemism dictionaries. In the 1980s of the 20th century, Hugh Rawson (1981) compiled Book of Euphemism research history, characteristics, definition, research scope and so on has carried on the comprehensive discussion, systematically elaborated the euphemism system and the related research of euphemism, is a classical literature in Euphemism study.

Domestic studies on euphemism mainly focus on the theoretical study of euphemism, the study from the aspect of linguistics, cross-cultural communication, translation. Domestic scholars' research on euphemism from the perspective of linguistics mainly includes the analysis of pragmatics, cognitive linguistics, rhetoric and systemic functional linguistics. With the rise of pragmatics, scholars have begun to pay attention to the functional forms of language in the social environment. Chen Yuan's book Sociolinguistics published in 1983 studied euphemism from the perspective of cognitive linguistics. The author not only studies the external background of euphemism, but also explains the nature of euphemism.

Scholars such as Yang Lin, li Xifen(2004) amp; Tan Jing(2016) believe that the higher the degree of social civilization, the higher the frequency of euphemism. The creation and use of euphemism are closely related to the degree of social civilization, which profoundly reflects the cultural change of the society. Niu Yu (2008) explored the translation path of English and Chinese euphemism through the translation of English and Chinese euphemism. He believes that translators should pay attention to the background identity of the speaker, try to be faithful in translation, and carefully consider whether to use euphemism in translation.

Previous studies euphemism is fruitful, which is no longer limited to the comparison of the definitions of English and Chinese euphemism in the early years. In recent years, the main research results are the development of English and Chinese euphemism, form and classification. However, there are few studies on using euphemism in business English correspondence. As a commonly used communication methods in business activities, it is necessary for us to conduct further research on euphemism so that business personnel can make better use of language communication.

2.3 Previous research on business English correspondence at home and abroad

As an increasingly important business communication tool, scholars have conducted a lot of research. At first, the study of business English letters was based on the language itself. Huang (2006) analyzed the lexical features of business English to explore the root causes of lexical features. Lin (2014) also focuses on exploring the language features of business English, aiming to analyze the language feature dictionary, grammar and texture. Later, according to Baugh (1986: 18), researchers may use business English letters to achieve their specific goals and develop other functions. For example, selling goods or services, requesting information, satisfying needs and establishing good relationships with customers. In addition, Gan (2003) believes that business letters have three main functions: one is to request or provide information, the second is to make or accept an offer and the last is to conduct business negotiations.

Then, scholars paid great attention to the study of pragmatics in business English. Most of them are based on Grice's (1975) cooperation principles, Leech (1983) politeness principles and Brown and Levinson (1978) politeness strategies to explore how to use vague language in order to better promote business communication. Gao (2009) believes that the use of vague language in business English letters by avoiding its negative side can promote the completion of effective business transactions.

1. A Study on Euphemism in Business English Correspondence From the Perspective of Adaptation Theory

The previous chapter have explained Verschueren's adaptation theory, business English letters and euphemism. This chapter analyzes the four types of business English letters of inquiry, offer, order and claim in detail to explores the role and function of euphemism in business English letters

3.1 Definition and classification of euphemism

The word euphemism comes from Greek, and it is explained in the Dictionary of Languages and Linguistics as "using an unspeakable, pleasurable or vague statement, instead of having an unpleasant meaning or lack of respect method of expression. "

First,euphemism is often used in real life. People usually express thoughts and exchange information by avoiding using discomfort words to maintain the relationship between the two parties. Secondly, it is a semantic means that speaker in a specific context use appropriate euphemistic expressions to make language be more polite. The listener, based on the shared information, uses the principle of cooperation to deduce the meaning that the speaker wants to express then to achieve the desired practical effect.

For the classification of euphemism, from the perspective of semantics, Hugh Rawson divides euphemisms into positive euphemisms and negative euphemisms. Positiveness refers to the description of indecent and poor as decent, good. For example, saying“剃头匠”as “美 发 师”. Negative euphemisms can weak semantics, such as a humble name for yourself and your family, such as calling yourself “鄙人” and your son“犬子”. From the perspective of pragmatics, euphemisms can be divided into altruistic euphemisms, pan-interest euphemisms, and ego euphemisms. Altruistic euphemism is to take into account the other person's face or interests. Panli euphemism is to show the good impression of the speaker. Egoistic euphemism is to cover up the truth in order to protect the face or interests of yourself or your own group.

3.2 Functions of euphemism

In cross-cultural communication, the use of euphemisms can achieve the purposes in the process of communicating with each other, conveying the emotions of respect, appreciation and support that what they want to get. Therefore, euphemism can transform simple communication into complex communication. It has the following three main practical functions.

3.2.1 Taboo function

Language taboos are everywhere in various languages, and it is deeply influenced by society and culture. Euphemism is related to taboos. People are afraid to hear the words that life has come to an end, so they avoid direct expressions. For example, the speaker said sadly that "someone is gone". Although he did not use the word "dead" bluntly, the other would think: someone died. There are dozens of euphemisms about "death" in Chinese, such as “仙逝”“牺牲“, etc. Similarly, the euphemistic expressions of “death” in English are endless, such as”pass away””lay down”.

Then, human civilization is constantly improving. In English-speaking countries or in China, whether it involves sexual behavior, reproductive excretion, or some expressions that involve concealment of the body are considered vulgar. Therefore, in order to avoid embarrassing scenes, people will use some euphemisms. For example: going to the toilet, wash one's hand, etc.

3.2.2 Politeness function

Politeness is that people can save face with each other, no matter where in the world, it is universal. In English-speaking countries, people feel embarrassed by the poor and some low-level jobs. Therefore, euphemisms are used to protect others and their own face, people often use landscaping and expand the scope of their names to make these jobs more decent. when talking about or introducing some "lower-ranking" jobs, such as: "garbage collector "is called "sanitation engineer", this saying beautifies the job of a cleaner, to avoid the embarrassment of the other party. The same will be "plumber” are called beating engineer", these titles avoid the idea of disrespect caused to others due to "low work". If you want to improve your status in the eyes of others, you will beautify your work.

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