商务英语信函中模糊限制语的对比研究

A Contrastive Study of Hedges in Business English Correspondence

模糊限制语在CELs和NESs所书写的商务信函中使用的总体策略极为相似,主要表现在:使用频率较高,情态动词是最常见的模糊限制语,同时,模糊限制语实现四种语用功能,即提供适当的信息量、增强语言表达的灵活性、使语言表达更礼貌以及使信函更具说服力。在CEL和NES语料库中又表现出差异:NESs中使用频率要高于CELs的频率,可能性低的情态动词、认知性名词、非人称表达等方面的差别尤其突出。说服型信函使用模糊限制语的频率最高,而日常商务信函和负面消息信函中国英语学习者和英语本族者则表现出不同。商务信函中模糊限制语的使用是对语境影响、心理动机和社会因素的适应和选择的结果。

The use of hedges by NESs and CELs is similar in the overall forms and strategies in business corre- spondence： hedges are frequently used by both, among which, modal verbs are used most frequently. Mean- while, hedges perform four pragmatic functions： giving right amount of information, making business correspondence more persuasive, more polite and more gard to using hedges also exist： NESs use hedges flexible. The differences between NESs and CELs with re- more frequently than NESs, especially in low-degree modal verbs, epistemic nouns and impersonal expressions, etc. Both NES and CEL use hedges most frequently in persuasive correspondence while in everyday tend to use differently. H psychological motivations edging is the result and social factors. correspondence and bad-news correspondence, NESs and CELs of linguistic choices of and adaptation to contextual influences,