英汉商务书信中互动式元话语的对比研究

A Comparative Study of the Interactional Metadiscourse in English and Chinese Business Letters

基于自建语料库对英汉商务书信中的互动式元话语进行对比研究发现:一方面,基于语类上的共性,英汉商务书信中的互动式元话语在执行商务书信写作原则上享有共同点;另一方面,元话语体现了交际不仅是交换信息、商品和服务,还涉及交际双方的身份、态度和思想,所以,中西文化语境的差异导致英汉商务书信中互动式元话语使用的不同。了解这些异同并探讨其中的原因,可以帮助我们增强元话语意识,提高英语商务书信的读写水平。

Based on a self-built corpus,this paper conducts a comparative analysis of the use of interactional metadiscourse in English and Chinese business letters. On the one hand,due to the generality of genre,the application of interactional metadiscourse in both English and Chinese business letters shares similarities while carrying out the writing principles of business letters.On the other hand,metadiscourse embodies the idea that communication is not only the exchanges of information,goods or services,but also involves the personalities,attitudes and assumptions of those who are communicating. Therefore,different cultural contexts between China and the West may also lead to differences in the application of interactional metadiscourse. Understanding these may help enhance consciousness of metadiscourse,and thus,improve our English business letters reading and writing competence.