英语专业论文外贸英语的重要性.docx

1、英语专业论文外贸英语的重要性1 Introduction1.1 The Necessity of Doing ResearchAs China enters WTO, trading affairs become more frequent for people, the significance of foreign trade English (FTE) became more and more prominent. Though some of the business personnel have basic ability for communicating in English,

2、they are not quite familiar with the language characteristics (LC) of FTE leading to some misunderstanding between the two sides of negotiation1. Further, such kind of misunderstanding may damage corporate identity. Therefore, it is necessary to do some research on LC of FTE.1.2 The Theme and Writin

3、g PurposesThe paper makes some analysis of the application of cooperative principle in foreign trade English and sums up the language characteristics of FTE, aiming to help business personnel involved in foreign trading to use the language tool of FTE more felicitously. 1.3 Foreign Trade English and

4、 Cooperative PrincipleAs the globalization of economy, foreign trade will become more and more frequent. How to survive in competition, to enlarge market, to make profits, to win? The most important and useful weapon is cooperative principle (CP). Generally speaking, English conversation in foreign

5、trading aims to achieve successful dealing or to further business relationship so as to make profits in the end. With the two purposes, the two sides of the conversation cooperate with each other. Therefore, they need to obey CP 2. In addition，the four maxims of CP are closely connected with the lan

6、guage characteristics of foreign trade English (FTE). Generally, FTE has the following characteristics: (I) Exactness: FTE, especially business letters, is closely connected with the rights and duties of the two sides of negotiation. Therefore, FTE need to be exact. (II) Completion: Business letters

7、 need to be complete in content for they are legal contracts to some degree. If the contracts are not complete in content, they may give rise to unnecessary disputes. (III) Concreteness，clearness，conciseness：FTE need to be lively, specific and definite to avoid misunderstanding. At the same time, FT

8、E need to avoid being wordy and too much repetition. Using the least words to express complete information clearly.All these characteristics are reflected in the maxims of cooperative principle respectively. Obviously, it is a good way to sum up language characteristics of FTE through analyzing the

9、application of CP in FTE.2 Grices Theory of Cooperative Principle 2.1 The Deprivation of Cooperative PrincipleAs a sub-field of linguistics, pragmatics studies how people comprehend and produce a communicative act or speech act in a concrete speech situation, which is usually a conversation (hence c

10、onversation analysis) 3. While the notion of conversational implicature as one of the single most important ideas in pragmatics (we shall often refer to the notion simply as implicature as a shorthand), refers to an indirect or implicit meaning of an utterance derived from context that is not presen

11、t from its conventional use4. Unlike many other topics in pragmatics, implicature does not have an extended history. The key ideas were proposed by Grice in the William James lectures delivered at Harvard in 1967 and still only partially published (Grice, 1975, 1978). One Grices theory of implicatur

12、e brings forward cooperative principle, abbreviated as CP5. 2.2 Cooperative Principle and Its Four MaximsGrices theory of cooperative principle, in which he develops the concept of implicature, is essentially a theory about how people use language. Grices suggestion is that there is a set of over-ar

13、ching assumptions guiding the conduct of conversation. These arise, it seems, from basic rational considerations and may be formulated as guidelines for the efficient and effective use of language in conversation to further cooperative ends. Grice identifies as guidelines of this sort four basic max

14、ims of conversation or general principles underlying the efficient cooperative use of language, which jointly express a general cooperative principle.These principles are expressed as follows:The cooperative principle: Make your conversational contribution such as required at the stage at which it o

15、ccurs by the accepted purpose or direction of the talk exchange in which you are engaged. The maxim of quality: try to make your contribution one that is true, specifically: (I) Do not say what you believe to be false.(II) Do not say that for which you lack adequate evidence. The maxim of quantity:(

16、I) Make your contribution as informative as required (for the current purpose of the exchange).(II) Do not make your contribution more informative than is required.The maxim of relation: make your contributions relevant.The maxim of manner: be perspicuous, and specifically: (I) Avoid obscurity of ex

17、pression. (II) Avoid ambiguity. (III) Be brief (avoid unnecessary prolixity). (IV) Be orderly 6.Among the four maxims, the former three maxims are related to “what is saying”, the forth one is related to “how to speak” 5. In short, these maxims specify what participants have to do in order to conver

18、se in a maximally efficient, rational, cooperative way: they should speak sincerely, relevantly and clearly, while providing sufficient information.To this view of the nature of communication there is an immediate objection: the view may describe a philosophers paradise, but no one actually speaks l

19、ike that the whole time. But Grices point is subtly different. It is not the case, he will readily admit, and that people follow these guidelines to the letter. Rather, in most ordinary kinds of talk these principles are oriented to, such that when talk does not proceed according to their specificat

20、ions, hearers assumes that, contrary to appearances, the principles are nevertheless being adhered to at some deeper level5.3 The Application of Cooperative Principle3.1 The Maxim of Quality3.1.1 DefinitionThe maxim of quality: Try to make your contribution one that is true, specifically: (I) Do not

21、 say what you believe to be false. (II) Do not say that for which you lack adequate evidence. 3.1.2 Application and the Language CharacteristicsOne requirement of the maxim is “Do not say that for which you lack adequate evidence”. In business letters, especially in making complains and counterclaim

22、, business personnel should choose words cautiously. Concrete, specific words rather than general, vague words may be much more appropriate7. Using exaggerated words may do harm to your reputation, even unable to solve a single problem.e.g.1: We ordered well-dried goods of fine quality, but you have

23、 sent us prunes totally unmerchantable and unfit for consumption. Using two general words (the underlined words) which firmly squash the goods, the sentence still has not express to what degree the goods metamorphose clearly. If we use“in a very maggoty state”or“in a half-rotten state”instead, the s

24、entence will appear much more specific. Obviously, to obey the maxim of quality so as to be actual and accurate, business personnel should pay more attention to diction. e.g.2: We bought the air-conditioner in your store three months ago. The shop-assistant told me that you would repair it for me wi

25、thin one month. But up to now no one has come to do it yet.It is obvious that the word “repair” is used wrongly in the sentence. Customers never buy an air-conditioner which is out of work and wait for the sellers have it repaired. It seems that the author want to express the meaning of “fix”. Besid

26、es of the word “fix”, “install” is another word which can express similar meaning. In some cases, there is no problem in diction, but meaning is not accurate enough. Take the following sentence for example.e.g.3: Our washing-machine has its unusual design.In the sentence, using “unique” instead of “

27、unusual”can show the original design of the washing machine much better.Through the analyses of the three examples, we can sum up that foreign trade English (FTE) has the language characteristic (LC) of accuracy. Besides, formalness is another LC that the maxim of quality can show in FET. Compared w

28、ith informal language, formal language is more likely to give people third dimension and tends to be more believable. Formal language includes formal words and formal sentences. Usually, formal words are those used in writing rather than those used in speaking, dialect or slang. For instance, people

29、 seldom use “tell” to express the meanings of “inform”, “notify”, “acknowledge” and so on. While formal sentences should meet the following two requirements: to meet the requirement of the type of writing; to express true meaning completely 7. To be specific, the former requirement means the languag

30、e should be simple, natural, superb, coincident with the style of writing, while the later means tending to use involved sentences when simple sentences can not express meaning adequately.e.g.4: In reply to your letter of August 10th, 2003, we regret to say that we are unable to entertain your count

31、er-offer for 2000 dozen sets of Art No. 208 Ladies pajamas at $23.00 per dozen sets.e.g.5: We acknowledge receipt of your letter dated the 3rd this month enclosing the sales contract in duplicate but wish to state that after going through the contract we find that the packing clause in it is not cle

32、ar enough.3.2 The Maxim of Quantity3.2.1 DefinitionThe maxim of quantity:(I) Make your contribution as informative as required (for the current purpose of the exchange).(II) Do not make your contribution more informative than is required.3.2.2 Application and the Language Characteristics The maxim of quantity limits what business personnel should say in communicatingMake your contribution as informative as required (for the current purpose of the exchange). Business letters require business personnel to use concise language to send integrated information so as to let the r