摘 要

随着社会经济的飞快发展，商务英语外贸信函逐渐成为人们在全球经济领域内进行书面商务信息沟通的重要手段，通过它人们可以交流信息、联系业务、商谈贸易、磋商、处理问题、传递友谊等，其撰写成功与否对企业的业务很关键。这篇文章主要讨论了大学生外贸函电写作中对模糊语的使用，这些模糊语言的使用在很大程度上提高了语言交际能力 , 使得商务信函更加严谨、准确、礼貌、得体，能产生积极的效果，从而实现和对方良好的沟通，以达到目的。因此，对于商务英语信函中的模糊语言进行研究具有重要的现实意义。

关键词：外贸信函；商务英语信函；模糊语言

Contents

1. Introduction 1
2. Demonstration 2
   1. A general survey of vague language 2
      1. Definition of vague language 2
      2. Functions of vague language in business correspondence 3
   2. Experiment of two parallel classes 3
      1. Quantities of vague language in their business correspondence writing 4
      2. Comparison of the use of vague language 4
   3. Pragmatic analysis of vague language in business correspondence writing 5
      1. The application of degree variation in business English letters 5
      2. The application of range variation in business English letters 6
      3. The application of direct moderation in business English letters 6
      4. The application of indirect retention in business English letters 7
      5. Summary 7
3. Conclusion 8

Works Cited 9

Bibliography 10

On the Use of Vague Language in College Students’ English Business Correspondence Writing

Introduction

With China's access to the WTO, trade between China and other countries is becoming more and more frequent. Foreign trade, international business negotiations have been deep into all aspects of our lives; how effective cross-cultural negotiations have been referred to the agenda. Business negotiation is a matter of concern. Most of the previous research on business negotiations is basically from the overall pragmatic and contextual aspects of research, rather than from the direction of vague language, vague language in business negotiations are often ignored. But actually the vague language in the business negotiations occupies a very important position.

In fact, the particularity of English in business negotiation lies in the purpose of strengthening, and the business negotiation’s communicative effect is directly related to economic benefits. In addition, hedges can help negotiators achieve their goals, and better help negotiators to establish friendly relations of cooperation, so that negotiators in business negotiations can be in an invincible position. In that case, English communicative effect of the business negotiation plays an important role.

Foreign trade English correspondence is a measure which the world engaged in international trade activities of people exchange, and transferring information is an important means. If there is no trade correspondence, most of the international trade activities cannot be carried out smoothly. Therefore, foreign trade English correspondence has become a necessary course which foreign language major of university and vocational colleges develop. However, in the writing of business letters, people have always advocated rigorousness and accurateness, in order to avoid business disputes, resulting in economic losses or damage to the company or corporate image. This proposition leads people to ignore the application of pragmatic ambiguity in business activities. In the teaching process, many teachers have noticed the phenomenon that many students’ writing. Although their use of grammar, vocabulary

and sentences are correct, it will make people feel their words blunt, which to some extent is because they don’t use vague language. Experiences and practices tell us that foreign trade correspondence needs to use vague language, and the appropriate use of vague language will be more flexible, diplomatic and strategic, so as to bring unexpected business results.

This article will illustrate the use of vague language in college students’ English business correspondence writing from three aspects: the function of vague language in business correspondence, the experiment of two parallel classes and pragmatic analysis of vague language in business correspondence. Two parallel classes are selected as an experiment, in order to compare the use of vague language in college students’ English business correspondence writing. And the article will further use the result to discuss the pragmatic analysis of vague language in business correspondence. The pragmatic analyses are mainly from four aspects: the application of degree variation, range variation, direct moderation and indirect retention.

Demonstration

• 1. A general survey of vague language
     1. Definition of vague language
        • Vague " refers to an indefiniteness, which means that the central meaning of the expression in the language is clear, but the range of the meaning is uncertain. Chad argues that "ambiguity involves the gradualness of subordination to the process of change that does not belong."(Chad,1962 ). Maxblack argues that "the ambiguity of a word is expressed in a limited area where has an application and has an unclear definition."(Maxblack,1965). Lakoff takes the hedges as "hedge words"(Lakoff,1972), which is called the most common and vague language. In fact, the ambiguity of language is related to vocabulary and the three levels of vocabulary, which are non-quantifiable, non-material and non-intuitive. They have a specious and ambiguous concept, and they are their subtle features.
     2. Functions of vague language in business correspondence

As a specialized use of English, English business correspondence has their own characteristics, such as in the narrative with straight language; argument without extensive range and detailed ethics, but a brief summary; for the introduction that only when the nature and characteristics of the transaction. In short, the writing of foreign trade English letters should be consistent with the requirements of integrity, specificity, clarity, simplicity, correctness, courtesy and so on. They are based on the features of "specific" and "blind", requiring letters to be vivid, specific and clear. But not all of the letters are "specific". Sometimes it is necessary to use vague language in the absence of real facts or for the needs of "diplomacy" and "strategy".

The use of ambiguities in trade letters gives the language a lot of flexibility; it can blur the output of the information, to avoid too sure, to avoid the stalemate of communication, leaving the necessary room for maneuver. Vague language can also use less cost to pass enough information, and do easy things to make efficient judgments and treatment. In addition, vague pragmatic strategies can also play the role of rendering, from the psychological victory over commercial counterparts. The vague language gives a rich imagination space due to the uncertainty in its use, making the language used by the communicator become vivid.

The analysis and research on the vocabulary function and application strategy of the foreign language communication can help us to understand the positive role of the vague language in the correspondence and so on, so as to make it effective and quick to realize the transaction.

• 1. Experiment of two parallel classes

For research on the use of vague language in college students’ business correspondence writing, the author chooses students of the second year of the school in two parallel classes which are English major as the object of this survey and statistics, and then extract 10 letters from their business correspondence writing to study, of which writing time is 30 minute, length of 150 words. From their business correspondence