A Study On Euphemism In Business English Letters From The Perspective Of The Adaptation Theory

Along with the further strengthened globalization of the world economy, the relationship among countries all over the world becomes increasingly close to each other. However, the traditional tools to convey information can no longer satisfy the needs of the modernization. Business English letters, as an indispensible media for business people to convey information, exchange ideas, and build relationship, has been extensively applied in the field of international business trade.The effective employ of euphemism, an important feature of business English letters, makes great contributions for companies to achieve harmonious communication, promote relationship, and smooth trade activities to the greatest degree. In the field of researches on euphemism in business English letter, a large number of experts and scholars have conducted a series of studies on it and have achieved fruitful results. According to the statistics from1979to2011in CNKI, there are210papers in Master’s degree and doctor’s degree, and2049periodicals. However, those researches are conducted mainly in literary works, speech, and news by applying politeness principle, cooperative principle, relevance theory, etc, few has done in the field of business English letters on the basis of adaptation theory. Adaptation theory is firstly put forward by Belgium linguist Jef Verschueren in the year1987under the concept of "pragmatic perspective". He considers linguistics a general functional perspective on any aspect of language and examines phenomenon of language use in a comprehensive aspects of cognition, society and culture.Business English letters, as a distinctive style of other types of writing, has its own features. This present thesis, in line with the contextual correlates and structural objects of adaptability in adaptation theory, intends to do a detailed analysis of euphemism in the total74letters from four frequently used types of business English letters (letters of inquiry, letters of offer, letters of order and letters of claim) by employing quantitative and qualitative research methods. In the aspect of contextual correlates of adaptability, this present thesis mainly studies euphemism’s adaptation to the three worlds, namely, the mental world, social world, and physical world. In the aspect of structural objects of adaptability, the analyses of euphemism’s adaptation are done from the level of lexicon and grammar. Through this study, this thesis, on one hand, is in anticipation of enriching the research scope of Verschueren’s adaptation theory and making it more interpretative in more kinds of writing forms; on the other hand, this thesis intends to make the reader have a more comprehensive and deeper understanding of euphemisms employed in business English letters, and provide some references for future business letter writing in such a way that they can work out a number of effective letters that can help companies achieve interests and working proficiency of their companies.On the basis of those studies, it is found that the euphemisms in the four types of business English letters has been in adaptation to the mental, social, and physical world of the two parties, as well as the structural objects. In the adaptation to contextual correlates, writers are likely to adopt some euphemisms indirectly and politely to express their emotions and purposes when drafting a letter, and make continuous choice-making in order to adapt to the three worlds of the parties. In structural objects of adaptability, this thesis mainly achieves its adaptation through the level of lexicon and grammar by the use of vagueness, weakened negative words, model verbs, passive voice, subjunctive mood, past tense and interrogative sentences.