论模糊语言在商务英语谈判中的应用(崔诺奇).doc

邯郸学院本科毕业论文题 目 论模糊语言在商务英语谈判中的应用学 生 崔诺奇学 号 014103081037指导教师 胡冰 讲师年 级 2008级本科1班专 业 英语（商务英语方向）二级学院 外国语学院 邯郸学院外国语学院2012年 6月B.A. Thesis The Application of Fuzzy Language in Business NegotiationBy Cui NuoqiSupervisor: Lecturer Hu Bing A Thesis Submitted to School of Foreign LanguagesOf Handan College in Partial FulfillmentOf the Requirement for the DegreeOf Bachelor of ArtsHandan, ChinaJune，2012郑重声明 本人的毕业论文是在指导教师胡冰的指导下独立撰写完成的。如有剽窃、抄袭、造假等违反学术道德、学术规范和侵权的行为，本人愿意承担由此产生的各种后果，直至法律责任，并愿意通过网络接受公众的监督。特此郑重声明。毕业论文作者（签名）： 年 月 日AcknowledgementsDuring the writing of this thesis, I can not deny that I have gained quite a lot of instructions as well as assistance from my generous and kind-hearted teachers and buddies in the first place. To me their invaluable suggestions and heartfelt criticism are very precious and unforgettable, and I believe my thesis would have been supposed to be impossible without their sincere contributions. Therefore I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of those individuals who assisted me to accomplish this paper. First, the accomplishment of this paper benefits from the enlightenment of my supervisor, Lecturer HuBing. Her inspiring insights, generous encouragements and enthusiastic instructions have facilitated me much throughout my thesis writing. Her penetrating and insightful comments afford me with inspiring source. She has been in constant concern about my paper, spared no pains to entertain my thesis draft. I want to show my gratitude to our Dean, Professor Wei, who teaches me the format of the thesis. I would also like to extend my sincere thanks to all the three professors in the rejoin group whose careful examines and instructive suggestions really help me a lot in the process of composing. They are so kind and warm-hearted when I have some problems in my essay, providing all the presentation work for our writing. Thanks to their instructive guidance and comprehensive education during the four years schooling, I can acquire the opportunity to further study English. And I want to thank my parents. It is them who brought me up and give me financial support through my college life. Finally, my great gratitude also goes to all my friends, including my roommates, who encouraged me in the process of writing this thesis and who has always been there for me every step of my way. All thanks to the person who help me and encourage me during these days.AbstractThe application of fuzzy language in business negotiation is a systematical progress. In this thesis it will be presented through three chapters to show its functions.In Chapter One, the styles of the fuzzy language in English for business negotiation is formulated. With the application of these styles, they will furnish the negotiators with better knowledge and skills of speaking fuzzy language. In Chapter Two, the reasons for use the fuzzy language are well presented. It improves the efficiency and appropriateness, enhances the flexibility. The negotiators use fuzzy language persuasively and create a harmonious atmosphere. In Chapter Three, the vagueness in English for business negotiation will be interpreted by pragmatic theories. It is available after knowing the different cultures of two sides, negotiating style of the opponents, the bottom lines.This study helps the language users to speak business English appropriately and effectively by adopting the vagueness as a politeness strategy. At last, the major findings of the study on vagueness in Business English negotiation are presented for the negotiators to use fuzzy language effectively.Key words：fuzzy language application business negotiation摘 要模糊语言在商务英语谈判中的应用是一个系统的过程，本论文将通过三部分的论述，具体展现模糊语言的应用。在第一部分，具体分析了模糊语言在谈判中的应用形式，客观地向语言使用者展示模糊语言在商务英语谈判中的应用，使他们能在商务事务中运用熟练的技巧和知识。本文的第二部分，具体阐述在商务英语谈判中要使用模糊语言的原因，以及为什么模糊语言能被广泛的运用。它在保持良好的商业关系，创造灵活融洽的谈判氛围上效果显著。第三部分，主要针对在不同文化和谈判风格下，如何更巧妙的运用模糊语言，从而达到共赢的效果。模糊语言的应用给我们提供了积极有效的语言策略，使商务谈判的灵活性，准确性，时效性都有所提高，从而获得更令人满意的谈判效果。关键词： 模糊语言 应用 商务谈判iiiContentsAcknowledgements.iAbstract.iiAbstract (Chinese).iiiIntroduction.1Chapter One Styles of the Fuzzy Language Used in Business Negotiation.41.1 Ambiguous Expression41.2 Euphemistic Presentation.51.3 Indirect Utterance.6Chapter Two Reasons for the Use of Fuzzy Language in Business Negotiation.82.1The Improvement of Objectivity and Accuracy in Business.8 2.2. The Settlement for Puzzles While Avoiding an Offense.82.3The Moderation of Relationship in Business Negotiation.9Chapter Three Effective Use of Fuzzy Language in Business Negotiation.113.1 Coordination of Both Parties in Different Cultures.113.2 Reciprocity of Opponents in Negotiation Styles.113.3 Agreements of Bottom Line of the Opponents.13Conclusion.15Notes.16Bibliography17IntroductionFuzzy language is a comparatively new subject in linguistic research. The study of fuzzy language depends on the understanding of the nature of vagueness in a great extent. Language is the vehicle of thoughts, and thoughts are the general reflection of the objective world. In addition to the cognitive indeterminateness, fuzziness also arises in the use of language as a deliberate choice of the speakers. The study which focuses on the application of the fuzzy language in business negotiation is increasing to follow the tide of business society.L.A. Zadeh was the first person to develop the famous Fuzzy Set Theory in information and Control, published by Cambridge University Press in 1965, marks the birth of the fuzzy set theory. A lot of disciplines increase there upon fuzzy mathematics, fuzzy logic, fuzzy and fuzzy linguistics. Since that time, the fuzzy has been applied in different of disciplines: philosophy, mathematics, politics, linguistics, sociology, psychology, religion. Fuzzy linguistics then comes into being as a newly initiated discipline focusing on the uncertainty of language which has been engaged in communication on various situations. So his fuzzy sets theory is a foundation of the research of fuzzy language in business negotiation. According to Moran and Stripp (1991), negotiations take place within the context of the four Cs: conflicting interest, common interest, compromise and criteria. Common interest considers the fact that each party in the business negotiation shares or wants something that the other party has. Without a common target, there would be no need for negotiation. Conflicts take place when people have different requirements of interests which can not be satisfied by another negotiator part. Compromise involves resolving areas of disagreement. The fuzzy language, irrelevant responses and indirect utterance are the ways to get the goals to reach maximum interest. Although a win-win negotiation settlement would be best for both parties, the parties cannot avoid making compromises during the negotiation. The criteria include the occasions when the negotiations come into being.Fredsted holds the opinions in her writing of Vague Language, published in 1998, that such a practical application of vagueness in communication is incited more room or choices by the speakers intention to make their own explanation. There are two antithetical points of view toward to vagueness: if words are used inexactly, with obscure boundaries or in vague meaning, then it is a bad thing, and if precisely, a good condition. Investigation of pragmatic value of vagueness shows that vagueness should take as an integral element in verbal communication and language research.Wu Tieping is the first domestic linguist to show interest in vague language. His article named A Brief Introduction to Vague Language, published in 1999. Then, from 1979 to 1993, he published more than 30 essays about vague language. In 1999, his book Vague Language came out. He Ziran (1985), another domestic linguist, has also studied precisely the pragmatic functions of vague language in communication. Zhang Qiao (1998), whose book Fuzzy Semantics discussed vague phenomenon from the aspects of semantics, introduces and studies the academic direction of the vague language outside China. All these previous studies provide theoretical establishment for fuzzy language research in the future.Verschuerenin his book Understanding Pragmatics, published by Edward Arnold in 2000, discussed that “linguistic pragmatics studies the languages application”. Thus the pragmatic perspective focus on making attention to the link between language and human life in general. Hence, pragmatics is also the link between linguistics details and the rest of social sciences and the humanities, such as a general cognitive, social and cultural view on linguistic phenomena in relation to their usage in forms of manners. The study of language use should take into account the cognitive, social and cultural functions of language, which are producing new marks to pragmatics. The fuzzy language plays its function based on this linguistic pragmatics.Nurit Zaidman displays a discourse approach in intercultural business negotiations in Cultural Codes and Language Strategies in Business Communication Interactions Between Israeli and Indian, published in 1998. He researches contentions and differences in intercultural business communication by a discourse approach. Considering conversational analysis as a framework, he conducts a complex analysis on the language strategies in business. Local discourse systems are the foundation of the use of language strategies. He points out that language strategies vary according to discourse systems and cultural manners. The fuzzy language is one of the important methods which are often used in foreign communication and negotiation. With the functions of it, the conflicts and disagreements could be decreased in a larger sense. The usage of fuzzy language in business reflects the polite theory, face theory, cooperation theory.In Lai Xiaoyus (2005) graduation thesis, she talks about the pragmatic functions of vagueness. The thesis is a pragmatic analysis of vague language in business correspondence. And also in Lin Hais (2006) thesis “A Study of Pragmatic Vagueness in International Business Contract”, he analyzes pragmatic vagueness in business communication. These two thesises are based on the same theoretical framework coming from Verschuerens Adaptation Theory. Vague language is constantly employed in business negotiations. Yet the uses can be classified into two forms: non-deliberate use when people are unable to be more exact; and the deliberate use when people are reluctant to be more precise. Her thesis focuses on the deliberate use of fuzzy language.Xie Yi in his article Application of Language and Its Characteristics in Intercultural Business Negotiations, published in 2007, makes some studies on the functions of language in intercultural business negotiations. He explores and researches its characteristics and the application of language in intercultural business negotiations from the views of language practice. In order to get certain intention on negotiations, negotiators often use standard, exact and persuasive language. Language is the tool of realizing negotiating strategies, thus, reasonable language strategies are important. He believes that fuzzy language strategy, inconsistent language strategy, authoritative language strategy and humor language skills play different roles in the whole process of intercultural business negotiations. They may be employed in different time of negotiations.According to English for Business Negotiation by Wuhan University Press in 2009, it delivers on entertaining accounts and perspective on international trade negotiation. The writers Zhang Liyu deems, the object of business negotiation is to make an agreement, which will satisfy both parts. So language skills at negotiation table must be flexibly used. That includes being a good listener, which is to get useful information; being a good ice breaker, which makes the atmosphere of negotiation smoothly and being a good fuzzy language user is also an important part. Fuzzy language bases on cooperate principle in business negotiation which is objective to improve the effective results of business negotiation. As a positive strategy, fuzzy language forms a friendly and less-conflict negotiation atmosphere to reach a win-win situation. If both parties will not make a deal, at least they can keep a good business relationship for future cooperation.In the book, Cross-cultural Business Communication, pressed by Capital University of Economic and Business Press in 2010, the author Jinjuan focuses on the styles, conflicts of different culture in business exchange. The cross-cultural business negotiation is an important part of his book. She says the negotiator will always deliver his thoughts through fuzzy language, so called fuzzy language, which stems from his own cultural background. So it isessential to make the fuzzy language and its culture implication well known. In a broad sense, an accuracy of a language is relative, while vagueness is universal and absolute. As a cross-cultural business negotiator, the writer suggests that, he should mix the different culture with fuzzy strategy as a ability, such as“dragon”or“dog”, which has distinct meanings in west and east cultures. The Africa tend to build deeply friendship when doing business, while Japanese keen on the indirect styles in business negotiation.Above all, the previous studies provide a large amount of references for the thesis. It is rather obvious to find that vague language is much more widely employed than expected in our daily communication. In the following chapters, the functions of fuzzy language will be analyzed clearly.Chapter One Styles of the Fuzzy Language Used in Business NegotiationFeatures of fuzzy strategies are: the purpose or point is to express the psychological state expounded by sincere occasions, because neither the speaker wants the world to fit words, nor do expression fit the environment. The truth of expressed proposition is to reveal the speakers behaviours and emotions. The ambiguous expression, euphemistic presentation, indirect utterance are the styles which are often used in business negotiation. 1.1 Ambiguous ExpressionFuzziness can be employed at different occasions. Fuzziness in business negotiation will be showed from the following three levels: lexical, syntactic and contextual level.As for ambiguous expression used in business negotiation, they are generally taken as hedges. A hedge is a term applied broadly in linguistic in line with the original definition in Lakoff (1972): “words whose job is to make situations fuzzier or less fuzzy”1. Perhaps a closer definition is that hedging refers to the application of words or expressions which encode the writers or speakers degree of commitment to the truth of what follows. Stubbs (1986) provides many examples of the use of hedges. Hedges often express tentativeness or possibility in communication. When negotiators are talking about the quality of the goods, such ambiguous expressions that are equally hedges as good, high, superior and so on are usually applied. 1 If the quality is up to our expectation, we shall send further orders in the near future. 2 We ordered goods of average quality, but you have sent us inferior merchandise.In 1, “up to our expectation” is a restraint of the quality of the goods, but it does not efficiently define the precise degree of the “expectation”. In 2, “average” and “inferior” are the ambiguous words for the quality.1.2 Euphemistic PresentationIn certain occasions, euphemistic presentation is viewed as a strategy to make the business communication more flexible. For example, in dealing with arguments or complaints, or advising the other party to accept the price of the products, it can be used to get more chances and time in negotiation.3 Thank you for your letter of 6th July, requesting for a supply of our crockery, we are pleased to quote as follows: Teacups .$40 per hundred Tea Saucers .$30 per hundred Tea Plates .$20 per hundred Teapots. .1-litre $2 eachThe above quotation is subject to our final confirmation. You are allowed a discount of 10% for items ordered in quantities of 100,000 or more. In the example, The prices may float with the development of the economy or the market. Hence the utilization of euphemistic presentation brings forward more soft to the business communication. The next example is an answer to the complaint which comes from the customer.4 From what you say it seems possible that some mistake has been made in our selection of the goods, we will call on you later this week to compare the goods supplied with the samples from which you ordered them. In this example, when we deal with complaints from the customer with euphemistic presentation. It dose not only avoid conflicts with customer, but also solve the problems in a polite way by using fuzzy expressions such as “it seems possible” to show the sellers care about customers. At first, the custom