商务英语信函的用词特征研究
作为商务信息的载体，商务英语信函在国际贸易中起着重要的作用。恰当的商务英语信函可以加强国际公司之间的合作，达成交易。因此，理解掌握商务英语信函的用词特征很重要。
本文从商务英语信函的定义与分类入手，以格雷斯的合作原则和利奇的礼貌原则为理论基础，以最新的商务信函为案例，分析了商务英语信函的词汇特点。并针对如何写好商务英语信函提出一些有益的建议。
关键词  商务英语信函，合作原则，礼貌原则，词汇特征

1   Introduction1
2   English Business Letter2
2.1  Definitions of English Business Letter2
2.2  Classifications of English Business Letter3
3   Theoretical Framework3
3.1  Grice’s Cooperative Principle3
3.2  Leech’s Politeness Principle5
4   Lexical Features of English Business Letter6
4.1  Choice of Common Words6
4.2  Proper Use of Technical Terms7
4.3  Frequent Use of Abbreviations8
4.4  Preference of Positive Words to Negative Words9
Conclusion11
Acknowledgments12
References13

1  Introduction
Along with the rapid development of continuous globalization of economy, as well as the multinational business cooperation between worldwide countries, there is no denying that English business letter, as the carrier of business information, plays an ever-increasing role in International trades. Therefore, it’s obvious that the study of lexical features about English business letter is an important issue and many researchers attach much importance to it. The primary assignment that I will accomplish in this paper is to conclude some specific lexical features of English business letter. There’s definitely lots of differences between direct interactions and indirect letters in foreign trade.
English business letter has been an independent subject for quite a long time. As various persons have different standpoints about one subject, many scholars have studied their researches from different fields. However, the key to arrive at successful business transactions is to write a good business letter, which is almost agreed by all researchers.
Chang Yutian carried out his study on linguistic features of English business letter and summarized that English business letter mainly conveys information and belongs to a formal style. Besides, figures of speech are seldom employed in writing while formulated grammar and sentence structures are required accordingly. Apart from these, he put forward that many writers frequently use specialized technical words such as trade terms, borrowed words and compliments (Chang Yutian, 2004: 229). By comparing different language styles, Miao Ling and Huang Yingdong (2004: 30) held that writers prefer to employ clear and simple words in modern business letters. Another famous American scholar George Kingsley Zipf put forward the Economy Principle, namely the Principle of Least Effort, whose meaning is that the number of words should be employed as few as possible to completely express meanings. He said that the shorter words are more popular than the longer words. Nevertheless, Cooperative Principle and Politeness Principle proposed by Grice and Leech respectively are the most typical theories. Thus, this paper will take CP and PP for example to analyze the lexical features of English business letter and how to write an effective business letter.
My paper covers five chapters. Part one is an introduction of the paper, and it briefly introduces the background, significance and purpose of the research generally. This section generally gives some reviews of studies about English business letters. The second part deals with the definitions and classifications of English business letter in brief. The third part I will talk about theoretical framework of the study, namely, Grice’s CP and Leech’s PP. The fourth part mainly deals with of lexical features of English Business letter from four aspects and proposes some positive suggestions for writing a good English business letter. The conclusion summarizing the main ideas is the last part of this paper.
2  English Business Letter
2.1  Definitions of English business letter
As communication in business is absolutely necessary for a successful international trade, English business letter, as a written form of communication, is frequently used by companies to communicate with their customers. Though nowadays international trade has increasingly developed due to economic globalization, a formal English business letter is still essential, and it plays an incredibly important role in business activities when it comes to some appointed situations.
In order to buy products and seek for information of the price, quality and samples of goods, business letters are usually used between suppliers and businessmen. Therefore, English business letter can be defined as a written form of expressing ideas and information. Business letters passed between correspondents is a way of communicating in foreign trade. In the international trade, English business letter used to refer to the letters, cables and telexes, while now it mainly refers to business letters, fax and e-mail with the rapid development of technology. (Fang Chunxiang, 2005: introduction).
 In a narrow sense, Chang Yutian (2004) holds that English business letter is the most important ways of business communication but not the frequent means while comparing with email and other electronic methods. On the country, Lu Mozhu (1988) thinks that, in a broader sense, English business letter points to business letters, telexes and cables, which are used in international business regularly. Nevertheless, with the science, technology and the Internet developing rapidly, cables and telexes are not used in modern time and it now mainly refers to business letter, fax and e-mail accordingly.    
原文链接：http://www.jxszl.com/wgy/yy/27154.html