试析英语商务信函中被动语态的功能
被动语态是英语中常见的语法现象，在科技文体及新闻文体中被广泛的使用。传统上对被动语态的研究主要限于句法层面，认为被动语态是由主动语态转换而来的，主动句和相应的被动句所表达的意义相同。随着现代语言学的发展，许多语言学家突破了句法的结构限制，开始从不同角度研究语法，其中最具代表性的就是Halliday的系统功能理论。Halliday认为语言作为人类交际的工具，承担着各种各样的功能，他由此提出了语言的三大元功能:概念功能、人际功能和语篇功能。在不同的语篇中，主动语态和被动语态具有不同的句式结构，选择主动语态还是选择被动语态必然会带来不同的意义。在不同的结构形式和语义信息后面，还蕴藏着至关重要的人际交往的动机和目的。在语篇层面而中选择主动语态还是选择被动语态必然会产生不同的交际效果。
商务活动涉及诸多领域，商务英语内容涵盖广泛，商务英语语篇主要指商务活动中买卖商品或服务所涉及的各种正式或非正式文件，包括商务信函、报告、备忘录、协议与合同等。而其中商务信函又是交际中最重要的手段之一。商务信函具有很强的交际目的和特定的交际对象，而其最终目的就是使其商务活动运作顺利并最终达成交易。商务信函有七大写作原则：礼貌（Courtesy）、体谅（Consideration）、完整（Completeness）清楚（Clarity）简洁（Concise）具体（Concreteness）正确（Correctness）。7C原则被称为商务信函写作的黄金法则。前人对商务信函的研究都基本着手于商务信函中礼貌原则的运用，模糊语的使用，以及商务信函语言经济性研究等等，很少有从被动语态的角度来研究商务信函的。被动语态具有很强的交际语用功能，能够表达主动语态所无法表达的语用信息，在商务英语语篇中发挥着不可取代的重要作用。因而语态的选择不仅仅是语法形式和语义结构的选择，更是语篇策略的运用。
本文将对商务英语信函中被动语态的使用和功能进行探讨以期帮助英语学习者更深入地理解被动语态在商务英语信函中的功能，更加灵活地运用被动语态。
关键词：被动语态，商务英语信函，功能，意义，交流
Study on the Functions of Passive Voice in Business English Correspondence
Abstract
Passive voice is a common grammatical phenomenon in English grammar which is widely used in science and technology writing and news writing. Traditionally, the study of passive voice is mainly restricted to syntactic level which holds that the passive voice is the derivation of the active voice, and that active sentence expresses the same meaning as the corresponding passive sentence does. With the development of modern linguistics, breakthroughs are made in the syntactic structure by many linguists who started to study from a different angle. The most representative one is Halliday’s theory. Language as a tool for mankind communication, Halliday thought, undertakes a variety of functions. Thereby Halliday proposed the three metafunctions of language: ideational function, interpersonal function and textual function. In the context, choosing active voice or passive voice would undoubtedly have different meanings since active voice and passive voice have different sentence structure. Behind different structural style and semantic information, the voice chosen involves essential motions and purposes of human communication. So the voice will lead to a different communication effect.
Business activities are involved in many fields, and business English covers a wide range of contents. The discourse of business English indicates various formal and informal documents that are involved in the transaction of goods and services in business activities, including business letter, report, memorandum, agreement, contract and so on. Among those, business letter is one of the most important means in business communication. Business correspondence has strong communicative purpose and specific object and its ultimate goal is to make the business activities running smoothly and conclude the transaction. There are seven principles in business correspondence writing: Courtesy, Consideration, Completeness, Clarity, Concise, Concreteness and Correctness. The 7Cs Principle is known as the golden rules in business correspondence writing. The previous studies on business correspondence start with the application of Courtesy Principle, Vague language and the Economy Principle in linguistic features. However, few people start from the perspective of passive voice. Passive voice plays an important role in business English correspondence. It contains strong communicative function which could express the information that active voice cannot do. So the choice of voice is not merely about the grammatical structure or semantic structure, it is more about the application of discourse tactics.
This paper is intended to study the usage and functions of passive voice in business English correspondence and to help English learners comprehend the functions of passive voice in business correspondence; so that they can apply passive voice in a more flexible way.
Key Words: passive voice, business English correspondence, function, meaning, communication
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