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Abstract Politeness is the practical application of good manners or etiquette. It is a culturally defined phenomenon, and therefore what is considered polite in one culture can sometimes be quite rude or simply eccentric in another cultural contest. This thesis attempts to make a comparative study on different ways of expressing politeness between English and Chinese. It gives the readers a general idea of some pragmatic studies of politeness previously carried out by Western and Chinese scholars, and it gives several comparisons of current practices between Chinese and English ways of expressing politeness in different situations. By understanding cultural differences, many misunderstandings can be avoided.61262
Key words: Chinese; English; politeness; comparison
摘要礼貌是文明和礼仪的一种表现形式。礼貌与文化紧密联系，因此，某种文化中的礼貌行为在另一种文化中可能并不礼貌。本文从中英学者观点和中英礼貌表现差异两方面做比较，旨在研究中英文化中礼貌的不同表现形式，以便使读者了解中西方文化差异，从而避免跨文化交际中的语言歧义和误解。
Contents
1. Introduction ...1
2. Literature review .1
3. Politeness Theories.1
3.1 Politeness Theory by Brown and Levinson2
3.2 Politeness Maxims by Geoffrey Leech...3
3.3 Politeness Principle by Confucius..4
3.4 Politeness Principle by Gu Yueguo.5
4. The Application of Politeness Principle in English and Chinese
Cultures 6
4.1 Politeness Principle on Greeting 6
4.2 Politeness Principle on Sense of Privacy7
4.3 Politeness Principle on the Way of Addressing..8
4.4 Politeness Principle on Responses to Compliment 9
5. Conclusion.10
Works Cited .12
1. Introduction
Politeness is considered as a social phenomenon, a way to reach good interpersonal relationships in communication, and a word imposed by social conventions. So it is phenomenal, instrumental and normative by nature. Politeness is universal, which is interpreted in various ways, i.e. it can be observed as a phenomenon in all cultures, it is resorted to by speakers of different language as a means to an end, and it is recognized as a norm in all societies.源:自'751.·论,文;网·www.751com.cn/
Although politeness is universal in the world, the ways of behaving politely and the standards of judgment is various in different countries and cultures, which can be retrospected to the dawn of the concept of politeness in various cultures.
Therefore, we need to learn the persities in various cultures so that we can prevent the occurrence of misunderstanding and express politeness appropriately in different occasions, and finally improve the communication and boost the friendship between our domestic countrymen and all the foreign friends and even all people across the world.
2. Literature review
Politeness is one of the major social constraints on human interaction which regulates participant’s communicative behavior by constantly reminding them to take into consideration the feeling of others (the interlocutor as a third party not necessary present, with an emphasis on the former) because it is necessary to consider their feeling so as to establish levels of mutual comfort and promote rapport, which in return accelerate and facilitate human communication. Politeness is a linguistic universal. In simple terms, politeness is the possession of good manners and consideration for other people.
On the study of politeness, numerous scholars at home and abroad had put forward many different theoretical models and research methods including Brown and Levinson’s Politeness Strategies: Face Theory, Leech’s Politeness Principles and in China, there are also many famous scholars studying and advancing different opinions on politeness principles such as Confucius’s “li” principle and Gu yueguo’s Politeness Maxims. Despite its university of politeness, there exist many differences between different countries. Therefore, it is essential to make a comparative study of politeness principles in Chinese and English cultures. Only by this means can we be able to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings and embarrassments in intercultural communication.