Abstract:

The basic principle of traditional linguistic requires the language expression clear and correct. But because of the indeterminacy of object’s boundary itself, people observe the world in different points or lack a comprehensive understanding. This causes the indeterminacy of language use and lets the vagueness become an essential existence. Vagueness is one of the essential features of natural language. Since 1970s, the famous researcher George Lakoff defined the fuzzy language which makes things become indeterminacy. With the further study, vagueness had gradually developed in some certain time in particular fields. Especially in business activities, fuzzy language plays an important role in different stages, such as business negotiation, business letters, business advertisements and business contracts. Fuzzy language can make business English become not only more flexible and accurate, but also more strict and polite. Proper use of vagueness will make our business activities more successful and make the process delight, avoiding unnecessary disputes or mistakes, and benefiting each other.

Keywords: Business Activities; Vagueness; Application; Pragmatic Functions

摘  要：

传统语言学的基本准则要求语言表达清楚正确。但是由于事物边界的不明确性，人们对事物观察的不同角度或缺乏全面的认识，导致语言使用的不一定性，从而使模糊的语言形成成为一种必然的存在。模糊性是自然语言中的一种重要的属性。早在1972年，著名学者George Lakoff 最早将模糊语定义为一种语言，这种语言使得事物变得不确定。而后在更深层次的研究中，模糊语又在特定的时间和在特殊领域得到逐步的发展。尤其在商务活动中，模糊语在其不同阶段都起到了重要作用，比如商务谈判，商务信函，商业广告以及商务合同中。模糊语的使用让商务英语变得更加灵活和准确，更加明确和更具有礼貌性。正确使用模糊语会使商务活动变得更加成功，让过程变得更加愉快，同时可以避免产生不必要的纠纷和错误，有利于保护双方的权益。

关键词：商务活动; 模糊语；应用；语用功能

1. Introduction
About fuzzy language, many searchers have different definitions. Among these complicated definitions, they all have same key word “indeterminacy”. One word or sentence can have different meanings in different occasions. For example, the word “can”, it can be understood that someone has the ability to do something, but it can also suggest someone be permitted to do something. To a sentence “John gave Mary a book”, it can be understood in many meanings when we read it in different ways. The stress position of the sentence will lead the changes of key points and make the sentence indeterminacy.