关于汉语外交语言中模糊限制语的使用及其翻译的研究

dging phenomenon is one of themost typical and exists in almost all aspects of language use. Lakoff first put forward theconcept of hedges in his article Hedges: a Study in Meaning Criteria and the Logic of FuzzyConcepts. He defines hedges as follows: “For me, the most interesting questions are causedby the study of words whose meaning involves fuzziness implicitly--words the job of which isto make things less fuzzy or fuzzier. I refer to such words as ‘hedges’.” (Lakoff,1972:195)Lakoff gives hedges a definition from the perspective of language philosophy and defineshedges as words the task of which is to make things less fuzzy or fuzzier. He presents oversixty hedging phrases and words such as very, rather, more or less, largely, sort of , in a sense,generally speaking, and so on.Then, some other linguists give their definitions and interpretations of hedges. Till now,there has not been a definition of hedges which is recognized and accepted by everyone.Linguists carry out researches of hedges from different perspectives, thus giving hedgesdifferent definitions. For example, Brown and Levinson define hedges as “a particle, word orphrase which modifies the degree of membership of a noun phrase or a predicate in aset”(987:145). Their definition is in accordance with the definition put forward by Lakoff. Inthe book Vague Language, Channell (1994:218) gives his own definition of hedges on thebasis of Lakoff’s: “maybe a closer interpretation is that hedging means using expressions orwords that encode the writer or speaker’s degree of commitment to the truth of things thatfollow”.
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2.2 Diplomatic Language
“Diplomatic language is what diplomats can say, can do and can mean verbally”(Guo,1999:5). On many different kinds of diplomatic occasions, diplomats tend to use diplomaticlanguage. “Let’s put it in another way, different kinds of diplomatic language are related todifferent kinds of occasions, which determines the linguistic characteristics of diplomaticlanguage” (ibid：6).Diplomatic language includes three kinds of meaning. The first sense of meaning is thatit refers to the actual language which is spoken by diplomats in communications orconversations on diplomatic occasions. The second sense of meaning is that it refers to thespecial technical words, phrases and expressions which are used specially on diplomaticoccasions and are of high expertise. These special technical words, phrases and expressionshave transformed into diplomatic parlance during the past hundreds of years. The third senseof meaning is that diplomatic language is used to seem polite and save face of the speakersthemselves and other people. On some diplomatic occasions, a diplomat often has to saysomething sharp to show his or her determination and willingness in order to protect thebenefit of their own country. At this time, diplomats often tend to use diplomatic language todescribe the guarded understates and avoid embarrassment, provocation and impoliteness(ibid:36).
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Chapter Three Research Methodology.... 18
3.1 Data collection.... 18
3.2 Research process ....... 18
Chapter Four Results and Discussion ..... 20
4.1 Hedges in Chinese diplomatic language ...... 20
4.2 Hedges in English Translations ...... 22
4.3 A comparison of the hedges in Chinese diplomatic language........ 25
4.4 terms of “pragmatic equivalence” theory ........ 26
4.4.1 Addition of pragm