人际交流除了获取信息之外，另一个重要方面就是要维系良好的人际关系。而礼貌语用学则是关注人际交往的一个重要分支学科或视野，对此的研究自然显得必要和重要。本研究试图通过对跨文化语用学、语际语用学、社交语用学、对比语用学、言语行为理论，尤其是礼貌语用学理论的考察，在对美国人和中国人请求策略问卷调查的基础之上，运用对比手段来描述和解释英汉两种语言在运用此策略方面的相同性和差异性。这样，我们方可对礼貌语用概念有一个较好的理解和认知。

人际交流除了获取信息之外，另一个重要方面就是要维系良好的人际关系。而礼貌语用学则是关注人际交往的一个重要分支学科或视野，对此的研究自然显得必要和重要。本研究试图通过对跨文化语用学、语际语用学、社交语用学、对比语用学、言语行为理论，尤其是礼貌语用学理论的考察，在对美国人和中国人请求策略问卷调查的基础之上，运用对比手段来描述和解释英汉两种语言在运用此策略方面的相同性和差异性。这样，我们方可对礼貌语用概念有一个较好的理解和认知。

本研究是国内这个领域中较为系统而全面的探讨，对外语教学、翻译、涉外公关、跨文化交际等都有较强的理论和实践指导意义，可以作为英语、汉语语言学专业和其他专业的语言爱好者学习和参阅之用。

Acknowledgements

Abbreviations & Symbols

Tables & Figures

Contents

Chapter 1 Introduction

 1.1 Orientation of the Title

 1.2 Motivations of the Present Study

 1.3 The Concept and Criteria of Requests

 1.4 Intonation of Speech Acts

 1.5 The Nature of the Present Study

 1.6 Propositional Opacity of Requests

 1.7 Methods

 1.8 The Aims and Hypotheses of the Present Study

 1.9 Layout and Scope of the Present Study

 1.10 Summary

Chapter 2 Theoretical Background to the Contrastive Study of Requests in English and Chinese

 2.1 Introduction

 2.2 Pragmatics: Language Use in Contexts

 2.3 Cross-cultural Pragmatics

 2.4 Sociopragmatics

 2.5 Interlanguage Pragmatics

 2.6 Metapragmatics

 2.7 Interpersonal Relationship Studies

 2.8 Linguistic Strategies

 2.9 Speech Act Theories

 2.10 Direct and Indirect Speech Acts

 2.11 Direct & Indirect Speech Acts and Politeness

 2.12 Empirically-based Cognitive Model of Speech Acts

 2.13 Request Classification and Request Strategies

2.13.1 Request Classification

2.13.2 Formal Means of Requests

2.13.3 Structural Components of Requests

2.13.4 Request Strategy: a Functional Perspective

2.13.5 Modifications of Requests

2.13.5.1 Internal Modifications

2.13.5.2 External Modifications

 2.14 Politeness Theories

 2.15 Politeness of Requests

 2.16 Literature Review of Request Studies by Chinese Scholars

 2.17 Summary

Chapter 3 Request Data Collection: Design and Methodology

 3.1 Introduction

 3.2 Examples of Requests in English and Chinese in the Actual Discourse

 3.3 Subjects and Procedure

 3.4 The Questionnaire

3.4.1 The Discourse Completion Test

3.4.2 Modifications of the DCT for the Present Study

 3.5 Summary

Chapter 4 Analysis and Discussion of the Results

 4.1 Introduction

 4.2 Request Forms in English and Chinese

4.2.1 Similarities

4.2.2 Differences

 4.3 Situational Variations and Situational Sets in the Use of Strategies

4.3.1 Situational Variations in the Use of Strategies

4.3.1.1 The AM Group

4.3.1.2 The IL Group

4.3.1.3 The CHN Group

4.3.2 Distribution of Main Request Strategy Categories in the Six Situation Sets

4.3.3 Cross-cultural Differences in the Interaction

4.3.4 Summary

 4.4 Major Variables in the Use of Request Strategy

4.4.1 Social Distance and Dominance

4.4.1.1 Social Distance

4.4.1.2 Dominance

4.4.2 Controllability of Acts

4.4.2.1 High Controllability

4.4.2.2 Low Controllability

4.4.3 Age

4.4.3.1 The Same Age

4.4.3.2 The Younger to the Older

4.4.3.3 The Older to the Younger

4.4.3.4 Summary

4.4.4 Sex

4.4.4.1 The AM Group

4.4.4.2 The IL Group

4.4.4.3 The CHN Group

4.4.4.4 Summary

 4.5 Modifications of Requests

4.5.1 The AM Group

4.5.2 The IL Group

4.5.3 The CHN Group

4.5.4 Summary

 4.6 Pre-modification of Requests

4.6.1 The AM Group

4.6.2 The IL Group

4.6.3 The CHN Group

4.6.4 Summary

 4.7 Tokens Used in the Requests among the Three Groups

4.7.1 The AM Group

4.7.2 The IL Group

4.7.3 The CHN Group

4.7.4 Summary

 4.8 Request Perspectives

4.8.1 Introduction

4.8.2 In Situation (-SD, X=Y)

4.8.3 In Situation (-SD, X<Y)

4.8.4 In Situation (+SD, X>Y)

4.8.5 Summary

 4.9 Initiating Markers of Requests

4.9.1 Address Form

4.9.2 "Excuse me" and "Sorry" .

4.9.3 The Typical Request Markers "Please" and "ii~"

 4.9.3.1 The AM Group

 4.9.3.2 The IL Group

 4.9.3.3 The CHN Group

 4.9.3.4 Summary

 4.10 Other Inferring Strategies Used in the Requesting Action

 4.11 Special Strategies of Requests ~ A Metonymic Approach

 4.12 The Disease to Please

 4.13 Tentative Analyses of the Common Features of Request Production

 4.14 Responses to Requests

4.14.1 Introduction

4.14.2 The AM Group

4.14.3 The IL Group

4.14.4 The CHN Group

4.14.5 Summary

4.14.6 Social Distance, Dominance and Sex in the Responses

 4.14.6.1 Social Distance

 4.14.6.2 Dominance

 4.14.6.3 Sex

 4.15 Tentative Analyses of the Common Features of Request Responses

 4.16 From Requests to Apologies

 4.17 Summary

Chapter 5 Conclusions

 5.1 Introduction

 5.2 Major Findings

 5.3 Tentative Analyses from the Cultural Perspective

 5.4 Chinese Politeness from Responding to Compliments

 5.5 Pragmatic Tact in Language Use :

 5.6 Cross-cultural Pragmatic Failure and Pragmatic Competence Development in the ForeignLanguage Teaching

5.6.1 Cross-cultural Pragmatic Failure

5.6.2 Pragmatic Competence and its Teachability

 5.7 Speculations about the Weaknesses of this Study

5.7.1 The C-constituting Model of Communication

5.7.2 Nonverbal Language

5.7.3 Sequences of Speech Acts

5.7.4 Suggested Future Research Dimensions

 5.8 Conclusions

Appendix Ⅰ: A Glossary in English and Chinese

Appendix Ⅱ: Questionnaire of requests (the English version)

Appendix Ⅲ: Questionnaire of requests (the Chinese version)

Appendix Ⅳ: Idiomatic Expressions of Requests in English

Appendix Ⅴ: Idiomatic Expressions of Requests in Chinese

Appendix Ⅵ: Dr. Braiker's 21 Day Action Plan to Cure People-Pleasing Disease

Bibliography