3. Politeness Theories文献综述

3.1 Politeness Theory by Brown and Levinson

Politeness theory explains the remedy of the offense to face placed by face-threatening behaviors to the opposite side. First come up in 1978 by Penelope Brown and Stephen Levinson, politeness theory has since clarified the meaning of and discoursed in academia’s awareness of politeness. Politeness is the feelings expressed as the speakers’ design to try to lesson face threats expressed by certain face-threatening behaviors to another. Behaving politely therefore includes being intended to save face for another. Face is the public self image that every fully developed person tries to shield. In their 1978 book chapter, Brown and Levinson defined positive face two ways: as "the want of every member that his wants be desirable to at least some others executors" (Brown & Levinson, 1978:62), or alternately, "the positive consistent self-image or 'personality' (crucially including the desire that this self-image be appreciated and approved of) claimed by interactants" (Brown & Levinson, 1978:61). Negative face was clearly formed as "the want of every 'competent adult member' that his actions be unimpeded by others", or "the basic claim to territories, personal preserves, rights to non-distraction--i.e. the freedom of action and freedom from imposition". Ten years later, Brown portrayed the qualities or peculiarities of positive face by wished to be liked, regarded with admiration, fully approved, and concerned with positively, noting that one would pose a threat to positive face by brushing aside someone. Meanwhile, she portray the character of negative face by the wishes not to be imposed upon, noting that negative face could be influenced by imposing on someone. Positive Face means one's quality of being worthy of esteem or respect, while negative face means one's immunity from an obligation to behave. The two facets of face are the basic desires in any cross-cultural communication, and so during any cross-cultural communication, joint operation is required among the participants to protect each other's faces.