摘要
Based on some insights from face-negotiation theory and through discourse completion test （DCT）, analyzing the frequencies of apology choice and compared with the research results of the Cross-Cultural Speech Act Realization Project （CCSARP）, this paper addresses itself to exploration of the impact of face concept on pragmatic features of Chinese apologies and the dynamic relations between social parameters and the apologetic strategies. The data for this study are elicited from an open-ended DCT questionnaire and analysis of frequencies of apology strategies. The concept of Chinese face and understanding of the conflict as well as its processing mode of seeking harmony make Chinese apology behavior more concerned with the recovery of estrangement relationships, and the apology strategies are used for the purpose of compensating for the face losses of the offenders. An apology will transfer emotional information to each other, to shift the focus of the conflict, quell conflicts, and ease relationships. The parameters of power and social distance have impact on the choice tendency of Illocutionary Force Indicating Devices （IFID）, self-supportive, and other-supportive strategies.
