浅析英语委婉语功能学位论文Word格式.docx
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avoidance;
religious;
polite
中文摘要
委婉语是一种常见的全球语言现象。
它是我们日常沟通的重要组成部分。
作为英语不可或缺的的一部分,英语委婉已引起许多语言学家和学者的广泛关注。
委婉扎根于社会生活的各个方面,并与社会发展同步。
英语委婉语是西方文化与社会心理的反映。
从它诞生时就有独特的文化色彩。
委婉无疑反映了文化传统之间的内在关系,社会价值观念和语言形式。
本文首先简要介绍了委婉的特点:
普遍性,间接性,民族性和区域性。
委婉语在政治和战争中使用是为了掩盖严重的社会问题、政治丑闻、歪曲事实、提出和平假象。
委婉语在交谈中使用是为了避免尴尬,缓和局势和表现得得体。
关键词:
委婉;
功能;
掩饰;
避讳;
宗教;
得体
ChapterOneIntroduction
1.Introduction:
Euphemismisacommonlinguisticphenomenonintheglobalculture.Itplaysanimportantpartinourdailycommunication.AsanindispensableandnaturalpartofEnglishlanguage,Englisheuphemismhasarousedwideinterestamonglinguistsandscholarsfromdifferentperspectives.Euphemism,auniversallanguagephenomenon,hasspecialcommunicativefunctionsinsociallife.Agoodknowledgeofeuphemismwouldhelpimprovetheeffectofsocialcommunication.
Theword“euphemism”comesfromGreek,“eu”meansgoodorwell,theroot“pheme“meansspeech,and-ismisanounsuffix,whichmeanstheresult,soitliterallymeansspeakingwellof…,goodspeechorwordsofgoodomen.
1.1TheDefinitionofEuphemism:
Euphemismhasbeendefineddifferentlyindifferentbooks.Therearesomedefinitionscitedasfollows:
(1)Euphemismissubstitutionofmildorvagueorroundaboutexpressionforharshordirectone.(ConciseOxfordDictionary,1982,7thedition)
(2)Euphemismissubstitutionofanagreeableorinoffensiveexpressionforonethatmayoffendorsuggestsomethingunpleasant.”(Webster’sNewcollegiateDictionary1973)
(3)Euphemismisapolitewordorexpressionthatpeopleusewhentheyaretalkingaboutsomethingwhichtheyorotherpeoplefindunpleasantorembarrassing,suchasdeathorsex.(Collins,1987)
(4)Euphemismisusedasanalternativetoanexpression,inordertoavoidpossiblelossofface:
eitherone’sownfaceor,throughgivingoffense,thatoftheaudience,orofsomethirdparty.(Allan&
Burridge,1991)
Allthedefinitionsabovesharethesamepoint,thatis,togiveabettersoundingname,tosoftentheshockofrealityor,sometimes,tocoverupdreadfulfacts.Therearesomethingsinlifethatshouldnotbestatedbluntlyortruthfully.Therearetimeswhenitisnecessary,evenwise,notto“callaspadeaspade”buttousesomebetter-soundingname.Theseharsh,blunt,unpleasant,oroffensivethingsthatwehavetodeliberatelyavoidmentioningdirectlyforfearofhurtingotherpeople’sfeeling.Andwhatarethebetter-soundingnames?
The“gildedwords”,asH.L.callsthem.
1.2TheImportantRoleofEuphemism:
Asafigureofspeech,euphemismplaysanimportantpartincommunication.RobertBurchfield,formanyyearstheeditorofTheOxfordEnglishDictionary,onceobservedthat“alanguagewithouteuphemismswouldbeadefectiveinstrumentofcommunication”(qtd.InCullenMurphytheEWord,2000)”.Enright,D.J.,thefamousEnglishcriticofliterature,oncesaid,“Withouteuphemisms,theworldcomestoahaltbecausefricationandresentmentswouldriseamongpeople.”Thisremarkillustratesthateuphemismplaysanimportantroleinthemaintenanceofsocialrelationsandinterpersonalrelationships.Euphemismisacommonphenomenonofalllanguagesandamirrorofsocialpsychology.Itissowidelyusedinourdailylifethatithasarousedpeople’sinterest.
ChapterTwotheCharacteristicsofEuphemism
2.TheCharacteristicsofEuphemism:
2.1Universality
Almostallculturesseemtohavecertainnotionsorthingsthatpeopletrytoavoidmentioningdirectly.Thatis,nearlyeveryculturehasitsowntaboos.Whensuchanotionorthinghastobereferredto,peoplewouldliketosubstituteadifferenttermorphrasethatsoundsbetter.“Sowehaveeuphemisminalmosteverylanguage.”
Euphemismissowidelyspreadinthelanguagesoftheworldthatitpenetratesintopeopleofallwalksoflife.TheAmericanscholarHughRawsononcesaid,“Euphemismissodeeplyrootedinthelanguagethatalmosteveryoneusesiteveryday,includingthosewhoclaimtobethemoststraightforward.”Andthemeaningsofsomewordsisuniversal,forexample,therearehundredsofeuphemismsabout“death”inbothChineseandEnglish.
2.2Indirectness
HeZhaoxiongoncepointedout,“Peoplesometimesconveytheirideasinaroundaboutwayinsteadofexpressingthemdirectly.”Thisphenomenoniscalledindirectness.Thespeakerbelievesthatwhathesays,whichisbasedonthecontext,makessensetothelistener,sohe/shespeaksinanotherwaytoavoidembarrassmentorbepolite.Forexample,topissisusuallyexpressedasgotothebathroom.
2.3NationalismandRegionalism:
Alanguagecontainsthecharacteristicsofthenationalcultureandembodiesanation'
sculturalidentity,culturalconsciousnessanditsdifferentwaysofthinking.Deferentregionhasadifferenthistory,customsandtaboos,thusthesedifferenceswouldcertainlybereflectedineuphemism.DifferencesinattitudetowardsoldageintheEastandWestareatypicalexample.ChineseandEnglishhavedifferentfeelingabout“oldage”.Chineseisproudofbeingold.InChinesetherearefeweuphemismsforold.Peopleshowmorerespecttooldpeopleandtheyarethoughttobemoreexperienced.Forinstance,laomashitu(老马识途),laozong(老总),zhaolao(赵老),etc.Lao(老)isnotatabooinChinese.Thespeakercanshowhisaffection.
Onthecontrary,theAmericanareafraidofbecomingold.Theywanttoact,feelandlookyoung.Intheiropinion,theoldpeoplelivealonelylifeandarenolongerenergetic.Oldpeopleareseemedasasocialburdenoneconomy,sotherearealotofmildandroundaboutexpressionstoshowtheconceptof“oldage”,forexample,“themature”,“seniorcitizens”,etc.
ChapterThreeTheApplicationsandFunctionsofEnglishEuphemism
3.Theapplicationsandfunctionsofeuphemism:
3.1DisguiseFunction:
Itisobviousthatthoseeuphemismsusedbytheordinarypeoplearemeanttosoftenharshreality,butthoseusedbypoliticiansmayaimatdeceivingthepublic.
3.11Intermsofpoliticalscandals:
Sinceeuphemismsoftenexpresssomethinginanimplicitandroundaboutway,sometimesthismaycauseambiguityandpeoplemayfeelconfusedaboutthem.So,politicians,statementandbusinessmenalwaysmakefulluseofthisfeaturetomaskthereality,exoneratetheirguilt.Theprimaryfeatureofeuphemismhereistonumbthepublicwithouttellingadownrightlieyettogetanalmostequallydesirableresponse.
Therearealotofeuphemismsproducedduringthe“Watergatescandal”bypresidentNixonandhiscolleaguesofthe20thcentury.Forinstance,“wiretappingorbugging”isreferredtoas“electronicsurveillance”,“eavesdrop”as“intelligence-gathering”,“theschemeofeavesdrop”as“scenario”,andeven“thescandal”became“event”.
AftertheWatergatescandalin1972,thesuffix“-gate”isusedtorefertoanysimilarpoliticaleventsorbigscandalinsteadofusingthewordscandaloraffairdirectly,forexample,theMonicagateorClintongate.
Politicsisafertileareaforthegrowthofeuphemisms,whicharecosmeticinexpressionbutdeceptiveinnature.Euphemismsofthiskindarealwaysusedconsciouslyanddeliberately.Euphemismsusedinpoliticalissuesaremainlyseenintheinternalandinternationalaspects.
3.12Intermsofwarandmilitaryaction:
Inthefieldofpoliticsandwar,usingeuphemismhasbecomeastrategytolubricatethecommunicationandevenaimsatdeceivingthepublic.Besides,warisafertilefieldforeuphemism.Governmentsneedeuphemismstopersuadepeopletoputupwiththesufferingofwar.
Thefollowingistakenfrom"
TheNewYorkTimes"
reportsonMarch25,2003:
“The$60billionpricetagforthe1991PersianGulfWarwassharedamongmanycountriesintheU.S.-ledcoalitionagainstSaddam.ItisunclearhowmanynationswouldjoininandpickupsomeofthecostofanothermilitarycampaigninIraq.”
AtthattimetheinternationalsituationwasthattheinternationalcommunityproposedpeacefulsolutiontotheIraqicrisis,buttherewasabigdifferencebetweenthepermanentmembersoftheSecurityCouncil.ThefirstsentencereviewedthefactthattheWesterncountriestookpartintheGulfWaractively,whilesupportfortheIraqwarin2003waslittle.Tocoverupthisfact,thenewsreportedinanambiguousway:
“ItisunclearhowmanynationswouldjoininandpickupsomeofthecostofanothermilitarycampaigninIraq.”Thisisamanifestationofeuphemism.
AftertheoutbreakoftheIraqwarin2003,wecanhearthefrequentwordsinVOAlikedisarmIraq,andtakemilitaryactionagainstIraq.Ifyoudisarmpeople,youtakeawaytheirweapons,whichmeanstodepriveofweapons.Whilethemeaningofmilitaryactionisfightingina