英语学 期 论 文.docx
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英语学 期 论 文.docx
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英语学期论文
南华大学外国语学院
学期论文
题目:
Studyofeuphemism
班级:
学号:
学生姓名:
指导教师:
职称:
2009年06月日
Abstract
Euphemismisderivedformtaboo,whichisusedtodescribesomethinginappropriatetotalkaboutdirectlyincommunication.Euphemism,inotherwords,istosaysomethinginapleasantandcomfortableway.Thisarticleisgoingtomakeabriefintroductionoftheorigin,functionsandtheapplicationsofeuphemisms.Ifwehavingalittlebitknowledgeabouteuphemisms,wecanavoidsomeunnecessaryconflictsormisunderstandings.
KeyWords:
Definition;Origin;Functions;Applications
摘要
委婉语是起源于禁忌文化的一种语言现象。
在社会交流中,人们如果要避免直白的说出某些不好或不适合的事,就会用到委婉语。
委婉语,也就是说,用一种让人听上去很舒适的语言。
本文将从委婉语的起源,功能及运用方面对其进行简单阐述,希望对语言学习者有所帮助。
如果对委婉语有个大致的了解,我们将会避免许多不必要的误会及冲突。
关键字:
定义,来源,功能,应用
1.Introduction
Euphemism,whichexistsinChineseaswellasinEnglish,comesfromtheGreek.Wangxijie(2008)pointsoutinhisChineseRhetoric(王希杰,2008):
Euphemismistoreplacesomethingthatwecannotordonotwanttosaydirectly,butusingsomesubstitutions,whichhavethesimilarorsamemeanings,toexpresstheminapleasantorrelaxedway.H.W.Fowlei(1987)definedeuphemisminADictionaryofModernEnglishUsage(H.W.Fowlei,1987):
Euphemismisamildorvagueperiphrasticexpressionusedasasubstituteforbluntprecisionordisagreeabletruth.EncyclopediaBritannica(1994)alsodefineseuphemismas“afigureofspeechinwhichsomethingofanunpleasant,distressingorindelicatenatureisdescribedinlessoffensiveterms.”Sotheliteralmeaningof“euphemism”is“tospeakwithgoodwordsorinapleasantmanner”.TheAmericanwriter.H.Z.Menckevencallseuphemismasa“gildedword”.Itisanessentialtoolinsociety.Anditisunimaginableiftherearenoeuphemismsintheworld.Thisarticleaimsatprovidingsomesimpleimpressionforlearners.
2.TheOriginofEuphemism
Totracebackthebeginningofeuphemisms,onecannotneglect“taboo”;Theword“taboo”comesformToga,akindofPolynesian.Itindicatesevasivelanguageoraction.(韩银燕,刘蕾,2005.146)Intheearlydaysofcivilization,peoplecouldnotexplainorunderstandeithersomenaturalphenomenon(likedeath)orhadmuchrealizationaboutthemselves,"Peoplehaveconfusionbetweenthenameofthethingsandthingsthemselves.Thenameisviewedasanextensionofthings.Justastheidiomsays,“whenwespeakofdevilandheappears,naturallythewordsorphrasesrelatedtosuchthingsbecometaboos.”(李青,20032.24.1)Sotheyoftenhadasenseoffearbecauseofsomemysteriousspirits.Astimegoesby,peopletendtoavoidsomeofthesethings,soheretheeuphemismcomesintobeing.
3.TheFunctionsofEuphemism
AsChinaenteredtheWTO,therearemoreandmoreaffairshomeandabroad,soitisnecessaryforustoknowtheusageandfunctionsofeuphemisms.Thepurposesofusingitaretoachievesomespecialgoals.Inourdailylife,weuseittotalkaboutsomethingthatisforbiddenorimpolite.Forexample,whenwetalkaboutsexordisabilities,weuseeuphemismstoavoidtheembarrassment.Inpoliticalissues,thegovernmenthasspecialfavorforit.Becausebyusingitinitsowncountry,thegovernmentcansoftenthetense,especiallywhenthereischaos.Byusingitabroad,wecanformarelativelygoodrelationshipwithothercountries.Weknowthat,sometimes,theeuphemismshavethefunctionsofcoveringup.Sosomescholarsholdtheopinionsthatweshouldnotusethemfortheirdeceitfunctions.Butwecannotdenyitswidelyuseinmodernsociety.
4.Applications
4.1.inOurDailyLife
"Alittleknowingisadangerousthing",soifwecanonlyspeakalanguage,butdonotknowhowtospeakitproperly,thatwillbeworse.Soitiswiththeusageofeuphemisms.Humansaresocialanimals.Wehavetocommunicateandcontactwithothersifwearetosurvive.Wecansaylanguageisnotonlyameansofcommunication,butalsoakindofart,soitisofgreatinfluenceonourdailylifewhetherwesayitproperlyornot.
Inourdailylifeforeveryindividual,theleasttopicwewanttotalkaboutshouldbedeath.Becausewearenotsages,itisquitenormalformostofusfearthehorrorandpityofdeath.Thoughthereareasmanyas70euphemismsonlyfordeath,wedonotusethemtoexpresseveryperson'sdeath.Thatistosay,euphemismsareusedalongwithatrailofpersonalfeelings.Totaketheexampleinourtextbook(ANewEnglishCourse(revisededition)P24):
agrandmaused“passedtotheotherside”,“kickedthebucket”,“snuffed”toexpressherhusband’sdeath.Sheadoptedsuchvaguephrasesnotonlytosoftenhersadnessbutalsoshowsomesortofwishestothedead.Intheinvolvementofman,weallhaveourownstandardstovalueheroesandtraitors,ofcourse,wewilluseoppositesayingsoutofnaturewhenrefertotheirdeath.WeallknowthatchairmanMaoisagreatcharacterinthehistoryofChina,sowhenwearetomentionhisdeath,wewillusesuchwordsas“ceasetothink”,“gotosleepforever”andsoontoinstead.Wealsosay“sacrificeforthecountry”whencometothesoldiers’death.However,incontrast,whenwetalksomeonewedonotlikeorhasdonesomedamagetoourcountry,wewilluseverycriticalwordstoexpressourdissatisfactoryorangersuchas“youdeserveit”,“final”.
Thereareeuphemismsevenwhenitcomestoeating.Asweknow,sometimes,itisverydifficulttorefuseothers’kindoffer.Butifwesay:
“Iamwilling,butMaryisnot.”Thus,wecanachieveahumorouseffect,notonlyavoidtheembarrassmentbutalsocreateapleasantatmosphere.
However,ontheotherhand,therearedifferentattitudestowardsoldagebetweenChinaandsomeWesterncountriesbecauseofthedifferencesofculturalbackground,religionandvaluesystem.WhileoldpeopleinChinafeelproudoftherebeingold,theelderintheWestfeelashamedandverysensitivewhentalkingaboutit.BecauseinChina,peopleregarditasasymbolofrichknowledgeandexperienceandpeopleinsocietyallshowrespecttothem.Incontrast,theelderintheWestregarditasasymbolofuselessnessandignorance.Sotherearemanypolitephrasesreferredtotheelder.Theyuse“thesecondchildhoodgoldenyears”,“seniorcitizen”,“grayhair”,“maturegoldenage”whentheyreferto“oldage”,inwhichitattemptstoconcealthefactofbecomingoldandavoidarousingoldpeoplessadfeelingofaging..(王亚平,万雪琴,2004.6.37)
4.2.InPoliticalIssues
Politics,acontroversialissue,ishighlyconcernednowadays.Manylinguistspointoutthat:
politicsisanactionoflanguage,whichintendstotellpeoplewhatishappeningintheworldandtrytopersuadesomeofthemtoparticipateinit.Somepeoplemayarguethatitisunreasonabletouseeuphemismbecausetheyhavethenatureofdeceit,especiallyinpoliticsandgovernment.Butwecannotdenythefactthateuphemismisveryhelpfulintheprocessofhumandevelopment.Politicsandlifearerelatedclosely.
Theeuphemismshaveessentialmeaningstothegovernmentandthepoliticians.Theyusethemeithertosoftenthetensionintheirowncountryortoformanintimaterelationshipwithothercountries.Therearegoodexamplesoftheseintentions.DuringtheIraqWar,theU.SpresidentG.W.Bush(2003.3.20)said:
myfellowcitizens,atthishourAmericanandcoalitionforcesareintheearlystagesofmilitaryoperationstodisarmIraq,tofreeitspeopleandtodefendtheworldfromgravedanger...helpingIraqisachieveaunited,stableandfreecountry...wehavenoambitioninIraq,excepttoremoveathreatandrestorecontrolofthecountrytoitsownpeople.OurNationentersthisconflictreluctantly,yetourpurposeissure...(Iraqisan)outlawregimethatthreatensthepeacewithweaponsofmassmurder...wewilldefendourfreedom.Wewillbringfreedomtoothers.
Throughthesewords,thepresidenthadbeautifiedtheinvasionpurposeofthiswar.Thus,peopleintheUnitedStateswouldnotprotestthewarsstrongly,someofthemmightevenwilltojoinit.Sothatisthemagicofeuphemisms.
TheTaiwanissuehaslongexistedanditisaverysensitivepartbetweenChinaandAmerica.TheSino-U.S.JointCommuniquéstates(1972.2.28):
“TheUSacknowledgesthatalltheChineseoneithersideoftheTaiwanStriatemaintainthereisbutoneChinaandthatTaiwanispartofChina.TheUSdoesnotchallengethatposition.”Thoughwecannotneglectthecoveringuppurposeinthisstatement,bythiskindofannouncement“theChineseoneithersideoftheTaiwanStriate”,theUSgovernmenthadsoftenedtheintensionbetweentheChinesepeopleandtheAmericans.Thus,thetwocountrieshaveformedgoodrelationshipswhichhelptheincreasesofeconomygreatly.
Theusageofeuphemismsinpoliticshasmanypoliticalintentionsandinclinations,butanywaytheyareveryimportantinthepeaceoftheworld.
Nowadays,asthe“reformationandopen-up”policyhaslongcomeintoeffect,ourcountryhasmorecommunicationswithothers.IfwecanspeakEnglishfluentlyandalsoknowmuchabouteuphemisms,notonlyitsfunctionsbutalsoitsapplications,wecanbenefitalotandcommunicatewithforeignersfreely.Whencomestotheapplicationsofeuphemism,weshouldknowthattheeuphemismisatwoside'ssword,ifwedonotuseitappropriately,itwillcausemanymisunderstandingsandconflictsforusorourcountry.First,weshouldpayattentiontotheopinion,attitudeandposition.Inotherwords,thinkingtwicebeforeleap.Second,payattentiontothenecessity.Ifthereisnoneedtouseeuphemism,thendonotuseit.Otherwisetheeffectwillgototheopposite.Third,aseuphemismisakindoflanguage,itisdevelopingallthetime.Soweshouldkeepaneyeonthechangingpartofit.
5.Conclusion
Inthe21stcentury,withthedevelopmentofscienceandtechnology,manysocialproblemsariseaswell.Peoplecraveforthegentle,warmandeasy
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