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1、中南民族大学 硕士学位论文 英语委婉语的特征及功能 姓名：吴俊 申请学位级别：硕士 专业：外国语言学及应用语言学 指导教师：黄崇珍 20060515 The Characteristics and Functions of English Euphemisms iv 内容提要 委婉语是一种语言学现象，更是一种社会语言学现象。可以肯定的是，委婉 语必将影响人类的语言。委婉语在现代社会中发挥着举足轻重的作用，尤其是在 西方国家的文化、政治领域以及商业广告中。 本论文将论述英语委婉语的特征及功能。为此，本论文将采用例证分析法。 本论文由如下五章组成。 第一章介绍国内外学者对英语委婉语研究的现状。在此
2、基础上，本论文从英语 文化、委婉语的社会意义及其在语言中的重要性来论述英语委婉语的特征及功能。 第二章论述委婉语和英语文化。首先陈述的是英语委婉语的定义；第二，论 述文化的概念；第三，阐述英语文化的特点即个性化、隐私性、礼貌性以及幽默 性；最后论述的是英语委婉语的文化内涵：社会心理、行为准则、宗教信仰、意 识及政治生活。 第三章论述的是英语委婉语的特征即普遍性、地域性、替代性、模糊性、美 化性、幽默性。普遍性指的是各种文化的人们使用委婉语以避免直接地谈论禁忌 的东西；地域性谈的是委婉语与具体的文化紧密联系；替代性就是人们在不得不 提及禁忌的东西得时候所采用的对策，即用另一种更好听的形式来替代禁
3、忌的东 西；模糊性是委婉语的基本特征，也是所有委婉语的标志；美化性表明了人们使 用委婉语就是给禁忌的东西披上华丽的外衣，从而减少不愉快的成分；幽默性则 强调委婉语能够逗人滑稽、愉悦。 第四章通过例证法来分析英语委婉语的功能。英语委婉语可以替代禁忌语， 例如“性” ；可以用来谈论敏感的话题，如英美文学中的“死亡”与“年龄” ；可 以表达策略，如政治委婉语及广告委婉语。政治语言有着自己鲜明的特色即政治 性、社会公共性、时代性、工具性。政治委婉语体现在政府及经济用语、军事与 战争、国际交流。广告委婉语包括了模糊语言、意义升格、夸张。无论是政治委 婉语，还是广告委婉语，都具有表达策略的作用。 第五章是
4、本论文的结论部分。作为一种语言学现象，委婉语必将影响人类的 语言。 委婉语在英美文学作品中的运用非常广泛， 可以用来替代禁忌语， 例如 “性” ； 可以用来谈论敏感的话题， “死亡” 与“年龄” 。因此，恰当地运用委婉语不但可 以使英美文学作品表达得体，表述优美，而且可以创造美的形象、美的意境，使 人产生美的联想，得到美的享受。英语委婉语具有表达策略的功能。所以，研究 政治委婉语有助于我们理解使用政治委婉语的目的及政治委婉语的本质性；出于 策略的需要，广告英语采用多种手段包括委婉语来推销产品从而获取丰厚利润。 关键词：英语委婉语；特征；功能 The Characteristics and Fu
5、nctions of English Euphemisms ii Abstract Euphemism is a linguistic and sociolinguistic phenomenon. As an important language phenomenon, euphemism surely has an influence on the human language. So do English euphemisms. In the modern society, English euphemisms play a very important role, especially
6、 in the following aspects: culture, political field, commercial advertising in the western countries. In this thesis, we discuss the characteristics of English euphemistic expressions as well as functions of English euphemisms. In order to discuss the characteristics and functions of English euphemi
7、sms, this thesis adopts a method of example analysis. The whole thesis consists of five chapters. Chapter One introduces the previous study of English euphemisms both at home and aboard. So far, the study of euphemisms has been related to five aspects: semantics, socioliguinstics, rhetoric, psycholo
8、gy and pragmatics. Based on the previous study, the present author discusses the characteristics and functions of English euphemisms from the aspects of English culture, social to talk about sensitive topics, for instance, “ death” and “ age” in English literature; to express strategies, taking poli
9、tical euphemisms Kind Words, A Thesaurus of Euphemisms (1983, by two American linguists, J.S.Newmen Newmen Liu Chunbao,1994), socioliguinstics (Wu liquan, 1987; Li Guonan,1989; Wu Songchu, 1996; Peng Wenzhao, 1999), rhetoric (Chinese experts studied English euphemisms mainly with this method, Chen W
10、angdao, 1976 ), psychology (Wu liquan, 1998; Sun Rujian, 1996), pragmatics (Shu Dingfang, 1989; Shu Dingfang Wu Xiaolong, 1996; Xu Haiming, 1996). Beyond all doubt, experts both at home and aboard have obtained some achievements in studying English euphemisms. However, some areas still need studying
11、. In guiding thought, people still haven t realized the importance of English euphemisms application in communication. People haven t realized the importance of studying the essence of English euphemisms, and social word or expression so substituted. In The New Oxford Dictionary of English (2001), e
12、uphemism is defined as a mild or indirect word or expression substituted for one considered to be too harsh or blunt when referring to something unpleasant or embarrassing: the jargon has given us “ downsizing” as a euphemism for cuts. The definition of euphemism defined by The Concise Oxford Dictio
13、nary (2001) is a mild or vague expression substituted for one thought to be too harsh or direct (e.g. pass over for die); the use of such expression. In Illustrated Oxford Dictionary (2002), the definition of euphemism is a mild or vague expression substituted for one thought to be too harsh or dire
14、ct (e.g. pass over for die); the use of such expression, based on Greek euphmeos “ fair of speech” . MacMillan English Dictionary for Advanced Learners (2003) gives such a definition to euphemism: a word or expression that people use when they want to talk about something unpleasant or embarrassing
15、without mentioning the thing itself, “ social exclusion” seems to be the latest English euphemism for poverty. From Cambridge Learner s Dictionary (2003), we can obtain such a definition of euphemism: a polite word or phrase that is used to avoid saying something embarrassing or offensive “ passed a
16、way” is an English euphemism for “ died” . In The Concise Oxford English Dictionary (2004), the definition of English euphemism reads: a mild or less direct word substituted for one that is harsh or blunt when referring to something unpleasant or embarrassing. A Dictionary of Contemporary American English (2004) explains the The Characteristics and Functions of English Euphemisms 4 definition of euphemism as a mild (indirect, polite, etc.) word or description used to replace a strong, h
