英语语法之委婉语

ACross-cultureComparisonbetweenChineseandEnglishEuphemism中西方委婉语的跨文化比较ContentsIntroductionChineseandEnglisheuphemistictermsEuphemismsanddifferentculturalconnotationsIntroductionEuphemismsaremild,agreeable,orroundaboutwordsusedinplaceofcoarsepainful,oroffensiveones.ThetermcomesfromtheGreekeu,meaning"well"or"soundinggood,"andpheme,"speech.“NomatterinChineseorEnglisheuphemismsdoexist.Toacertainextenteuphemismisamirrorofsocialpsychology.Humanbeingsarehumanbeings.Almostallculturesseemtohavecertainnotionsorthingsthatpeopletrytoavoidmentioningdirectly.BothChineseandEnglisheuphemismscoversuchtopicsasphysiologicalphenomena(death,oldage,diseaseandsecretions,occupation,poverty,physicalshortcomingsandpoliticsetc.Theysharecertainfeaturesincommon.ChineseandEnglisheuphemistictermsDeathPhysicalillnessPregnancyAgingExcretionsandsecretionsSexualActivitiesShortcomingsOccupationPovertyDeathInEnglish:tobeasleepintheArmsofGod，tobeatpeace，tobeatrest,tobecalledtoGod,tobecalledhome,tobehomeandfree，tobetakentoparadise，ThecallofGod,Thefinaldeparture,finalsleep,togotoone'sownplace，tohavefallenasleep，tohavegonetoabetterplace(land,world,life)，tojoinone'sancestors.JointheGreatmajority,returntodustgo,depart,departfromtheworldforever,passaway,breatheone'slast,payone'sdebttonature,gotoabetterworld,beinheaven,bewithGod,etcInChinese:去世，故去，牺牲，作古，谢世，与世长辞，心脏停止跳动，去见马克思，断弦，玉殒香消，玉碎珠沉，仙逝，登仙，归西。InancientChina:驾崩，晏驾，薨，卒，不禄。Physicalillnesspeoplealwaystrytoavoidnamingdiseasedirectly.Inthe19thcenturytuberculosiskilledmanypeoplebutitscausesweremysterious,givingitanextradimensionoffear.Itwaseuphemizedasconsumptioninallusiontothewayinwhichitconsumeditsvictims,givingthemthepaleandwastedappearance.Anothercircumlocutionemployedwasdecline，aspecializationofstillcurrentuseofdeclineforprogressiveworseningofaperson'shealth.OthereuphemismsfortuberculosisarehealthseekerorTB.Cancerisalsoanamemanydarenottospeak.ThecurrentlymodisheuphemismisthebigC.Inobituariesofcancervictims,deathisusuallyidentifieddiscreetlyasbeingafteralongillness.Theratherdrasticincurableillnessisalsosometimesused,whichmightseemabitstrongforaeuphemism,butisevidentlyfelttobemoreacceptablethancancer.InChina,parentsalwayswanttheirchildrentobeingoodhealth.Nowondertherearesuchnamesas杨康，霍去病，辛弃疾。Evenifpeopleareill,theyprefertouseeuphemisms,不适，不舒服，欠安。PregnancyBothinEnglishandChinesetherearemanyeuphemismsforpregnancy.InEnglish:inadelicate/interestingcondition,eatingfortwo,inafamilyway,haveahumpinthefront,haveawhiteswelling,spoiledshape,havealittletaxreduction,introubleorsprainone'sankle.InChinese:怀喜，有喜，身子不方便，身子笨了，身怀六甲，有了。AgingInEnglish:seniorcitizen,maturewoman,matureman,someonewhoisofadvancedyears,sunsetyears,twilightyears.InChinese:古稀之年，华发。ExcretionsandsecretionsInEnglish:gototherestroom,washroom,washone’shands,tofreshenup,naturecalls,powderhernose.InChinese:洗手间，一号，打个电话。SexualActivitiesInEnglish:havinganaffairwith,liewith,sleepwith,doit,dropyourpants,haverelationwith,makeout,playaroundwith.InChinese:同房，房事，过夫妻生活，干那事，风流韵事，发生关系，上床，睡觉，吃豆腐，露水夫妻，寻花问柳。ShortcomingsIt'sembarrassingtomentionother'sshortcomingsdirectly.SonowonderbothChineseandEnglishcontainalotofeuphemismsforshortcomings.InEnglish:plain-looking,heavyside,slender(skinny),physicallyhandicapped(crippled),slowofhearing(deaf),beautyspot(acne)plump(fat)InChinese:丰满，青春痘，欠安，耳背，耳朵不灵光，发育好，苗条，弱智，腿脚不利索。OccupationInEnglish:sanitationengineers(garbageman),footwearmaintenanceengineer(bootblack),waste-reductionmanager,domesticmanager(housewife)InChinese:马路天使，城市美容师，家政服务员，厨师，门卫，蓝领。PovertyInEnglish:involuntarilyleisured,needy,underprivileged,disadvantagedInChinese:失业人员，下岗人员，待岗人员，手头不便，囊中羞涩。Euphemismsanddifferentculturalconnotati