硕士学位论文-运用概念整合理论分析英语委婉语.doc

The Application of Conceptual Integration Theory to the Analysis of English Euphemisms AcknowledgementsI greatly appreciate all the support that has been given on the thesis presented here. First and foremost, I should like to express my sincere gratitude to my adviser, Professor Zhang Haiying, for her deep insight and great patience as well as constructive comments in aiding me throughout the process of writing this thesis. Without her thought-provoking instructions and constant encouragement, the thesis would not appear in the present form. Secondly, my gratitude also goes to other professors and teachers for their illuminating lectures and precious advices which inspired and nurtured me during my study for master degree at the college of Foreign languages of Shanghai Maritime University.Thirdly, my heartfelt gratitude is extended to all of my friends, classmates who have offered me helpful suggestion and valuable reference books during the writing of this thesis. And last but not least, I owe special thanks to my family who, in one way or another, helped me all the time in the completion of this thesis.摘 要“委婉语如此深深地嵌入我们的语言，以至于我们中间没有谁（即使那些自诩为直截了当的人）能够在不使用委婉语的情况下过完每一天的”。（Rawson, 1995：1）很久以来，很多学者从修辞学，语义学，语用学，社会语言学等角度对英语委婉语都各有特色，但从认知角度进行研究的却很少。因此本文试图从概念整合理论出发, 通过框架和映射二个视角来探讨英语委婉语的意义生成机制和解读过程。文章所用语料几乎全部出自国内一部最权威的英语委婉语词典：刘纯豹教授所编英语委婉语词典, 希望能给英语委婉语认知研究提供更加有力的语料来源。全文共分为五章。第一章主要是论文的研究目的，意义，委婉语认知角度研究的文献综述，以及论文的结构。第二章概述英语委婉语的定义，历史，动机，以及构成。第三章主要介绍概念整合理论。第四章通过概念整合理论中框架(Frame)和映射(Mappings)二个视角，结合实例对英语委婉语的意义生成机制和解读过程进行具体分析。第五章是对全文的总结。通过分析，我们得知：在概念整合理论指导下，凭借框架(Frame)，映射(Mappings) 二个视角，很多英语委婉语都能得到很详尽的认知诠释。就英语委婉语的认知机制来说，从模糊的语义意义到清晰的语用意义就是一个认知过程。在其过程中听者对于禁忌语的注意力不再集中而是极大的扩散从而使禁忌所带来不佳的影响大幅度的被淡化，甚至暂时地被掩饰。关键词：概念整合; 英语委婉语; 框架; 映射；认知机制Abstract“Euphemisms are embedded so deeply in our language that few of us, even those who pride themselves on (in) being plain-spoken, ever go through a day without them”. (Rawson, 1995：1) English euphemisms have long attracted much attention from scholars from various perspectives such as rhetoric，semantics, pragmatics, and sociolinguistics, etc. Yet, they have been seldom studied from the cognitive approach. As a bold endeavor, this present thesis applies the Conceptual Integration Theory to the analysis of English euphemisms to discover their cognitive mechanism and meaning construction. Most of the examples are taken from A dictionary of English euphemisms compiled by Prof. Liu Chunbao. This thesis consists of five chapters:Chapter 1 is the introduction, explaining the objectives and significance of the thesis. Literature review and the organization of the thesis are also presented in this part.Chapter 2 discusses the definition, history, motivations, and cognitive formation mechanisms of English euphemisms. Chapter 3 introduces the conceptual integration theory. Chapter 4 applies the Conceptual Integration Theory to the analysis of English euphemismsChapter 5 presents the conclusion reached in this thesis.The main conclusion drawn from the present thesis is that, according to frames and mappings, many English euphemisms are available to be cognitively analyzed to the full.Moreover, based on analyses of cognitive mechanism in English euphemisms in chapter 4, we come to learn that the change from unclear semantic meaning to clear pragmatic meaning involves a cognitive process during which the attention focus of a concept signified by taboo is so enormously diffused that its evocative impact is greatly lessened or even temporally concealed to the utmost. Key word: conceptual integration, English euphemisms, frames, mappings, cognitive mechanismContentsChapter 1 Introduction11.1 Objectives and Purposes11.2 Significance of the Present Research11.3 Literature Review21.4 The Organization of the Thesis4Chapter 2 English Euphemisms52.1 Definition and History of English Euphemisms52.1.1 Definition52.1.2 History62.2 The Motivations of Emergence of Euphemisms82.2.1 Taboo82.2.2 Politeness102.2.3 Humor112.2.4 Concealing122.3 Cognitive Formation Mechanisms of English Euphemisms132.3.1 Transfer and Dispersion of Attention Focus132.3.1.1 Conceptual Metaphor132.3.1.2 Conceptual Metonymy142.3.2 Cultural Image Transformation162.3.3 Temporary Thought Blocking during the Cognitive Process162.4 Summary18Chapter 3 Conceptual Integration Theory193.1 Mental Space Theory193.2 An Introduction to Conceptual Integration Theory213.3 The Network Model of Conceptual Integration Theory223.3.1 Description of Some Key Terms223.3.1.1 Mental Space223.3.1.2 Mapping233.3.1.3 Projection243.3.2 The Network Model243.4 Vital Relations283.5 Network Model Types303.5.1 Simplex Networks313.5.2 Mirror Network323.5.3 Single -Scope- Network333.5.4 Double -Scope- Network343.5.5 Multi -Scope- Network353.6 Summary35Chapter 4 Analysis of English Euphemisms by CIT374.1 Methodology374.1.1 Corpus Selection374.1.2 Analytical Methods and Procedures394.2 Euphemisms for Occupation394.2.1 General Description394.2.2 Analysis of Examples404.3 Euphemisms for Gender494.3.1 General Description494.3.2 Analysis of Examples504.4 Euphemisms for Body524.4.1 General Description524.4.2 Analysis of Examples524.5Euphemisms for Disease554.5.1 General Description554.5.2 Analysis of Examples554.6 Euphemisms for Death594.6.1 General Description594.6.2 Analysis of Examples604.7 Euphemisms for War and Politics634.7.1 General Description634.7.2 Analysis of Examples654.8 Summary71Chapter 5 Conclusion72Bibliography7477Chapter 1 Introduction1.1 Objectives and PurposesFor a long time, many a scholar analyzed English euphemisms from various points of view, contributing enormously to the research of English euphemisms from their unique perspectives. Nevertheless, few scholars have tried to probe into the great part that the cognitive mechanism plays in the process of meaning construction and interpretation. Simple as they may seem, euphemisms have always puzzled linguists as well as psychologists due to their meaning construction in the cognitive process and reasoning mechanism in the interpretation process. However, with the rapid development of cognitive science, cognitive linguistics has emerged as a distinguished subject in the past 20 years. Fauconnier and Turner, scholars of eminence in the linguistic field, created the Conceptual Integration Theory (CIT) in collaboration in the 1990s. During the past few years, some researchers at home and abroad have made tentative efforts to analyze multifarious linguistic phenomena in the light of this theory, yielding substantial and plentiful fruits. Based on frames and mappings of CIT, which was put forward by Fauconnier and other scholars, the present research is carried out in an attempt to discover the cognitive mechanism and meaning construction of English euphemisms with vivid and concrete examples. 1.2 Significance of the Present ResearchThe present research is of great significance at both theoretical and practical levels.Theoretically, Conceptual Integration Theory focuses on the human cognition, behavior, language, and the metaphor mechanism of language in particular via keeping track of meaning construction on a moving mode. (Fauconnier, 1998:133) It yields academic achievements that become entrenched in conceptual structure and grammar and lays more stress on the cognitive meaning of the emergent structure through the process of composition, completion, and elaboration so as to decipher the mystery iceberg hidden behind the on-line construction of meaning and further probe into the universal law of language cognition. According to Fauconnier & Turner (2002), rather than a new creation, conceptual integration is, in fact, one of the essential tools by means of which we can apprehend and even construct this world. Application of Conceptual Integration Theory to analyzing English euphemisms displays not only the explanatory power of CIT, but also expands the research field of CIT.Practically, on account of their widespread use in every area of social life throughout the world, euphemisms on a whole boast of difference in mechanism, motivation, culture and characteristics; therefore they deserve our efforts to conduct a profound research. With the aid of CIT, it would be easy to get across the implicatures of English euphemisms, which is also a kind of cognitive phenomenon. Furthermore, something uniquely expressed in English euphemisms, which ranges from cultural aspects to customs and socio-psychology in British-American society, could also be conveyed. In this sense, the interpretation of English euphemisms with the aid of CIT is of profound significance in reducing cultural misunderstandings, mitigating cultural conflicts and promoting cultural exchange. 1.3 Literature ReviewCognitive linguistics, a new branch of learning, has attracted attention of more and more scholars, who have conducted series of researches into it. Wang Yongzhong (2003) holds that the semantic relation between euphemisms and taboos isnt synonymic at all. Accordingly, traditional semantics fails to explain the semantic relation between them and therefore isnt capable of deciphering the operating mechanism of euphemisms to the full extent. And he elaborates on the cognitive motivation of euphemisms in terms of the category and prototype theories. In his view, the cognitive motivation of euphemisms could be classified into two types: evolvement of meaning from prototype sense to marginal one (poor-needy-culturally deprived-disadvantaged), and weakening typicality of family resemblance (metaphor and metonymy: death-at rest- fall asleep; breast-chest-bosoms-front). Liang Yanchun (2003) tries to use the blend space theory to make a detailed analysis of euphemisms by focusing on their meaning construction and reasoning mechanism. Shao Junhang and Fan Weiwei (2004) illustrate generative mechanism of euphemisms and their accurate process of comprehension from the cognitive perspective, and divide cognitive mechanism of English euphemisms into three types: transfer and dispersion of attention focus, cultural image transformation, and temporary thought blocking during the cognitive process (2.3Cognitive Formation Mechanisms of Euphemism). Liu Rushan and Jiang Xiaoyu (2005) expound their views on operating mechanism of metaphorical euphemisms and divide it into 4 types: semantic conflict, semantic similarity, defamiliarization, and dual imaging. Semantic conflict refers to a phenomenon violating semantic selectional restriction or convention. Semantic similarity is the similar relation between tenor (target domain) and vehicle (source domain). Defamiliarization is the means to use something far less familiar than the tenor. Dual imaging is the means of extraordinary collocation in metaphor to arouse in people a normal association as well as its corresponding image. All these types, in their opinions, are instrumental in understanding metaphorical euphemism. Mainly from the perspective of conceptual metonymy, Lu Weizhong and Kong Shujuan (2006) probe into the ways and features of meaning construction of some euphemisms and their interpretations (metonymy generating mechanism and language metonymy (vocabulary, grammar, and pragmatics) in relation to euphemisms) and conclude that, upon synchronic or diachronic basis, metonymy is invariably an important mechanism and means in meaning construction of some euphemisms as well as their interpretation. Chen Liwen (2006) applies Lakoffs Conceptual Metaphor Theory to analyzing the motivation of euphemisms. And he classifies the cognitive motivation of metaphorical euphemisms into three types: the weakening resemblance of meaning between the target and source concepts, highlighting and uplifting the source concept, and mapping from psychologically highly accessible source domain to lowly accessible target domain. In his opinion, euphemisms demand cognitive explanation rather than traditional semantics theory in terms of their internal semantic construction or their fundamental motivation. The resemblance between the source domain and the target domain in the conceptual system serves the ground of this cognitive procedure. When this resemblance is weak, the semantic concept in the salient source domain gets heightened, and then it is mapped from psychologically highly accessible source domain to lowly accessible target domain, and thus activates the target domain and makes its concept salient. And finally he concludes that conceptual metaphor theory can help people understand the semantic construction of euphemisms and may steer relevant study to a dynamic and open field and therefore it provides a new perspective for the study of euphemisms motivation. Later in 2007, he utilizes Fauconnier and Turners cross-mappings theory to illustrate the similarities and differences between Chinese and English euphemisms and their different cognitive mechanisms in conceptual blending. Later, Zhou Fujuan and Tang Dingjun (2008) study the cognitive motivation of English euphemisms and classify metonymic euphemisms into five types: the whole replacing the part, the part replacing the whole, place replacing event, place replacing institution, and characteristics of thing replacing the thing per se. And finally they conclude that conceptual metonymy, as a way of thinking, is no less important than conceptual metaphor and that the interaction of conceptual metonymy and other cognitive mechanisms such as conceptual metaphor is capable of providing a more powerful explanation for the construction of English euphemisms. 1.4 The Organization of the ThesisThe present study is comprised of five chapters. Chapter 1 gives a general introduction to the whole research, states the objectives and significance, and explains the structure of the present thesis. A literature review is also made to introduce previous achievements on the subject matter under discussion. Chapter 2 gives a comprehensive description of English euphemism including its definition, history, motivation and formation. Chapter 3 introduces the Conceptual Integration Theory. Chapter 4 is the major part of this thesis. With the aid of frames and mappings, the author makes tentative efforts to integrate the CIT theory into the analysis of English euphemisms for the purpose of deciphering the cognitive mechanism and meaning construction of English euphemisms. Chapter 5 gives a conclusion to the whole research.Chapter 2 English Euphemisms2.1 Definition and History of English Euphemisms2.1.1 Definition Euphemism is such a common linguistic phenomenon that it is generally regarded as a “lubricant” in language. Etymologically, English Euphemisms originated from taboo language. People tended to use alternative expressions to avert taboo which usually provoked unpleasant feelings, and thus euphemisms came into being. It is just by means of euphemisms that people began to express ideas indirectly in daily communication.The word “euphemism”, which came from the Greek suffix “eu” that means “good” and the root “pheme” that means “speech or saying”, refers to “to speak with good words or in a pleasant manner”. Nevertheless, with regard to English euphemisms, scholars in different ages put forward definitions from different aspects. As early as 1656 A.D, the English writer Thomas Blount used the term “euphemism” in English for the first time, defining it as “a good or favorable interpretation of a bad word”. (Neaman&Silver, 1983:4) Euphemism, as defined by Thomas Blount, describes a manner of speaking that leans toward indirectness in the service of pleasantness. In 1991, Allan and Burridge says, “ An euphemism is used as an alternative to a disprefered expression in order to avoid possible loss of face, either ones own face ,or through giving offence，that of the audience，or of some third Party”.(Allan & Burridge, 1991:168-201) Later, Rawson defines euphemisms as “mild, agreeable, or roundabout words used in place of coarse, painful or offensive ones”. (Rawson, 1995:10) In The Oxford English Dictionary (2nd edition), euphemism is defined as “The figure of speech which consists in the substitution of a word or expression of comparatively favorable implication or less unpleasant associations, instead of the harsher or more offensive one that would more precisely designate what is intended”.(1972: 436) And in Collins Dictionary of the English Language, the definition is “an inoffensive word or phrase substituted for one considered offensive or hurtful, esp. one concerned with religion, sex, death or excreta”.(1979:512) At the same time in Websters Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language, euphemism is “the substitution of a mild indirect or vague expression for one thought substituted”. (Webster, 1996:248) In this sense, euphemism comprises not only words, but also sentences, paragraphs and even discourses. Moreover, according to Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, an euphemism is “the use of a pleasant,1ess direct name for something thought to be unpleasant” .(2004：636) Prof. Su Dingfang(1995) puts forward his definition of euphemism in both narrow and broad sense: the former is euphemism word, usually established by usage and accepted by most members in society after being used for a long time; for example,” pass way” is the euphemism of “death”; the latter is the expressions with circumbendibus function which is formed temporarily by various language means such as pronunciation(unstressed, intonation), grammar(negation, tense, voice), discourse (texture),etc. From the above-mentioned definitions, we could see that, different as they are, these definitions indicate that in our daily conversation, so