unit13euphemism.doc

Unit ThirteenText I: EuphemismI.Teaching objectives1. Understand the nature of euphemism.2. Know something about the relationship between names and things3. Learn to tell the motives for euphemizing4. Promote an awareness of pragmatic usage of euphemisms.II. Warm-up questions1. What does the word “euphemism” mean? Do you know of any other words that begin with the prefixeu- ? abbr.(Greek=good or well) （希腊语）好的;2. What are the motives for euphemizing?3. For what particular topics are euphemisms often used? Do you know of any anecdote about the usage of euphemisms?4. Euphemisms abound in Chinese. Can you list some examples of Chinese euphemisms?5. In the text, the author uses terms like “culturally different children”, “sanitation engineer”, and “mental institutions”. What do you think they might mean?6. How do you like euphemisms? Are you conscious of their usage in your daily life?7. How do people usually react to euphemizing? Whats the major objections for those who dislike euphemism?8. Whats the authors attitude towards using euphemisms?III. Relevant information1.Etymology of the word “euphemism”:1650-60; Gkeuphmisms; see EUPHEMIZE, -ISMeuphemize1855-60; Gkeuphmzeinto use words of good omeneu- a combining form meaning “good,” “well,” occurring originally in loanwordsfrom Greekeuphemism: made up of three boundmorphemes:, all Greek in origin:eu (good) + phem(voice) +ism (act/result)Examples:eulogy: a statement of praise, esp. a set oration in honor of a deceased person; -high praise 颂词eulogize v, 歌颂euphony:agreeableness of sound; pleasing effect to the ear, esp. a pleasant sounding or harmonious combination or succession of words euphonic adj.声音悦耳eugenic优生 eupeptic消化良好的 etc.In the sixteenth century, the British aristocracy was developing its own elaborate court language. Characterized by circumlocutions and amplifications, or, in other words, beatings around the bush, runnings around in circles, and excessive verbiage, this courtly argot was known aseuphuismand was given its name by the author John Lyly who employed it in a satirical work calledEuphues(1578). By the early 1580s, the author George Blount used the term “euphemism” in English, defining it as “a good or favorable interpretation of a bad word.” Although the terms “euphuism” and “euphemism” do not have the same meaning, they both describe a manner of speaking that leans toward indirectness in the service of pleasantness.2.Motives for euphemisinga) Fear and a desire to placate the mysterious forces that rule the universe were probably the original reasons for euphemizing. For instance, afraid to flout social and moral conventions, we refer to our lovers as COMPANIONS, thus disguising the unconventional or socially unacceptable nature of the relationship. Our fear of specific diseases had led us to coin a lexicon of euphemisms for insanity and retardation, epilepsy, venereal disease, cancer, heart disease and stroke.b) Another motive for contemporary euphemizing is our strong desire to avoid offending others. For instance, in our eagerness to avoid deflating our egos and those of others, we often create euphemisms that inflate them, for example, by conferring overblown titles on people, places and jobs. The term “professor” has been attached to bartenders, magicians and snake oil salesmen, as well as academics. The term “institute” and “college” have been applied to schools for auto mechanics, television repairmen, barbers, embalmers and others.Euphemism:n A pleasant way of referring to something unpleasant.nsubstitution of amild, indirect, or vagueexpression for one thought to be offensivelyharsh or bluntna figure of speech（修辞格）in which indirectness replaces directness of statement, usually in an effortto avoid offensive bluntnessin somesubject involving delicacy or taboo3.Formation of euphemismsJoseph M. Williams suggests five general semantic processes by means of which euphemisms are created.a)borrowing words from other languages-terms that are less freighted with negative associations, e.g., halitosis (bad breath) Latin halitus for breathb)widening-When a specific term becomes too painful or vivid, we move up in the ladder of abstraction. e.g., growth (cancer), foundation (girdle), solid human waste (feces)c)semantic shift-the substitution of the whole, or a similar generality, for the specific part we do not choose to discuss. e.g., rear end (bottuck)d)metaphorical transfer-the comparison of things of one order to things of another. e.g. blossom (pimple)e)phonetic distortion-When we encounter words that we dare not speak their names, weabbreviate,apocopate(shorten or omit the last syllable),initial,convert,backformandreduplicatethem. e.g.Abbreviation: ladies ladies roomApocopation: vamp vampire (a seductive woman)Initialing: JC Jesus ChristBackforming: burgle (rob) burglarReduplication: pee-pee pissPhonetic distortion: cripes Christ, Gad GodExamples of euphemism garbage man sanitation engineer old people senior citizen pregnant in the family way die pass away the dead the deceased /the late burier undertaker / mortician lunatic asylums mental institutions4.An anecdoteWhen Oscar Wilde was publicly tried for homosexuality, a subject never before quite so widely aired, he defended his particular taste as “the love that dare not speak its name.”Taboo or forbidden meanings of a word drive out its competing general or acceptable ones. e.g. gay, which has become the property of the homosexual community, is no longer primarily used as a synonym for “happy” or “vivacious.” “A gay party” is no longer a phrase used to describe a lively gathering but has the specific connotation of a social occasion for homosexuals.5. Attitudes towards using euphemismA.Generaln (For) To use euphemism is to show a decent respect for the feeling of others.n (against) It is possible for euphemism tosignal false delicacy, insincerity, sentimentality, excessive modesty. (故做文雅，虚伪，造做，过分谦虚)nTherecan also bea measure of ironyin euphemismB. The authors attitude toward using euphemismn If euphemism is used tohide ugly realities,to serve asdisguise for immoral acts,(as in the case of using the term “Operation Sunshine” to wipe out the hideous imagery people have in association with conducting hydrogen bomb experiments), then euphemism is bad and should be condemned.IV. Comprehension questionsn What relationship do you recognize in “names” and “things”?n Why do people euphemize?n What is the function of euphemizing?(Euphemizing is a perfectly intelligent method of generating new and useful ways of perceiving things.)n According to Postman, when is euphemizing contemptible and when is euphemizing OK?(Euphemizing is contemptible when a name makes us see something that is not true or diverts our attention from something that is. ( or if it is intended as a disguise to hide immoral acts, to conceal ugly realities etc.)n What role does euphemisms play in a culture?(“Euphemisms are a means through which a culture may alter its imagery and by so doing subtly change its style, its priorities, and its value” “Euphemism is more than using an alternative for a less agreeable term in a language, it is a useful means in effecting peoples belief and attitudes.” )n What moral dimensions does the author recognize in euphemizing?(The moral dimensions are supplied by what the words in question express, what they want us to value and to see. If euphemizing is intended to hide hideous imagery or to commit immoral acts, them such euphemizng should be condemned. If euphemizing is good-intentional, such as using “senior citizens” instead of “old people” to give political identity or to show respect for older people, then euphemism is good.n What positive function does Postman recognize in euphemizing? (intelligent method of generating new and useful ways of perceiving things, an important intellectual resource for creating new perspectives on a subject.)V. Analysis of the organization of the text Para. 1: A common definition: euphemism has got a bad name.Para. 2: Change in names vs change in nature. (Transition: “To begin with”. Topic sentence: the first sentence, a basis for further discussion.)Para. 3: Euphemism - a method of generating new and useful ways of perception. (cohesive device: “NowBut”)Para. 4: The neutral nature of the process of enphemisng (There is nothing in the process of euphemizing itself that is contemptible). ( “The point that I am making” offering a clue to the main argument)Para. 5 The cultural effect of euphemizing on language: Change in a name must be supported by some authentic tendency or drift in the culture. (argument through concession: “I grantsuch euphemizing” followed by assertion)Para. 6: Moral dimensions of euphemizingPara. 7: Summary of main idea (conclusive signal “The key idea here”)VI. Language points1.auspicious: (fairly formal) favorable or glorified, raising the status of the person referred to, e.g. It was an auspicious start to their election campaign.2.exalted: uplifting3.down-to-earth: factual, telling what something actually is4.partial: showing special favor to one side, person, etc., esp. in an unfair way; biased partiality: biase.g. Show no partiality in your decisions.be partial to:like very much, e.g Im very partial to sweet foods.我特喜欢甜食。5.detestable: hateful6.operation: (singular) used as part of a code name for military campaigns7.expunge: (formal) remove completely, e.g. from a piece of writing or from your memory, because it causes problems or bad feelings e.g. He had tried to expunge memories of the failure.his battle to expunge the clause from the contact8.imagery: the mental pictures that are created in your mind by poetic language; used also of the words which create these pictures. e.g. He argued that Shakespeares plays were patterns of imagery.9. amiss: wrong, inadequate (sth.)not come/go amiss: it would be very welcome and useful e.g. A little calm and detachment wouldnt come amiss.10. vein: style or mood e.g. - John Gielgud can also be heard in much lighter vein on Radio Four - The letter continued in this vein for several pages.11. generate: (formal) cause (a situation or feeling) to begin, esp. when it then continues to exist or develop by itself e.g. - Technology by itself does not generate new ideas-This book will continue to generate excitement for a long time- Tourism will generate new jobs.12. attend to: deal with (e.g. a problem), see to e.g. - I had two items of business to attend to before I could relax. - If we do not attend to the problem, it will certainly grow.13. divert: cause to be used for a different purpose of activity e.g. -We feel it desirable to divert funds from armaments to health and education. - If you dont use it, you can divert the money into savings.14. alienatefrom: emotionally or intellectually separate from, estrange, isolate e.g. - We live in an age in which people have been alienated from their roots.- The leadership must never become alienated from the ordinary members.- I felt alienated, angry and alone.- the growing feeling of despair and alienation15. frame of mind: the mood that someone is in, which causes him to have a particular attitude to something; humour e.g. Im not the right frame of mind for riddles.16. authentic: (painting, a piece of writing, etc.) genuine rather than being an imitation; real; bona fide e.g. - They inserted among the authentic documents several that had been forged. - It is an authentic Air Force jacket.17. incongruous: strange for not fitting properly into the rest of the event or situation e.g.- He was an incongruous figure among the tourists.-The sound of the horn hung in the air, lonely and incongruous.-I was struck by the glaring incongruity of the scene. There I was, my face dirty, my clothes torn; and there he was, immaculate as usual.18. amount to: have particular worth or importance; be worth e.g. - It is unlikely that the forthcoming talks will amount to very much. - What do these rumors amount to?19. priorities: a set of problems, considerations, or courses of action, which need dealing with in a particular order because some are more important than others. e.g. - There is little attempt to find out the priorities of the public. - The policeman had his priorities right.20. categorically: positively e.g. - The government have stated quite categorically that were going to see a change in priorities. -be categorical about: completely certain about; positive e.g. On this point we can be clear and categorical.21. propriety: (formal) correctness of behaviour in terms of what is considered socially or morally acceptable e.g. - What is questionable is the propriety of diluting truth for the sake of a good story. - I always try to write with propriety.VII. Difficult sentences (paraphrase)1.“things do not have real names ”: i.e. The meaning of the majority of words is arbitrary and conventional. Words are no more than labels given to things.A quotation from Shakespeare:“Whats in a name: That which we call a roseBy any other name would smell as sweet.”2. “What we call things affects how we will perceive them”. i.e. Things may take on a different look when named differently.perceive: understand or come to a particular opinion about sth. by studying, observing, reading, etc. e.g. - It is important that the president be perceived as moving the country forward. -this theory expresses the truth as I perceive it.3. “It would appear that human beings almost naturally come to identify names with things, which is one of our more fascinating illusion.” Mankind seems predisposed to regard things as being inseparable from the labels they bear. This is a most intriguing delusion.VIII. Classroom discussion1. What role do euphemisms play in a culture? What moral dimension does the author recognize in euphemizing?2. Do you agree with Postman that euphemism may change the attitude of the people toward the thing?VIV. AssignmentChoose a topic for which there are euphemisms in both English and Chinese, and compare differences in perception of the topic between English people and Chinese people.Text II ClutterI. Teaching objectives1. Have an idea of the various forms of clutter in writing.2. Realize how harmful clutter might be to a piece of writing.3. Learn to identify clutter in writing and to get rid of it. .II. Pre-reading questions1. What is clutter? Is it a common problem in writing?2. What effects do you think clutter may cause?III. Organization and development of the textPara. 1:Introducing the topic - fighting clutter is like fighting weeds: the writer is always slightly behind. The simile hints at the difficulty involved in fighting clutter.Para 210:Various forms that clutter may take:Para. 2: Prepositions that are draped onto verbsPara. 3: adjectives that do not really qualify the nounParas. 4: & 5 laborious phrases which have pushed out the short synonymous wordPara. 6: ponderous euphemismsPara 7: official language used by American corporation in its new release and annual reportsPara. 8; language of the interoffice memoPara. 9:language of the PentagonPara. 10: language of government officialsPara. 11:Re-asserting the point: Clutter is the enemy, whatever form it takes.Para. 12 14:Illustrating with examplesof long words that are no better than their shorter synonymsParas. 15-18Citing personal experience in fighting clutter-the device to use, the effect it has produced, the steps to take, and the fundamental principle.IV. Language points1.sprout: grow, appear, develop2.drape: hang loosely on3.free up: move or loosen a person or thing that is prevented from moving4.face up to: meet confidently or defiantly; accept and deal with sth. unpleasant or demanding with honesty and bravery5.stricken: affected or overcome by illness6.lumber: move in a heavy and clumsy way7.gasp: take quick deep breaths with open mouth because of exhaustion8.sting: sharp pain9.gasping death shall lose its sting: more painful to bear it than death10.ponderous: slow, awkward, dull (in writing or speaking)11.incinerator: furnace for burning rubbish12.hobo/bum: tramp, vagrant13.realign: bring into a new arrangement14.populace: ordinary people15.deterrence: act of making sb. decide not to do sth.16.tenure: holding of office17.pluralization