英语中的委婉语EuphemismPPT课件

,EnglishEuphemism,.,2,Definition,Euphemismisapleasantreplacementforanobjectionablewordthathaspejorativeconnotations.Theword“euphemism”comesfromancientGreek.threemorphemes：Soeuphemismmeans“speakingwellof”.,“eu-”,“beinggoodorwell”,“pheme-”,“speech”,“-ism”,anactortheresultofanact.,.,3,Socialbackgroundoftheemergenceofeuphemism,Theemergenceanddevelopmentofeuphemismwascausedmainlybythepeopleofmiddleclass.Peopleofupperclassdidntchoosetheirworkwithgreatcareanylongerbecausetheirsocialstatushasbeenstabilized.Peopleoflower-classdidnthavetheabilitytoweightheirwordsbecauseoftheirknowledgelimitation.Peopleofmiddleclasswanttoimprovetheirpresentconditionandsocialstatus,sotheytrytoprettifythemselvesinlanguage.Duringthepastdecades,insomeEnglishspeakingcountries,alotofeuphemismemergedandwasdevelopingquicklybecauseoftheincreaseofthepeopleofmiddleclass.,.,4,Formationdevices,Mosteuphemismsareformedbymorphologicaldevices,phoneticdevices,spellingdevices,lexicaldevices,andrhetoricaldevices.Morphologicaldevicesincludeword-formingmethodssuchascompounding,backformation,acronymyandclipping.Forinstance,theacronymBMisformedfrombowelmovement(大便);thewordlavistheclippedformoflavatory(洗手间).,.,5,Lexicaldevicesareoftenemployedtoattaineuphemisticobjective.Thatis,tosubstituteataboowordwithpejorativeinmeaning.Forinstance,agentforspy,speculatorforgambler,silencerformurderer.Borrowingisafavoritemethodforstudents,especiallyintheVictorianAge.Figuresofspeecharealsoeffectivemeanstoserveeuphemisticfunction.Thesearemetaphoricaltransfer(asinmeattechnologistforbutcher),negation(asinunwiseforstupid),understatement(asintheneedyforthepoor)andperiphrasis(asinvisuallyretardedforblind).,.,6,Theeuphemismsfordeath,Deathisoneofexpressions.Theeuphemismsfordeathareawidelyuseditem,especiallywhenitconcernsonesownfamiliesandfriends.e.g.passaway（过世）、togowest（归西天）、tickthebucket（翘辫子）、togotosleep（长眠）、tocloseoneseyes（闭眼）、toexpire（逝世）、toendonesday（寿终）、tolaydownoneslife（牺牲）、tobreatheoneslast（咽气）、topaythedebtofnature（了结尘缘）、tocrossovertotheotherside（去世）等,.,7,Theeuphemismsforpovertyandunemployment,Thetopicofpovertyandunemploymentmightcausesomeembarrassment,sopeopleoftenuseeuphemismwhentheirtalksconcernsuchthings.Forexample,badlyoff（短缺的）、lesswelloff（不太宽裕的）、downononesluck（时运不济）、hardupformoney（缺钱）、indifficulty（处于困境）；have-nots（不富有的人）unemployment:“tobedevelopinganewproject”.InAmerica“unemployedmen”arecalled“claimants”,while,inBritain,theyarecalled“tobeonpublicassistance”or“thelessfortunate”.,.,8,Theeuphemismsfortheageandweight,Theage,especiallyawomansageisregardedasasensitiveprivacy.Andmostofthewesternpeopleareafraidofgettingold,so“oldpeople”or”oldage”caneasilycausethefearoftheoldpeople.Someeuphemisticexpressionstakeplaceofthem,suchas“gettingon(inyears),secondchildhood,adistinguishedgentleman,agrandedame,thirdage”.Theyarenot“old”but“long-lived”.Inwesterncountry,itisveryimpoliteifyoutalkaboutsomeonesfigureandweightwithoutreservation.Ifsomeoneis“fat”,“overweight”isoftenusedtoreplaceit.Tomale,“fat”iscalled“stout”;tofemale,“afatgirl”iscalled“afullerfigureorplump”;tochild,itiscalled“chubby”.Onthecontrary,ifsomeoneistoothin,euphemismisalsoused.Tomale,itiscalled“lean”,andtofemale,itiscalled“slim,slenderorsvelte”.,.,9,KingSize“mortuaryorfuneral”isaeuphemismofdeadhouse.Somesmallcompaniesorsmallenterprisesliketousetheword“industry”,suchashotelindustry,touristindustry,garageindustry,womensbeautyindustryetc.,Theeuphemismfortheofficeandtrade,.,11,Conclusion,Asanimportantlanguagephenomenon,euphemismwillsurelyhaveaninfluenceonthehumanlanguage.Yetitstillneedsfurtherstudy,notonlyfromlexiconlevel