ժҪ
κһУЩֱ˵˵ĻǽʵĹУЩʹΣ˲죬˺£ֱӱһִסḡӡһЩΪ˱ѿ˵ĸ˺ǴίĻУںܶǹ㷺ʹί϶һġĽίͬĹϵίᄈԣؽӢίص㼰ڸӦã̽ʹЩίԭ
ؼʣӢίᄈص㣻Ӧ
Abstract
In every society there are certain things that are supposed to be unspeakable. A fair number of words make someone embarrassedunhappydislike or fear when used in communication. If we express the meaning in the direct way, we will make such impression which is vulgar, frivolous, and impolite. In order to avoid the embarrassment or ease the sting of harsh words, man has created euphemisms. In western cultures, many of the fields that people tend to euphemize widely are not different from anywhere in the world. This paper introduces the relationship between euphemism and taboo and the dependence on the context. It mainly focuses on the characteristics and the application of English euphemism, and the causes of using euphemism.
Key words: English euphemism; taboo; context; characteristics; application
I
һ
ίձڵһ˼ʹϵһҪֶΡһǸһĻίнǿ˵ӵкܺõЧԱ鼰еĸΣ䣬ϲӢίҲѳΪӢĻвɸһ֣ӢҪɲ֮һҲǿĻһҪĿ⡣
±Ӣ̡̳IJUnit 2 Text IB һ,һĬ:һλԷĿþӢ,Ůܵ: “Here’s grandma.”λ˵: “ My husband has just passed to the other side.”դһȥ,ûпӰ,е.Ůֽһ: “I mean granddad’s kicked the bucket.”˾Ͱο: “I hope his foot will be better soon.”Ī.Ůһ͵“ No, he’s not here. He’s snuffed it …you know!”˸ͷԣѿڶ“But you’ve got electricity here.”
λĿַ֮ţ༰ĻشΪûʶŮʹίûί“Ự”Ҫ˼“үүȥˡ”
ӢίIJ
һ.ӢίĶ
Euphemism һԴϣǰeu(=good,sounding well,õ,)ʹʸpheme(=speech or saying,û)Euphemism ϵ˼“use of pleasant,mild or indirect words or phrases in place of more accurate or direct ones(úĻķʽ)”[1]p491
The Random House College Dictionary (1979)euphemismΪ:the substitution of a mild, indirect, or vague expression for one thought to be offensive, harsh or blunt,“һģίģ˳Ĵȡ˲ġ³ġ̶Ĵ”ѧHugh Rawson ˵ίDZԣмû˭——ʹЩڼΪֱ˵——ܹڲʹί¹һ[2]p36
ԶίҪṦܣһ棬άԵĽɵʩʹЧܣһ棬õ˼ʹϵٽサʵСͬʱҲһ淴ӳһĻһļֵۻ[3]p45
() .ӢίͬĹϵ
tabooǶ²˵˵ĻijЩټܻڽ̣йأobscenevulgarĻprofaneԲãɻܲ˵˼ɲ˴ί [4]p28Fromkin ˵ģ“The existence of taboo words or taboo ideas stimulates the creation of euphemism. A euphemism is a word or phrase that replaces a taboo word, or that is used in the attempt to avoid either fearful or unpleasant subjects.”ˣίȡ˽еĽִ̼µίIJҲô˵ίﱾӲһ𣬾Ϳʼתίﶼһת̣ίעҪȥģίı[5]p19-20Ӣе˲ʹϵ۵壬 ´ͷΪͬʱﵽʵĿģʹjeepers gosh darn Jesus God damn.Ǻ̸䣬ŮԡҪԭǼɻϣΪζഺڣζžõλελ½oldϣһһԽܵģDZίIJЩ˵ijԸֻϣԼ㣬ֻϣԼղ˥βģ˾еĴ棺distinguished gentleman(ָ);grande dameˣָ긾Ůϸ; seasoned manḻˣɣˣָˣ; senior citizen乫ָˣ[6]p29
().ίϢᄈ
ͺսĶԻΪ߾߱ͳ֪ʶᄈ֪ʶサʵĻͬʱǿ˵߶ܻͳԤ⡣ܵĻͳԼòصԼίһサʵеĻ⣬Ե־ԡڶܻͳԤĻϣþԭͶԭָƵľ룬ֱָָܻʽ֣ƲϢʵݡˣܻPͳ֪ʶᄈ֪ʶѧн[7]p42磺һЦһλϲǶԷ˵“I wonder if I can go somewhere”ڴ“Yes, you can go anywhere in China.” ŪЦԭ˵ίֻ淭仰ûᄈĻ⣬ӶֳЦ
ӢίIJ
ӢָԶڵϵͳźܴIJ졣ڲͬĹҡͬȻỷʽֵͬԸиԵص㣬йͬĻȻҲίӳ[8]p50纺ĻȽעصȼ,ӺĻеıܻɼһߡڷ⽨й䣬ν,ҪDZܿʵ۱˵ռΡʵͬҪرܡ,мһ䡢ʥ䡢ٻ֡ҺĻеĵȼϼ쵼,ǽ,Ωֱֲ, ְλ,ijij,ijijϲƽദ,¼ֱ,ӿֱ֪֡,йϸ,Ա﷽ʽȽϺʹܵޱ,ĺܵʱ,Ҳ˵:“,,ҵ,”֮ǫ֮ԡDZܻе,Ըֱ,ϲܵ,ǻȻ֮,ıʾл⡣йʱʱԼʾǫ෴,˸иԵ
ͨȽǿԿ,Ӣʹίͼͬ,ʹԱøò,ױܡڽһĹ۲,Ƿʹί龰ȫͬ,ʱǽȻ෴ġǺӢĻԡֵȡԵԡ
ģӢίص
(һ).
ίĻձͬҡͬȻỷͬʽʽĻ죬ͬеίȻҲ൱IJ죬ֲ֣ίص[9]p136
͵ӾӢpoor(ƶ)ĿpoorӢһµۣζҲʾλ£poorĴҲ࣬һһλḾ̵ֲչʾһϵpoorί
I used to think I was poor. Then they told me I wasn’t poor, I was needy. Then they said it was self-defeating to think of myself as needy, that I was culturally deprived. Then they told me deprived was a bad image, that I was underprivileged. Then they told me that underprivileged was overused, that I was disadvantaged. I still don’t have a dime but I have a great vocabulary!”(Harper Dictionary of Contemporary Usage)
λĴǣ“ΪԼƶǶ˵ҲƶȱƷ˵ΪԼȱƷ̫ˣɥʧܽĻᡣָɥʧһۣλµˣָȻһУӵһѴʻ㣡” ̶һλĸpoorͬίneedy(ȱƷ)culturally deprived(ɥʧ)underprivileged(λ)disadvantaged()[10]p143
().
˵“ʮﲻͬ磬ﲻͬס”ͬϰȻв죬ֲԵоͱΪԵĵԲ졣ίأȻҲͷ[11]p145Ӣ˵ļҳʳƷ˾ͳ“take bread out of someone’s mouth”ʾ “ij˷”˼磺humble(λµ)umblenumblesʵĶ䡣umblenumblesָ“¹ȹʳõĶࡢˮ”һǧǰŵӢʱʱֻׯܳԵ¹ڱ˺ֻܳ¹ࣨumblesڱڱͱ“λ”humble ڶı仯umblehumble pie[12]p80ǡһ仯ͬڱ“eat humble pie” ͳί“ȵⲻ”ί
().
ڲͬᄈУͬһᄈвͬ䡢ݡλ̶ܽȲͬίҲͬ磺ϲŮʿ˵to powder one’s noise, to freshen upʿ˵to go to the toilet, to relieve oneself because nature calls[13]p36to rearͯ˵go to the pot and make number oneίʹʣŮӸӣƽΪŮӱӶԼȻγ˵СģΪ˱߹ʹ“Ŵ ”
ģ.ʱ
Եı仯ȡҪͷչʱҲɳΪɱԡʱĹ۵㿴Դڲϵı仯У´ʲϳ֣ɴʧίijЩʹõίʱģtemporalʹ÷ΧڵõǵijϺ˹̶fixedίȻ̶ҲԵģΪʱίʧȥί[14]p30磺“”˼ίӢȺЩ﷽ʽ
Cancel all her social engagements (1856);Be an interesting condition (1890);be in a delicate condition (1895); be knitting little booties (1910); be in a family way (1920); be expecting (1935);be pregnant (1956)
磺“”ijƺһֱ “Negro” “black people”ٵڵ “African American”Щ˵Ȩ˶ıġ
壩.Ժ
ίıDZֱἰЩ˸е.Щļἰί˵㹹ί.,ίԵҪص֮һҲΪԡν,һصίһԭ,Ǿ,ʹֱָָ֮ijعϵ.Ҳ˵,ίʹܹͨἰ뵽[15]p72磺
——“Don’t you think my cooking is wonderful?”The girl asked.
——“Are you fishing for compliments.”Her boy friend responded.
Իλʽ˺Ե˵ȻشŮѵ⣬ֲʹŮѲˣﵽ˵ЧΣίļԡ
.ģ
ܶίγԵģԣʹijЩЩѧͼԵģ۽ίָίýϲȷĻϸΪġĴȥЩȷĴ[16]p74ίģԿβпʵµĶԻ
Devizes; Is the pain worse?
Surtees: It’s no great pain, sir. I have been to one specialist, sir…yesterday. It’s …that, sir.
Devizes: He couldn’t be sure. An operation…
Surtees: Too late, he said, for that. If I had been operated on long ago there might have been a chance.
ûȷ˵ǶζԻȷitthatָȷѡʵϣDevizesںSurtees̸۰֢һʹࡢɥ飬SurteesitthatίڸһҶпʵ[17]p23
().Ĭ
ίʹÿʹȤڶгĬѲпʵԢĬСί÷dz֮ࡣ磺“battle of the bulge”ǶսֵһĬ˵Ϊζеķʳ־սŮʿΪмʵΪẉ̂ͬĬ˵ڼŮʿľĺ磺ڶͥз˵ĹϵƽȵģһֲΣͬҲʽҲʽһΪеӱȽǿӲɷɷΪ“”Ϸ“”гӢȴİɷ “hen-pecked husband”ĸĵɷĬмӡ
ˣ.ϰﻯﻯ
ӢίᆳǵijʹãΪ˹̶ҳΪӢʻ㣬ǹ㷺ʹãΪнԣڽһףӶʹЩ﷽ʽﻯbite the dust(go down in defeat)˼“ʧе”to return to the dustdied˼ǣ“”Щͬ˼ı﷽ʽϵıͬίmadģȺ crazy,insane,lunatic,mentally deranged[18]p37
.ӢίӦ
ǵճУӢίõ˹㷺Ӧã˵ûڲʹίºͱ˺ܺõĹͨͶίӦһЩ˵
һ.ְҵеӦ
ְҵУеǮ࣬еǮ٣еְҵţеְҵࡢࡢۡΪǵְҵίˡʹְҵίҪĿΪ˴ͳ“”ְҵ“滯”ίְҵķʽֶ
1.ְҵλΪذθ
ңͶΪ߹ĹͶΪĹͶߵıܴΪ˱ⱰҵԱIJǽЩְҵί̧ǵۡһصںܶҵõ֡磺head-waiter()Ϊcaptainܹܣ dustman()Ϊsanitary engineer(ʦ)elevatorݷԱΪmember of the vertical transportation corps(ֱͨӶԱ)ԱΪengineerǻmechanicȴίijΪʦ(automobile engineer)butcherҲίسΪ༼ר(meat technologist)磺“-ician”˼ǣ“ͨijѧר˲”[19]p13˺ְֺܶҵί֣cosmeticianbeautician(ʦ)hair dresserʦgardenerΪlandscape technician(羰ʦ)
2.̶ְҵ
ΪǵʹǸܣҲʹЩְҵȥºЩijֽǶ˵ɥһ߶ʥĹϾҪ“”ëȻ[20]p17“under-take”ʬԻ“funeral service practitioner”аˣbereavement counselorfuneral counselorԻ“ɥ¹”
3.
ͨȽλӵְҵ۰ٱְҵ磺“landscape worker”ֹˣȳ“landscape architect”ֽʦ“”ͨȱ“”prison officer“סӹ”ͨȱ“סʦ”dwelling engineer.
().ҵϵӦ
ΪԽԽԻƷҲԽԽͬʻ̼ΪԼIJƷȰ˵߸ı˼룬ʹǹijƷijַҪӦþ˵ջĴʻ㣬߸롣Ϊ˴ﵽĿģҪעʹЩʹ˲Ĵʻ﷽ʽԽΪίĴʻ﷽ʽ嵭ų룬ʹ˴ܵϣȡжӢһõӡڹоݴǰģʹóĴʻǴõ롣磺Ůʿڹ(pantyhose)ʱQueen Size־ôΪʲôQueen Sizeأ˵̼ҶģǸKing Sizeشţĺģ¶ġQueen Size ζΪQueen Size WomenģҲ˵ΪŮʿġfatһ˲ãӶQueen SizeָQueen Size pantyhoseҲָQueen Size womenˣQueen Sizefatһί˵[21]p168綯buyӢײ“Ǯȥ”IJõ룬ͨʻʽ滻 try,ask for,send for,choose,ect.зʽMake X your toothpastegive her/him an صȡԱͬ˼ҿԱܿۡڵĹʽµʽʹʹʽΪӲʹһֱǿȵĸоCome to Marlbora country(·̹)Watching the world go by (ֱ)ΪӲв÷ӵͨίƷ֮ıȽϣֱӱȽ϶鷳磺Life is harsh. Your Tequila shouldn't be. (ǿɬģعơƲᡣӢлôʾ䡢бﵽίЧ磺
1) Wouldn't you really rather have a Buick()
2) If it concerns Asia, it’s in Asia-week.Asia-week־棩
3) Without Vitamins, life itself would be impossible(ҩƷ)
пԿҵίҲʮҪġ
.ϵӦ
˵ίǽɣΪ˱ܻ͵ŵĻôίǹŪ飬װǻƣ࣬ԴﵽɻƭߵĿġʹªУڸʵࡣ磺ʱ“˰”߲increaseRevenue Enhancement(˰ռǿ)Ӣpoor nationsеֻback nations(ͺ), underdeveloped nations(Ƿ), developing nations(չй), emerging nations(˹)ˮųɼͬõί“Watergate language”ˮԣѳΪӢеһ̶飬רָһŤ̬ˮ¼߳wiretapping or bugging (͵绰)Ϊ“electronic surveillance”(Ӽල)Щwiretappers()Ϊ“ESE”(Electronic Surveillance Experts)[22]p32磺ѾΣeconomic crisisΪrecessiondepressionstrikeչindustrial actionindustrial disputeǽ(dismiss)ˣȴΪlay off(¸)һʧҵĸףunemployed motherΪwelfare motherȡĸף
ģ.ھϵӦ
ϵίڸսʵʣڸǵУίƭεĹܡ磺սΪinternational armed conflictװͻair attackϮΪair supportԮair strikeдnuclear bomb(˵)Ϊnuclear device(װ)սWar DepartmentսţΪDefense Department[23]p29磺 be defeatedսܣ˵light and scattered actionɢжincomplete successԲʤѶԱinvasion ˵rescue missionӪʹ wasting the enemyĵˣpacificationƽϢ磺2003꣬ڶ˵սУΪڸ䱩УѴģĿпը˵“action of decapitation”(նж)һμûкϷֲ˵“occupation” ö֮“liberation”()
壩.ڽӦ
ڽʱķչͬ˲ίЩίģص㡣ضᄈУЩģ÷ɽϰֻ˽ָƷΧ[24]p47˵ͬһϵģ̶СĴָģ̶ȴĴﵽ˵͵Ŀ[25]p48a stupid student(ѧ)Ϊa slow learner or underachieverδַDZѧ̸ѧϰɼѧbelow average studentʱShe/He is working at her/his own level/ڸԼˮƽѧϰ˵can do better work with helpб˰ѧøЩֱ˵ѧslowٶۣstupid()ЩУdepend on others to do his/her work=cheat in class(ҵ=Ͽ)[26]p38Щ˵ѵѧǿԳ֮Ϊhe has a tendency to stretch the truthԹʵЩίѧãάѧ𣬴ӶСʦľ룬Ǣ˿աѧʦ羴֮ҲȻӶӦеĽЧ
.ڼϵӦ
ͬʱͬĻǼɻĻҲͬǶԼĿ־ȴͬġ̸ɫ䣬̸̲ɫһΪ˼Ს˵˼߲˵ǿսʤģǾͲȡһϵлرܵ˵ȾܵİǼɻ˵ڵĴͷ棬ֱӴ磺social disease(ἲ) AIDS(̲)lung trouble(βë)Tuberculosisνˣthe old man’s friend֮pneumoniaףһ˵ֱ˵madӣ˵a little confusedе㷴־ңһ˶deafӣhard of hearing
ߣ.ϵӦ
ΪԵĽϾаһʴ˲õʱŻᱻί档ί뱻ĴӽбпܽίﻯΪءݵŮslenderslima skinny womanŮˣ
ڷֵŮplumpfat֣ίʹòȱݶµԱųӰԹdzŵػ
.
֮ĸУίӦöΪ㷺ձ顣ίݵѿʵ˽еκͻҪڽǡôӦίԼʹԼ罻ᄈдڲ֮أǾҪ䶨塢ص㼰Ӧöһ˽⣬ͬʱҪԲͬĻϰͬᄈһ˽⣬ǡʱ䡢ص˵ǡĻ
ο
[1] ţ߽Ӣ˫ʵ䣨İ棩ӡ 20021¡
[2] “Ӣίص㡢켰Ӧ” ѧ20008ڡ
[3] Ҷ “ӢίĿԶԱ”ɽѧ20043ڡ
[4] “ί”19932ڡ
[5] Ԫ “ίоعǰհ”19955ڡ
[6] աȤζӢίϺϺѧ 20038¡
[7] “ίϢᄈ”ѧ20001ڡ
[8] “ӢPί̽”ѧԺѧ20043ڡ
[9] ƽƻί» 19982¡
[10] ͬϡ
[11] ͬϡ
[12] ӢϰӢĻ: ѧо 20011¡
[13] ͬ[2]
[14] ͬ[4]
[15] º “ίʹöص”ɽѧ20028ڡ
[16] ͬϡ
[17] “ģԵĽʹ” žѧԺѧ200211µڣڡ
[18] ͬ[2]
[19] ͬ[6]
[20] ͬϡ
[21] ÷ ѧӢѧϰ Ͽѧ 20052¡
[13] ľꡢ “Ӣί”ɽʦѧԺѧ20021ڡ
[23] ͬ[4]
[24] ͬ[3]
[25] ͬϡ
[26] ͬ[2]