1、ACONTRASTIVESTUDYOFEUPHEMISMSINENGLISHANDCHINESEABSTRACTEUPHEMISMEXISTSINANYLANGUAGEITSONEOFTHEMOSTIMPORTANTWAYSOFEXPRESSIONANDRHETORICDEVICESINBOTHENGLISHANDCHINESEASANINDISPENSABLEANDNATURALPARTOFLANGUAGE,EUPHEMISMHASBEENAROUSINGWIDEINTERESTMANYLINGUISTSANDSCHOLARSHAVESTUDIEDTHISLINGUISTICPHENOMEN
2、ONASARESULT,ACHIEVEMENTSINTHESTUDYOFEUPHEMISMHAVEBEENCONSPICUOUSTHUS,ONTHEBASISOFOTHERSRESEARCHES,THISPAPERAIMSATACOMPREHENSIVEANALYSISOFENGLISHANDCHINESEEUPHEMISMSBYCOMPARATIVELYANALYZINGTHEIRDIFFERENCESINFORMATION,CULTUREANDPRAGMATICFUNCTIONIINTRODUCTIONEUPHEMISMISAVERYIMPORTANTLANGUAGEPHENOMENONI
3、TPLAYSANIRREPLACEABLEROLEINHUMANSOCIALACTIVITIESANDINTERPERSONALCOMMUNICATIONITCANMAKEDISTASTEFULIDEASSEEMACCEPTABLEOREVENDESIRABLE,THUSMAINTAININGBETTERSOCIALRELATIONSHIPANDEXCHANGINGIDEASEUPHEMISMISALSOACULTURALPHENOMENONASWELLASALINGUISTICCONCEPTEVERYLANGUAGEHASITSOWNEUPHEMISM,SODOENGLISHANDCHINE
4、SEITISDEEPLYROOTEDINSOCIALLIFEANDHASAGREATINFLUENCEONSOCIALCOMMUNICATIONASANINDISPENSABLEANDNATURALPARTOFLANGUAGE,EUPHEMISMHASATTRACTEDPEOPLESATTENTIONFORALONGTIMEEUPHEMISMHASCLOSERELATIONSHIPSWITHCULTURE,ANDITTRULYREFLECTSTHELIFEANDVALUESOFPEOPLEANDTHEIRHISTORYWITHTHEDEVELOPMENTOFECONOMYANDTHEPOLIC
5、YOFREFORMANDOPENUP,THEREHAVEBEENMOREANDMORECOMMUNICATIONSANDCOOPERATIONHOWEVER,ASPEOPLEHAVELITTLEKNOWLEDGEABOUTOTHERSCULTUREANDTHEIREXPRESSIONSOFEUPHEMISMS,THEREHASBEENDIFFICULTYINCOMMUNICATIONTHUS,THEREISAGREATNEEDFORUSTOSTUDYEUPHEMISMS,ESPECIALLYTHEDIFFERENCESBETWEENCHINESEANDENGLISHEUPHEMISMSTHES
6、TUDYOFCHINESEANDENGLISHEUPHEMISMSCANHELPUSUNDERSTANDTHECHINESEANDWESTERNCULTURESANDPROMOTETHEINTERNATIONALDEVELOPMENTIIEUPHEMISMIDEFINITIONOFEUPHEMISMATHEDEFINITIONOFENGLISHEUPHEMISMTHEWORDEUPHEMISMCOMESFROMTHEGREEKWORDEUPHEMIA,MEANING“THEUSEOFWORDSOFGOODOMEN“,WHICHINTURNISDERIVEDFROMTHEGREEKROOTWOR
7、DSEU,“GOOD/WELL“PHEME“SPEECH/SPEAKING“THEPREFIX“EU”MEANS“GOOD,SOUNDWELL”,AND“PHEME”MEANS“SAYING”OR“SPEECH”ANDTHUSTHELITERALMEANINGOF“EUPHEMISM”IS“TOSPEAKWITHGOODWORDSORINAPLEASANTMANNER”SOMEOFTHEDEFINITIONSARELISTEDBELOW1ANINDIRECTWORDORPHRASETHATPEOPLEOFTENUSETOREFERTOSTHEMBARRASSINGORUNPLEASANT,SO
8、METIMESTOMAKEITSEEMMOREACCEPTABLETHANITREALLYISOXFORDADVANCEDLEARNERSENGLISHCHINESEDICTIONARY,SIXTHEDITION2THATFIGUREOFSPEECHWHICHCONSISTSINTHESUBSTITUTIONOFAWORDOREXPRESSIONOFCOMPARATIVELYFAVORABLEIMPLICATIONORLESSUNPLEASANTASSOCIATIONS,INSTEADOFTHEHARSHERORMOREOFFENSIVEONETHATWOULDMOREPRECISELYDES
9、IGNATEWHATISINTENDEDOXFORDENGLISHDICTIONARY,1989GIVENFROMTHEPROSPECTIVEOFRHETORIC,ALLTHEABOVEDEFINITIONSAREDETERMINEDINANARROWSENSEMANYLINGUISTSTHINKTHATTHEDEFINITIONOFEUPHEMISMNEEDSTOBEFRAMEDINABROADSENSEAMERICANLINGUIST,BOLINGEDWIGHTONCEPOINTEDOUT“EUPHEMISMISNOTRESTRICTEDTOTHELEXICONTHEREAREGRAMMA
10、TICALWAYSOFTONINGSOMETHINGDOWNWITHOUTACTUALLYCHANGINGTHECONTENTOFTHEMESSAGE”BTHEDEFINITIONOFCHINESEEUPHEMISMEUPHEMISMOFTHESTUDYOFCHINESEHASBEENMAINLYINTHEAREASOFRHETORICALCATEGORYRHETORICIANSTREATRHETORICASAFIGUREOFSPEECHEUPHEMISMHASEXISTEDINTHECHINESELANGUAGEFORTHOUSANDSOFYEARSTHECHINESEEQUIVALENTF
11、OR“EUPHEMISM”IS“委婉”,“婉转”ORTHEMOSTPOPULARONE“婉曲”CONTAINING“婉言”AND“曲语”“婉言”MEANS“SUBSTITUTINGANIMPLICITEXPRESSIONFORANEXPLICITONE”WHILE“曲语”IMPLIESTHEORIGINALMEANINGTHROUGHDESCRIBINGTHINGSRELEVANTTOITTHEVARIOUSDEFINITIONSOFEUPHEMISMSPRESENTEDBYCHINESESCHOLARSARESIMILARTOTHOSEGIVENBYWESTERNERSCHENWANGDAO
12、陈望道WASTHEFIRSTPERSONWHOGAVEEUPHEMISMADEFINITIONINHISINTRODUCTIONTORHETORIC修辞学发凡,THEDEFINITIONREADS,“婉曲辞”MEANS“TOSAYSOMETHINGINDIRECTLY,BUTCONNOTINGANDSUBSTITUTINGITWITHROUNDABOUTANDIMPLICITWORDSOREVENMETAPHORICALEXPRESSION”CHENWANGDAOSAYSTHATWHENWESPEAKOFTABOOEDTHINGS,WEDONOT“CALLASPADEASPADE”,BUTUS
13、EPLEASANTEXPRESSIONSTOCOVERTHEMUPIS“讳修辞格”说话时遇有犯忌触讳的事物，便不直说该事物，却用旁的话来修饰美化，叫做讳修辞格ATTHEBEGINNINGOFTHE1980S,CHENYUAN陈原DEFINEDEUPHEMISMFROMTHESOCIALCULTURALPERSPECTIVE,“EUPHEMISMMOREORLESSORIGINATESFROMTABOO,EUPHEMISMISTOUSEPLEASANT,IMPLICITANDLESSOFFENSIVEWORDSTOSUBSTITUTETHELANGUAGETABOO”THEDEFINITIONP
14、UTFORWARDBYCHENYUANCOMBINESTHEEUPHEMISM婉曲辞WITHTABOOWORDS讳修辞格ANDREVEALSTHEDIRECTRELATIONBETWEENEUPHEMISMANDTABOO,WHICHHASBEENACCEPTEDBYCHINESELINGUISTSTHOUGHSCHOLARSATHOMEANDABROADHAVEDEFINEDEUPHEMISMDIFFERENTLYFROMDIFFERENTPERSPECTIVES,THEABOVEMENTIONEDDEFINITIONSSHARESOMEFEATURES1THEPURPOSEOFUSINGE
15、UPHEMISMSISTOAVOIDDIRECTLYSPEAKINGOUTTHEUNPLEASANTORTABOOREFERENCELIKEDEATH,THEDEAD,THESUPERNATURAL,ETC2EUPHEMISMISAKINDOFPOLITEANDROUNDABOUTMODEOFEXPRESSION3EUPHEMISMISUSEDTOSOFTENORBEAUTIFYTHEUNPLEASANTNESSOFREALITYIIFEATURESOFEUPHEMISMAUNIVERSITYANDDIVERSITYEUPHEMISMEXISTSWIDELYINANYLANGUAGEINTHE
16、WORLDITSUSEISVERYEXTENSIVE,FROMTHEINTERNATIONALPOLITICALAFFAIRS,ECONOMY,EDUCATION,LITERATURE,ANDEVENPEOPLESDAILYLIFEEUPHEMISMISPERMEABLETOALLKINDSOFSOCIALLIFEAMERICANSCHOLARHUGHLAWSONONCESAID,“EUPHEMISMROOTEDINLANGUAGESODEEPLYTHATALMOSTNOONEINCLUDINGTHOSEWHOCLAIMTHEMSELVESTHEMOSTSTRAIGHTFORWARDCANLI
17、VEONEDAYWITHOUTTHEUSEOFEUPHEMISMINFLUENCEDBYTHETIME,SPACEANDMANYSOCIALFACTORS,EUPHEMISMHASMANYVARIANTFORMSINDIFFERENTFIELDS,THEREAREDIFFERENTFORMSOFEUPHEMISMBECAUSEOFTHEUSERSGENDER,AGEANDSOCIALSTATUS,THEUSEOFEUPHEMISMISALSONOTTHESAMEONTHESAMETOPIC,THEREAREALOTOFEUPHEMISMSFORCHOICEFOREXAMPLE,INALMOST
18、ALLSOCIETIES,PEOPLEREGARDDEATHASAMYSTERY,ANDTHEYABSTAINFROMSAYINGDEATHTHEREFORE,NOMATTERINWHATKINDOFCULTURE,PEOPLEALWAYSFINDSOMEWORDSWHICHDONTCONTAINHURTFEELINGSTOEXPRESSITINBOTHCHINESEANDENGLISHLANGUAGES,THEREAREMANYALTERNATIVESAYINGS“DEATH”INCHINESEEUPHEMISMISDIFFERENTASCLASS,STATUS,RANK,OBJECTIVE
19、S,MANNERSANDOTHERASPECTSARENOTTHESAMEINTHETERMSOFTHESAMETABOOSUBJECT,EUPHEMISTICNEEDSANDHABITSAREALSODIFFERENTBOTHINENGLISHANDCHINESEINCHINESE,AEUPHEMISMFOR“DIE”CANREPRESENTDIFFERENTIDENTITIES,GENDERS,AGESOFTHEPEOPLETHISSHOWSTHEFINEANDRICHINCHINESEEUPHEMISMTHEREAREALSOAVARIETYOFTERMSTODESCRIBETHESUB
20、JECTOFDEATH,SUCHASBEGONE,BEAMONGTHEMISSING,BENOMORE,ETCBINDIRECTANDIMPLICITTHEMOSTIMPORTANTFEATUREOFEUPHEMISMISINDIRECTANDIMPLICITEUPHEMISMALWAYSGIVESPEOPLEHINTSINAROUNDABOUTWAYWECANINFERTHEDEEPERMEANINGANDINTENTIONFROMTHECONTEXTFOREXAMPLE,WHENSOMEONEISILL,WEALWAYSSAYHEISUNDERTHEWEATHERIFSOMEONEISMA
21、D,WESAYHEISSOFTINMINDCNATIONALANDREGIONALFEATURELANGUAGECONTAINSALLASPECTSOFANATIONSCULTURALCHARACTERISTICSITREFLECTSANATIONSCULTURALFEATURE,CULTURALSENSEANDITSOWNTHINKINGPATTERNANDBEHAVIORWHICHAREDISTINCTFROMOTHERNATIONSIFDIFFERENTREGIONSHAVEDIFFERENTHISTORY,THEIRCUSTOMSANDTABOOSAREALSODIFFERENTTHI
22、SDIFFERENCEREFLECTEDINLANGUAGEISPERFORMEDASREGIONALDIFFERENCEINLANGUAGEINDIFFERENTCULTURALANDSOCIALCUSTOMSANDHABITSOFTHENATIONORCOUNTRY,TABOOSAREDIFFERENTANDTHESEWILLBEREFLECTEDINEUPHEMISMTHEDIFFERENTATTITUDESTOWARDS“OLD”ISTHETYPICALEMBODIMENTOFTHECULTURALDIFFERENCEOFCHINESEANDWESTERNRESPECTINGTHEOL
23、DISANATIONALCIVILIZATION,SOTHEEUPHEMISMSOF“OLD”AREVERYFEWCHINESEPEOPLEAREUSEDTOUSING“OLD”TOEXPRESSRESPECT,SUCHAS“老人家”“老教授”“老寿星”“老先生”ETCTHE“OLD”INCHINESEISTHESYMBOLOFWISDOM,EXPERIENCE,MATURE,ANDTHEREFORETHEREARESOMEIDIOMSWITHRESPECTANDPRAISE,SUCHAS“老马识途”“老骥伏枥”“老当益壮”“老成持重”,ETCTHESEEXPRESSIONSEMBODIEDT
24、HECHINESENATIONSVALUEOF“RESPECTFORTHEOLD”WHILE,WESTERNCULTUREISTHEEMBODIMENTOFTHEVALUEOF“DESPISETHEOLD”ANDTHESPIRITOFINNOVATIONTHEREFORE,PEOPLEFROMUNITEDSTATESANDOTHERWESTERNCOUNTRIESABSTAINFROMUSINGTHEWORD“OLD”,BECAUSE“OLD”MEANS“USELESS,GOODFORNOTHING”INSTEADOF“EXPERIENCEDORRESPECTED”THEREFORE,INEN
25、GLISHTHEREAREMANYEUPHEMISMS,SUCHASSENIORCITIZEN,THEADVANCEDINAGE,THELONGERLIVING,GOLDENAGE,DISTINGUISHEDGENTLEMANREPLACING“OLD”SO,INDIFFERENTETHNICGROUPSANDREGIONS,PEOPLESATTITUDESTOWARDSTHESAMETHINGMAYBEOPPOSITEDFEATUREOFTIMESTHECHANGESOFLANGUAGEDEPENDONTHENEEDANDCHANGESOFTHESOCIETYANDEUPHEMISMUNDE
26、RGOESAPROCESSOFMETABOLISMITBEARSAMARKEDBRANDOFTIMESFOREXAMPLE,“SHEISPREGNANT”HASMANYDIFFERENTEUPHEMISTICEXPRESSIONSINDIFFERENTERAS1SHEHASCANCELEDALLHERSOCIALENGAGEMENTS1856她取消了她所有的社交活动。2SHEISINANINTERESTINGCONDITION1880她处在很有兴味的情况中。3SHEISINADELICATECONDITION1895她处在很微妙的情况中4SHEISKNITTINGLITTLEBOOTEES19
27、10她正编织小囡的袜子。5SHEISINAFAMILYWAY1920她快当家了。6SHEISEXPECTING1935她快生孩子了。7SHEISPREGNANT1956她怀孕了。BUTAFTER1960S,EUPHEMISMSOFPREGNANTDEVELOPSLOWLYBECAUSEINMODERNTIMES,PEOPLEARENOTSOIMPLICITTHEYALWAYSMENTIONTHINGSDIRECTLYANDNOW,THEPHENOMENONOFPREGNANTISACHEERFULTHINGPEOPLEWILLNOTBESHYWHENMENTIONINGITIIIDIFFERE
28、NCESBETWEENENGLISHANDCHINESEEUPHEMISMSIFORMATIVEDIFFERENCESASFARASLINGUISTICPATTERNSOFFORMINGEUPHEMISMARECONCERNED,ENGLISHEUPHEMISMANDCHINESEEUPHEMISMNOTONLYSHARESOMEINCOMMONBUTALSOHAVETHEIRRESPECTIVEMEANSOFFORMATIONLETSCOMPARETHEMFROMPHONETIC,LEXICALANDGRAMMATICALANGLESAPHONETICDEVICEEUPHEMISMSMAYB
29、ECREATEDBYPHONETICDEVICELIGHTREADINGANDPHONETICDISTORTIONLIGHTREADINGISAPOPULARWAYOFEUPHEMISMWHICHMEANSTHATWHENYOUMEANSOMETHINGTHATYOUHAVETOMENTION,BUTYOUARESHYTOMENTIONIT,USUALLYYOUSAYITINALOWVOICEPHONETICDISTORTIONREFERSTOTHECHANGINGOFASOUNDINWORDFORTHEPURPOSEOFEUPHEMISM,WHICHISMOREACCEPTABLEINENG
30、LISHBECAUSEITSWRITINGISALPHABETICUSUALLYCRUDEORINAUSPICIOUSWORDSBECOMEACCEPTABLEBYUSINGTHESEDEVICESPHONETICDISTORTIONINCLUDESABBREVIATION,REDUPLICATION,DISTORTIONOFPRONUNCIATION,ETCTHEREISABBREVIATIONLIKE“TB”FOR“TUBERCULOSIS”,“VAMP”FOR“VAMPIRE”,“JC”FOR“JESUSCHRIST”,“WC”FOR“WATERCLOSET”,“SOB”FOR“SONO
31、FABITCH”,“BS”FOR“BULLSHIT”,ANDSOONTHEREISREDUPLICATIONLIKE“PEEPEE”OR“WEEWEE”FOR“PISS”,ANDTHEREAREDISTORTIONSOFPRONUNCIATIONSLIKE“GRIPES”FOR“CHRIST”,“GAD”FOR“GOD”ANDSOONTHEREISNODIRECTLINKBETWEENCHINESECHARACTERANDITSPRONUNCIATIONTHUS,COMPAREDWITHENGLISH,THECHINESELANGUAGEDOESNOTHAVETHECONVENIENCEOFP
32、HONETICDISTORTIONWECANFINDFEWERPHONETICDISTORTIONSINCHINESEANDTHEMOSTCOMMONPHONETICDEVICEISASSONANCE,WHICHMOSTLYEMPLOYSTHEHOMOPHONEFORTHEREARESOMANYHOMOPHONESINCHINESEFOREXAMPLE,INSTEADOFSPEAKING“解溲”WEUSE“解手”,“手”ISANASSONANCEOF“溲”DEJECTSOFSOIL“隐君子”STANDSFOR“瘾君子”THEPERSONWHOISADDICTEDTODRUGS那几个小子是孔夫子
33、搬家，尽是书（输）啊INCHINESE,“书”BOOKAND“输”LOSE,FAILSOUNDTHESAMETHETONEOFACHINESECHARACTERALSOCANBEUSEDTOACHIEVEAEUPHEMISTICEFFECTFOREXAMPLE,INTHEQINGDYNASTY221206BC,TOAVOIDTHENAMETABOO,THETONEOF“正月”ZHNGYUEITMEANSFIRSTMONTHOFLUNARYEARWASCHANGEDFROMTHEFOURTHTONEINTOTHEFIRSTTONE“正月”ZHNGYUEFORFEAROFSOUNDINGLIKET
34、HENAMEOFTHEEMPEROR“嬴政”YINGZHNGBESIDES,ASTHECHINESECHARACTERISAKINDOFHIEROGLYPH,WHICHHASITSOWNUNIQUESYNTHETICMETHOD,CHINESEPEOPLELIKETOMAKEUSEOFAVERYUNIQUEWAYINEUPHEMISMFORMATIONCHARACTERSEPARATIONHEREARETWOEXAMPLES1周先生，你一人十一划有吗（沙陆集魂断梨园）HERE十一划ISTHEEUPHEMISTICEXPRESSIONOFOPIUMFORINCOMMONSAYING,OPIUMI
35、S烟土OR土ANDTHECHARACTER土CANBESEPARATEDINTO十AND一2张俊民道“胡子老官，这是你做法便了，便成了，少不得言身寸。”王胡子“我那个要你谢”（儒林外史第32回）THECHARACTER谢ISSEPARATEDINTO言身寸TOACHIEVEEUPHEMISMBLEXICALDEVICETHOUGHENGLISHANDCHINESEEUPHEMISMSARESIMILARINQUITEAFEWWAYSINLEXICON,THECHINESELANGUAGEHASITSUNIQUEWAYOFEUPHEMIZINGUSINGANTONYMSSOMETIMESANTO
36、NYMSCANINCREASETHEDISTANCEBETWEENEUPHEMISMANDTABOOSOTHATEUPHEMISMNOTONLYSOUNDSWELL,BUTALSOISEASYTOUNDERSTANDFOREXAMPLE,THEWORD“寿”ORIGINALLYMEAN“年纪长久”OLDAGEOR“长久”FORALONGTIMELATERON,ITREFERSTO“生日”BIRTHDAYANDTHENTHINGSCONCERNINGBIRTHDAYARECALLED“寿”FORINSTANCE,“祝寿”CELEBRATEONESBIRTHDAY,“寿礼”BIRTHDAYPRES
37、ENT,“寿面”NOODLESEATENONONESBIRTHDAY,“寿糕”BIRTHDAYCAKE,ETCBUTAMUSINGLY,MANYTHINGSRELATEDTODEATHAREALSOCALLED“寿”,LIKE“寿材”ACOFFINPREPAREDBEFOREONESDEATH,“寿衣”GRAVECLOTHESAND“寿穴”GRAVE,ETCHEREAREFURTHEREXAMPLESTOILLUSTRATETHEPOINT“监狱”PRISON,ATABOOEDWORDINCHINESEISCALLED“福舍”BLESSEDHOUSEOR“福堂”FELICITOUSHALLINFACT,BEINGSENTTOPRISONIS“祸”MISFORTUNE,BUTNOT“福”GOODFORTUNE“粉刺”,ASKINDISEASE,WHICHCAUSESPIMPLESANDBLACKHEADSONTHEFACEANDNECK,BECOMES“青春美丽痘”BEAUTIFULACNEINYOUTH,LIKE“BEAUTYSPOT”INENGLISH,THOUGHITWILLMAKEYOULOOKLESSBEAUTIFULINENGLISH,HOWEVER,THEDEVICEISNOTCOMMONCGRAMMATICALDEVICE
