英语语法之委婉语.pptVIP

A Cross-culture Comparison between Chinese and English Euphemism 中西方委婉语的跨文化比较 Contents Introduction Chinese and English euphemistic terms Euphemisms and different cultural connotations Introduction Euphemisms are mild, agreeable, or roundabout words used in place of coarse painful, or offensive ones. The term comes from the Greek eu, meaning well or sounding good, and pheme, speech.“ No matter in Chinese or English euphemisms do exist. To a certain extent euphemism is a mirror of social psychology. Human beings are human beings. Almost all cultures seem to have certain notions or things that people try to avoid mentioning directly. Both Chinese and English euphemisms cover such topics as physiological phenomena (death, old age, disease and secretions , occupation, poverty, physical shortcomings and politics etc. They share certain features in common. Chinese and English euphemistic terms Death Physical illness Pregnancy Aging Excretions and secretions Sexual Activities Shortcomings Occupation Poverty Death In English: to be asleep in the Arms of God，to be at peace，to be at rest, to be called to God, to be called home, to be home and free，to be taken to paradise，The call of God, The final departure, final sleep, to go to ones own place，to have fallen asleep，to have gone to a better place (land, world, life)，to join ones ancestors. Join the Great majority, return to dust go, depart, depart from the world forever, pass away, breathe ones last, pay ones debt to nature, go to a better world, be in heaven, be with God, etc In Chinese: 去世，故去，牺牲，作古，谢世，与世长辞，心脏停止跳动，去见马克思，断弦，玉殒香消，玉碎珠沉，仙逝，登仙，归西。 In ancient China: 驾崩，晏驾，薨，卒，不禄。 Physical illness people always try to avoid naming disease directly. In the 19th century tuberculosis killed many people but its causes were mysterious, giving it an extra dimension of fear. It was euphemized as consumption in allusion to the way in which it consumed its victims, giving them the pale and wasted appearance. Another circu