马斯洛需要层次理论下的委婉语动机分析-英语语言文学专业毕业论文.docxVIP

Engli English Abstract II II Abstract Euphemism is a culturally universal language phenomenon. There is a great deal of study concerning its definition, characteristics, and translation, etc. Previous studies on the motivation of euphemism have been relatively less systematic and mainly conducted from the cultural and pragmatic perspective. Cultural motivations consist of taboo, traditional morality, social convention, psychological factors, and religion. The pragmatic principles behind euphemism are the Speech Act Theory, the Cooperative Principle, the Politeness Principle, the Face Theory, and the Adaptation Theory. All the scholars who conducted the research from these two perspectives have made significant contributions to interpreting the motivation of euphemism. In this thesis, the author employs a humanistic approach to interpreting the motivation of euphemism by utilizing Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. The Hierarchy of Needs is a wonderfully useful framework for analyzing and trying to understand the subtleties as well as the broader aspects of human behavior and growth. Since using euphemism is a chosen linguistic behavior, Maslow’s theory would not only be a valid theory for understanding and explaining the motivation of euphemism, but would broaden our knowledge of the motivation of euphemism as well. As far as I am concerned, people resort to euphemism to meet their special needs. War, unemployment, poverty, divorce, illness and death are topics that are not only extremely sensitive, but also can cause tremendous sense of insecurity and anxiety. In order to satisfy their safety need, people resort to euphemism to diminish the negativity of the terms related to the abovementioned topics, for they prefer a safe and organized world with law and order, which he or she can depend on and in which unexpected, unmanageable, chaotic, or other dangerous things do not happen. Homosexuals and criminals are the objects of prejudice and discrimination, and they are also