Euphemism and Taboos.ppt

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1、euphemismWhatisaneuphemism?theuseofawordwhichisthoughttobelessoffensiveorunpleasantthananotherword.Anindirectwordorphrasethatpeopleoftenusetorefertosth.embarrassingorunpleasant,sometimestomakeitseemmoreacceptablethanitreallyis.euphemismcomesfromGreek.eu—goodpheme-意思是speech言语euphemism:wordsof

2、goodomenorgoodspeech意思是优雅动听的说法委婉语“misinform”for“lie”Thegentlemanismisinformed.“remains”fora“corpse”“visitingthenecessary”for“goingtothetoilet”,etc.Euphemismaslowstudent→astudentworkingathisownlevel/whocandobetterworkwithhelp.alazystudent→underachieverThestudentwhocheatsintheexams→dependsonot

3、herstodohis/herworkFearandadesiretoplacatethemysteriousforcesthatruletheuniversewereprobablytheoriginalreasonsforeuphemizing.Speakofthedevilandheappears.早期被禁忌的内容主要局限于一些自然现象和宗教领域。在基督教盛行的西方社会，上帝有着崇高、神圣的地位。对上帝的敬畏使得人们在上帝面前战战兢兢。见《英语与社会》p.112只有善于和“上帝”沟通的“牧师”才有资格提及“上帝”的名字，能够与上帝沟通信息，进行交流，其他人往往不敢直接提及

4、上帝的名字，惟恐违背天意，冒犯了上帝，引祸上身。在基督教圣经中，有这样一段记载：诺亚(Noah)一家试图建造一座通天塔，上帝在得知这一消息后，使建造通天塔的人由说一种语言变成说互不相通的语言，最终这一计划因建筑人员之间不能进行语言交际而流产。见《英语与社会》p.112Wearesubjecttoothervarietiesoffearaswell.Afraidtofloutsocialandmoralconventions,werefertoourloversascompanions,thusdisguisingtheunconventionalorsociallyunacce

5、ptablenatureoftherelationship.gay:homosexualOurfearofspecificdiseaseshasledustocoinalexiconofeuphemismsforinsanityandretardation,epilepsy(癫痫),venerealdisease,cancer,heartdiseaseandstroke.e.g.Hehaslong(terminal)illness./HehasgotthebigC.hardofhearing.耳朵背socialdisease:--AIDSlungtrouble--tubercu

6、losis肺结核oldman’sfriend---pneumonia肺炎alittleconfused--madWealsosufferfromageneralizedterrorofeverysortofdisability---theworditselfisaeuphemism---anddisfigurementand,whilewefeartheseconditions,weareequallyafraidofthesocialrejectionthatmightattachtousifwehadthem.physicallyhandicappedAnothermoti

7、veforcontemporaryeuphemizingisourstrongdesiretoavoidoffendingothers.译:这个学生爱打架.Thisstudentistoofreewithfists.Or:Thisstudentresortstophysicalmeansofwinninghispointorattractattention.Indifferentcultures,somewordsorexpressionsaretobeavoided.Therearever