从语用学礼貌原则看英语中委婉语

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.从语用学的礼貌原则看英语中的委婉语【Abstract】Euphemism,cosmeticwords,isnotonlyalingualphenomenon,butalsoaculturalandsocialphenomenon.Itislikeamirror,reflectingthevalues,aestheticconceptionsandmoralconceptsinsomeextent.Euphemismplaysanimportantpartinsocialcommunication.Itislikelubethatavoidshurtingtheotherparty’sfeeling.Itoilsthehumanrelationshipincommunicationandhelpstosavefaceofcommunicators.Ifpeoplemakefulluseofeuphemism,itcanaccelerateandfacilitatehumancommunication.Thispaperelaboratesonthefeaturesandsocialfunctionsofeuphemism.AnditfocusesontherelationshipsbetweenitspolitefunctionsandPolitenessPrinciple.ThisthesisiscomposedofsixpartswithChapterFourandFiveasitscore:Thefirstchapterfocusesontheoriginanddefinitionsofeuphemism.Thesecondchapterdiscussesthefeaturesofeuphemisminmanyways.Thethirdchaptertalksaboutthesocialfunctionsofeuphemismfromtheangleofpragmatics.Thefourthchapterformsthebasisofthewholeresearchbyconnectingeuphemismwithpolitenessandface-savingtheory.ThefifthchaptercentersoneuphemismandPolitenessPrinciple.Thelastchapterconcludesthewholethesis.AppropriateuseofEnglisheuphemismcancontributealottosuccessfulmessageexchange.【KeyWords】euphemism;socialfunctions;PolitenessPrinciple;facewant【摘要】委婉语是一种语言现象，一种文化现象，更是一种社会现象，在一定程度上，它反映了社会的价值观，审美观和美德观。委婉语在社会交际中发挥着重要作用。日常的约定俗成的委婉语能起润滑剂的作用，通过委婉语，可以避免语言过于直露而给对方造成伤害。它是语言使用中人们用来协调人际关系的有效润滑剂，是保全交际各方面子的重要手段。很多中外学者曾从不同的角度对英语委婉语进行了长期的研究并取得了可喜的成果。本文主要研讨了委婉语的特点，社会功用，并从语用学的角度分析了委婉语的社会功用，礼貌原则及面子问题。本文分为六个部分。第四和第五章是文章的重点。第一章主要探讨了委婉语的定义及起源。第二章从很多方面概括了委婉语的特点。第三章从语用的角度分析了委婉语的社会功用。第四章把委婉语与礼貌，面子保全论联系在一起，是本文的核心。第五章侧重于委婉语貌与礼貌原则的关系。本文的实践意义在于其分析结论有助于保证信息传递的顺利进行并促进人们的日常交流。【关键词】委婉语；社会功用；礼貌原则；面子1.IntroductionThereisahumor:OnceaParistouristresidedinUK.Alandladytoldhimsadlythat,“Myhusbandhasjustpassedtotheotherside.”Theguestlookedfromthefenceofthegardenbutsawnoone,feelingconfused.Thelandladyexplained:“Imeanhe’skickedthebucket.”Theguestcomfortedherthat:“Ihopehisfootwillbebettersoon.”Thelandladyfeltunintelligiblyandsaid:“No,hewasn’there,hesnuffedit…youknow.”Theguestwonderedandsaid:“Butyou’vegotelectricityhere.”Thereasonswhytheguestdidn’tanswerproperlyarethathedidn’trealizethatthelandladyusedeuphemism,nordidheunderstandthe“conversationalimplicature”ofeuphemism.Whatthelandladywantedtosayisthatherhusbanddied.ThewordeuphemismcomesfromtheGreekword“euphemos”,meaning"auspicious/good/fortunatespeech"whichinturnisderivedfromtheGreekroot---wordseu,.. ."good/well"pheme,"speech/speaking".Theeuphemewasoriginallyawordorphraseusedinplaceofareligiouswordorphrasethatshouldnotbespokenaloud(Suchastaboo).Theprimaryexamplesoftaboowordsrequiringtheuseofaeuphemismaretheunspeakablenamesforadeity,suchasPersephone,Hecate,NemesisorYahweh.Byspeakingonlywordsfavorabletothegodsorspirits,juthespeakerattemptedtoproducegoodfortunebyremainingingoodfavorwiththem.“EuphemismisdefinedintheNewEditionoftheOxfordConciseDictionary(1976)as‘Substitutionofmildorvagueorroundaboutexpressionforharshordirectone;expressionthussubstituted.’INWebster’sNewCollegiateDictionary(1973)thedefinitionreads,‘Substitutionofanagreeableorinoffensiveexpressionforonethatmayoffendorsuggestsomethingunpleasant.’”[1]EuphemismisanimportantrhetoricalmeansinEnglish.Itplaysanimportantroleinpeople’sdailycommunication.Itisnotonlyaculturalphenomenon,butalsoasocialphenomenon.Itjustlikesamirror,whichreflectssomesocialandpsychologicalphenomena.2.Featuresofeuphemism2.1IndirectandimplicitThemostimportantcharacterofeuphemismisindirectandimplicit.Euphemismalwaysgivespeoplehintsinaroundaboutway.Wecaninferthedeepermeaningandintentionfromthecontext.Forexample,whensomeoneisill,wealwayssayheisundertheweather.Ifsomeoneismad,wesayheissoftinmind.2.2UniversalityUniversalityissomethingthatiswell-knownandacceptedbyallofthepeople.Thougheuphemismisindirectanditdoesn’tcomestraighttothepoint,peoplecaneasilyinferitsdeeperimplication.Sometaboosconnectedwithsex,death,orbodyfunctionsarereplacedbyeuphemisms.Andthepublichasacceptedthiskindofuse.Forexample,whenwerefertodeath,weseldomsay“die”.Weusetheexpression“passaway”.2.3ThefeatureoftimesThechangesoflanguagedependontheneedandchangesofthesociety.Andeuphemismundergoesaprocessofmetabolism.Itbearsamarkedbrandoftimes.Forexample,“‘Sheispregnant’hasmanydifferenteuphemisticexpressionsindifferenteras.(1)Shehascanceledallhersocialengagements.(1856)(2)Sheisinaninterestingcondition.(1880)(3)Sheisinadelicatecondition.(1895)(4)Sheisknittinglittlebootees.(1910)(5)Sheisinafamilyway.(1920)(6)Sheisexpecting.(1935)(7)Sheispregnant.(1956)”[2]Butafter1960s,euphemismsofpregnantdevelopslowlybecauseinmoderntimes,peoplearenotsoimplicit.Theyalwaysmentionthingsdirectly.Andnow,thephenomenonofpregnantisacheerfulthing.Peoplewillnotbeshywhenmentioningit.“Theword‘gay’,atfirst,itmeanshappyandhomosexuality.Butaseuphemismdevelops,theword‘gay’onlyremindsusthemeaningofhomosexuality.Thus,peopledon’tusetheexpression‘Weareyoungandgay.’”[3]2.4Regional.. .featureIneuphemism,therearesomeregionaldifferences.AnAustralianwomanmarriedtoanAmericanman.TheyspenttheirhoneymooninAmerica.Andoneday,thecoupleintendedtogotoapartytogether.Butthebridegroomcouldn’tfindasuitablefulldress.Thebridetookoutabirthdaysuitthatshegavehimasapresentfewdaysagoandsaid:“Whynotwearyourbirthdaysuit?”However,thewholefamilyallastonishedbecauseinAmericanEnglish,“inone’sbirthdaysuit”[4]istheeuphemisticexpressionof“naked”.Sothisembarrassingsituationresultedfromtheregionaldifferencesineuphemism.Therearetwocausesofregionaldifferences.Firstisaregionalculturaldifference.Indifferentregions,theculturetherewilleffectthedevelopmentofeuphemism.Forexample,“gotow.c.”.IntheBalliolcollegeofOxfordUniversity,studentscall“‘gototoilet’as‘tovisitLadyPeriam’”[5]becausethetoiletsofthatcollegewerebuiltonthelanddonatedbyLadyPeriam.Ofcourse,Americanswillnotagreewiththisexpression.“Secondisthedifferenceofgeographicenvironment.Forexample,inseaside,deathwouldbeconnectedwithseaandtide.Theymayuse‘gowiththetide’toexpressdie.Onthecontrary,inAmericanwestmountainareas,theeuphemismfordieis‘(gone)overtherange’or‘tocrosstheGreatDivide’.Thesearethetypicalregionaleuphemisms.”[6]2.5DiversityoflingualregionSomeonethinksthatonlyupperandmiddleclassuseeuphemism.Butthisconclusionistooabsolute.Wecananalyzethisinthreeaspects.2.5.1Differencesofgenderorage“Astudyshowsthatfemaleusemoreeuphemismsthanmaledo.ThereisasayinginEnglish:‘horsesweat;menperspire;youngladiesglow.’(Brock,1973:73)Womenuseobscurewordtoexpresstheactionofsweat.Andthedifferenceofgenderandageusuallyinfluencethechoiceofthesynonymsofeuphemism.Forinstance,thereareavarietyofexpressionsabout‘gototoilet’.Menusetheexpression‘toshootalion’.Adultsmaysay‘togotow.c.’.Andchildrensay‘togotothepot’.”[7]2.5.2DifferenceofprofessionoridentityEuphemismchangeswhiletheprofessionandidentitychange.Thisisasynchronyvariation.Theword“die”canbeusedinmanydifferentways.“Inmilitary,peopleusetheexpression‘tolosenumberofone’smess’.ThisexpressionorientsfromthemesssystemofUKnavy.However,inthepress,peopleoftenusetheword‘thirty’becausetheyusuallymark‘30’intheendofanewsarticle,whichmeansending.”[8]2.5.3DifferenceofstyleorcontextStylistically,theword“die”hashundredsofeuphemisms.Butindailycommunication,peoplemayuse“tobegone”or“tobenomore”.Inobituary,peopleuse“topassaway”or“todepart”.Italsohassomewittyexpressions,forinstance,“topopoff”or“tokickthebucket”.Euphemismisrestrictedbythecontext.Forexample,“Onthe14thofMarch,ataquartertothreeintheafternoon,thegreatestlivingthinkerceasedtothink.(F.Engels,SpeechattheGravesideofKarlMarx)”[9]Thisexampleinvolvesthepassingawayofagreatman.Andthephrase“ceasedtothink”echoes“thinker”.Thiseuphemismproducesagoodeffect.3.Pragmaticfunctionsofeuphemism3.1Taboofunction“Tabooisthemainpsychologicalbasisoftheemergenceofeuphemism.Euphemismisthe.. .avoidanceoftheunpleasant,inelegantthings.AfamoussociolinguistMr.ChenYuanoncesaid:‘Generallyspeaking,thecomingintobeingofeuphemismallbeginsfromtaboo.’Fromtheoriginofeuphemism,wecanseethattabooisthefirstfunctionofeuphemism.Euphemismhasbeenusingforalongtime,anditiscloselyrelatedtotaboo.Infact,euphemismdatesbacktothelanguagetaboointheearlyperiodofhumancivilization.Whenpeopletrytoavoidandgiveuptaboowords,theyhavetofindanotherwordtoreplacethisvacancyatthesametime.Hence,peoplecreatedeuphemism.”[10]Therearesometaboothings,suchasbirth,death,funeral,sex,nakedness,defecation,andurinate.Iftheyareexpresseddirectly,theyarecalledtaboowordsandthefeelingstheygiveusarevulgar,crudeandharsh,whereasiftheyareexpressedindirectly,theyarecalledeuphemism,andtheimpressionstheymadeonusareelegant,implicitandpolite.Theevadingfunctionofeuphemismalsoworkstoday.Sometaboonotionscannotbeeasilyremovedfrompeople’smind.Thoughscienceandtechnologyarehighlydevelopedtoday,theword“death”isthetaboowordstoallnations.Thustherearealotofeuphemismsrelatedwithit.“Suchaspassaway,answerthefinalcall,beasleepinJesus,besafeinthearmsofJesus,beatrest,becalledtoGod,behomeandfree,beinAbraham’sbosom,crosstheRiverJordan,finalsleep,gohome,gotomeetone’smaker,gotoone’sownplace,joinone’sancestors,jointhegreatmajority,returntodust,withGod,benolongerwithus,paythedebtofnature,tickthebucket,etc.”[11]“Amongthose,‘one-way-ticket’isthesynonymof‘die’.Itreflectsthespeaker’sexperienceoflife.Lifeisjustliketravel.Peoplesetouttotravel,butwhentheyarrivetothetermination,theycannotgoback.Inthepast,peopleoftenusedgraveyardtoexpresstheplacewherethedeadsleeppeacefully.Buttheassociationsitgivesusarehorrifiedandgloomy.Sonow,peopleusefuneralhomeandmemorialparktoreplacethem.Insuchaway,itcomfortspeople.”[12]3.2PolitefunctionPolitefunctionofeuphemismistoavoidinelegantthingsandmakepeoplefeelpleasant.AsJoannaChannellputinherbookVagueLanguage“Vaguenessisusedasonewayofadheringtothepolitenessrulesforaparticularculture,andofnotthreateningface.”[13]Itmeansthatinreallife,whenpeoplemeetwithsomeunpleasantthingsorbehaviors,theyusuallychoosesomevagueexpressionstoavoidmakingboldorhurtingother’sfeeling----touseeuphemism.Itisharshtosaysomeoneisdeaf,sopeopleuse“auditory-impaired”toreplaceit.Theysoundmoregracefully.“WhenEnglish-speakersrefertotheappearance,theydon’tusetheword‘ugly’or‘awful’,whichhasstrongderogatorysense.Instead,theyusetheword‘plain-looking’or‘notpretty’.”[14]Westernersaresensitivetoage.Intheiropinion,“old”equalsto“useless”insomeextent.Inordernottohurtthefeelingandself-esteemoftheold,“oldmen”arereplacedby“seniorcitizens”or“seasonedmen”.Fortheword“senior”hasmanymeanings.Except“older”,italsomeanshigherinrankorauthority.Andtheword“seasoned”meansexperienced.“Followingaresomeeuphemismsaboutprofession.”[15]HarshexpressioneuphemismbutcherMeattechnologistChimneyworkerChimneyconsultantfiremanFirefighterGarbagemanSanitationengineerhairdresserHairstylisthousekeeperHouseholdexecutivePress-agentPublicrelation.. .counselorPrisonguardCorrectionalofficer3.3CoveringupfunctionInVaguenessLanguage,Channellstatedcoveringupfunctionasdeliberatelywithholdinginformation.Whatissocalled“coverup”means“notgivinginformationwhichthespeakerpossessesandwhichcouldbeappropriateinthesituation.”[16]Westernpoliticallifegivesbirthtoeuphemism.Somepoliticiansandnewsmediashavemadegooduseofthevaguenessofeuphemismtocoverupthefactsofsomeeventsforthepurposeofmakingthepolitics,economy,andmilitarymoresteady.Concealingthedarksideofsocietyistoalleviatethesocialcontradictionscausedbysex,violence,poverty,unemployment,andcrime.Therearesomeeuphemismsaboutsocialphenomena.“Venerealdisease”hasbeenbeautifiedas“socialdisease”.“Rape”,akindofcrime,ismentionedcasuallyas“interferewith”;“prostitutionbecameahigh-soundingprofession------‘theoldestprofessionintheworld’.”[17]Inpoliticians’view,violenceisakindofactionanddismissalisalso“layoff”.Peopledon’tneedtobesurprisedatthesephenomena.Inwesterncountries,politicianscreatesomepoliticaleuphemismstoservetheirpoliticalgoals.Theytrytoconcealthefactsastoeasethetenserelationsbetweenothercountriesandreassureandpacifypublic’santi-waremotions.Forexample,InVietnamWar,Gulfwar,orIraqiwar,anumberofeuphemismsemergedtoglossoverthehorrorandcrueltyofwarandcontemptiblediplomaticmeans.“Followingisachartaboutmilitaryeuphemisms.”[18]HorrificexpressionEuphemismairstrikeairoptionbombingandblastingsofteninguptheresistanceciviliancasualtiescollateraldamagedefensecrusheddefenseneutralizedgroundwargroundoperationinvasionpre-emptiveactionmissileVehiclenuclearbombnucleardeviceretreatstrategicwithdrawalsuicidalattackone-waymissionwarheadpayloadTherearealsosomeeuphemismsabouteconomy.“Peopleuse‘depression’insteadof‘economiccrises’.Theword‘Striking’hasbeenbeautifiedas‘industrialaction’.”[19]andwhenpeoplementionedslum,theyoftenuse“substandardhousing”toreplaceit.“Theeuphemismshereareinthetruesenseoftheword“false.”Theyareusedtocoverupthetruenatureofevents,deceivingthepublicwithnice-soundingandpseudotechnicalwords.”[20]3.4InducingfunctionSometimes,peopleuseeuphemismtomaketheirstatementmorepersuasive.Thusthecosmeticwordshaveaspecialcommunicativefunction,whichiscalledinducingfunction.AsChannellhasanalyzedinthediscussionofthecommunicativefunctionsofvaguelanguagethat“Aspecificsettingwherespeakersmaywithholdinformationwhichtheyknowiswheretheyfeelthattheycanbemorepersuasivebydoingso.”[21]Euphemismhasbeenwidelyappliedinadvertisementandsalespromotionactivities.Someairlinecompaniesdividedthegradesofpassenger.. .compartmentsintofourranks.Theyused“deluxe”or“premiumclass”toreplace“firstclass”.Andthe“secondclass”istransformedinto“firstclass”.The“thirdclass”isrevisedas“businessclass”or“touristclass”.Theysoundmorepleasing.Theroomsofhotelarealsocompartmentalizedinthesameway.Theycanbedividedasfirstclass,standardandprivate.Thosewordsaresweetsoundingandhavenothingtodowithcustomers’self-esteem.Also,“‘antiques’isthesubstitutionof‘second-handfurniture’.”[22]Inthemerchants’eye,theformerwillmakethepricehigher.Peopleoftenuse“compactcar”toreplace“smallcar”.Thoughtheirmeaningsarethesame,“small”willbeassociatedwithanimageofcheapandbadwhile“compact”emphasizestheimageofartistic,delicate,andterse.Thoseeuphemismsdesalinatetheunpleasantfeelingthattheformerconceptsgiveusandintensifyafeelingofmorereliableandelegant.Asaresult,thoseproductswillbeidentifiedwiththeconsumersandachievedthepromotiongoal.“Fromthepragmaticview,theachievingofinducingfunctioniscausedbytheglorificationoftheintrinsicmeaning.”[23]3.5TacticalfunctionIfasamemeaningisexpressedinmanydifferentways,theireffectsareentirelydifferent.Thisiswhatwecalledtheartofspeaking.Ifweapplythisstrategytoourdailylife,ourlifewillbemorecolorful.Forexample,ontheplane,therearesomebagsthatcanbeusedbythepassengerstoshoothiscookies.Peopledon’tprintthewords“vomitbag”onthesurfaceofthebag.Instead,theyusethewords“formotiondiscomfort”.[24]Andtheresultprovedthatthevomitphenomenonhasreduced.Becausecomparedwiththeformerwords,theword“formotiondiscomfort”preventsthepassengersfromvomitingwheninastateofairsickness.Thisisthetacticalfunctionofeuphemism.Bycontrary,ifweuseeuphemisminappropriately,theresultwouldbeworse.Trytocomparethefollowingtwostatements:(9)Iamanoldcripple,drawinganold-agepension,workinghardtoraisevastquantitiesofvegetablesonanallotmentandwellawarethat,oneofthesedays,Ishalldie.(10)If,however,Ilistentothevoiceofofficialdom,itturnsoutthatIamadisadvantagedseniorcitizen,registeredasdisabled,drawingaretirementpension,rentingaleisuregardenand,presumably,immortalbecauseIshallneverdie---Ishallmerelypassaway.Wecanseethatinthefirststatement,theauthortalksdirectlyabouthislifestatus.Thesecondstatementisthatthegovernmentofficialsmakeasurveyofthehardshipofcitizens.Theytrytocoverthefactsbyusingeuphemisms.3.6HumorfunctionJoculareuphemismhasbeenusedtohelppeoplefacethefactmoreeasily.Forexample,peopleuse“pushupdaisies”totakeplaceof“beburied”becausetheformerwordscanreducepeople’shorrortowardsdeath.And“besentintoprison”isreplacedby“liveatgovernment’sexpense”.Thisexpressioniswitty.Anotherexample,“afterthreedaysinJapan,thespinalcolumnbecomesextraordinarilyflexible.”ItsimplicatureisthatinJapan,peopleareverypolite.Theyusuallybowmanytimesadaytogreetsomeone.4.Euphemismandpoliteness4.1EuphemismandinterpersonalcommunicationEuphemismhasbeenwidelyusedintherealhumancommunication.Itcanberegardedasakindofpoliteterms.Inprimitiveandtraditionalsociety,tabooandeuphemismarethetwosidesofa.. .coin.Theyareusedforsocialcontrolandreligiouscontrol.AndinmodernEnglish,thereareanumberofwordsconnectedwithholy,sex,bodyorganandbodyfunction.Sowhenpeople’stopicreferstothose,theyhavetofindeuphemismstoreplacethem.Theyoftenusesomevaguelanguagetoavoidmentioningthemdirectly.4.2Politenessandface-threateningtheoryThemainfunctionofeuphemismispolitefunction.Thus,themaincharacterofeuphemismispolite.Politenessplaysanimportantroleinhumancommunication.Itoilshumanrelationships.Soeuphemismaccordswithpolitenesswillacceleratehumancommunication.4.2.1Thedefinitionandfeaturesofpoliteness“Weviewpolitenessasoneofthemajorsocialconstrainsonhumaninteractionwhichregulatesparticipants’communicativebehaviorbyconstantlyremindingthemtotakeintoconsiderationthefeelingsoftheothers.Itisnecessarytoconsidertheirfeelingssoastoestablishlevelsofmutualcomfortandpromoterapport,whichinturnaccelerateandfacilitatehumancommunication.”[25]Thefinalgoalofpolitenessistomakeallofthepartiesrelaxedandcomfortablewithoneanother.Therearetwokindsofpoliteness:oneisnegativepoliteness;theotherispositivepoliteness.Negativepolitenessistomakealessinfringingrequest,suchas"Ifyoudon'tmind..."or"Ifitisn'ttoomuchtrouble..."orrespectsaperson'srighttoactfreely.Inotherwords,it’sdeference.Positivepolitenessistoseektoestablishapositiverelationshipbetweenpartiesandrespectsaperson'sneedtobelikedandunderstood.4.2.2Face-threateningtheoryFaceisdefinedasanindividual’sself-esteem.“BasedonthefacenotionofGoffmanthat“face”isasacredthingforeveryhumanbeing,anessentialfactorcommunicatorshavetopayattentionto,andthatfacewantsarereciprocal(ifonewantshisfacecaredfor,heshouldcareforotherpeople’sface).”[26]AccordingtoBrownandLevinson,nearlyallspeechactsareface-threateningacts.Therearetwokindsofface:oneisPositiveFace;theotherisNegativeFace.“PositiveFacereferstoourneedtobeacceptedandlikedbyothersandourneedtofeelthatoursocialgroupsharescommongoals.PositivePolitenessorientstopreservingthepositivefaceofotherpeople.Whenweusepositivepolitenessweusespeechstrategiesthatemphasizeoursolidaritywiththehearer,suchasinformationpronunciation,shareddialectorslangexpressions,nicknames,morefrequentreferencetospeakerandheareras“we”,andrequestswhicharelessindirect.NegativeFacereferstoourrighttoindependenceofactionandourneednottobeimposedonbyothers.NegativePolitenessorientstopreservingthenegativefaceofotherpeople.Thisismuchmorelikelyifthereisasocialdistancebetweenthespeakerandthehearer.Whenweusenegativepoliteness,weusespeechstrategiesthatemphasizeourdeferenceforthehearer.Nicknames,slangandinformalpronunciationtendtobeavoidedandrequeststendtobemoreindirectandimpersonal,ofteninvolvingcouldyou…orcouldIaskyouto…orevenreferringtothehearerinthethirdperson.”[27]4.2.3TherelationshipbetweenpolitenessandfacewantFacereferstoourpublicself-image.Politenessinvolvesusshowinganawarenessofotherpeople’sfacewant.Inourinterpersonalcommunication,weshouldpayattentiontoother’sfacewant.Inthefieldofeducation,teacherhastodealwiththerelationswiththestudents.Therearesomeeuphemismsabouteducation.Forexample,ifastudentislazy,wedon’tcallhim“lazystudent”.Instead,wecallhim“underachiever”.Ifastudentcheatsinclass,weregarditthathedependsonotherstodohiswork.“Andifastudentisquarter-wittedandheusuallygetsalow.. .markintheexams,wedon’tcallhimstupid.Sowhentheteachertalkswiththechild’sparents,theteacherwouldsay:‘Yourchildisabitslowforhisage.’”[28]Hesaysthefactinaroundaboutwaysoitwillnothurttheparents’andthechild’sself-esteem.Itisaface-savingstrategy.Inshort,inpeople’sdailycommunication,theyhavetobepolitetosaveeachother’sfaceandmaketheirrelationsmoreharmoniously.Theycanachievethisgoalbyusingeuphemismsbecausetheyaresweet-sounding.Andthisisthepolitefunctionofeuphemism.5.EuphemismandPolitenessPrincipleFromtheabove,weknowthateuphemismhassomethingtodowithpoliteness.WecanassociatepolitenesswithPolitenessPrinciple.5.1Leech’spolitenessprinciple“Generallyspeaking,mostoftheeuphemismsaccordwithconversationalprinciple,especiallypolitenessprinciple.Leech’s(1983:132)maximsofthePolitenessPrincipletendtogoinpairsasfollows:(1)TactMaxim(inimpositivesandcommissives)a.Minimizecosttoother;b.Maximizebenefittoother.Someexamples:a、Ifyoukeepthisdiet,you’llbeontheheavyside.(c.f.:Ifyoukeeponeatingtoomuch,you’llbecomeveryfat.)b、Thankyouforyourkindhospitality.(c.f.:Thankyouforyourdeliciousfood.)(2)GenerosityMaxim(inimpositivesandcommissives)a.Minimizebenefittoself;b.Maximizecosttoself.Someexamples:a、Wouldyoudomeafavor?(c.f.:Canyouhelpme?)b、Ishallneverceasetofeelgratefulforyourfavors.(c.f.:Ishallneverceasetofeelgratefulforyourhelp.)(3)ApprobationMaxim(inexpressivesandassertives)a.Minimizedispraiseofother;b.Maximizepraiseofother.Someexamples:a、Heisaseniorcitizennow.(c.f.:Heisanoldmannow.)b、CaoYuisaShakespeareofChina.(c.f.:CaoYuisthebestplaywrightofChina.)(4)ModestyMaxim(inexpressivesandassertives)a.Minimizepraiseofself;b.Maximizedispraiseofself.Someexamples:a、Thisisatokenofmyregardforyou.(c.f.:Thisisapresentforyou.)b、Yourpraiseisthehighesthonorforme.(c.f.:Thankyouforyourpraise.)(5)AgreementMaxim(inassertives)a.Minimizedisagreementbetweenselfandother;b.Maximizeagreementbetweenselfandother... .Someexamples:a、Icouldn’tsharethesameideawithyou.(c.f.:Idon’tagreewithyou.)b、Ifyouwereinmyposition,youwoulddothesame.(c.f.:Ihavetodoso.)(6)SympathyMaxim(inassertives)a.Minimizeantipathybetweenselfandother;b.Maximizesympathybetweenselfandother.”[29]Someexamples:a、IamsorrytohearthatyourfatherrestedinAbraham’sarms.(c.f.:Iamsorrytohearthatyourfatherisdead.)b、IfIwereyou,Iwouldhavetakenarouteofegressasyoudid.(c.f.:IfIhadbeeninyourposition,Iwouldhavebeendefeatedbythemightyenemy,too.)Leechtiespolitenesstotherelationshipbetweenbothpartiesandthelanguageused.Heclaimsthat“static”feature,suchassocialdistance,interactwith“dynamic”features,suchasthekindofillocutionarydemandthespeakerismakingonthemaker,toproduceanappropriatedegreeofpoliteness.Thecoreofhispolitenessistominimizetheexpressionofimpolitebenefits.5.2PolitefunctionandPolitenessPrinciplePolitefunctionisthebasicsocialfunctionofeuphemism.AndPolitenessPrincipleshowsthisfunction.EuphemismalwaysabidesbythePolitenessPrinciple.Insuchacase,euphemismcanmakepeople’srelationshipmoreharmonious.Buttherearealsosomeexceptions.EuphemismsofmilitarydonotaccordwithPolitenessprinciplemostofthetime.5.3PolitenessPrincipleandthecooperativePrincipleThePolitenessPrincipleshowsequalandfriendlyrelationshipsbetweenpeopleinthesociety.Itdemandsthatincommunication,thespeakershouldcooperatewiththehearer.Thetwopartiesuseeuphemismstoreplaceharshwordsbecauseitcanmeetthepsychologicalneedsofface-want.Andthelanguageusedbythetwopartiesshouldbeappropriate.Generallyspeaking,theappropriatenessofthespeechiscloselyrelatedwitheuphemism.However,“TheMaximofRelevance”ofGrice’s“CooperativePrinciple”limitsthechoiceofeuphemism.Hesuggeststhatincommunication,thereplyofthehearershouldbecloselyrelatedtothespeechofthespeaker.Intheprocessofcommunication,theeuphemismsusedjustnowshouldbeconnectedwiththeprimarylanguagesymbols.Insuchcase,itwillprovideacluetothehearersothathecanunderstandtheconnotationofthespeech.Thisprincipleprovidesalotofstandardconversationalimplicatures.Inaword,thetwopartiescanunderstandtheintentionofeachotherfromthecontext.(11)A:HowisJohndoingwithhisstudyatschool?B:He’samachine.Here,fromtheliteralmeaningofB'sreply,heseemshaven’tanswerA’squestion.Butatleast,hisanswerviolatesQualityMaximandRelationMaxim.WeknowthatthoughB’sanswerdoesn’tcooperatewithA’squestion,wecanstillunderstandB’smeaningbythedeeperimplicationofhisspeech.First,weshouldsupposethatthisconversationtallywithCooperativePrinciple.Second,wecanguesstheimplicationbetweenmachineandstudy.Atlast,wecaninferthatJohnishard-working.Thus,iftheutteranceisnotrelevantwitheachother,wecanreason.“Unlikepresuppositionsandentailments,implicaturesareinferencesthatcannotbemadefromisolatedutterances.Theyaredependentonthecontextoftheutteranceandthesharedknowledgebetweenthespeakerandthehearer.”[30].. .6.ConclusionEuphemismisanappropriatelanguageformcreatedbypeopletoachieveanidealcommunicativeeffectinthesocialinteractions.“EnrighrD.J.statedthat‘Ifeuphemismdoesn’texist,themovementoftheworldwillstopanditwillbefilledwithhatred.’”[31]Nearlynoonecanlivewithouteuphemism.Euphemismisnotonlyasocialphenomenon,butalsoalingualphenomenon.Theformationofeuphemismistheresultofsocialfactorsandpsychologicalfactors.Fromthedayofitsbirth,therearecountlesstiesbetweeneuphemismandthesocialculture.Euphemismdevelopswhilethesocietydevelops.Euphemismisamirror.Wecanlearnthevaluesandmoralconceptsofthesociety.EuphemismthataccordswithPolitenessPrincipleoilshumancommunicationbecausepolitefunctionisthemainfunctionofPolitenessprinciple.Ifwemakegooduseofthislanguageform,itwillaccelerateandfacilitatehumancommunication.People’sinterpersonalrelationswillbemoreharmonious.Wecanmakefulluseofeuphemismandmakeourlifemorecolorful.Bibliography[1]冯翠华.EnglishRhetoricalOptions[M].北京:外语教学与研究出版社,1995,12.PP207-208[2]李国南.辞格与词汇[M].上海:上海外语教育出版社,2001.PP245-246[3]向仍东.浅析英语委婉语的特征、构成及作用[J]．长沙大学学报，2005,11.P82[4]同[2]P251[5]同[3]P261[6]同[2]P262[7]同[2]PP252-253[8]同[2]P254[9]同[2]P258[10]胡春梅.论委婉语的构成及功能[J].浙江教育学院学报,2005,1.P32[11]刘纯豹.英语委婉语词典[Z].北京:商务印书馆,2001.PP172-180[12]同[10]P32[13]同[3]P84[14]同[3]P84[15]吴祥云.委婉语的社会功用[J].昭通师范高等专科学校学报,2004,2.P34[16]JoannaChannell.VagueLanguage[M].上海:上海外语教育出版社,2000,6.P179[17]李鑫华.英语修辞格详论[M].上海:上海外语教育出版社,2000.P120[18]同[15]P35[19]同[17]P122[20]同[1]P212[21]同[16]P179[22]李树德.冯奇.英语修辞简明教程[M].上海:复旦大学出版社,2003,10.P53[23]同[3]P84[24]同[17]P114[25]何自然.NotesonPragmatics[M].南京:南京师范大学出版社,2003,1.P83[26]同[25]P83[27]JeanStilwellPeccei.Pragmatics[M].北京:外语教学与研究出版社,2000,8.P64[28]彭莉.委婉语的社会语用功能[J].池州师专学报,2004.P76.. .[29]同[25]P86[30]同[27]P30[31]同[3]P84单纯的课本内容，并不能满足学生的需要，通过补充，达到内容的完善教育之通病是教用脑的人不用手，不教用手的人用脑，所以一无所能。教育革命的对策是手脑联盟，结果是手与脑的力量都可以大到不可思议。..