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1、I. Introduction With the development of modern society, many countries all around the world communicate with each other more and more in culture, politics and economy. As an important figure of speech, euphemism exists in all languages and its social functions are also broadening. Euphemism is a kin
2、d of common linguistic phenomenon which exists relatively to direct speech. With regard to the study of euphemism, it is limited to the range in related to taboo. In fact, euphemism takes shape with the interaction or influence of speech situations to express a mental need of the communicative subje
3、cts and speakers who use it. In our daily life and even in the cross-cultural interaction, it is often the case that some people have to tell harsh, blunt, unpleasant or offensive things to others, but they try to avoid mentioning them directly for fear of hurting others feelings and use better-soun
4、ding expressions, the “gilded words”, which is the best way for us to exchange with others when some sensitive topics are concerned. Although people in every country all use euphemism to deliberately avoid mentioning something harsh or blunt for fear of hurting others feelings, the use of euphemism
5、is rather complex, for the circumstances and conditions under which euphemism should be used differ from person to person, from profession to profession, from place to place. It would seem that the urge to speak euphemistically is a universal trait, varying in scope and motive with different individ
6、uals in different circumstances. If it is misused, it will cause misunderstanding and a negative effect. Euphemism is not only a phenomenon of social languages, but also a phenomenon of culture. It has been deeply rooted in all aspects of our social life and makes languages in flux. Euphemism reflec
7、ts various cultural values in different countries. Hence, in order to interact well in the international situation, we should not only know cultural values of euphemism in our own country, but also pay more attention to cultural values of euphemism in other countries.II. Euphemism in China and Engli
8、sh-speaking countries Euphemism is a common phenomenon in English and Chinese languages with similar psychological basis and scope of application. And it reflects the difference in its origin, values and traditional customs. Only by familiarizing ourselves with more about euphemism, can we make a fu
9、rther research of its cultural values. A. The definition, classification and constructive principles of euphemism1. DefinitionThe word “euphemism” comes from the Greek word “euphemismos”, which means to speak with good words called by H. L. Mencken the “gilded words”. Euphemism is also called “cosme
10、tic words” in news reports. Euphemism is defined in the New Edition of the Oxford Concise Dictionary (1976) as “Substitution of mild or vague or roundabout expression for harsh or direct one; expression thus substituted.” In Websters New Collegiate Dictionary (1973) the definition reads, “Substituti
11、on of an agreeable or inoffensive expression for one that may offend or suggest something unpleasant. In the words of Hilaire Belloc, “The Euphemism is recognition by man of mans own imperfection, and at the time recognition by man that he belongs to better things. It is play acting, but none the wo
12、rse for that. It is a false word substituted for the true word in order to soften the shock of reality.” As Stefan Kanfer remarks, “Euphemisms are to the tongue what Novocain is to the gums. They all perform the same function: the separation of words from the truth.” Writers like Kanfer condemn euph
13、emism as demoralizing because of its hypocrisy, while others like Hilaire Belloc consider them a “psychological necessity”. The fact remains, however. That euphemism is very much a part of the language and what is more important for us is not to debate its merits or demerits, but rather to be able t
14、o read into it the motivation of its users. 2. ClassificationAccording to Hugh Rawson, euphemism can be divided into two types: positive and negative from the angle of semantics. Positive euphemisms can also be called stylistic ones, which inflate and magnify the word meaning, making the euphemized
15、altogether grander and more important than they really are. It includes the good names for some professions and organizations and honorifics for some people. Negative euphemisms refer to expressions that make horrible things sound good such as honorifics for God, other names for ferocious animals an
16、d humble address forms for ourselves. From another perspective, if we take the frequency of its use as the standard, euphemism can be classified as common and temporary euphemism. Common euphemism is popular with some language community during certain time, while temporary euphemism may be used once
17、 by only several persons. In addition, according to the range of its use, euphemism can be mainly used instead of taboo related to birth, sickness, oldness, death, excretion, body parts, sex, poverty, crime, occupation and politics. 3. Constructive principles There are many ways to express euphemism
18、, but it must comply with the following constructive principles as distance maxim, relation maxim and beauty maxim. a. Distance maxim In fact, euphemism depends on a kind of distance in psychology. People always think that language signs are equal to the references. Taboo is forbidden because it is
19、equivalent to the reference. In order to eliminate the direct connection of equivalence, the fundamental method is to increase the distance between the two. b. Relation maximIn theory, the bigger the distance is , the more euphemistic the expressions are. But the nature of interaction makes us to co
20、nform to another important principle, the relation maxim. People can not choose any expressin to form euphemism at will. The new euphemism must have connections with the original one to some extent. For instance, if someone has mental derangement, you say he doesnt feel well. At this time, the liste
21、ner would not understand its meaning. It is obvious if you change it into” There is something wrong with his brain”.c. Beauty maxim The other constructive principle is the beauty maxim. It doesnt mean the voice is delightful, but that it should have a good connotation. For example, in English, “funeral director” is substituted for the word “undertaker” and “bathroom” for toilet” because the can make people feel better.
