Analysis of English Euphemism from the Pragmatic Perspective ABSTRACT Euphemism is not only regarded as an essential linguistic phenomenon, but also an important embody of social and cultural phenomenon. In western countries, it’s already a communication strategy. People use euphemism to avoid embarrassment and make a more pleasant communication. However, it’s difficult for those non-native English speakers to know whether they choose the right word resulting from culture differences. This paper explores what euphemism is and focuses on the pragmatic analysis of euphemism. This paper will take the pragmatic function of English euphemism as the main example. By analyzing, the significance of euphemism and its important role in daily life and the field of cross-cultural communication will be found out. The significance of this thesis is to enable a better understanding of English euphemism, in order to improve the communication skills and reduce pragmatic failures. Key words: English euphemism; pragmatics; formation; function 内容摘要 委婉语是一种语言现象,同时也是社会与文化的反映。在一些西方国家,委婉语已成为一种交际上的策略。人们通过运用委婉语避免了尴尬的交际场面,从而完成理想的交际。然而,由于文化差异,非英语母语国家的人如何选择恰当的词句并非易事。本文主要探究委婉语的本质并从语用学的角度对委婉语进行剖析。文章主要以英语委婉语的语用功能为例进行分析,从而发现委婉语存在的意义及其在日常生活乃至跨文化领域中的重要作用。本文旨在进一步了解英语委婉语,以学习交流技巧并减少交际中的语用失误。 关键词:英语委婉语;语用学;形成;功能 CONTENTS 内容摘要 iii ABSTRACT iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS v DECLARATION vi Introduction 1 Chapter 1. Literature Review 3 1.1 Major Studies in Western Countries 3 1.2 Major Studies in China 4 Chapter 2. Fundamental knowledge of English Euphemism 5 2.1 Definition of English Euphemism 5 2.2 Classification of English Euphemism 6 2.2.1 Positive Euphemisms and Negative Euphemisms 6 2.2.2 Unconscious Euphemisms and Conscious Euphemisms 7 2.2.3 Other Classification of Euphemism 7 Chapter 3. Formation of English Euphemism 9 3.1 The Principles of the Formation of English Euphemism 9 3.2 Lexical Means 10 3.3 Phonetic Means 11 3.4 Rhetorical Means 13 3.5 Grammar Means 14 Chapter 4. Pragmatic Functions of English Euphemism 16 4.1 Avoiding Taboo 16 4.2 Being Elegant 17 4.3 Covering Up 18 4.4 Being Polite 19 Conclusion 20 BIBLIOGRAPHY 22 |
Analysis of English Euphemism from the Pragmatic Perspective
更新时间:2019-06-09