英语语法之委婉语

1、Contents Introduction Chinese and English euphemistic terms Euphemisms and different cultural connotationsIntroduction Euphemisms are mild, agreeable, or roundabout words used in place of coarse painful, or offensive ones. The term comes from the Greek eu, meaning well or sounding good, and pheme, s

2、peech.“ No matter in Chinese or English euphemisms do exist. To a certain extent euphemism is a mirror of social psychology. Human beings are human beings. Almost all cultures seem to have certain notions or things that people try to avoid mentioning directly. Both Chinese and English euphemisms cov

3、er such topics as physiological phenomena (death, old age, disease and secretions , occupation, poverty, physical shortcomings and politics etc. They share certain features in common.Chinese and English euphemistic terms Death Physical illness Pregnancy Aging Excretions and secretions Sexual Activit

4、ies Shortcomings Occupation PovertyDeath In English: to be asleep in the Arms of God，to be at peace，to be at rest, to be called to God, to be called home, to be home and free，to be taken to paradise，The call of God, The final departure, final sleep, to go to ones own place，to have fallen asleep，to h

5、ave gone to a better place (land, world, life)，to join ones ancestors. Join the Great majority, return to dust go, depart, depart from the world forever, pass away, breathe ones last, pay ones debt to nature, go to a better world, be in heaven, be with God, etc In Chinese: 去世，故去，牺牲，作古，谢世，与世长辞，心脏停止跳动

6、，去见马克思，断弦，玉殒香消，玉碎珠沉，仙逝，登仙，归西。 In ancient China: 驾崩，晏驾，薨，卒，不禄。Physical illness people always try to avoid naming disease directly. In the 19th century tuberculosis killed many people but its causes were mysterious, giving it an extra dimension of fear. It was euphemized as consumption in allusion to

7、the way in which it consumed its victims, giving them the pale and wasted appearance. Another circumlocution employed was decline，a specialization of still current use of decline for progressive worsening of a persons health. Other euphemisms for tuberculosis are health seeker or TB. Cancer is also

8、a name many dare not to speak. The currently modish euphemism is the big C. In obituaries of cancer victims, death is usually identified discreetly as being after a long illness. The rather drastic incurable illness is also sometimes used, which might seem a bit strong for a euphemism, but is eviden

9、tly felt to be more acceptable than cancer. In China, parents always want their children to be in good health. No wonder there are such names as 杨康，霍去病，辛弃疾。Even if people are ill, they prefer to use euphemisms, 不适，不舒服，欠安。Pregnancy Both in English and Chinese there are many euphemisms for pregnancy.

10、In English: in a delicate/ interesting condition, eating for two, in a family way, have a hump in the front, have a white swelling, spoiled shape, have a little tax reduction, in trouble or sprain ones ankle. In Chinese: 怀喜，有喜，身子不方便，身子笨了，身怀六甲，有了。Aging In English: senior citizen, mature woman, mature

11、 man, someone who is of advanced years, sunset years, twilight years. In Chinese: 古稀之年，华发。Excretions and secretions In English: go to the rest room, washroom, wash ones hands, to freshen up, nature calls, powder her nose. In Chinese: 洗手间，一号，打个电话。Sexual Activities In English: having an affair with, l

12、ie with, sleep with, do it, drop your pants, have relation with, make out, play around with. In Chinese: 同房， 房事，过夫妻生活，干那事，风流韵事，发生关系，上床，睡觉，吃豆腐，露水夫妻，寻花问柳。Shortcomings Its embarrassing to mention others shortcomings directly. So no wonder both Chinese and English contain a lot of euphemisms for shortco

13、mings. In English: plain-looking, heavy side, slender (skinny), physically handicapped( crippled), slow of hearing( deaf), beauty spot( acne) plump( fat) In Chinese: 丰满，青春痘，欠安，耳背，耳朵不灵光，发育好，苗条，弱智，腿脚不利索。Occupation In English: sanitation engineers( garbage man), footwear maintenance engineer (boot black), waste-reduction manager, domestic manager (housewife) In Chinese: 马路天使，城市美容师，家政服务员，厨师，门卫，蓝领。Poverty In English: involuntarily leisured, needy, underprivileged, disadvantaged In Chinese: 失业人员， 下岗人员，待岗人员， 手头不便， 囊中羞涩。Euphemisms and different cultural conno