礼貌原则下《摩登家庭》中委婉语的交际功能和交际失败分析

论文总字数：30485字

摘 要

英语委婉语是人们为调节各种人际关系而采用的一种较为隐晦、婉转、礼貌的语言策略，它的使用遵循了礼貌原则。因此，本研究旨在从利奇的礼貌原则出发，阐述委婉语的使用是如何遵从或违背礼貌原则的。作者以美剧《摩登家庭》为例，选取有代表性的例子具体分析委婉语的交际功能实现的成败现象，以此让人们懂得如何在不同的交际情境下有效且正确地使用委婉语。

关键词：英语委婉语；礼貌原则；交际功能；《摩登家庭》

Contents

1. Introduction 1

1.1 Introduction to Modern Family 1

1.2 Introduction to euphemism 2

2. Literature Review 4

2.1 Previous studies on euphemism 4

2.2 The politeness principle concerning the application of euphemism 5

3. Analysis of Communicative Functions of English Euphemism in Modern Family Based on the Politeness Principle 7

3.1 Cases successful in achieving the communicative functions 7

3.2 Cases failing in achieving the communicative functions 10

4. Conclusion 13

Works Cited 15

1. Introduction

English euphemism is considered as the indispensable means of communication, which is utilized to improve interpersonal relationship. In daily interaction, its communicative functions play an important role in interpersonal communication. Therefore, this thesis aims to give the readers a deeper and better understanding of English euphemism. In this chapter, the introduction to Modern Family, the definitions, classifications and communicative functions of euphemism will be illustrated.

1.1 Introduction to Modern Family

All the data and transcriptions of this thesis were collected from the famous American sitcom Modern Family. In 2009, it was first broadcast in the United States and received a large audience favorite.

This mockumentary explores many different types of a modern family through the stories of a gay couple, comprised of Mitchell and Cameron, and their daughter Lily, a straight couple, comprised of Phil and Claire, and their three kids, Haley, Alex, and Luke, and a multicultural couple, which is comprised of Jay and Gloria, and their son Manny. And they all closely linked to each other in life. Claire is a full-time housewife and has been married for 16 years with his husband Phil, who is a real estate intermediary. Although Claire is the housewife of a traditional American household, she is the chief spokesman of her family due to her strong personality. As for Phil, he is a fine husband and an enlightened father. They have three children─Haley, Alex and Luke. Haley is the oldest girl and very beautiful, but she hates studying. Alex is a good student in school and does well in study. Luke is the youngest of the family who is a bit funny and cute. Claire’s father Jay, who is over sixty, married a beautiful young woman Gloria from Colombia. They are a remarried family of three with Gloria’s son Manny, who is only 11 years old but looks quite mature. The rich businessman Jay, as the elder of the three families, is a stubborn, tough man. Claire’s brother Mitchell, a lawyer, has been together for 5 years with his gay partner, Cameron. They adopt a baby girl Lily from Vietnam. There are many kinds of happiness and joy they share with each other, but sometimes they also face and handle conflicts with their own families and each other.

1.2 Introduction to euphemism

Euphemism has been functioning as one kind of “lubricants” in daily communication and in the exchange of information, to such an extent that “Without euphemisms，the world would come to a halt because of the friction，and resentments would arise among people.” ( Enright 113) In this chapter, the definitions, classifications and functions of euphemism will be introduced.

1.2.1 Definitions of euphemism

The Greek word “euphemismos” is the origin of the term “euphemism”. The prefix “eu-” in Greek means “good” or “well” , while the root “ -phem-” means “speech”，and “-ism” is a noun suffix. Thus the word euphemism means saying pleasant and adorable words. In the early 1580s, George Blunt first pointed out the term “euphemism”. Later, more definitions are given in different ways of expressions as follows:

(1) A polite, tactful, or less explicit term used to avoid the direct naming of an unpleasant, painful or frightening reality. (Webster 2323)

(2) Mild, agreeable, or roundabout words used in place of coarse, painful or offensive ones. (Rawson 11)

(3) A polite word or expression that you use instead of a more direct one to avoid shocking or upsetting someone. (Longman 2251)

Although definitions of euphemism illustrated above have been given in different ways of expression from different aspects, there are still quite a few shared viewpoints. First, it can be seen that euphemism is a substitution of a gentle expression for a hard one. Second, it can make the communicators more comfortable without embarrassing or upsetting each other, and ensure them harmonious in the communication. Last but not least, most of these definitions are described from the perspective of semantics so that euphemism refers to a pleasant word, phrase or expression.

1.2.2 Classifications of euphemism

According to Huge Rawson, euphemism can be divided into positive euphemism and negative euphemism. Just as Hugh Rawson mentioned, “The positive ones inflate and magnify, making the euphemized items seem altogether grander and more important than they really are. The negative euphemism deflates and diminishes. They are defensive in nature; offsetting the power of tabooed terms and otherwise eradicating from language everything that people prefer not to deal with directly.” (Rawson 55)

According to whether people can remember the original meaning or not, euphemism can be divided into the conscious euphemism and the unconscious euphemism. Unconscious euphemism is used unconsciously without any intent to deceive or evade. Take “cemetery” for example, it is from the Greek word “sleeping place or dormitory” since the fourteenth century, and now serves as a euphemism for “graveyard”. However, conscious euphemism is widely used today. For example, when a lady stands up and says that she wants to “power her nose” or “make a phone call” at a party, the people present realize that the euphemism means “something else” , that is “going to the toilet”.

From the point of functions of euphemisms, there are evasive euphemisms, polite euphemisms, and disguised euphemisms and so on. According to the geographical districts, euphemism can be divided into American euphemism, British euphemism, and Chinese euphemism and so on.

1.2.3 Communicative functions of euphemism

Euphemism, as a mirror of social psychology, can reflect different social and mental state. Therefore, as a universal phenomenon in all world languages, its functions are mainly manifested in evasion function, politeness function and disguise function. (Yu 11）

Originally, the use of euphemism is associated with taboo. As for taboo, it is something that may cause fear that can not be mentioned in the language and can only be replaced by euphemism. Nowadays, the evasion function of euphemism still plays a guiding role, and some taboo ideas are not easy to eliminate. For instance, though at the age of scientific prosperity, the American still avoids the mentioning of number “13”. Besides, there are some euphemisms referring to some diseases which are unacceptable or may give rise to psychological burden such as “blossom” for “pimple”, “long illness” for “cancer” and so on.

Politeness, a sign of human civilization, is the shared standard and norm people have to follow in various social events, for they are apt to satisfy the hearer and make themselves more enjoyable. For example, people who are fear of old like to be called “senior citizens” instead of “old men”. Also, the speaker should try to avoid mentioning some topics directly such as disabled body, sex, defects, and so on. This is actually out of politeness.

Due to its vagueness and considerable deception, the disguise function of euphemism was recognized gradually and then was used frequently by people. As Channel explains, the so-called “disguise” refers to “not giving information which the speaker possesses and which could be appropriate in the situation”. (Channell 179) In western countries, euphemism can be employed to help the government or politicians to cover up various facts from politics, military, and commerce, etc. to play down the seriousness of some social problems. Since euphemisms are mild and rhetorical, they are also widely used today to conceal something that people are not willing to reveal directly and sometimes even play a role of cheaters, such as the fact of crime.

2. Literature Review

Many domestic and foreign scholars and linguistics carry on a research to it from different perspectives over the years.

2.1 Previous studies on euphemism

In western countries, the British writer, George Blunt, for the first time used the word “euphemism”. Later, American linguists Mencken (1921) explored the origins of the euphemism and how it became popular in his The American Language. In 1983, Kind words-A Treasure of Euphemisms written by Neaman and Silver was published, in which a detailed description on 11 types of euphemism including disease, death, sex, government language, war, etc. was given. In 1985, Fair of Speech, the Use of Euphemism was written by D. J. Enright. This book collected a large number of papers on euphemism, which provided a significance value for the the research afterwards. In 1991, Allan and Burridge published a book Euphemisms and Dysphemism, in which euphemisms was studied from pragmatic perspective. In 1993, John Ayto published the book Euphemism, which concentrates on the study of the history and social background of euphemism.

In China, many modern scholars have been studying euphemisms. A breakthrough is made by Chen Wangdao in An Introduction to Rhetoric, in which he extended the concept of euphemism to sentence or even chapter level. In 1983, Chen Yuan published Sociolinguistics, devoting a special chapter to euphemism, which not only discussed the historical and social background but also revealed the social nature of this phenomenon. In 1989, Shu Dingfang further extended the range of euphemism study. He pointed that “There is still one more important principle at work in interpersonal communication, namely, the self-protection principle.” (Shu 28) Later, in 2000, Liang Hongmei illustrates the relationship between the euphemism and pragmatics. In 2001, Shao Junhang and Fan Weiwei give a systematic analysis of the devices to constructing euphemism on the basis of the cognitive linguistics and propose that distracting or transferring the hearer’s attention is the critical factor for euphemism’s construction.

2.2 The politeness principle concerning the application of euphemism

The following will introduce Leech’s Politeness Principle (PP). Leech agrees with the Grice’s Cooperative Principe (CP) in principle, but he suggests that the CP should be expanded because, according to him, Grice’s framework in itself cannot give a sufficient explanation of why people sometimes express themselves without a direct way and/or people sometimes violate the CP. And according to Thomas, “The formation of politeness principle has two main requirements: Maximize the expression of politeness and minimize the expression of impoliteness.” (Thomas 158) Under the two general requirements, Leech gives a detailed study of the Politeness Principle and subdivides it into six maxims：

2.2.1 Tact maxim

(a)Minimize cost to other

(b)Maximize benefit to other

This maxim is based on a point to the listener. The speaker minimizes the cost to the listener or others and correspondingly maximizes the benefit to the other side．

2.2.2 Generosity maxim

(a)Minimize benefit to self

(b)Maximize cost to self

This maxim is based on a point to the speaker. The speaker minimizes benefit to himself or herself but maximizes cost to himself or herself.

2.2.3 Approbation maxim

(a)Minimize dispraise of other

(b)Maximize praise of other

This maxim is based on a point to the listener. The speaker minimizes dispraise of others but maximizes praise of others．

2.2.4 Modesty maxim

(a)Minimize praise of self

(b)Maximize dispraise of self

This maxim is based on a point to the speaker. The speaker minimizes praise of himself or herself but maximizes dispraise of himself or herself

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