浅谈英语的禁忌语_英文_
浅析英汉禁忌语文化
浅析英汉禁忌语文化系别化学与生命科学学院班级12级06班学号20姓名丁香浅析英汉禁忌语文化摘要：禁忌语是一种普遍的社会现象和语言现象，它与人类的生活有着密切的联系。
由于中西方文化的差异，导致了禁忌语存在较大的差别。
本文着重介绍中西方禁忌语的相似与差异，有助于我们更好地了解中西方的文化，完美地掌握交流用语，不至于说出一些对方反感的言语。
关键词：禁忌语相似差异一、英汉禁忌语的概况禁忌语是语言的一部分，就是指在日常交际中不能涉及到的特有的话题，可以说凡是在交往和公共场合中那些引起对方或公众反感或不快的一些词或表达方式都属于禁忌语的范畴。
在英语中，“禁忌”（Taboos）一词源于波利尼西亚语，原意指“神圣的”和“非凡的”，后引申为“禁止的”和“危险的”。
夏威夷语指导禁忌读作“卡普”（Kapu）。
在波利尼西亚文化中，禁忌是指“任何与帝王有关的而普通百姓接触后会有危险的事，或者帝王碰过后，从而变得具有威力的任何事”。
甚至帝王的影子对他来说也是危险的。
除此之外，波利尼西亚人还对其他一些显示力量的地方和事物用禁忌予以表示，例如某些食物、山脉或泉水。
“禁忌”这个词历史悠久，在各类历史文献中均有记载。
汉王符《潜夫论·忠贵》：“贵戚惧家之不吉而聚诸令名，惧门之不坚而为铁枢，卒其所以败者，非苦禁忌少而门枢朽也，常苦崇财货而行骄僭，虐百姓而失民心尔。
”汉应劭《风俗通·正失·彭城相袁元服》：“今俗间多有禁忌，生三子者、五月生者，以为妨害父母，服中子犯礼伤孝，莫肯收举。
”《后汉书·郎顗传》：“臣生长草野，不晓禁忌，披露肝胆，书不择言。
”唐苏拯《明禁忌》诗：“阴阳家有书，卜筑多禁忌。
”随着社会的发展，禁忌语在发展变化。
比如在中国人的俗信中，以为人的影子既和人的身体相像又和人的身体相关。
身体为阳，影像为阴，觉得影子大约就是自己的灵魂，所以古代有禁忌别人踩踏自己的影子。
而现在，这种说法已经少为人所知了。
浅析英语禁忌语的使用
浅析英语禁忌语的使用作者：李敏来源：《科教导刊》2012年第08期摘要语言既是文化载体，又是文化的一部分。
禁忌是世界各民族普遍存在的一种文化现象，语言禁忌也是现实生活中普遍存在的现象，又是世界各民族所共有的文化现象，反映在社会生活的各个方面，它规范了人们的言语行为与社会交际行为。
禁忌语作为一种特殊语言，无论是在实际交际中还是在教学中，都是十分重要的。
跨文化交际是现代交际的重要部分，了解语言禁忌现象可以使跨文化交际更加得体，因此从语用角度分析英语禁忌语对跨文化交际有重要意义。
关键词禁忌语交际语用委婉语中图分类号：H315 文献标识码：ATalking about the Application of English TabooLI Min(Normal Department of Dazhou Vocational and Technical College, Dazhou, Sichuan 635001)Abstract Language is not only the carrier of culture, but also a part of culture. Taboo is a common phenomenon in every nation of the world. Language taboo is also a common phenomenon in realistic life. It is also a common phenomenon in every nation of the world, and exists in every aspect in social life, norming people's language behavior and social communication. As a special language, taboo is very important in social communication and teaching. Intercultural communication is an important part of modern communication. Learning language taboo can make intercultural communication be more appropriate. Therefore, analyzing English taboo has great significance from the perspective of pragmatics.Key words taboo; communication; pragmatics; euphemism1 禁忌语的概况禁忌语在语言现象中是非常普遍的，日常生活中它的身影几乎无处不在。
英语禁忌语大全
英语禁忌语大全A第一个词是cock。
这个词是一开始学英语就学到的基本词汇之一，大家都知道它是“公鸡”的意思，可是在美语里，最好就不要用它了，因为它的意思早就不是“公鸡”了。
在俚语里面，它指的是男性生殖器。
比如你要说：“他有两只公鸡。
”，千万不要说：He has two cocks。
这样一定会让人误解的。
那么用哪个词表达“公鸡”的意思呢？这时候，Rooster就是最好的选择了。
例如你要说：“我是鸡年生的。
”，就可以说：I was born in the year of rooster.说到这里，我就想起在美国的一些中国餐馆里，经常看到垫餐盘的纸上印着中国十二生肖的介绍。
而有很多在“鸡年”的介绍里，用的就是cock这个词，大概有不止一次看到老美读这一段的时候讪笑了。
还有一个需要注意的词是rubber。
学英语的时候我们知道它是“橡皮”的意思，但在美语里面，说“橡皮”用的是eraser，而不是rubber。
Rubber在美式口语里有三个意思，第一个意思指的是“轮胎”，也就是automobile tire或者tire。
例如一个人说：The rubber on my car is ruined.她的意思就是：我车子的轮胎已经被毁了。
Rubber的第二个用法是rubber check，指的就是“假支票”，或者那种支票上的金额大于银行存款的支票。
Rubber的最后一个意思指的就是“避孕套”。
如果一个人说：He always carries a rubber“just in case”.千万不要把这句话理解为：“他总是随身携带橡皮，以防万一”。
这句话的实际意思是：“他总是随身携带避孕套以防万一”。
可见，好多不能乱用的词语是和“性”有关的。
这些词语一旦用错了，不仅会引起不必要的误会，还很有可能影响个人形象。
所以最好的办法就是先看看老美是怎么用的，并在学习过程中不断积累。
第一章什么是不能说出口的英语：禁忌语与俚语a.禁忌语与俚语本书介绍的语言，在英语是属于淫秽的语言(obscene language)，也可以说是脏话(dirty words)。
汉英禁忌语
汉英禁忌语一、禁忌语和委婉语语言禁忌 (Language Taboo)，语言禁忌源于人类最初对自然现象和自然力的困惑和误解。
早在远古时代，人们因对日月交替风雨雷电、火山地震以及人和物的生老病死等自然现象和自然规律不理解，故幻想创造了神，认为神是万物的主宰、祸福的根源。
因此，神灵不可亵渎，与神灵有关的东西都应被尊为灵物，被列为禁忌，不可冒犯。
英语中，God(上帝)、Satan(魔王撒旦)等均有婉称，汉语中有国讳、圣讳、官讳或家讳。
疾病与死亡为人之大忌，无论是东方人，还是西方人，都十分忌讳疾病与死亡，所以在交际时都尽量回避这些字眼，以婉言称之。
禁忌语（taboo）是人们多数情况下不能说或不想说的话。
禁忌语多是与身体某些器官及功能或与宗教，崇拜有关，包括脏话（obscene）、粗俗语（vulgar）、和仵犯神灵的话（profane）。
禁忌语可以不用，可话不能不说，意思不可不表达，因而出现了大量的委婉语来代替禁忌语。
二、英语中委婉语英语中委婉语（euphemism）一词源自希腊语。
前缀“eu”的意思是“good”（好），词根“-phemism”意为“speech”（言语），合起来意思是“word of good omen”（吉言或好听的说法）。
委婉语是人类语言中普遍存在的一种语言现象，广泛应用于社会生活的各个方面。
由于语言交际是人类赖以维系社会关系和人际关系的重要手段，因此人们在交际中通常避免使用引起双方不快从而损害双方关系的语言，而采取迂回曲折的语言来表达思想、交流信息。
因此，委婉语自产生之日起，就担负着“润滑”交际的重任。
“如果没有委婉语，世界的运转会因摩擦而停止，人间将充满仇怨”。
正如美国学者Hugh Rawson 所描述的那样，委婉语“如此深深地嵌入我们的语言，以至我们中间没有谁——即便是那些自诩言谈直截了当的人——能够在不使用委婉语的情况下过完一天的”。
(一)有关“死亡”的委婉语人们生活中最忌讳的就是死亡，因此语言禁忌中关于死亡的委婉语大量存在。
英语词汇禁忌趣谈
英语词汇禁忌趣谈摘要：本文主要介绍了词汇禁忌语的类别、特点、形式，并通过具体的实例说明了词汇禁忌语在具体语境中的使用限制和特点，加强禁忌词汇的学习，对学习者在减少跨文化交际失误，增强跨文化意识，提高跨文化交际能力方面有着重要意义。
关键词：禁忌语；禁忌词汇；文化禁忌语（taboo）：taboo一词起源于波利尼西亚汤加语，其汤加语的拼写为tabu，毛利语的拼写是tapu。
这个单词最早是在1771年英国探险家James Cook在汤加探险时从当地人那里学到的，并把这个单词引入了英语。
James Cook在描述汤加人的文化习俗时写道：“Not one of them would sit down，or eat a bit of any thing.... On expressing my surprise at this，they were all taboo，as they said；which word has a very comprehensive meaning；but，in general，signifies that a thing is forbidden.1”他还写道“Whe n any thing is forbidden to be eaten，or made use of，they say，that it is taboo.2”根据《大英百科全书在线》，Taboo 一词意义为“A taboo is a vehement prohibition of an action based on the belief that such behavior is either too sacred or too accursed for ordinary individuals to undertake，under threat of supernatural punishment.3”禁忌语包含如下三个部分：称谓禁忌、词汇禁忌、话题禁忌。
英语禁忌语和委婉语
Taboo’s representation
• Screw 笨蛋、傻瓜 • lay在字典上通常之意“躺下”的意思 .可是英语的lay并不是那样婉转 而文雅的话，是能与screw或fuck 匹敌的猥亵禁忌语 . Five cadets swore they all laid the girl one night on Jamaica Shore. (五名候补军 官承认，有一夜在牙买加海岸他们全体把她干了。) 这样以laid表示过去式的“非文法性”处处存在于猥亵语中，希 望各位能记住。 • Ass原意是“驴”，在俚语是“屁股”的意思，做为禁忌语则有“性 交”的意思。 • the business──从这里可以了解英语的妓女是business girl的理由了 。将职业妇女称之为BG (business girl)是不妥当的，原因就在这里了 。 • 通常short time是指“短时间的”，而和“时间”相对比，但英语的 short time 完全指“性交”这件事。
跨文化交际之中英禁忌语比较
• 尊称 • 尊：尊府、尊兄、尊驾、尊夫人； 贤：贤弟、贤妻； 贵：贵体（有问候意）、贵姓、贵庚； 高：高朋、高见； 大：大礼、大作、大驾。 惠：惠存、惠临、惠顾、惠赠 • 令: 令尊、令堂、令郎、令爱
• 2） 西方受自由平等思想的影响，强调个体 和个人价值，提倡个人的自信和实事求是 的态度，面对赞扬与恭维，大多趋于接受 ，并表示高兴与感谢。
中西方禁忌语差异比较
Taboo
引言
• 在经济和信息日益全球化的今天，不同国家、不 同民族和不同种族人们之间的交流也日益频繁。 不同文化群体的人们在相互接触的过程中，不是 想说什么就说什么，在日常交际中也不是什么话 题都可以涉及，在一定的文化中，参与交际的人 们都会不约而同的对某些话题和某些词汇有意回 避，因为人们不愿或不敢随便谈论这些话题和词 汇，于是语言中就出现了禁忌语。
• 4）五与星期五 • 在中国，“五”是个和谐、优美的数字，表示 “圆满、完全”，特别受人喜爱。如“五湖四海 ”、“五光十色”等。在西方人的观念中，“五 ”没有特别的涵义，却认为“星期五是个不吉祥 的日子，常给人以恐怖之感。一种说法是，星期 五是耶稣受难日，所以主凶，还有人认为，据《 圣经》记载，人类的祖先亚当和夏娃被逐出伊甸 园也是星期五这一天。含有“Friday”的习语也说 明了这一点，如：Black Friday(耶稣受难日，发 生灾难事件的星期五)
• •
3）六与七 在中国，“6”是一个时空谐和数，最为吉祥。俗语“六 六大顺”即是最好的印证。在使用电话号码或汽车车牌号 时，人们尤其钟爱尾数为“66”、“666”、“6666”这几组 数字，因为它们象征着顺顺利利，万事如意。然而由于宗 教的影响，在西方“6”不是一个受欢迎的数字，被视为大 凶数，这从以下习语中也可见。如：at sixes and sevens( 乱七八糟；糊涂的；迷茫的)、hit sb. for six／knock sb. Six (给敌人／某人以毁灭性打击) 、six of the best (以藤 鞭击六———一种惩罚手段)、six penny(不值钱)、six of one and half a dozen of the other (半斤八两，差不多)等 。在西方“666”一直被基督教称为“魔鬼数字”，因为在 《圣经》中，恶魔撒旦的代表符号便是“666”，所以在基 督教中6 代表了浑沌不堪。
英汉语言交流中的禁忌语及委婉表达
英汉语言交流中的禁忌语及委婉表达一、引言语言是人类社会中客观存在的特有的社会现象，是某一社会群体约定俗成的、通过学习获得的一种符号，是人们用来交流思想的工具。
语言和实物没有必要的联系。
然而，在远古时代，人类对自然现象缺乏科学的认识，不能够合理解释某种反常的自然力，语言就被赋予了它本身原本没有的超自然力量。
人们迷信语言有一种超常的魔力，能够给人类带来幸福和灾难，以至将语言所代表的事物和语言本身画上符号，于是，产生了语言的禁忌。
禁忌(taboo) 是人类社会普遍存在的一种复杂的文化现象，它存在于世界上已知的各种文化之中，无论是原始部落，还是高度文明的社会，无论在中国还是在西方，语言禁忌都普遍存在。
禁忌是人们对某些言行的自我限制，它不仅来源于人们对某种神秘力量的畏惧，而且也包含着人们在与大自然作斗争中长期积累的经验。
禁忌文化主要包括：社交禁忌，公共场合禁忌，饮食禁忌，节日禁忌，送礼禁忌，宗教禁忌，颜色禁忌，数字与日期禁忌，动植物禁忌等。
禁忌无处不在、无所不有，小至衣食住行、社会交往，大至政治、外交、文化等活动都有禁忌的身影。
二、语言禁忌现象文化传统使各种语言形成了各自的语言禁忌。
在汉文化中，姓名称呼方面的禁忌有着独特的历史发展轨迹。
例如，中国封建社会对君主的名字严加忌讳，唐代为避太宗李世民之讳把世改成代，把民改成人。
旧时对父母的名字也要避讳，唐朝大诗人杜甫，一生留下1400 首诗，却无一句涉及海棠花，因为他的母亲名海棠，正如他避父名“闲”之讳，诗中没有一个“闲”字。
因此，在中国，晚辈对长辈、下级对上级、学生对老师，决不能直呼其名，否则，会被视为唐突无礼、缺乏教养、大逆不道。
而在西方，除了某些特定工作头衔，如：教授、医生、博士、法官等外，一般是直呼其名，这反倒让人觉得亲切、友好和自然，就连父母与子女之间也是如此。
个人隐私在西方国家里也是人们最大的忌讳。
因此，在与西方人交流中，打听、询问关于个人的年龄，财产、收入、恋爱婚姻、宗教信仰、政治倾向等一些私事，即是用另一种方式侵犯了别人的隐私权。
英语的禁忌语
英语的禁忌语在英语的学习中，虽然我们没有学到英语的禁忌语，但了解一些对于对外交流时还是很有必要的，可以避免我们出现尴尬。
第一个词是cock。
这个词是一开始学英语就学到的基本词汇之一，大家都知道它是“公鸡”的意思，可是在美语里，最好就不要用它了，因为它的意思早就不是“公鸡”了。
在俚语里面，它指的是男性生殖器。
比如你要说：“他有两只公鸡。
”，千万不要说：He has two cocks。
这样一定会让人误解的。
那么用哪个词表达“公鸡”的意思呢？这时候，Rooster就是最好的选择了。
例如你要说：“我是鸡年生的。
”，就可以说：I was born in the year of rooster.还有一个需要注意的词是rubber。
学英语的时候我们知道它是“橡皮”的意思，但在美语里面，说“橡皮”用的是eraser，而不是rubber。
Rubber在美式口语里有三个意思，第一个意思指的是“轮胎”，也就是automobile tire或者tire。
例如一个人说：The rubber on my car is ruined.她的意思就是：我车子的轮胎已经被毁了。
Rubber的第二个用法是rubber check，指的就是“假支票”，或者那种支票上的金额大于银行存款的支票。
Rubber的最后一个意思指的就是“避孕套”。
如果一个人说：He always carries a rubber “just in case”.千万不要把这句话理解为：“他总是随身携带橡皮，以防万一”。
这句话的实际意思是：“他总是随身携带避孕套以防万一”。
对于女性“怀孕”也绝不可以说"pregnant"这个字。
而应该绕着弯子说：She is "expecting". (她在“待产”中。
)She is "in a delicate condition". (她正“怀孕中”。
)She is "well-along". (她“心满意足”。
英语法语禁忌用语大全
并不限于未开发的国家才有禁忌语，例如英国对有关宗教的语言－ God( 神 ) 、devil(魔鬼)、Christ(耶稣)等－是除了认真谈话时以外，不可以随便说出口的。
千万不要把这句话理解为：“他总是随身携带橡皮，以防万一”。这句话的实际意
思是：“他总是随身携带避孕套以防万一”。
可见，好多不能乱用的词语是和“性”有关的。这些词语一旦用错了，不仅会引起
不必要的误会，还很有可能影响个人形象。所以最好的办法就是先看看老美是怎么用
的，并在学习过程中不断积累。
ห้องสมุดไป่ตู้
The rubber on my car is ruined.
她的意思就是：我车子的轮胎已经被毁了。
Rubber的第二个用法是rubber check，指的就是“假支票”，或者那种支票上的金
额大于银行存款的支票。
Rubber的最后一个意思指的就是“避孕套”。如果一个人说：
He always carries a rubber“just in case”.
此外， 关于性行为与排泄的 slang 是 tabooed 。 而本书就是试图要对这两种tabooed words做详尽的介绍。
虽然是禁忌语，但因为能表达丰富的意思，又颇有生动的气氛，还是常会使用到，而且这些话“强有力的影响我们的思想”。
美国的著名诗人渥尔特·惠特曼是这样说的：
“应该多收集slang，不论是好的还是坏的。而坏的slang往往更美妙。”
浅谈中英禁忌语
毕业论文浅谈中英禁忌语Title:Reflection on the English and Chinese Taboo Words2009年5 月18 日AcknowledgementsFirst and foremost, my appreciation goes to my affectionate parents, and the rest of my family. Throughout the development of this paper, they have been there always giving me continuous support, encouragement and understanding. Their love and support encourage me to pursue progress all the time.I would also like to extend my sincere thanks to all other teachers who gave me lectures during the past three academic years. I have benefited so much not only from their courses and lectures but also from their constant encouragement.Finally, my deepest gratitude and respect go to my supervisor, Liu Qiaoyun. It is for her constant encouragement, critical instructions, her great care and precious advice and suggestions that this paper appears in the present form.AbstractBrief study is made on the different respects of between Chinese taboos and English taboos, such as religion, belief, privacy, sexual and racial discrimination and so on. The paper analyzes the evolution of taboo. it also be showed in the paper that taboo words exists in almost every aspect of people‟s life and is a universal social phenomenon in China and Britain. They Both Chinese and English cultures are in agreement about taboos such as pronunciation taboo, and vocabulary taboo. However, influenced by different cultural backgrounds, ideologies and the concepts of value, Chinese and English taboos also have differences, as is discussed in the paper from the aspects of the phenomenon of English taboo words in different aspects and the mode of English taboo wordKey Words：English taboo; Chinese taboo; similarities; differences摘要本文简要介绍了中国和以英语为母语的国家对禁忌的定义并且介绍了在不同方面例如宗教、信仰、隐私、性和种族歧视等方面的相似性和区别。
英语中的禁忌语
英语中“大便、小便、放屁”真正说法一名中国留学生初到美国，在机场找厕所，问老外：「Where is W.C.？」老外听不懂。
一名中国太太到医院生产，洋护士问她：「Did you have a bowel movement？」她却听不懂。
还有人学了几十年的英语，还不晓得英语里的「大便」、「小便」、「放屁」真正应该怎么说……至于性毛病，更是老中难于启齿、欲语还羞的尴尬。
见到洋医生，窘迫万分，不知如何开口才是，真有「犹抱琵琶半遮面」的感受。
以下为一些「禁忌」（taboo）的美语之整理。
毕竟这些都是咱们日常生活的一部分，说不定有一天这些「禁忌」之语还能「派上用场」呢！厕所在美国一般都叫rest room或bath room（男女厕均可）或分别叫做men…s room 或ladies… room（=powder room），不过在飞机上，则叫lavatory，在军中又叫latrine。
至于W.C.（water closet）仍是过去英国人用的，在美国，几乎没有人使用。
解小便最普通的说法是to urinate（名词是urination），如果去看病，护士为了化验小便，就会给你一个杯子说：「Will （could）you urinate in this cup？」医生或许也会问：「Do you have trouble urinating？」=Do you have difficulty voiding？（小便有困难吗？）此外，还有其他的说法：to piss = to take a piss = to take a leak = to void = to empty。
例如：I need to piss = I have to take a leak.How often do you get up at night to void？（晚上起床小便几次？）此外，john（j 小写时，不是男人名字）是bath room 或toilet 的意思（也叫outhouse），这通常是指在户外工作场地所使用的临时或流动性厕所（有时前面也加portable 一字）。
浅析中英语言禁忌(全英文)
浅析中英语言禁忌[Abstract] Language as the carrier of culture is created during the process of human beings productive labor and serves as the tool of communication to convey the message between people However it has been endowed with magic and power in particular language acts As the old saying goes troubles come out of the tongue Superstitious people think that the language itself can bring about fortune or misfortune so that taboos to restrict the use of language are created Anyone who violates them will get punishment whereas those who faithfully obey the restrictions of language taboo will get protection Furthermore linguistic taboos change with the development of society The paper firstly analyzes the evolution of linguistic taboo Secondly it is indicated in the paper that linguistic taboo exists in almost every aspect of peoples life and is a universal social phenomenon in China and Britain Both Chinese and English cultures are in agreement about linguistic taboos such as pronunciation taboo and vocabulary taboo However influenced by different cultural backgrounds ideologies and the concepts of value Chinese and English linguistic taboos also have differences as is discussed in the paper from the aspects of taboo subjects taboo numbers and names At last this paper puts forward two effective ways of avoiding taboo that is using euphemism and having a good knowledge of the taboo culture And this discussion would helpEnglish learners improve their ability of cross-cultural communication and achieve better communicational effects[Key Words] linguistic taboo evolution similarities differences摘要语言是人们在活动过程中产生和发展起来的一种社交工具其功能就是沟通信息但在特定的语言行为中却被赋予了它自身所没有的超人的感觉和超人的力量社会成员竟认为语言本身能给人类带来某种吉祥或不幸人为地设置了种种语言禁区他们相信谁要是违背这些语言禁忌谁就会受到应有的惩罚反之谁要是忠实遵循了语言禁忌的约束谁就会得到相应的庇护和保佑语言禁忌会随着社会的发展而变化本论文首先论述了语言禁忌的演变接着提出语言禁忌存在于人们生活的各个方面是一种普遍存在的社会现象在汉英两种语言中有些忌讳是一致的文中分析了中英语言禁忌在语音层面词汇方面的相似性但是由于汉英民族文化背景意识形态价值观念等的不同中英语言禁忌的内容和形式也有一些差异因此本论文还探讨了中英语言禁忌在私人话题数字和命名称谓方面的互异性这些异同和发展演进往往会给跨文化交际带来一些障碍为此有效避免使用禁忌语的方法主要是使用委婉语代替禁忌词并充分了解异国的文化背景希望本论文的研究能帮助英语学习者加深英汉两种语言和文化的理解提高跨文化交际能力避免交际失败达到理想的交际效果关键词语言禁忌演变相似点不同点1 IntroductionIt is manifested in language persons things and activities that are taboo should not be talked about or should be mentioned in a roundabout way in language Words and expressions related to these social taboos are linguistic taboos [1] The above definition shows that Linguistic taboo as an integral part of language is not only a linguistic phenomenon but also a social phenomenonLike other parts of language the origin of linguistic taboo is deeply rooted in the primitive social and cultural background and its change is greatly influenced by the development of human society in order to satisfy human beings needs for smooth communications With the advancement of science and technology many puzzles about the universe are solved and with the increase of material wealth human demands for spiritual civilization are also becoming higher Evidently linguistic taboos are a reflection of these social development and the value concepts and beliefs of the culture in which they are born It exists in every aspect of peoples lifeThere are some similarities in English and Chinese linguistic taboo but different cultures may not all agree on what is or is not a taboo in a specific context So the differences also exist between English and Chinese linguistic taboo A Lack of knowledge in this field or improper use of linguistic taboos may lead to misunderstandings conflicts and other unknown serious consequences in the cross –culture communications whichis increasingly frequent and wider nowThis paper intends to study the evolution of linguistic taboo to analyze the similarities between Chinese and English linguistic taboo in pronunciation and vocabulary and present the differences from the aspects of names numbers as well as taboo subjects in both cultures Last but not least two effective ways are proposed to avoid linguistic taboos2 The evolution of linguistic tabooThe word taboo also spelled as tabu tapu and kapu was borrowed from Tonga an island group in Polynesia and its first recorded use in English was by Captain James Cook 1729-1779 a British navigator He came to the Archipelago of Tonga during his explorations in the southern part of the Pacific Ocean There he heard the word from the local people which originally referred to persons activities including speech or things under prohibition because they were considered on the one hand sacred and consecrated and on the other uncanny dangerous and unclean He introduced it into English in his description of his third voyage around the world in 1777But taboo phenomena are not unique in Tonga Instead it has long existed in all cultures and language throughout the world [2]As we have mentioned above linguistic taboo is not only a linguistic phenomenon but also a kind of social phenomenon The development of society has influenced the development of linguistic taboo So if we want to revealthe whole picture of linguistic taboo we must have a review of the history of linguistic taboo The evolution of linguistic taboo has generally experienced three stages according to the history of human society the primitive superstitions stage the feudal patriarchal stage and modern democratic stage But there is no explicit demarcation line between three stages[3]21 The primitive superstitious stagesAs we all know In the primitive society people didnt get to know well about nature most natural phenomena such as lightning thunder storm earthquake were beyond the understanding of human beings When these phenomena happened they thought that certain supernatural creatures possessed great power They thought that if they were loyal to these supernatural creatures they would be safe or rewarded If they acted against them they would be punished severely As a result the primitive people created different kinds of gods They held a strong religious conviction that these gods controlled the world that they were living in So the first thing they did was to respect these gods through language There is an example from the Seventh Commandment of the Ten Commandment in Bible You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God for the Lord will not acquit anyone who misuses his name [4]In a word the earliest linguistic taboo emerged as a result of the ignorance and superstition of the primitive people in ancient times22 The feudal patriarchal stageFeudal society is rigidly stratified A country of feudalism is usually controlled by the royals and sometimes together with those considered with great power given by godDuring the feudal times people were not equal to the rulers and were suppressed by their superiors The distinction between the upper and the lower classes was also reflected in the evaluation of the language used by them respectively The words of upper class used were considered good and elegant while those used by the lower class were regarded as vulgar and indecent and should be avoided in the speech of ladies and gentlemen For example when referring to 出汗 duchesses used the word perspire but the female servants used sweat when referring to 吐痰 the former people used expectorate but the latter used spit As for 月经 the former used menstruate but the latter used bleed The im Horses sweat men perspire young ladies glow more or less can reflect the stratified usage of words which have the same meaning in this period [5] In China during the feudal times men usually play a dominant role in family We can see it from the Chinese expressions 三从四德三纲五常etc In order to strengthen their position and to prevent their subjects from violating them the royals and kings put forward different kinds of prohibitions and bans For instance to show their authority and majesty the name of the emperor and his ancestors should not be mentioned At the same time people always avoided speakingout their parents names or even the characters in their parents names The old saying 古人闻父名而泣 can prove this pointMost linguistic taboos during this period were put into effect by rulers in order to maintain their superior social position and keep the society under their control However some of them because of their deep-rooted influence on peoples mind still remain in language even after the collapse of the social system23 The modern democratic stageIn modern society as a result of the development of science and technology many natural phenomena are no longer mysterious Human beings not only constantly improve their abilities to exploit the world where they are living through their great wisdom and knowledge but also make efforts to explore the extraterrestrial world Science has much more say in todays society Thereby the superstitious elements in linguistic taboos decrease while those reflecting spiritual civilization increaseDuring such an open-minded period people value freedom equality and democracy very much Many minorities struggle for equal rights with the majorities As a result linguistic taboos concerning racial discrimination arise For example in the United States nigger was widely used to call black people in the 1960s but now it is forbidden in normal interaction because such form of addressing shows contempt for the black and goes against the spirit of human rightsIn addition more and more women step outside their houses to work together with men They dont want to depend on men any longer However the traditional ideas about women stifle the fulfillment of their abilities and they are often treated unfairly in work This forces women to rise and fight for equalities with men and more and more men begin to learn to respect women which will have an influential effect on the language As a result taboos on sexist language increase Besides in an era of peace the relative stability of society and the fast pace of life people dont bother much to avoid things in the objective world Instead they prefer living a pleasant and harmonious life They enjoy spiritual entertainment very much so they try to avoid those words and behaviors that may make others feel unpleasant to keep the harmonious relationship Those professions that were looked down upon in the past are beautified now The substitution of sanitation engineer for garbage collector is a good example for this As a whole since the third stage people today show more respect for science and technology and human right so that the superstitious and feudal elements in linguistic taboos tend to reduce while those reflecting the advancement of human society and spiritual civilization tend to increase3 The similarities between Chinese and English linguistic tabooThere are taboos for religion sex death disease social bias etc in bothChinese and English cultures and they are reflected in their respective language and become a kind of linguistic phenomenon The similarities of Chinese and English linguistic taboo mainly embody in the following aspects31 In pronunciationBoth Chinese people and English people believe that saying words that imply misfortunes or disasters may bring them trouble and they thought misfortunes can be prevented by replacing the words with homophones that have better meaningsIn China many taboos have been caused by superstitions In Shanxi province of China there is a custom that mulberries can not be planted in front of the house and willows can not be planted behind the house because the Chinese character 桑mulberry sounds the same as 丧mourningand 柳willowsounds the same as 绺They may indicate that there will be a funeral and something will be stolen[6] Gamblers wont say 书 book because the Chinese shu书 book sound the same with shu输 defeat Chinese people will not present a clock as a gift in weddings or other ceremonies because clock pronounces zhong 钟 which has the same pronunciation as zhong 终 end meaning death in Chinese Many other examples also can be found in Chinese Some fisherman in South China avoid saying such word as fan 翻 turn over or chen沉 sink and any other words with similar sounds Some even change their surname chen陈 which sounds the same as chen沉 It is said that the chopsticks people in the East use when having meals were originally called zhu箸 in ancient China Since it had the same sound as zhu住stop it was replaced later by kuaizi 筷子 since kuai筷 sounds like kuai快quick In western countries there are also many such kinds of examples When a word sounds the same as a taboo word it needs changing into another expression For instance in earlier 18th century the female in English and American countries always tried to avoid using the word arse the bottom part of the body one sits on which was considered inelegant So people called the animal ass as donkey[7] Another typical example is that fuck a sail feck or fack fact are seldom used or even go out of use because they pronounce the same as fuck Neaman made a conclusion that the reason why some words disappeared were related to the fact that their pronunciation are the same as some taboo words [8]32 In vocabularyRoughly speaking taboo words in English fall into three types namely obscenities profanities and vulgarities[9] Based on this classification the part firstly analyzes the three types as followscom In obscenitiesObscene words refer to words relating to sex in a shocking and offensive way That is to say obscene words may cause offence to the social moral principles They usually go out of use in public occasion and cannot appear in literary language These words are related to human beings sexualbehaviors In both English and Chinese these words are to be avoided in polite conversations because they may cause strong disapprovalIn America the Sexual Revolution in 1960s and 70s made people more open toward sex but now words such as making love and having sex still seldom appear directly in writing let alone in conversation Western people are serious towards sex terms to a certain degree so to speakThe Chinese people also treat terms on sex seriously Chinese people always use the expression of 作风问题or不正当关系to show the immoral relationship between a man and a womanAs we all know pregnancy is a normal physiological phenomenon but in daily life people wont say it directly as it is related to sex If someone is pregnant English people will say she is expecting a baby or she is in a family way Similar euphemisms can be found in Chinese 有喜了行动不便了com In profanitiesProfanities refer to religious words used in a way that shows a lack of respect for God or holy things Religion is a fertile field of this type of taboo terms A typical example is that Christian cannot refer to God or Gods name The Ten Commandments forbid people to take the name of the Lord your God in vain So it is considered very rude to say goddame or goddamned [10] The words such as God Jesus damn and hell etc are considered holly and only properly used in religion If they appear in dailycommunication they will make people unpleasant and disgusted So people always try to avoid using these taboo words directly They would like to use their euphemisms Gosh Jeepers creepers dash and heck Some people also avoid referring to the devil which is considered disrespectful So they use the deuce the dickens old Nick to substitute the devilWe can find similar examples in Chinese In religion people use some complimentary address to refer to awesome gods eg 大帝大圣佛陀 Buddha Another example is that tiger is regarded as the divine animal near the Changbai Mountain situated in the Northeast of our country Therefore there was the custom of tiger is the god in ancient times People avoided calling the tiger directly and gave the tiger another name 山君 or 山佛爷com In vulgaritiesBoth in English and Chinese the vulgar words are usually rude and offensive and bring about unpleasantness anger or conflictsSwearwords in English are often called four-letter words because most of them are short and many are made up of four letters eg piss shit crap fuck These so-called four letter words are considered vulgar [11]Swear words formed by employing some of the animals names are vulgarities tooThey are very improper expressions in most conversations especially when there are male and female at the same time such as bitch cow swine pig etc The British Parliament has once published a word list The words onthe list are abusive and were unparliamentary expressions such as cad cheeky liar prevaricating fascist etc[12] In general situation even in daily communications these vulgar words are considered taboo wordsIn Chinese there are also many similar sayings such as 小兔崽子羊巴羔子狗娘养的小王八 etc These words are used to insult others People always try to avoid using them in a normal and polite communication The evolution of linguistic taboo indicates that taboos involve in almost every field of life Therefore the above three types of taboo words dont present a complete list of taboo terms and the author has found other types of taboo words in other referencescom In terms concerning disease death and physical disabilityEither in English or in Chinese culture disease death and physical disability may horrify people So people dont like to mention these directly in conversation Therefore they are considered taboosIn both English and Chinese death is viewed as departing In English we can find many euphemisms for death such as go depart depart from this world go to a better world go the ways of all flesh pass away etc In Chinese we also can find similar euphemisms 去了离开了我们辞世去见马克思了归西升天上路etc In both English and Chinese death is compared to sleeping sleep in English correspond to 正寝长眠or永眠in ChineseWords denoting terrible disease are also sources of horror In Englishpeople dont like to talk about terrible disease or disease related to sexual organs directly For instance they use VD instead of veneral disease use big C long disease or terminal illness to replace cancer Abbreviations are often used to alleviate the shocking effect For instance SARS is used to substitute the terrible name Severe Acute Respiratory SyndromesIn Chinese when we talk to a patient we may say 你今天不舒服别上班了Here we use 不舒服 instead of 病 As a soldier we may say 挂彩了 instead of 伤Mental illnesses are thought not to be mentioned directly For example when referring to a mental illness we just say a little eccentric or a little confusedEither in Chinese or Western people have sympathy for ones physical disability If someone looks ugly we will say shehe looks plainordinary and we wont use the word fat to describe a man We only use heavily set or on the heavy side If a girl is thin we wont use skinny We just say slender and when we refer to a crippled we will say physically handicapped In Chinese if one is deaf we will say 耳朵背耳朵有点不好说话得近点 In English it is called hard of hearingcom In terms concerning parts or excretion of the bodyIn both cultures people think that certain parts of the body and the excretion of body cannot be mentioned in daily conversations They are often considered taboosFor example in English there are so many euphemisms for lavatory such as washroom restroom bathroom comfort station If they want to go to lavatory they will say go to the bathroom do their business answer natures call In Chinese 厕所 is always avoided in public occasion one may say 去一号 or去方便一下com In discriminationIn recent years there is a growing tendency to regard as taboo language that reflects a demeaning attitude towards certain social or ethnic groups Racist language and sexist language for example are offensive to the social or ethnic groups discriminated against [13]Discrimination against woman is a universal and unreasonable phenomenon in the society And its reflection on language is sexist language Both in English and Chinese there are traces of sexist language Unless one is careful enough with hisher speech one may easily offend others unconsciouslyIn China under the control of strict hierarchy feudal society the females were regarded inferior They depend on male and were dominated by male So the discrimination and prejudice against women is the long-term accumulation which is inevitably reflected in Chinese For example the sayings 妇人之见头发长见识短男子汉不和妇人一般见识长舌妇 etc reflect the pejorative attitude toward women And there are also many derogatory titles for women such as 贱人泼妇母老虎母夜叉娘儿们悍妇etcSince the Chinese womens social statuses have increased these sayings are used much less frequently The using of the scornful and pejorative words for women in public often gets criticism and resentmentIn English there are also many sexist expressions For example a person of unknown sex is referred as he or him rather than she or her A person who presides a meeting is the chairman even if she is a woman There are many other examples about it cow means a woman who has many children mutton means a dissolute woman hen means a woman who likes gossip cat means a malicious woman crone means an ugly withered old woman etc Nowadays perhaps as a result of the Womans Liberation Movement in the 1960s and 70s in western countries especially the com and socio-culture development most native English speakers try to avoid sounding like a sexist[14] For example they change the word chairman into chairperson gentleman into gentleperson When referring to human beings people begin to use humankind or the human race instead of man or mankindRacism is the belief that certain human races are inherently inferior to others and racist language is that which shows a biased attitude towards certain racial or ethic groups[15] In English no matter intentionally or not the following words are against black people and annoying them unsatisfied For example white means pure clean benevolent which have positive meaning While black is related to evil wrongdoing and dirty suchas blackguard blacklist blackmarketc Besides nigger and boy for a black adult man often have offensive meaningIn Chinese there is also racist language For example using 蒙古大夫 for an incompetent doctors using 小鬼子for Japanese 洋鬼子大鼻子for westerners [16] Most of these words are derogatory It shows off that Chinese is more superior than other racial or ethic groups4The differences between Chinese and English linguistic tabooAlthough there are many similarities in English and Chinese different views about what is or isnt taboo can be found in two cultures Differences between Chinese and English linguistic taboo embody the following aspects 4 1 In subjectsEnglish people place a high value on privacy The English have a saying A mans home is his castle meaning a mans home is sacred to him no one should come in without permission So it is also with his life and personal affairs[17] Chinese people often like to greet to others like Have you had a meal This common greeting indicates we begin our conversation with our acquaintance just as foreigners ask How nice the weather But the Chinese greeting will make the foreigners suspect that you want to invite him to join the dinner Sometimes when we get together and talk naturally about these questions How about your salary Are you married What do your wifehusband do How much is your skirt In this way we express our care forour friends Generally speaking we never feel embarrassed about these conversations but when we ask the westerners the same questions they will think we may involve in their privacy Annoyingly in western countries it is also improper to ask about other peoples religious beliefs Are you religious What is your religion Are you Catholic etc are questions that might be offensive to most English speakers People dont like especially female others to ask them How old are you because they are very sensitive to their age Even on a birthday call one may find the following congratulation You may not like to be reminded that you are a year older today but that would not keep me from saying happy birthday [18] But in contrast there was no such concept of privacy in Chinese peoples mind 42 In numbersIn China the number 4 and the word 死 death almost sound the same People do not like the number 4 because it reminds them of death Among old people they think 73 and 84 are two key ages If you are 73 or 84 years old you will die before the King of hell invites you So many old people avoid talking their exact agesWhile in western countries one of the most influential taboo numbers is 13 According to the story of The last supper Judas the person who betrayed Jesus sat in the No13 chair therefore Number thirteen is universally considered to be unlucky No doors number is thirteen no hotel has the No13 Room they dont allow 13 people have dinner together All in a word theyavoid number thirteen in every aspect Ordinary people feel upset on 13th in every month Therefore thirteen became a taboo word in western countries Another number concerning taboo in western is Friday It also has long been considered as an unlucky day This taboo term affects people probably not only because they believe that Jesus Christ was put to death on the cross on Friday but also because Friday is for many years the day of execution of criminals commonly called hangmans day [19]Another striking contrast is that Chinese people like even numbers For example they say 好事成双成双成对Chinese people especially like the even number 6 and 8 The saying 六六大顺 can prove it But in western countries they like odd numbers The Roman poet Virgil says The god delights in an odd number In Shakespeares play Merry wives of Windsor Falstaff says Good luck lies in odd numbers They say there is divinity in odd numbers either in nativity chance or death [20]43 In namesHow to call others in verbal communication is very important In Chinese the ancestors and the older generations names cannot be referred directly For example because the second name of Sima Qians father was 谈 When writing the Historical Records Sima Qian changed 赵谈 into 赵同 and 李谈 into 李同[21] As a result we cannot find such a Chinese character 谈 in the Historical Records [22] But in the English culture there are no such name taboos The younger generation can refer the elder generationsname directly It shows that they are equal friendly and intimate In the United States many black people bear the name Lincoln apparently after Abraham Lincoln the 16th president of the country English babies may be named after their grandparents or other relatives to show respect or to honor them For example the British Prime Minister Churchills father was named Randolph Churchill and one of the Prime Ministers sons was also named Randolph Churchill The grandfather and grandson had the same name The American president Franklin D Roosevelts son also had the same name with his father [23] This practice was quite different from Chinese culture which was characterized by a clearly delineated stratified society in which the names for example of ones relatives one or two generations above or officials or other influential figures were taboos to the ordinary Chinese no one dared to name his babies after them5 Ways of avoiding linguistic taboo51 Using euphemismFrom the above discussion we know that some harsh blunt unpleasant offensive and taboo things or acts should not be expressed directly in our daily life So it is very important for us to know how to avoid these linguistic taboosMost linguistic taboos can be avoided by the employment of euphemisms Euphemism refers to the use of pleasant vague or indirect words or phrasesto take the place of more accurate direct or taboo ones In other words euphemism is a means of expressing the words or things that are prohibited Euphemisms are used almost in all fields of life For example when a judge gives the criminal a sentence he will directly say I hereby sentence you to five years in prison But the criminal himself or his relatives will tell others Somebody is sent to the big house for the purpose of saving faceAt the same time we must realize that language is alive and changing all the time Influenced by the social psychology and its culture euphemisms change constantly A euphemism may quickly acquire the stigma of the word it replaced and becomes a taboo after people use it for a time For example there is a series of expressions about the word poor At first I was poor then I became needy later I was underprivileged Now Im disadvantaged I still dont have a cent to my name but I sure have a great vocabulary [24] Another example is that in American English euphemisms for the word buttocks are arse ass prat can tail cheeks caboose fundament and now the newest one is sitting-down place52 Having a good knowledge of the taboo cultureLanguage and culture rely on each other and influence each other Languages are formed and develop under certain cultural background Linguistic taboo is a kind of social phenomenon Its existence and development are restricted and influenced by specific cultural background。
浅析中英语言禁忌(全英文)
浅析中英语言禁忌[Abstract] Language, as the carrier of culture, is created during the process of human beings‘ productive labor and serves as the tool of communication to convey the message between people. However, it has been endowed with magic and power in particular language acts. As the old saying goes, troubles come out of the tongue. Superstitious people think that the language itself can bring about fortune or misfortune so that taboos to restrict the use of language are created. Anyone who violates them will get punishment, whereas those who faithfully obey the restrictions of language taboo will get protection. Furthermore, linguistic taboos change with the development of society .The paper firstly analyzes the evolution of linguistic taboo. Secondly, it is indicated in the paper that linguistic taboo exists in almost every aspect of people‘s life and is a universal social phenomenon in China and Britain. Both Chinese and English cultures are in agreement about linguistic taboos such as pronunciation taboo, and vocabulary taboo. However, influenced by different cultural backgrounds, ideologies and the concepts of value, Chinese and English linguistic taboos also have differences, as is discussed in the paper from the aspects of taboo subjects, taboo numbers and names. At last, this paper puts forward two effective ways of avoiding taboo, that is, using euphemism and having a good knowledge of the taboo culture. And this discussion would help English learners improve their ability of cross-cultural communication and achieve better communicational effects.[Key Words] linguistic taboo; evolution; similarities; differences【摘要】语言是人们在活动过程中产生和发展起来的一种社交工具，其功能就是沟通信息，但在特定的语言行为中，却被赋予了它自身所没有的超人的感觉和超人的力量。
英语禁忌语大全
英语禁忌语大全禁忌语，是指在特定的社会或文化背景下，被认为是不礼貌、冒犯或不适用的言辞或词汇。
在英语中，也有一些禁忌语。
本文将为大家整理一份英语禁忌语大全，帮助读者学习并避免在使用英语时犯下这些禁忌。
一、种族和国籍相关的禁忌语1. Racial slurs：种族歧视词汇种族歧视是一种严重的社会问题，因此在使用英语时，我们要避免使用这些带有歧视意味的词汇。
比如，“N-word”、“chink”、“gook”等词汇，都被视为冒犯和不尊重的词汇。
2. Ethnic stereotypes：族群刻板印象刻板印象是指通过一些固定的观念来概括整个族群的特点，这对于任何一个群体来说都是不公平的。
因此，在交流中，我们应该避免使用这些带有歧视意味的词汇。
比如，“All Asians are good at math”、“All English people have bad teeth”等。
3. National insults：国家侮辱词汇在国际交流中，我们应该尊重每个国家和国籍。
因此，国家侮辱性词汇是被禁止的。
比如，“American pig”、“Dirty Brit”等。
二、性别相关的禁忌语1. Gender slurs：性别歧视词汇性别歧视是一种不平等和不公正的对待。
在使用英语时，我们应该避免使用这些带有性别歧视意味的词汇。
比如，“bitch”、“slut”等。
2. Stereotypes about gender roles：性别角色刻板印象性别角色刻板印象是指对某个性别的定型观念和限制。
我们应该避免使用这些带有性别刻板印象的词汇。
比如，“Men are stronger than women”、“Women are not good at math”等。
三、宗教相关的禁忌语1. Religious insults：宗教侮辱词汇宗教是每个人的信仰和灵性寄托，应该受到尊重。
因此，我们应该避免使用宗教侮辱性词汇。
你知道英语中哪些禁忌语是不能说的吗
你知道英语中哪些禁忌语是不能说的吗学习语言中我们除了学习它的好，也要懂得它的相关忌语，你知道英语中哪些禁忌语是不能说的吗?希望可以帮到大家1. 禁忌语a. 禁忌语与俚语在英语是属于的语言(obscene language)，也可以说是脏话(dirty words)。
往往是不便说出口的话，因而能说是隐语(shadow language)，也可以说是“成为禁忌的语言”(tabooed words)。
其中，尤其不便说出口的话有fxxx，因为刚好是四个字母，所以禁忌语也可以说成four-letter word(四字经)。
此外，shit(大便)是四字，cock(阴茎) 也是四字，所以four-letter word有“不便开口的话”之意。
所谓禁忌语并不是现代才有，受迷信或传统支配的古代或原始民族更多，这是在某种环境或状况下，不便说出口的话。
这也不限于的话，也有正相反的情形。
例如在缅甸或朝鲜、大溪地等国家，国王或皇帝的名字是至高无上，不可以随便说出口的，日本到今天还是如此，外国的报纸会不客气地说Emperor Hirohito ( 裕仁天皇)或Prince Akihito(明仁皇太子)，但在日本的报纸上却不能写出名字。
并不限于未开发的国家才有禁忌语，例如英国对有关宗教的语言- God( 神 ) 、devil(魔鬼)、Christ(耶稣)等-是除了认真谈话时以外，不可以随便说出口的。
如在开玩笑或轻松的谈话时说： Jesus Christ (耶稣基督)一定会被认为你是不懂礼貌的人。
在骂“你是个畜生!”或“可恶的东西!”时，英国人会使用有关神的话。
For Christ's sake! (为了基督!)God damned! (神啊，受诅咒吧!) Hell! (可恶的地狱!) Oh, damn it! (诅咒它吧!)这些话比我们骂“你这畜生!”更为严重，因为这不仅是“骂人”，也是对神的冒犯。
就广义而言，slang(俚语)也可以列入禁忌语，但有许多话除了高尚集会或正式场合以外是可以说出口的。
英语口语有哪些禁忌
英语口语有哪些禁忌英语口语有哪些禁忌学会一门流利的英语口语很重要，但口语中的一些禁忌的英文，还是了解下比较好，不然面对真正的外国友人时就尴尬了，下面是店铺分享的一些相关资料，供大家参考。
1. You've put on weight.你貌似胖了。
以“纸片人”为美的今天，说别人变胖绝对属于找虐的节奏，除非是和你无话不谈、不损两句就不算关系铁的好闺蜜。
又或者，你是出于对小辈的'关心和好意提醒，但也要切记用疑问句“Have you just put on weight?”。
当然如果你是想说TA身材变健壮，可以直接以“最近是不是去了健身房”来代替。
另外，千万千万别说“You're getting fat”，这是难以置信的侮辱。
2. Oh you're pregnant!你怀孕了!可能跟国内情况相反，外国两类人最讨厌被让座，即老人和胖子。
他们会因为感觉被当成弱者对待而很气愤，更别提聊天的时候提到!“怀孕”这个话题除非是很明显，否则不要刻意提出来。
就算有千万个问号在心中咆哮，也不要脱口而出这一句!如果错误已经造成，就等着友尽吧。
3. Is this your daughter?这是你闺女吗?嗯。
英语口语上的禁忌英语口语上的禁忌。
万一她是他的女朋友怎么办?万一他们是兄妹、姐妹怎么办?这也涉及到交际中的一大禁忌：避免揣测关系，只能等人家来介绍或是自我介绍一下自己。
当然，很多时候当我们用母语交流，这些问题可能根本不会触犯，而当我们用英语交流时，往往因为词穷或这是你最先能想到的话题而脱口而出。
4. Your sister is so much prettier than you.你姐妹比你漂亮好多哦。
又一个讨打的说法。
在一些文化里似乎认为是一个无伤大雅的话，甚至会被认为是恭维，但更多时候会伤害到听者的感受。
最好的是，避免比较性词语，只要提到他们的姐妹很漂亮就好啦。
5. That color doesn't suit you.你不适合那个颜色。
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① 作者简介： 张立伟，武汉工业学院工商学院外国语言文学系英语专业本科生 （ 湖北 武汉，430065 ） 。
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浅谈英语的禁忌语★ 张立伟★
gious conviction that these gods controlled the world that they were living in. Therefore ，the first thing they did was to respect these gods through language. There is an example from the Seventh Commandment of the Ten Commandment in Bible — — — “You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God ，for the Lord will not acquit anyone who misuses his name ”. In this way the earliest linguistic taboo emerged. The feudal patriarchal stage Feudal society is rigidly stratified. A feudal country is usually controlled by the royals and sometimes together with those considered to possess great people power given by god. During the feudal times， were not equal to the rulers and were suppressed by their superiors. The distinction between the upper and the lower classes was also reflected in the evaluation of the language used by them respectively. The words used by the upper class were considered good and elegant while those by the lower class were regarded as vulgar and indecent and should be avoided in public. The modern democratic stage In modern society ，as a result of the development of science and technology ，many natural phenomena are no longer mysterious. Human beings not only constantly improve their abilities to exploit the world through their great wisdom and knowledge but also make efforts to explore the extraterrestrial world. Thereby ，the superstitious elements in linguistic taboos decrease while those reflecting spiritual civilization increase. Ⅱ. The form of expressions on linguistic taboo There are taboos for religion ，sex ，death ，disease ，social bias，and they mainly embody in the following aspects. In vocabulary Roughly speaking ，taboo words in English fall into three types， namely obscenities， profanities and vulgarities. In obscenities Obscene words refer to words relating to sex in a shocking and offensive way ，and they may cause offence to the social moral principles. They usually go out of use on public occasions and cannot appear in literary language. These words are related to sexual behaviors and thus to be avoided in formal con-
“sacred ” and “consecrated ” ， and on the other ， “uncanny ” ，“dangerous ” and “unclean ” . He introduced it into English in his description of his third voyage around the world in 1777. However ， taboo phenomena are not unique in Tonga. Instead ，it has long existed in all cultures and languages throughout the world. As is mentioned above ，linguistic taboo is not only a linguistic phenomenon but also a kind of social phenomenon. The development of society has influenced the development of linguistic taboo. To reveal the whole picture of linguistic taboo ， a review of the history of linguistic taboo is necessary. “The evolution of linguistic taboo has generally experienced three stages according to the history of human society ： the primitive superstitions stage ，the feudal patriarchal stage ， and modern democratic stage. But there is no explicit demarcation line between three stages. ” The primitive superstitious stages People in the primitive society didn t get to know well about nature ，and most natural phenomena such as lightning and thunder were beyond the understanding of human beings. When these phenomena happened ，they thought that they were acting against and punished by certain supernatural creatures possessing great power. They thought that they would be safe or rewarded only when they were loyal to them. As a result，the primitive people created different kinds of gods. They held a strong reli-
In any language persons，things and activities that are taboos should not be talked about or should be mentioned in a roundabout way. Words and expressions related to these social taboos are linguistic taboo ，and as an integral part of language ，it is not only a linguistic phenomenon but also a social phenomenon. Like other parts of language ，the origin of linguistic taboo is deeply rooted in the social and cultural background and it changes with the development of human society in order to satisfy human beings needs for smooth communications. Linguistic taboos are a reflection of the social development and the value concepts and beliefs of the culture and they exist in every aspect of peoples life. A Lack of knowledge about language taboos or improper use of linguistic taboos may lead to misunderstandings， conflicts and other unknown serious consequences in the cross － cultural communications. I. The evolution of linguistic taboo The word “taboo ” was borrowed from Tonga ， an island group in Polynesia ，and its first recorded use in English was by Captain James Cook ， a British navigator. He came to the Archipelago of Tonga during his explorations in the southern part of the Pacific Ocean. There he heard the word from the local people ，which originally referred to persons，activities （ including speech ） ，or things under prohibition because they were considered ， on the one hand ，