修辞手法-委婉语

6. 委婉语

EUPHEMISM

1. 定义

Euphemism: A figure of rhetoric by which an unpleasant or offensive thing is described or referred to by a milder term (CD); A polite, tactful, or less explicit term used to avoid the direct naming of an unpleasant, painful, or frightening reality (WED); A word or phrase used to avoid saying another word or phrase that is more forceful and honest but also more unpleasant or offensive (CIDE). 英语Euphemism (委婉)一词源于希腊语euphemismos，意即good speech (吉利话或好的说法)。作为一种修辞格，Euphemism (委婉)指的是以较文雅、悦耳或温婉的说法来代替粗野、刺耳或直露的说法。它能借助语音、语法、词汇及其他修辞手段，得体地表达生活中那些使人尴尬、惹人不快、招人厌恶或令人恐惧的事物。其主要修辞作用是在语言表达上减少刺激性和敏感性，从而起到一种缓冲或美化作用。

英语委婉语数量众多，其运用范围涉及到社会生活诸领域，大致可概括为以下四个方面。

2．表达方式

1）有关疾病、残疾、衰老、死亡的委婉语

疾病

soft in the head头软了( 实指疯mad ); the big C大写的C、long illness长期之病 ( 实指癌cancer ); Hansen’s disease汉森之病 ( 实指麻风病leprosy ); irregularity不规则 ( 实指便秘constipation ); heart attack心脏状况( 实指心脏病heart attack disease ); problem skin皮肤有问题 ( 实指粉刺acne ); mental hospital / mental hospital精神病院 / 精神健康中心( 实指疯人院madhouse ); look off colour气色不好 ( 实指身体有病 ); social disease社会病 ( 实指艾滋病 )。

残疾

在学校里，把disabled students (残废学生)婉称为special students (特殊学生)；把the crippled婉称为the handicapped (走路不方便的人)；把blind students (盲学生)婉称为visually retarded students (视力有毛病的学生)；把deaf (聋)婉称为hard of hearing (听力有困难)；把stupid students(愚蠢学生)婉称为slow learners (学得慢的学生)或under-achievers (智力不发达的学生)；把He is dull (foolish)(迟钝)婉称为He is a bit slow for his age；把foreign students外国学生)称为international students，以避免把他们看成外人。

衰老

getting on years年岁增长; advanced in age高寿; elderly年岁大的; senior年事已高的; past one’s prime过了鼎盛期; feeling one’s age感觉到上了年纪; golden age金色岁月; sunset years日落之年。

死亡

joint the silent majority加入沉默的大多数; pass away走了，离开了; go to heaven上天堂了; fall asleep 睡着了; pass beyond过去了; fade凋谢了; be called to God被上帝召唤去了; safe in the arms of Jesus在耶稣怀里得到平安; be gone to a better 1and到一个更好的地方去了; pop off (the hooks)突然蹬了腿(猝死，pop突然砰一声); get off the hooks (原文为脱钩，转义为死)脱离了; go to his long home回到永久的家; kick the bucket 翘辫子; go to sleep forever长眠; be no more不再有了; go west西去; be at rest安息; go the way of all flesh 走众生之路; join one’s ancestors加入祖先的行列; return to dust归之尘土; breathe one’s last作最后一次呼吸; run one’ s race跑完自己的赛程; be no longer with us与我们永别了等等。

2）有关人体、排泄、性爱、生育的委婉语

人体

homely不好看、plain平常婉指ugly丑；heavyset富态、

weight watcher胖人、caro1ie count-down减肥、chubby 胖平平的、plumy丰满的、stout壮实的婉指fat胖；slender 苗条、slim苗条、willowy苗条、svelte亭亭玉立、lean 精干、lithe灵活婉指skinny瘦；in a state of nature 处于天然状态、in one’s birthday suit 身着生日服装表示“赤身裸体”；globes球体、apples苹果、curves曲线、charms迷人之处婉指“女性乳房”；展示“阴部”、“生殖器”除用private parts私处外，还有以下说法：affair事情、it它、thing东西、place地方、what-do-you-call-it那玩意儿。

排泄

大便(defecate)和小便(urinate)可用以下委婉语取而代之：

go to stool去大便; pass water小便; go to the bathroom 去盥洗室; answer nature’s call响应自然的召唤; make water小便; empty one’s bladder小便; Where is the restroom?休息室(附设盥洗间)在哪里?; go to W．C．去盥洗间; go to public lavatory去公共盥洗室; go to men’s(women’s)去男(盥洗间)女(盥洗间); go to washroom去洗手间; I have to pay a call.我必须付款应召; I would like to be excused.我请求原谅; go to the bank去银行; spend a penny去花点小钱; I have to retire for a moment.