浅谈英语委婉语和伊拉克战争(1)(4)
2015-06-05 02:33
导读：4.1.2 Politeness The other function of euphemism is to avoid offending others. This fear of causing psychic pain and this desire to be well thought of has led us to use “kind words”. We can find t
4.1.2 Politeness
The other function of euphemism is to avoid offending others. This fear of causing psychic pain and this desire to be well thought of has led us to use “kind words”. We can find the root of this motive from the G.N Leech’s Politeness Principle: “To minimize cost to others, to maximize benefit to others; to minimize benefit to self, to maximize cost to self; to minimize dispraise of others, to maximize praise of others; to minimize praise of self, to maximize dispraise of self…” [13] The core of his politeness principle is to minimize the expression of impolite beliefs and maximize the expression of polite beliefs. It’s obvious that the politeness function of euphemism is accord with the Leech’s Politeness Principle. Therefore, to be polite, we say someone is discontinued when he/she is fired by the boss.
4.1.3 Cover and aesthetics
With the features of obscurity and beautification, euphemism is naturally used by businessmen, organizations or governments to cover, defend or rationalize their actions or to diminish their unpopular proposals and policies. For example, there was a fire once broke out on the New York tracks and delayed the trains. This was announced as: “we have a fire situation.” President Ronal Reagan called for revenue enhancements instead of tax increases when he was faced with the realities of national finances.
4.2 The communicative functions of euphemism on politics and war
The characteristics of obscurity and beautification as well as the communicative functions of cover and aesthetics are the key causes for the creation of euphemism on politics and war. Because in the political life and affairs and during the war time, a special linguistic protocol is badly needed to disguise the serious social problems, to cover political scandals, to distort the facts and violence of war and to present a false picture of peace.
4.2.1 To disguise the serious social problems
Because of the vagueness of euphemism, it has become a very important tool for governments to disguise the serious social problems. For example:
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The slum is called “substandard housing or inner city”. [14]
A geographical area with low employment is termed as the grey area.
The prison is called a house of correction, a cross bar hotel.
The death penalty is called capital punishment.
4.2.2 To cover political scandals
Certain trends in American euphemisms should be noted. In recent years more and more euphemisms are being created and used to cover political scandals. For example, in the Watergate Event, the group of burglarizing spies was termed as plumbers. In order to protect their family jewels (the most embarrassing secrets), they had a scenario (a plot) to have an intelligence gathering activity (the crime of breaking and entering). This kind of expressions doesn’t hurt the government’s pride, does it?
4.2.3 To distort the facts and violence of war and to present a false picture of peace
The military is fond of euphemism. “In this respect, the most recent commanders-in-chief of the American armed forces, Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan, have led the way. The helicopter raid to rescue American captives in Iran in 1980 was called an incomplete success.”[15]
