关于《绝望的主妇》中女性语言的社会语言学研究_英语论文

A Sociolinguistic Study of Women’s Languages in Desperate Housewives

摘要

性别与语言的关系研究是社会语言学的一个重要课题。男性与女性的语言存在着很多不同的特点。研究发现，生理因素、心理因素、社会因素等都是影响不同性别的人在语言使用方面存在差异的重要因素。二十世纪六十年代以来，女权运动的发展更是引起了语言学家对女性语言的研究兴趣。莱考夫的著作《语言与女性的地位》总结了女性语言通常具有的十大特征。

《绝望的主妇》是一部2006年开播的美国电视剧。它共有8季， 以居住在同一条街的四位中产阶级家庭主妇的生活为主线，讲述了发生在她们身上或周围的故事。四位主妇具有截然不同的性格，且均在光鲜、幸福的表象下，隐藏了许多不为人知的秘密并为这些秘密付出了不同程度的代价。

本文在莱考夫的女性语言特征理论指导下，对《绝望的主妇》中四位女主角的语言功能的进行了探讨。四位女主角的语言具有莱考夫所概括的hedge等十大特征，在剧中的功能分别是。。。。等，它们表明了女主角与男性在语言运用上的差异，也揭示了女主角在使用语言时的心态和目的。

关键词：女性语言特征 女性语言功能  《绝望的主妇》

Abstract

The study of the relationship between language and gender is an important subject in sociolinguistics. According to researches, there are many differences between men’s languages and women’s languages. In fact, biological, psychological and social factors are all contribute to these differences. Since1960s, the development of feminist movement arouses sociolinguists’ interest in the women’s language. The masterpiece of Robin Lakoff, Language and Woman’s Place, summarizes ten characteristics of the language women used. 

Desperate Housewives is an American TV plays which has eight seasons in total. It tells the stories about four housewives who live in the same street named Wisteria Lane. In the teleplay, the four leading roles have different characteristics of personality. Under the cover of happiness, they all hide some secrets about themselves or their families. Unavoidably, they pay the price for their secrets. 

With the guidance of Lakoff’s theory about features of women’s languages, the thesis discuss the functions of the four leading ladies’ languages in Desperate Housewives. The research on the characteristics and functions of woman’s language is an effective approach to help people understand woman’s mental activities and the aims they want to achieve by means of using their special language.

Key Words: female language characteristics  female language functions   Desperate Housewives