Abstract

Euphemism is a common language phenomenon in global culture and it is widely used in every social class and field. In social communications, respect and politeness are necessary for people to promote relations. Euphemism is an effective way to avoid discomforts and for people to communicate better. Euphemism has four communicative functions: avoidance of taboo, politeness, disguise and persuasion. Based on President Bush’s Speech on Veterans of Foreign Wars Convention, this paper analyzes the application of these functions in detail from politics, culture and war. At the same time, this paper relates with people’s daily life to make people understand the communicative function of euphemism better and have a better understanding of English languages to avoid unnecessary conflicts.

Key words:  euphemism, communication, function, politeness

摘要

委婉语是世界文化中普遍存在的语言现象，它广泛应用于社会各阶层和领域。在社会交往中，尊重他人，讲究礼貌是维护和促进人际关系的必不可少的因素，而委婉语正好为人与人的交流提供了一种有效的手段。人们为了避免在交流中引起不快，因此常常会使用委婉的方式或相似的语言来表达他们的意思。委婉语有避讳，礼貌，避俗，掩饰，劝诱等四种交际功能。本文以布什在“海外战争退伍军人纪念会”上的演讲为依据，从政治，文化，战争等多个方面具体分析了委婉语的避讳功能，掩饰功能，礼貌功能和劝诱功能。分析的同时，联系人们的日常生活，使人们更好地了解委婉语的交际功能，进一步理解英语语言文化，以避免不必要的各种冲突。

关键词：委婉语；交际；功能；礼貌

1. Introduction
1.1 Definition and origin of euphemism
The word “euphemism” comes from Greek. The meaning of the prefix “eu” is “good” and the meaning of the stem “phemism” is “speech”. So the whole meaning of the word is “word of good meaning.” In the book of Modern Linguistics, it is defined as “a mild, indirect or less offensive word or expression substituted when the speaker or writer fears more direct wording might be harsh, unpleasantly direct or offensive.” A more comprehensive definition is given by Collins Cobuild English Dictionary (2000, New Edition),
A euphemism is a polite, pleasant or neutral word or expression that is used to refer to something which people may find upsetting or    embarrassing to talk about, for example, sex, the human body, or death.
Since the day it came into being, euphemism has become an important part of life and it enables us to live in harmony and to achieve successful conversations.