Abstract:

Desperate Housewives has been broadcasted for eight seasons since 2004. It has unfolded a vigorous mass campaign for housewives. The series is mainly talking about the daily life of the four housewives. The tone of the series is full of humor and euphemisms. This paper explains courtesy and taboo function of English euphemism in communication through Desperate Housewives. Based on the Examples of dialogue among characters, this paper focuses on the analysis of euphemism in the specific contexts of communication and explores the motivations and the created affects for the use of euphemisms, which can be treated as the constructive suggestions for English learners to better use euphemisms in communication.

Key words: Desperate Housewives; euphemism; communicative function; politeness principle; taboo principle

摘要：

《绝望主妇》自2004年上映至今已播出了八季，主妇热潮席卷全球。剧中深刻细致地描绘了美国中产阶级家庭主妇们的生活。该剧语言风趣幽默，尤其是剧中大量的委婉语运用是该剧的一大特色。本文透过该剧看英语委婉语在交际中的礼貌和避讳功能。通过人物对话实例着重分析委婉语在具体交际情境中的使用，探究委婉语使用的动机及产生的对话效果，为英语学习者更好地使用委婉语进行交际提供建设性参考。

关键词：《绝望主妇》； 委婉语； 交际功能； 礼貌原则； 避讳原则

1.    Introduction
Desperate Housewives is mainly talking about the daily life of the four housewives. The tone of the series is full of humor and euphemisms. As a language case study, the conversation of the ordinary people is very suitable and vivid. For this reason some conversations in the series concerned their daily life are chosen and analyzed from the pragmatic view to know more about euphemisms.