首页
外语
计算机
考研
公务员
职业资格
财经
工程
司法
医学
专升本
自考
实用职业技能
登录
外语
Short sharp terms make big points clear. But people often prefer to soften their speech with euphemism: a mixture of abstraction
Short sharp terms make big points clear. But people often prefer to soften their speech with euphemism: a mixture of abstraction
admin
2012-12-01
42
问题
Short sharp terms make big points clear. But people often prefer to soften their speech with euphemism: a mixture of abstraction, metaphor, slang and understatement that offers protection against the offensive, harsh or blunt. In 1945, in one of history’s greatest euphemisms, Emperor Hirohito informed his subjects of their country’s unconditional surrender with the words, "The war situation has developed not necessarily to Japan’s advantage."
Euphemisms range promiscuously, from diplomacy ("the minister is indisposed", meaning he won’t be coming) to the bedroom (a grande horizontale in France is a notable courtesan). But it is possible to attempt a euphemistic taxonomy. One way to categorise them is ethical. In "Politics and the English Language", George Orwell wrote that obfuscatory political language is designed "to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable". Some euphemisms do distort and mislead; but some are motivated by kindness. Another way to typify them is by theme. A third—and a useful way to begin—is by nationality. A euphemism is a kind of lie, and the lies peoples and countries tell themselves are revealing.
American euphemisms are in a class of their own, principally because they seem to involve words that few would find offensive to start with, replaced by phrases that are meaninglessly ambiguous: bathroom tissue for lavatory paper, dental appliances for false teeth, previously owned rather than used, wellness centres for hospitals, which conduct procedures not operations. As the late George Carlin, an American comedian, noted, people used to get old and die. Now they become first preelderly, then senior citizens and pass away in a terminal episode or (if doctors botch their treatment) after a therapeutic misadventure. These bespeak a national yearning for perfection, bodily and otherwise.
The British are probably the world champions of euphemism. The best of these are widely understood (at least among natives), creating a pleasant sense of conspiracy between the euphemist and his audience. British newspaper obituaries are a rich seam: nobody likes to speak ill of the dead, yet many enjoy a hint of the truth about the person who has "passed away". A drunkard will be described as "convivial" or "cheery". Unbearably garrulous is "sociable" or the dread "ebullient"; "lively wit" means a penchant for telling cruel and unfunny stories. "Austere" and "reserved" mean joyless and depressed. Someone with a foul temper "did not suffer fools gladly". Uncontrollable appetites of all sorts may earn the ultimate accolade: "He lived life to the full."
Such euphemisms are a pleasant echo of an age when private lives enjoyed a degree of protective discretion that now seems unimaginable in Britain. Writing about dead people is a question only of taste, because they can’t sue. Describing the living (especially in libel-happy jurisdictions such as England) requires prudence. "Thirsty" applied to a British public figure usually means heavy drinking; "tired and emotional" (a term that has moved from the pages of Private Eye, a satirical magazine, into general parlance) means visibly drunk.
Euphemism is so ingrained in British speech that foreigners, even those who speak fluent English, may miss the signals contained in such bland remarks as "incidentally" (which means, "I am now telling you the purpose of this discussion"); and "with the greatest respect" ("You are mistaken and silly"). This sort of code allows the speaker to express anger, contempt or outright disagreement without making the emotional investment needed to do so directly. Some find that cowardly.
Orwell was right: euphemisms can be sneaky and coercive. They cloak a decision’s unpleasant results, as in "let go" for "fire", or "right-sizing" for "mass sackings". They make consequences sound less horrid—as, chillingly, in "collateral damage" for "dead civilians".
Such jargony, polysyllabic euphemisms, often using long Latinate words instead of short Anglo-Saxon ones, can quickly become an argot used by slippery-tongued, well-educated insiders to defend their privileges. With luck, the real word may fall into disuse and the humble outsider will feel intimidated by the floppy, opaque language that masks wrongdoing or shortcoming. How do you begin to complain if you don’t know the lingo?
Politically correct euphemisms are among the most pernicious. Good and bad become "appropriate" or "inappropriate". A ghastly problem becomes a less alarming "challenging issue". Spending is investment; cuts are savings. "Affected by material error" (in European Union parlance) means money stolen from the budget.
But euphemisms can also be benign, even necessary. Sometimes the need to prevent hurt feelings justifiably takes precedence over clarity. Saying that dim or disruptive children have "special needs", or that they exhibit "challenging behaviour", does not make them easier to teach—but it may prevent them being teased or disheartened. "Frail" (of an old person) is nicer than doddery or senile. Euphemisms may be a species of lie, but some of them are white.
A culture without euphemism would be more honest, but rougher. Here’s a New Year’s resolution: scrub your conversation of euphemism for a day. The results will startle you.
The author suggests that
选项
A、we should stop using euphemisms.
B、euphemisms bear a dual character.
C、white lies are better than euphemisms.
D、foreigners should learn more euphemisms.
答案
B
解析
推断题。末段首句指出“A culture without euphemism would be more honest,but rougher.”,结合最后两句“Here’s a New Year’s resolution; scrub your conversation of euphemism for a day.The results will startle you.”可以看出,作者认为委婉语虽然是谎言,但其存在有必要性,可见具有两面性,故[B]为答案。
转载请注明原文地址:https://kaotiyun.com/show/QFaO777K
0
专业英语八级
相关试题推荐
HowtoPlanYourFutureCareerForafewmonthsbeforegraduation,universitystudentsarebusywithjobhunting.Severalpoin
Manythingsmakepeoplethinkartistsareweird—theoddhours,thenonconformity,theclovecigarettes.Buttheweirdestmayb
ComingHome:LifeAfterStudyingAbroadManyreturneeswhohavestudiedabroadmaysufferre-entrycultureshockwhentheygo
Anti-socialbehaviour(ASB)isallyactivitythatimpactsonotherpeopleinanegativeway.Despiteofa39%drop【M1】______i
DangersofUsingComputerTerminalsUndoubtedly,thecomputerhasgreatlyincreasedhumanbeing’sworkingcapacityandintelle
LearningalanguageLinguistsareinterestedintheabilitiesthatpeoplehavetolearnlanguageandaretryingtosolvethepr
InanewbookcalledPredictions,someoftheworld’sgreatestthinkerspresentavisionofthefuturewithovertonesofascie
Threeweeksago,astorywepublishedputusinthemiddleofacontroversy.Itwashardlythefirsttimethathashappened,but
目前美国的所谓“人文教育”(1iberalartseducation)的理念,在中国颇有些鼓吹者。但“人文教育”后面还有体育这—层。体育是学习人生的最好手段。体育和人生的关系,如同数学和科学的关系一样,因为体育能够把人生中千变万化的现象,抽象为几个最简
我时常收到好心的编辑寄来的电脑报刊,面对那些每个字都认识、就是看不懂的天书”,心想,这不是给文盲寄报刊吗?说来惭愧,别说上网,我连打字都不会,几次走近电脑,几次又离开它,它一点儿也不让我感到亲近。我怕一切机器,怕那些键子,那个蹦来蹦去的鼠标。让我感到安慰的
随机试题
简述公共关系辅助决策的作用。
Hedoesn’twant______thathe’sgoingaway.
______between10℃intheearlymorningand30℃atnoon,apersonisgoingtoneedallhisclothestolivehereforjustoneday.
A.复元活血汤B.桂枝茯苓丸C.生化汤D.温经汤E.活络效灵丹(1994年第91,92题)跌打损伤,瘀血留于胁下,痛不可忍者,治宜选用()
导致消化性溃疡形成的直接原因是
患者,男性,28岁,肛瘘手术后。拟行热水坐浴,其浸泡时间为
进出境货物物品必须通过设立为海关的地点进境或出境。()
经营单位持主管海关签发的《开设银行保证金台账联系单》,向主管海关指定的()办理保证金台账设立手续。
在元代,与埃及亚历山大港并称“世界第一大港”的是:
GlobalMarketsHitbyFearsofGrowthSlowdownA)InvestorsareworriedaboutslowereconomicgrowthinChina,agloomierou
最新回复
(
0
)