首页
登录
职称英语
Short sharp terms make big points clear. But people often prefer to soften t
Short sharp terms make big points clear. But people often prefer to soften t
游客
2023-12-05
53
管理
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. [br] 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 willstartle 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:http://tihaiku.com/zcyy/3246995.html
相关试题推荐
Advertiserswillhaveaudienceofnearly145million【M1】______peoplef
Advertiserswillhaveaudienceofnearly145million【M1】______peoplef
Advertiserswillhaveaudienceofnearly145million【M1】______peoplef
Advertiserswillhaveaudienceofnearly145million【M1】______peoplef
Advertiserswillhaveaudienceofnearly145million【M1】______peoplef
Advertiserswillhaveaudienceofnearly145million【M1】______peoplef
FashionWiththeprogressionofthehumansociety,people
FashionWiththeprogressionofthehumansociety,people
FashionWiththeprogressionofthehumansociety,people
FashionWiththeprogressionofthehumansociety,people
随机试题
有关复合性溃疡下列哪种说法是最正确的A.十二指肠有2个以上的溃疡 B.胃有2个
教学过程中,学生学习是在教师指导下进行的,说明学生的认识具有特殊性,表现在(
按照《证券公司内部控制指引》的要求,以下关于证券公司受托投资管理业务内部控制的说
急性肾小球肾炎调护
下列不需用炒炭法炮制的是A.黄柏B.当归C.槟榔D.荆芥E.白茅根
个人及家庭财务管理中,理财规划更倾向于处理现金而不是将来可能会有的收入。
重症肺炎因二氧化碳潴留导致酸碱平衡紊乱,可发生A.代谢性酸中毒 B.呼吸性酸中
安装工程险的被保险人包括()。A.所有人 B.未投保附加险的第三者
下列选项中,不属于房地产投资项目可行性研究报告摘要内容的是()。A:项目的主要经
某市一个市政工程维修队在进行地下管道维修时,由该公司一名员工带领当天从劳务市场招
最新回复
(
0
)