从委婉语透视中美两种文化心理的共性

Euphemism: a mirror reflecting psychological gengrality in Chinese and American cultures

委婉语是人类语言使用过程中的一种普遍现象,是人们谈论那些令人不快或尴尬的事情时,所使用的较为温和、礼貌的说法。它是一种修辞格,更是一种文化现象。透过委婉语的比较研究,从中可以发现中美两种文化心理的共性。

Euphemism is a common lang＇uage phenomenon. It is the substitution of a mild or polite expression for an unpleasant or embarrassing one. It is a figure of speech, and a cultural phenomenon. The psychological generality in Chinese and American cultures are illustrated by analyzing euphemism.