摘 要

委婉语作为一种普遍的语言现象和社会文化现象，是协调人际关系的润滑剂，是达到交际目的的一种有效而重要的手段。在绝望的主妇中，主人公们为了达到各自的交际目的，在他们的对话中就采用了大量的委婉语。本文在前人关于委婉语的研究基础上，以顺应论为理论依据, 就其中一个研究角度：情境顺应性，以对话为语料，分析剧中人物对话对心理世界、物理世界和社会世界的不同顺应。

关键词：委婉语； 顺应论； 绝望的主妇

Contents

1.Introduction.........................................................................................................1

1.1Research Background.......................................................................................2

1.2Significance of the Research............................................................................2

2. Literature Review..............................................................................................3

2.1Definition and Classification of Euphemism...................................................3

2.2Euphemism Study Abroad and Home...............................................................5

2.3Four Research Perspectives of Adaptation......................................................6

2.3.1Contextual Correlates of Adaptability..........................................................7

2.3.2Structural Objects of Adaptability................................................................7

2.3.3Dynamics of Adaptation...............................................................................7

2.3.4Salience of Adaptation Process....................................................................8

3. Analysis of Euphemism in Desperate Housewives..........................................8

3.1Brief Introduction of Desperate Housewives..................................................8

3.2 Contextual Adaptation Reflected in Desperate Housewives..........................8

3.2.1Adaptation to Mental World.........................................................................9

3.2.2Adaptation to Physical world.....................................................................10

3.2.3Adaptation to Social World........................................................................11

4.Conclusion .....................................................................................................13

Works Cited.......................................................................................................14

Bibliography......................................................................................................15

The Study of Euphemism in Desperate

Housewives Based on Adaptation Theory

1. Introduction

Euphemism is a common cultural and linguistic phenomenon in different languages, which is often used to avoid offensiveness in communication or refers to something unspeakable and unpleasant. As we all know, euphemism is a rhetorical method, harmonizing the relationship between people by describing an unfavorable or offensive thing in a soft, pleasant and indirect way. Wide-spread attention and heated discussions about euphemisms have emerged during recent decades, further paving the systematical way for the latter study and boosting the study of euphemism in the future.

Meanwhile, Verschueren’s Adaptation Theory, like an intimate friend of euphemism, has gained quite a lot of popularity as well, which is often used as the theoretical framework of such certain study about euphemism by many experts or scholars like Rawson Hugh, Neaman J. S., Bolinger, Enright D. J., Shu Dingfang, Qian Guanlian and so on.

Coincidentally, in recent years, the TV series Desperate Housewives, which employs lots of euphemisms, has gained great popularity among the public. Based on the former study on euphemism, this thesis makes a study of euphemism in Desperate Housewives based on the framework of Verschueren’s Adaptation Theory, which has four angles of investigation such as contextual correlates of adaptability, structural objects of adaptability, dynamics of adaptability and salience of adaptability, aiming at providing some useful instructions and beneficial enlightenment for bettering interpersonal communication.

This thesis is divided into four chapters, including the introduction, the literature review on euphemism and Adaptation Theory, the detailed analysis of euphemism in Desperate Housewives and the conclusion. Chapter one is the brief introduction about my research background, significance of the research and organization of this thesis. Chapter two mainly focuses on literature review on euphemism and Adaptation Theory based on former study abroad and home. Chapter three provides detailed analysis of euphemism in Desperate Housewives based on the angle of contextual correlates of adaptability, one of the four investigation angles. Chapter four is a summary and my conclusion of the study.

1.1 Research Background