摘 要

委婉语是一种特殊的语言现象，在人类文明不断发展的今天，委婉语仍然发挥着不可或缺的作用。《傲慢与偏见》是英国著名女性小说家简·奥斯汀的代表作,生动地描写了18世纪末19世纪初的英国乡村生活, 讲述了伊丽莎白与达西先生的浪漫爱情故事。本文从委婉语产生动机和使用原则入手，摘取改编自小说的电影对话中的委婉语语料，运用礼貌原则与合作原则, 从词汇、语气、修辞方法三个方面分析电影中委婉语的运用，并得出结论—电影中委婉语起到了避免禁忌，表达礼貌以及幽默的效果。

关键词：委婉语；《傲慢与偏见》；合作原则；礼貌原则

Contents

1. Introduction-----------------------------------------------------------------------------1
2. Demonstration--------------------------------------------------------------------------2

2.1 Motivations and principles of using euphemism----------------------------------2

2.1.1 Motivations---------------------------------------------------------------------------2

2.1.2 Principles-----------------------------------------------------------------------------3

2.1.2.1 Euphemism and CP---------------------------------------------------------------3

2.1.2.2 Euphemism and PP---------------------------------------------------------------4

2.2 Applications of euphemism in the film---------------------------------------------5

2.2.1 Lexical application of euphemism------------------------------------------------5

2.2.1.1 Appellation-------------------------------------------------------------------------5

2.2.1.2 Pronouns----------------------------------------------------------------------------6

2.2.1.3 Adjective----------------------------------------------------------------------------6

2.2.2 Phonetic application of euphemism-----------------------------------------------7

2.2.2.1 Tone of speculation----------------------------------------------------------------7

2.2.2.2 Tone of command-----------------------------------------------------------------8

2.2.3 Rhetorical application of euphemism--------------------------------------------8

2.2.3.1 Irony--------------------------------------------------------------------------------8

2.2.3.2 Ellipsis-----------------------------------------------------------------------------9

2.2.3.3 Rhetorical questions--------------------------------------------------------------10

2.3 The pragmatic function of euphemism in the film--------------------------------10

2.3.1 The function of avoiding taboo----------------------------------------------------10

2.3.2 The function of being polite-------------------------------------------------------11

2.3.3 The function of being humorous--------------------------------------------------12

1. Conclusion------------------------------------------------------------------------------12

Works Cited----------------------------------------------------------------------------------14

Bibliography---------------------------------------------------------------------------------15

A Study on Euphemism in the Filmic Text of Pride and Prejudice

1. Introduction

Euphemism is a pleasant replacement for an objectionable word that has pejorative connotations. The word “euphemism” comes from ancient Greek. There are three morphemes to summarize the meaning of euphemism. The first “eu” represents being good or well. The second “pheme” represents speech. The last “ism” represents an act or the result of an act. So euphemism means “speaking well of”. Euphemism is widely used in daily communication. Li Yaming observes that “If a language or conversation without using euphemisms would be an imperfect instrument of communication in our daily lives”(Li 51). To obtain taboo aim, euphemism is used to avoid unpleasant things; for the sake of politeness, it is used to avoid offensiveness. These are the two psychological reasons of the appearance of euphemism. And euphemism is not only a linguistic phenomenon, it is also a social phenomenon. With the development of society, euphemisms permeate many aspects of social life like politics, economy, culture and education.

As a case study, the thesis analyzes the application of euphemism in a popular film Pride and Prejudice which was made in 2005. Pride and Prejudice is a novel of manners by Jane Austen, first published in 1813 and then made into a film in 1938 and 2005 respectively, this article is based on the film remade in 2005. Set in England in the early 19^th century, Pride and Prejudice tells the story of Mr. And Mrs. Bennet’s five unmarried daughters after the rich and eligible Mr.Bingley and his status-conscious friend, Mr.Darcy, have moved into their neighbourhood. While Bingley takes an immediate linking to the eldest Bennet’s daughter, Jane, Darcy has difficulty adapting to local society and repeatedly clashes with the second-eldest Bennet’s daughter, Elizabeth. It mainly narrates the love story between Darcy and Elizabeth. Filmic text can transfer extra meanings. The tone and style of this film are the mixture of romance, mystery and satire. And the conversations of people in this film are very vivid. Most of all, their conversations in this film are full of euphemisms. Some of conversations are chosen and analyzed from pragmatic points of view in this thesis. From the analysis of the application of euphemisms in this film, this thesis aims to find the functions of euphemism in the film and analyze the main characters’ personalities.

2. Demonstration