人们在言谈时,遇到忌讳、不雅或不便直说的情况时所采用的间接或含糊的表达方式;书写时为了避免刺眼的文字所采用的曲折迂回的表达方式,我们一般都称之为委婉语。在口语和书面语中广泛地使用委婉语,能够使说者“动听”,听者“悦耳”,阅者“赏目”,因而它在汉语和英语中都被列为重要的修辞格式。委婉语中有一部分是各民族语言通用的,有一部分则带有强烈的民族色彩。本文将根据中外文化的特点,主要谈汉语和英语中的委婉语在表达方式上的异同。 1.替代式。在汉语和英语中,涉及“病、死、丧、葬”等的词语都被列为禁忌语。说话时遇到这类不便直说的情况时,常用一些特定的委婉语来替代。替代式所采用的委婉语一般都是约定俗成的,其含义一目了然,不必费心去猜测。例如:人们把“死”说成“逝世“(pass away)、“长眠”(fall asleep)、“停止呼吸”(expire)、“到另一个世界去了”(go to the other world);把“聋”(the deap)说成“耳背“(hard of hearing);把“跛子”(the crippled)说成“残废者”(the handicapped);把“棺材”(coffin)说成“匣子”(casket)或“盒子”(box),在汉语中又被叫做“寿木”、“寿板”或“长寿板”。在中国“老”是经验、智慧的象征。“老人”受人尊敬。但美国人的老,因为上了年纪则 Indirect or vague expressions used when people are talking, taboo, indecent, or inconvenient to say; written in order to avoid twists and turns of the dazzling expression used in writing, we generally call it Euphemism. The widespread use of euphemisms in spoken and written language enables the speaker to be “pleasant”, the listener “sweet”, and the reader “admire” so that it is listed as an important rhetorical form in both Chinese and English. Some euphemisms are common to all ethnic languages, while some are strongly nationalistic. Based on the characteristics of Chinese and foreign cultures, this article mainly talks about the similarities and differences of euphemisms in Chinese and English. Alternative In Chinese and English, words referring to “sick, dead, funeral, funeral” are tabooed. Speaking of such inconvenience to speak of the case, often use some specific euphemisms to replace. Euphemisms used in the alternative are generally conventional, its meaning at a glance, do not bother to guess. For example, people refer to “death” as “pass away,” “fall asleep,” “expire,” “go to the other world. ; The deap as a ”hard of hearing“; the crippled as a ”handicapped“; and the ”coffin“ as a ” The “casket” or “box” is also called “Shou Mu”, “Shouban” or “Changshouban” in Chinese. In China, “old” is a symbol of experience and wisdom. Elderly people are respected. But Americans are old, because they are old