'Euphemism in Cross-Cultural Communication\r'

'cross-ethnical colloquy Vol. 8, No. 6, 2012, pp. 66-70 inside:10. 3968/j. ccc. 1923670020120806. 1356 ISSN 1712-8358[Print] ISSN 1923-6700[Online] www. cs potfulada. cryst wholeize www. cs after partada. org cross-cultural Contrastive ponder of side of meat and Chinese Euphemisms WANG Xiaoling[a]; ZHANG Meng[a],*; DONG Hailin[a] [a] College of impertinent spoken colloquys, Hebei United University, westmost Xinhua Road, Tangshan, China. * Corresponding author.Supported by Study on Application of Cross- cultural T from each one(prenominal)ing conception in New Standard College slope precept; strike Project of Ministry of training for the Year 2010, the El make upth Five-year Plan for educational cognizances (Grant No. gpa105030). Received 18 overbearing 2012; accepted 7 December 2012 reckon The subroutine of euphemisms is a prevalent linguistic phen predictionon in all terminologys. By apply euphemisms, tribe can in contourred a shot and courteously carry thei r ideas, without making the listeners feel bungle nigh and unpleasant. As a mirror of refinement, the multiplication and development of euphemisms ar well-nigh connect to stopping point.Euphemisms in incline and Chinese atomic spot 18 too abundant, scarce they have virtually(prenominal)(prenominal) battles and similarities in expressions and cultural intensions. The cross-cultural unfitting make of position and Chinese euphemisms can serve up citizenry correctly escort the deep in pass in position and Chinese langu advances and over germ the obstacles in crosscultural talks. Key discussions: Euphemisms; glossiness; Cross- glossiness; Contrastive study WANG Xiaoling, ZHANG Meng, DONG Hailin (2012). CrossCultural Contrastive Study of incline and Chinese Euphemisms.CrossCultural dialogue, 8 (6), 66-70. Available from: http://www. cscanada. net/index. php/ccc/article/view/j. ccc. 1923670020120806. 1356 DOI: http://dx. doi. org/10. 3968/j. ccc. 192367002012 0806. 1356. â€Å"speech”, so the vocalize â€Å"euphemism” literally means â€Å" develop of good omen”. Routledge Dictionary of Langu geezerhood and Linguistics (2000) defines â€Å"euphemism” as â€Å"A amiable of expressing method which aims at making muckle feel little embarrassed by using some nomenclature with vague and ambiguous meaning in view of those which whitethorn make flock feel unpleasant and not consider”.The generation of euphemism has its genial foundation. part conference with others, raft real oft face the home where they can not directly express what they want to say, or sometimes a direct expression exit bm the listeners awkward and unpleasant. In these cases, hoi polloi tend to choose an indirect and round most flair to express their ideas and thoughts, so as to revoke the embarrassment. With this purpose, euphemisms come into cosmos. Whereas the mathematical go a dash of euphemisms is not wakelessl y a neighborly phenomenon, it is in addition a cultural star.The generation of euphemism is to a fault closely related to culture. Due to the pitiable social productivity in the early acquaint of tender- considerted society, large number were lack of scientific and cultural existledge, thus thither existed a superstitious belief that the direct strain of the name of idol or a ghost provide bring them fallacious fortune. Then the names of God and ghosts became language taboo and populate found substitutes of these names. These substitutes past became euphemisms of that time. With the development of the society, euphemisms in all languages to a fault changed.And this on-going change has always being relying on culture. disparate nations possess disparate infixed environment, social patterns, ideological systems, modes of production and honors. all these can be reflected in the intent of language, including the role of euphemisms. 1. EUPHEMISM AND ITS RELATION WITH CULTURE The word â€Å"euphemism” originated from a Latin word. Its prefix â€Å"eu” means â€Å"good”, and â€Å"phemism” means 2 . C U LT U R A L S I M I L A R I T I E S A N D DIFFERENCES REFLECTED BY ENGLISH AND Chinese EUPHEMISMS When we compargon diametric cultures, we lead pose that the procure © Canadian Academy of eastern and Hesperian burnish 66 WANG Xiaoling; ZHANG Meng; DONG Hailin (2012). Cross-Cultural Communication, 8 (6), 66-70 similarities and differences of the developing course of human society ar manifested in cultures. terminology is not that the mirror of culture, scarcely also a part of culture. So the similarities and differences of cultures atomic consider 18 undoubtedly reflected by side of meat and Chinese languages, including euphemisms. 2. 1 Cultural Similarities Reflected by Euphemisms Euphemism as a cultural phenomenon has its particular(prenominal) role to play in culture.Cultural similarities reflected by incline and Chinese euphemisms can be concluded by the functions of euphemisms. Basi knelly communicate, the functions of face and Chinese euphemisms ar the aforementi sensationd(prenominal), which can be divided as taboo-avoiding function, politeness function, and semblance function. These functions point the universal pieces of human culture. 2. 1. 1 Taboo-Avoiding tend In incline and Chinese, there are some course that cannot be directly said out.For example, during the time when Christianity was ordinary in the westward countries, the name of God â€Å"Jehovah” became the biggest taboo, so many euphemisms were created to commute the name, much(prenominal) as â€Å"the Almighty”, â€Å"the autocratic Being”, â€Å"Holy whiz”, â€Å"the arrant(a)”, â€Å"the Creator”, â€Å"the Maker”, â€Å"the Savior”, â€Å"the heat of the world”, â€Å"the Sovereign of the Universe”, â€Å"Our ar rive”, etc.. In ancient China, the names of emperors are also tabooed. For example, Qin Shi Huang, the number 1- relegate honours degree emperor of China, changed â€Å"?? ” (the first month of a lunar year) into â€Å"?? ” so as to avoid the pronunciation of the typeface â€Å"? which is the corresponding as the character â€Å"? ” utilise in his name. Another example is the euphemistic expression of â€Å"death”. large subjugate to a greater extent often than not believe that the greatest misfortune is zero than death, so there are taboos and euphemisms intimately death some(prenominal) in slope and Chinese. The word â€Å"death” cannot be directly mentioned, and euphemisms about death are various. In slope, the word â€Å"die” can be replaced by â€Å"to pass away”, â€Å"to strangle”, â€Å"to be no more”, â€Å"to pass one’s last”, â€Å"to come to an end”, â€Å"to join the majority”, â€Å"to go to one’s rest”, â€Å"to pause the final sleep”, â€Å"to be garner to one’s father”, â€Å" dispel to dust”, â€Å"run one’s race”, â€Å"be no onger with us”, â€Å"to be at peace”, â€Å"to be at rest”, â€Å"to be sleepy in the arms of God/ messiah”, â€Å" turn over the debt of nature”, etc.. In Chinese, the word â€Å"? ” can be replaced by â€Å"????????????? ??????????????????????? ?????????????? ” etc.. 2. 1. 2 Politeness Function It is a usual human psychology for every consistency to be well-thought-of and keep dignity before the others. So to avoid hurting others’ feelings and pride in a conversation, population often use euphemistic expressions in stead of nomenclature that will lead to the unwanted result. For instance, in Chinese, the great unwashed will environ those who are physical handicapped â€Å"? ?” in stead of â€Å"?? . Similarly, in English, the word â€Å"handicapped” is euphemistically expressed by â€Å"disabled” to show people’s respect. The â€Å"deaf” people are described as â€Å"hard of listening”, and â€Å"blind” people are â€Å"the visually challenged”. At present, euphemisms about body figure are more often use than ever before. As more and mo re people pay attention to their figure, you drive to be awake while talking to those who have oftentimes weight. The word â€Å"fat” could never be used. just you can use spoken language like â€Å"plump, stout, out-size, over-weight” to describe such person. In Chinese, it is also more polite to use lecture like â€Å"????? ” etc..The politeness function of euphemisms is well demonstrated by the exposition of these low or humble transmission lines. To some extent, the occupations people are engaged in can show their social status, so people in th e low power structure are usually sensitive towards their jobs. A decent and respectful call of their occupation will show respect for such persons. Therefore, â€Å"sanitation engineer” is created for â€Å"garbage collector”, â€Å"cleaning operative” is created for â€Å"road-sweeper”, â€Å"domestic sponsor” is created for â€Å"maid” and â€Å"security officer” is created for â€Å"janitor”. In modern Chinese, there are also similar euphemisms about occupations.For example, people call â€Å"?? ” in stead of â€Å"?? ”, and â€Å"?? ?” or â€Å"?? ” in stead of â€Å"?? ”. These euphemisms about occupations not lone(prenominal) show the raise of civilization level, but also people’s hit the hayingness of social equity. 2. 1. 3 Deception Function With the development of the society, the use of euphemisms is not unless limited in avoiding taboos and caring for the listeners†™ feelings. On many occasions, it is also employed to pelt the facts, and to achieve some ulterior goals. Euphemisms of this anatomy are widely seen in semipolitical and sparing areas to deceive the public or distort the pacts.For example, words used in war, such as â€Å"invasion” and â€Å" wear” are mantled as â€Å"penetration”, â€Å"involvement” and â€Å"military action”; stroke in a war is disguised as â€Å"break off strive with enemy”; The thousands of homeless people in the war are called â€Å"transfer of community”; â€Å"Attack” is disguised as â€Å" bustling defense”, etc.. These cosmetic words confine the nature and cruelty of war, and provide level-headed excuse for waging wars. For politicians, these euphemistic words are good tools to whitewash themselves and protect themselves from being excused or charged. Euphemisms in the economic area are also widely seen.For example, â€Å"economic crisis” is replaced by â€Å"depression” or â€Å"recession”; â€Å" pitiful nations” is replaced by â€Å"developing nations”, â€Å"developing nations”, or â€Å"emerging nations”. These words all cover up the naive realism to some extent, and the real meaning of these words need careful thinking. 2. 2 Cultural Differences Reflected by Euphemisms Due to the culture difference between English and Chinese, a theme often being talked about in one culture 67 Copyright © Canadian Academy of Oriental and western acculturation Cross-Cultural Contrastive Study of English and Chinese Euphemisms ay be tabooed in some other culture, and something unacceptable in one culture may be quite a normal in other(prenominal). 2. 2. 1 distinguishable Attitudes Towards â€Å"Old Age” The westerners are hydrophobic of old age. In their opinion, old age indicates decay. So in many western countries, inquiring others’ age is seen t o be an offense, because â€Å"age” is a sensitive topic. There are many euphemisms describing old age, such as â€Å"senior citizen, advantage in age, the mature, veteran(a) man, full of ages, be feeling one’s ages, past one’s prime” etc.. On the contrary, it is a custom for Chinese people to respect the old.As remote as Chinese people are concerned, â€Å"old age” stands for wisdom and experience. In Chinese, people often add the word â€Å"? ” after a person’s family name to show his respect, such as â€Å"?? ” and â€Å"?? ”. Besides, the word â€Å"? ” can also be added before a person’s family name to show intimacy with this person, such as â€Å"?? ”, â€Å"?? ”. If a person has much(prenominal) experience in an occupation and is respect by others, people will call him or her â€Å"?? ?” â€Å"??? ” or â€Å"??? ” etc.. Other words indicating old age like â€Å" ????????????? ” all show respect to these old people. 2. 2. Attitudes Towards hiding The westerners attach much immensity to privacy, which includes age, marriage, income, apparitional belief, political inclination etc. , and they do not want the others to know much about these contents. For example, a western gentlewoman will take an immediate abhorrence if she is pick outed about her age and marriage state. While in China, you can often hear people around talking about age, marriage and even income. Topics like â€Å"?????? ”, â€Å"??????? ”, â€Å"????? ”, â€Å"?????? ” are not forbidden either. Inquiring others’ recompense or the price of some secluded belongings is also seen as abrupt in the west.If you really want to know the price of an item, you can ask â€Å"It is expensive? ” in stead of directly postulation â€Å"How much is it? ” But in China, you will have no worry to ask the price. Religious belief and political tendency are also private in the west. Questions like â€Å"What party do you pick out for? ” and â€Å"What’s your religion? ” cannot be asked. But in China, these questions are also on the loose(p) to ask. 2. 2. 3 Naming and Appellation Chinese people attach more importance to family than people in the west, and their respect for the senior generation is also sh knowledge in grant and appellation.The name of a young should not be the selfsame(prenominal) as his or her elder generation, even the pronunciation should be different. Young people could not directly call the name of the elderly ones; preferably they call them according to the rank in the family such as â€Å"?? , ?? , ?? , ? ?” etc.. Comparatively, communicative people do not have such strong sense of family rank and social stratum. In the western countries, there is no taboo in naming and appellation. People of different rank in the family hierarchy and social status could c all each other’s name directly. It is common to hear children call their parents and even grandparents’ names.And it is also very common for a jr. person to have a same name with the elder generation. The westerners believe this charitable of appellation and naming is a way of showing intimacy and will roam close the relationship between people. To some extent, it reflects the westerners’ pursuit of equality. 2. 2. 4 The Use of amount Cultures about poesy exist in both Chinese and English. There are different taboos about number in different cultures. In the western culture, the number 13 is seen as an unlucky number which people tend to avoid in their daily life.For example, it is rare to see 13 people gather around the same table while having dinner or meetings. It is also forbidden to have 13 dishes on the dinner table. House number, report number and other number attach all avoid using this number. In Chinese, the pronunciation of â€Å"4” is si milar to the character â€Å"? ” (die), so people are indisposed to use this number in doorplate, allegory number, phone number etc.. The pronunciation of number â€Å"3” is similar to the character â€Å"? ”, so weddings and birthday parties are not held on this day.Besides, there is a saying in Chinese that good things should be in pairs, so it is also a customs duty to hold important things on even number days, so as to longing that good luck could come. 3. EUPHEMISMS AND CROSSCULTURAL COMMUNICATION 3. 1 The Definition of Cross-Cultural Communication Chinese scholar JIA Yuxin and GUAN Shijie defined cross-cultural communication as â€Å"communication between people from different cultural soil” (JIA, 1997) and â€Å"communication between people or stem from one cultural background and people or group from another cultural background” (GUAN, 1996).Larry offered his definition of â€Å"intercultural communication” as â€Å"Intercultu ral communication is communication between people whose cultural perceptions and symbol systems are unmistakable enough to alter the communication suit” (Larry, 2009). In conclusion, inter-cultural communication, which is a kind of communication behavior, is the communication between people from different cultural background, social psychology, and people speaking different languages. 3. The Influence of Culture Differences on Cross-Cultural Communication While communicating with a person of another language, people always carry out the communication process on the basis of their own language and culture. Obviously culture differences will manifest themselves in the controling and use of euphemisms throughout cross-cultural Copyright © Canadian Academy of Oriental and Occidental Culture 68 WANG Xiaoling; ZHANG Meng; DONG Hailin (2012). Cross-Cultural Communication, 8 (6), 66-70 communication. Thus cross-cultural understanding barrier or im kosher use of euphemisms will lead to practical failures. . 2. 1 prosaic Failures Caused by Different Expression Modes English and Chinese euphemisms are typically different in structure and expression mode. Because of these differences, speakers of one language often have impediment in grasping the information of another language. For example, Chinese speakers will be bewildered when they hear those English euphemisms consisted by numbers like â€Å"go to the fourth” (go to the toilet) and â€Å"a forty-four” (a prostitute). There are also some euphemisms in the form of abbreviation, like B. O. (body odor), V. D. C. (venereal disease), and T. B. tuberculosis), which will lead to understanding encumbrance if the readers are lack of relative background information. Similarly, the profound Chinese culture has granted birth to quantities of unique expressions, such as â€Å"??? ”, â€Å"???? ”, â€Å"??? ”, which also make the westerners confused. Besides, the use of twopart representative sayings, such as â€Å"????? â€??? (? )”, â€Å"?????? â€????? ”, and â€Å"???? ?? â€???? (? )” etc. is also a unique feature of Chinese euphemisms. The use of this special structure can help release the mood in an over straightforward Chinese expression, and help readers guess the meaning inside it.But the English readers are not familiar with this kind of Chinese expressions, so they can only sigh towards the contained meaning inside this kind of euphemisms. 3. 2. 2 Pragmatic Failures Caused by Different Value Orientations in Euphemisms The cultural care for difference of euphemisms is best illustrated by words in political and social area. many an(prenominal) euphemistic words in political area are used to moderate the real political purpose. For example, in the Vietnam war, the U. S. government activity called the invasion â€Å"U. S. nvolvement in Vietnam”; The air break to Libya is called â€Å"surgical strikes†; Civilian casualties in the Iraq War are understated as â€Å" corroborative damage”. These euphemisms reflect the subtle spot of the U. S. government to some extent, and at the same time, they show the handiness and concealment of political words. It is easy to be cheated by these diplomatic words without enough cross-cultural study. For another example, in the western countries, the word â€Å" spicy” is used to describe an attractive and bewitch person. If a lady is described as â€Å"sexy”, she will take it as praise and will be very happy.But in traditional Chinese culture, the connotation of â€Å"sexy” is somewhat close to â€Å" sexy”. If a westerner who does not know much about Chinese culture describes a Chinese lady as â€Å"sexy”, she must feel disquieting and take it as an insult earlier than praise. But with China enhancing its communication with the western countries, more and more Chinese people have accepted the west ern culture and began to praise others as â€Å"sexy”. 3. 2. 3 Pragmatic Failures Caused by Different material body Concept Many words in our daily life such as â€Å"big and small”, â€Å"high and low”, â€Å"good and bad”, â€Å"rich and poor” all indicates social rank.Compared with Chinese, English euphemisms about social rank are large in quantity and more vital in usage. For example, in the western countries, people advocate democracy and pursuit sexual activity equality, so they have much encumbrance in understanding males in Chinese feudal society calling their wives â€Å"?? ” and â€Å"?? ”. English-speaking people are also fantastic to the rank below â€Å"the first class”. So in 1989, when West Germany held the 56th realism Foundry Congress, the English instruction assort hotels as follows: A) Deluxe B) First level C) Standard D) Private rooms.This kind of be criteria does not define the hotels below the fi rst class into â€Å"the second class” and â€Å"the tierce class”, thus avoiding people’s psychological gap. At the same time, it upgrades each class invisibly. However this kind of rank is difficult for Chinese people to understand and use. In cross-cultural communication, in vow to avoid these pragmatic failures, language user of both English and Chinese need to sharpen their cross-cultural awareness. It is also requirement to acquire as many as possible euphemistic expressions in another language.The more characteristics we know about the culture and its euphemisms, the less barriers and pragmatic failures we will encounter. Of course, we should also bear in mind the proper situation where a certain euphemism is used; otherwise the overuse of euphemisms will fall out to be pretentious and unnatural. CONCLUSION To perfume up, euphemism is a common and long-standing linguistic as well as socio-cultural phenomenon in both English speaking countries and C hina. As a mirror of culture, euphemisms strongly reflected similarities and differences between English and Chinese cultures.These similarities and differences have brought about creature comforts and difficulties in the process of crosscultural communication. Only when people from different cultures are fully aware of the different cultural background, cultural value orientations and cultural conventions, can they remove pragmatic barriers and carry out smooth and consonant communication successfully. REFERENCES Bussmann (2000). Routledge Dictionary of Language and Linguistics. capital of Red China: Foreign Language Teaching and explore Press. CAI, Yan (2005). Similarities in Communicative Functions surrounded by English and Chinese Euphemism.Journal of Xihua University, (1). 69 Copyright © Canadian Academy of Oriental and Occidental Culture Cross-Cultural Contrastive Study of English and Chinese Euphemisms CHEN, Junsen (2000). Foreign Cultures and International Communicati on. Wuhan: Huazhong University of Science and Technology Press. DENG, Xinghua (1996). Contrastive Study on Chinese and English Taboos and Euphemisms. Journal of Liuzhou Teachers College, (1). DENG, Yanchang, & LIU, Runqing (2001). Language and Culture. Beijing: Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press. GUAN, Shijie (1996). Intercultural Communication. Beijing: Peking University Press.GUO, Hongmei (2005). English and Chinese Euphemisms and the Development of Western and Chinese Cultures. Journal of Taiyuan University, (12), 61-62. HU, Yonghong (2001). On English and Chinese Euphemisms. Journal of Mianyang Teachers College, (8), 53-54. JIA, Yuxin (1997). Intercultural Communication. Shanghai: Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press. Larry, A. Samovar, Richard, E. Porter, & Edwin, R. McDaniel (2009). Communication Between Cultures. Beijing: Peking University Press. LI, Zhongsheng (1991). Taboos and Customs in Chinese Language. Xi’an: Shanxi People’s Press. PAN, Min (2004).Comparative Analysis of English and Chinese Euphemism. Journal of Huaiyin Institute of Technology, (8), 42-44. XUE, Yan (2001). On English Euphemisms. Journal of Lanzhou Commercial College, (12), 108-111. Copyright © Canadian Academy of Oriental and Occidental Culture 70 Copyright of Cross-Cultural Communication is the property of Canadian Academy of Oriental & Occidental Culture and its content may not be copied or emailed to eight-fold sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holders express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use.\r\n'