委婉语的语用功能

二 英语委婉语的语用功能

1．避讳功能

（1）对生育及性的避讳。人们通常不直接提及生育，而是委婉地说成to come into the world（来到人世），而怀孕 （pregnancy）则被婉称为anticipating or expecting（期待的）、eating for two（吃两份饭）等，因为女子怀孕 （pregnant）与性（sex）有着必然的联系；人们还用natural child（自然之子）、baby of love（爱情之子）等来指illegitimate child（私生子）等。

（2）对衰老的避讳。衰老终将使人走向死亡，因此人们习惯于将old age（老年时期）说成golden age（黄金时代）；将old people（老年人）称为adult（成年人）或senior citizen（资深公民）等。

（3）对疾病的避讳。为了避讳，人们将venereal disease（性病）称为social disease（社会疾病），而将AIDS（艾滋病）称为communicable（可传染的社会疾病）或social disease（社会疾病）；人们谈癌色变，为消除恐惧心理，称其为the big C，long disease（不治之症）等。

（4）对死亡的避讳。“death”的委婉语多达百余种，如：to go to one’s long home（回到永久之家）；to go to one’s own place（回老家）；to be no longer with us（不再与我们在一起了）等。

（5）对入厕等生理现象的避讳。在社交场合谈论到“上厕所”等令人羞于启齿的话题时，委婉语可以帮助人们避免尴尬，使交谈顺利进行。例如：defecation and urination

（大小便）可以委婉地说成to answer the call of nature（应付自然本能的需要）、to wash one’s hands （去洗手），而bathroom （洗澡间）、men’s或ladies’、toilet（盥洗室）、restroom（休息室）等均可指W.C.（盥洗室），lavatory（厕所）。

2．掩饰功能

（1）用来掩盖贫困、犯罪等严重的社会问题。人们会用substandard housing（低于标准的住宅）表达slum为depression （经济衰退）。用action（行动）表达violence（暴力）。

（2）用来掩盖侵略战争实质和政治、外交丑闻等。英语中用来掩盖战争的委婉语有：pacification（绥靖），把侵略战争称为military operation（军事行动）、international armed conflict（国际武装冲突）。而plumbers（管道工）婉指窃取情报的人，intelligence gathering（收集情报）婉指窃听等。

3．礼貌功能

“礼貌”是委婉语的一个重要功能。日常交际中，恰当得体地运用委婉语可以营造礼貌友好的交际氛围，在某种程度上照顾别人的面子，减轻人家的难堪，有利于引起对方的好感，同时也表现出说话者的礼貌教养，避免冒昧和非礼。如用plump（丰满）代替fat（肥胖）；用slender、slim（苗条）代替a skinny woman（骨瘦如柴的女人）。

4．美化功能

使用英语委婉语可以美化社会地位较低下的职业，满足人们的自尊心理需要。如：

hairdresser（理发师）被美称为beautician（美容师）；dustman（垃圾清理工）则为sanitary engineer（卫生工程师）。

四 结束语

委婉语极大地丰富了人类的语言，有助于人们在跨文化交际中更好地表达自己的思想，理解他人的意图，有助于保持良好的人际关系，促进语言交际的正常进行。了解委婉语的特征，掌握其语用功能对学好英语具有重要意义。

四．英语委婉语的特点

(一).民族性

委婉语是世界文化中普遍的语言现象。但不同国家、不同民族所处的自然环境、社会环境不同，生产方式、生活方式、文化沉淀各异，因而不同语言中的委婉语必然也存在相当的差异，这种差异的体现，正是委婉语民族特点的体现[9]p136。

这最典型的例子就是英文里对poor(贫穷)的看法。poor在英文中是一个可怕的字眼，它意味着生活困窘，也标示着社会地位低下，所以poor的代用语也极多，有一段描述一位年轻妇人生活困境的文字不无讽刺地展示了一系列poor的委婉语：

I used to think I was poor. Then they told me I wasn’t poor, I was needy. Then they said it was self-defeating to think of myself as needy, that I was culturally deprived. Then they told me deprived was a bad image, that I was underprivileged. Then they told me that underprivileged was overused, that I was disadvantaged. I

still don’t have a dime but I have a great vocabulary!”(Harper Dictionary of Contemporary Usage)

这段话的大意是：“起初我认为自己贫穷。后来他们对我说我不是贫穷，我是缺乏生活日用品。后来他们说认为我自己缺乏生活日用品太自馁了，我是丧失了受教育的机会。后来他们又告诉我丧失是一个能引起不良联想的字眼，我是社会地位低下的人，但紧接着他们又告诉我至今我仍然是一无所有，但我已拥有了一大堆词汇！”短短一段话，采用了四个与poor同义的委婉语：needy(缺乏生活日用品)、culturally deprived(丧失教育机会)、underprivileged(社会地位低下)、disadvantaged(生活条件差)[10]p143。

(二).地域性

俗话说：“十里不同风，百里不同俗。”不同地域风俗习惯自然多有差异，这种差异体现在语言当中就表现为语言的地域性差异。委婉语多与民间俗讳相关，其地域性自然也就分外显明[11]p145。如面包是英国人的家常食品，因此就出现了“take bread out of someone’s mouth”来表示 “抢走某人饭碗”的意思。又如：humble(地位低下的)是umble和numbles两个词的讹变。umble和numbles都指“鹿等供食用的动物的内脏、下水”。在一千多年前诺曼底人征服英国时，当时只有庄园主和贵族才能吃得上用鹿肉做的馅饼，而猎人和仆人只能吃用鹿内脏（umbles）做的馅饼。吃这种馅饼本身就表明“地位低下”（humble） 。后来由于读音的变化，umble读成了humble pie[12]p80。恰巧这一变化又同吃这种馅饼的人身份相符，因此“eat humble pie” 就成了委婉表达“被迫低声下气地赔不是”的委婉语。

(三).语域性

在不同的语境中，或在同一语境中不同年龄、身份、地位或受教育程度不同的人委婉表达也不尽相同。例如：上厕所，女士可能说to powder one’s noise, to freshen up；男士可能是说to go to the toilet, to relieve oneself 、 because nature calls[13]p36或to rear；而儿童可能说go to the pot and make number one。委婉语的使用率，女子高于男子，贵族高于平民。因为女子比男子多受社会规则约束，自然形成了说话谨慎小心；贵族为了标榜其高贵，大量使用“雅词”。

（四）.时代性

语言的变化取决与社会的需要和发展，因此时代性也可称为可变性。从历时的观点看，语言处在不断的变化中，新词不断出现，旧词逐渐消失。委婉语更是这样。少数在某些情况下使用的委婉语是临时的（temporal），随着它们使用范围的扩大，在得到人们的承认后便成了固定（fixed）委婉语。当然固定也是相对的，因为随着时间的推移委婉语会逐渐失去委婉的特性[14]p30。例如：表达“怀孕”的意思的委婉语在英语中曾先后出现如下这些表达方式：

Cancel all her social engagements (1856);Be an interesting condition (1890);be in a delicate condition (1895); be knitting little booties (1910); be in a family way (1920); be expecting (1935);be pregnant (1956)。

又如：对“黑人”的称呼，在美国一直从 “Negro” 到“black people”，再到现在的 “African American”，这些都是随着美国黑人的人权运动而改变的。

（五）.间接性和相关性

委婉语的本质是避免直接提及那些令人感到不快的事物或现象.对这些事物的间接提及或委婉说法便构成了委婉语的灵魂.所以,间接性是委婉语的最明显的主要特点之一，也称为含蓄性。所谓相关性,这一特点体现委婉语的一个构成原则,那就是,它必须使其直接所指的事物与它间接所指的事物之间有着某种相关关系.也就是说,委婉语必须使人能够通过它所提及的事物联想到它所代表的事物[15]p72。如：

——“Don’t you think my cooking is wonderful?”The girl asked.

——“Are you fishing for compliments.”Her boy friend responded.

这则对话那位男式用了含蓄性的说法，既回答他女朋友的问题，又不使女友不高兴，达到了说话的效果，避免了尴尬，这就体现了委婉语的间接性。

（六）.模糊性

很多委婉语的形成是利用了语言的模糊性，使某些词义扩大。有些语言学家试图用语言的模糊性理论解释委婉语。他们指出，委婉语是用较不准确的或语义上更为摹绘的词语去替代那些更加准确的词语[16]p74。委婉语的模糊性可以掩饰残酷的现实。如以下的对话：

Devizes; Is the pain worse?

Surtees: It’s no great pain, sir. I have been to one specialist, sir…yesterday. It’s …that, sir.

Devizes: He couldn’t be sure. An operation…

Surtees: Too late, he said, for that. If I had been operated on long ago there might have been a chance.

由于上文没有明确说明，但当我们读完这段对话后，无法确定其中it和that所指何物，给精确理解造成困难。实际上，Devizes在和Surtees谈论癌症。由于这是一件令人痛苦、沮丧的事情，所以Surtees故意用了it和that来委婉代替它，以掩盖这一不幸而残酷的现实[17]p23。

(七).幽默性

委婉语的使用可以使人类的语言妙趣横生、诙谐幽默，把残酷的事实寓于幽默中。委婉语中这类的用法非常之多。例如：“battle of the bulge”是二次世界大战后出现的一种幽默说法，而现在用于描绘为保持体形而进行的反肥持久战。把女士们为了苗条而进行减肥的行为夸张到如同打仗，幽默的说明众减肥女士的决心和毅力。又如：在东西方家庭中夫妻二人的关系是平等的，就如朋友一样，不分层次，遇事商量，共同决定，但也有主从式（也称主仆式），即以一方为主，有的妻子比较强硬，丈夫软弱，这样丈夫常被称为“妻管严”（戏称“气管炎”谐音）。英语中却形象的把这样的丈夫称作 “hen-pecked husband”（被母鸡啄的丈夫），幽默有加。

（八）.习语化，口语化

不少英语委婉语经人们的长期使用，成为了固定表达，并且成为了英语词汇，被人们广泛使用，成为了人们生活中交流的语言，让人们在交际中一听就明白，从而使这些表达方式口语化，如bite the dust(go down in defeat)意思是“在失败中倒下”；to return to the dust（died）意思是：“死亡”。而有些表达同个意思的表达方式不断的被不同的委

婉语替代。如mad（发疯的），先后有crazy,insane,lunatic,mentally deranged等替代过[18]p37。

参考文献

[1] 《牛津高阶英汉双解词典（第四版增补版）》北京：商务印书馆 2002年1月。

[2] 刘寅齐 “英语委婉语：特点、构造及应用” 《外语与外语教学》2000年第8期。

[3] 叶建敏 “汉英流行委婉语的跨语言对比”《山东外语教学》2004年第3期。

[4] 孔庆成 “委婉语言现象的立体透视”《外国语》1993年第2期。

[5] 束定芳，徐金元 “委婉语研究：回顾与前瞻”《外国语》1995年第5期。

[6] 王佳艺《趣味英语委婉语》上海：上海科学技术出版社 2003年8月。

[7] 王文忠 “委婉语信息及其语境解读”《外语学刊》2000年第1期。

[8] 李桂媛 “英汉禁忌语及委婉语探讨”《天津外国语学院学报》2004年第3期。

[9] 张宇平，姜艳苹，于年湖著《委婉语》北京：新华出版社 1998年2月。

[12] 胡文仲主编 《英语习语与英美文化》北京: 外语教学与研究出版社 2001年1月。

[15] 温洪瑞 “委婉语的使用动机与特点”《山东外语教学》2002年第8期。

[17] 戴建东“试论模糊语言的交际功能” 《解放军外国语学院学报》2002年11月第６期。

[21] 勒梅琳 《社会语言学与英语学习》 天津：南开大学出版社 2005年2月。

[13] 张文娟、严立东 “论英语委婉语”《山东师大外国语学院学报》2002年第1期。

结语

委婉语作为人际交往中协调人际关系的一个重要手段，也是人类语言的普遍特征。英汉委婉语都是把原来显得粗鲁或令人不愉快的话换成婉转含蓄的说法，使语言变得温和或悦耳，使交际在轻松、愉快的氛围中进行。大量的实例说明，委婉语有着丰富的语用功能，它极大地

丰富了人类的语言。

3 Communicative functions of euphemisms

Language is for communication, whereas euphemisms may lead to better communication. Using euphemisms can avoid being presumptuous in language communication. When we have to touch some topics that are unpleasant, we tend to choose more euphemistic expressions to refer to those painful topics so as not to hurt the hearer’s feeling. We can find the theoretical foundation for this motivation in Leech’s Politeness Principle. Euphemisms just minimize the

impoliteness and maximize the politeness in communication. The functions of euphemisms are in agreement with those of Politeness Principle too, as they both offer more benefit to the hearer and leave more cost to the speaker, with the purpose that both of the two sides will feel respected and have favorable impression of each other. As politeness is usually regarded as the manifestation of human civilization, euphemism is one of the most effective strategies to display politeness while modulating interpersonal relationship in human communication

3.1 Substitution

According to the definitions of euphemism and we know that a great number of English euphemisms serve as the substitutions for verbal taboos. The term taboo ( ta meaning “mark”, boo meaning “exceedingly”) of Polynesian origin denotes anything linguistic and nonlinguistic, which is prohibited or forbidden. Taboo refers to the situation in which a word or name can be used in a community only under special conditions, whether only by certain persons or only in certain circumstances. Just as violating a cultural taboo can be quite offensive, so is it with a verbal taboo in press conferences. The “word” has been and continues to be in most societies perceived as a powerful instrument that may evoke evil spirits, make bad things happen and instigate to violence and revolution and numerous other activities. While taboo of words occurs when a particular topic is considered valid for discussion, euphemistic expression or terms are required. So diplomatic euphemisms have a very serious reason for being. They can conceal the things people fear most —death, the dead or the supernatural. Euphemisms can also eliminate unh

appiness, embarrassment and fear etc. so as to relieve people psychologically.

3.2 Politeness

Politeness is another very important function that euphemisms serve in social life. \"Some of the euphemisms are used to avoid crudeness and indecency for the sake of a polite conversation.\"[15] Grice formulated Cooperative Principle of utterance in which the Maxim of Manner was defined as “Be perspicuous and specific; To avoid obscurity; To avoid ambiguity; To be brief and to be orderly.” The roundabout nature of euphemisms goes against the Maxim of Manner, which can only be fairly explained well by Leech’s Politeness Principle “Approbation Maxim: minimize dispraise of other, maximize praise of other”. In other words, euphemisms are to minimize impolite expressions and maximize polite expressions.

3.3 Disguise

Besides the two functions of euphemisms mentioned above, there is still another one more important function at work in euphemistic communication, namely, the Disguise Function. Here we mean that because of the vagueness of euphemisms, it has become a very important tool for political leaders or the diplomats or statesmen to distort the facts or and present a false picture of peace and prosperity and to beautify whatever the authority have done. For example, in the Iraq War, they use “Operation Iraqi Freedom” for beau

tifying their military invasion, “possible movement” refers to military attack, “air operation” or “air strikes” for air attack, “enter the war” to show their reluctance to fight the war etc. and we may find many such kind of these euphemisms in press conferences. The most important and ultimate function or purpose of the use of diplomatic euphemisms in press conferences is to disguise or beautify their invasive essence or other evil actions or the separation of words from truth. In American and British societies nowadays, diplomatic euphemisms are always purposely devised to disguise scandals in wars and politics, deliberately invented to beautify lowly occupations and excessively inflated to promote sales in advertisement.

6. Conclusion

As we stated earlier, euphemism is one of the important and universal linguistic phenomena. Due to the special characteristics like substitution, indirectness etc. it is becoming one of the main communicative approaches this thesis has attempted to study the euphemistic expressions used in the question-answer patterns from the perspective of pragmatics.

The article is an overview of the functions and communicative functions of euphemism, and from the pragmatic analysis of the materials, it can be seen clearly that the use of euphemisms basically violate the Quality Maxim, the Quantity Maxim, and the Manner Maxim of the Cooperative Principle and the frequency of violating the Quality Maxim is the highest among the three ones. That is to say, the euphemisms used in the question-answer patterns

generally do not violate the Relation Maxim of the Cooperative Principle.

There is an old saying in English: Necessity is the mother of invention. The creation of euphemisms also cannot depart from people’s needs of them. People need euphemisms for social communication, to euphemize the taboo, to show their politeness and to disguise. As a sociolinguistic phenomenon, the formation of euphemisms is the result of the combination of various social psychological factors and pragmatic factors.

Studies on euphemisms from a pragmatic perspective reveal how euphemisms flout the Cooperative Principle so as to obey the Politeness Principle in communication and how factors from their sociocultural and communicational context influence their application in communication. Any change of one or more factors of a communication event, will have an effect on our decision of whether to use euphemisms. The expressive euphemisms play a non-fungible role in communication. It is euphemism that makes language more powerful, magical and pleasant. People’s speech does reflect their background, their activities, and the values they hold, therefore, we can learn much about the English people by looking at their use of euphemisms. The studies on English euphemisms can not only help to develop intercultural communicative competence, but also enlighten English language learning and teaching. Therefore, multidisciplinary, multi-angle, and multi-level studies on euphemisms are necessary for English learners to understand the English history and society and communicate with native English speakers better. There are still a lot in this field waiting to be explored, and euphemisms deserve more attentio

n and comprehensive studies.

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同, P30

同, P378

同, P3

[10] 同, P379

[11] 同, P195

[12] 同, P197

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[14] 同, P4

[15] 同, P32

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[17] George Yule. Pragmatics [M]. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1996: P37

[18] 同[16], P154

[19] 同[16], P154

[20] 同[16], P154

[21] 同[16], P154

1．1策略准则(TactMaxim)

尽量削减他人支出的价钱，尽量扩大对他人的益处．

1．2激动慷慨大方准则(GenerosityMaxim)

尽量削减对自己的益处，尽量扩大自己支出的价钱．

1．3赞扬准则(ApprobationMaixm)

死力缩小对他人的攻讦，死力磕张对他人的赞誉．

1．4谦逊准则(ModestyMaxim)

死力缩小对自己的赞誉，死力扩张对自己的攻讦．

1．5拥护准则(AgreementMaxim)

死力缩小与他人的分歧定见，死力磕张与他人不异的定见．

1．6同情准则(SympathyMaixm)

Euphemism of the characteristics of

(I). Nationality

Euphemism is the language of the phenomenon of world culture generally. However, different countries, different nationalities live in the natural environment, social environment, different modes of production, lifestyle, culture and precipitation vary, and therefore in different languages must euphemism considerable differences also exist, such differences are reflected, it is euphemistically language reflects the national characteristics [9] p136.

This is the most typical example is the English language to the poor (poverty) of view. poor in English is a terrible word, it means living embarrassment, but also marked the low social status, so poor in lieu of the term is also very much there is a description of the plight of a young woman living display of the text is not without irony a series of poor euphemism:

I used to think I was poor. Then they told me I wasn't poor, I was needy. Then they said it was self-defeating to think of myself as needy, that I was culturally deprived. Then they told me deprived was a bad image, that I was underprivileged. Then they told me that underprivileged was overused, that I was disadvantaged. I still don't have a dime but I have a great vocabulary! '(Harper Dictionary of Contemporary Usage)

This passage to the effect that: 'At first, I consider myself poor. Later they told me that I was not poor, I was the lack of daily necessities of life. Later they said that my lack of daily necessities of life are too Zinei, and I have lost access to education. Later they told me that loss is one of the words can lead to undesirable associations, I am socially disadvantaged people, but then they told me that I still scratch, but I already have a lot of vocabulary! 'A short passage, using four synonymous with the poor euphemism: needy (the lack of daily necessities of life), culturally deprived (the loss of educational opportunities), underprivileged (low social status), disadvantaged (poor living conditions) [10] p143 .

(Ii). Regional

As the saying goes: 'ten-mile a different wind, different customs Barry. 'Customs and habits of different regions would inevitably there are differences, such differences were reflected in the language as a language on the performance of the regional differences. Euphemism secular taboo associated more with civil society and its regional nature are exceptionally manifest [11] p145. Such as bread is homemade British food, and therefore there 'take bread out of someone's mouth' to represent 'a person away their jobs' meant. Another example: humble (low status) are umble and numbles two words falsely changed. umble and numbles are referring to 'the deer and other internal organs of animals for food, water'. In the more than a thousand years ago, the Norman conquest of England, there were only manorial lords and nobles in order to live on the pie to do with the venison, but hunters and servants, with the deer can eat the viscera (umbles) pie to do. Ate this kind of pie itself shows that 'low status' (humble). Later, because the changes in pronunciation, umble reading has become humble pie [12] p80. This change also happens to eat the pie with the identity line, so 'eat humble pie' became a euphemism 'was forced to humbly apologize' euphemism.

(C). Language domain of

In different contexts, or in the same context of different age, identity, status or level of education, different people have different euphemism. For example: the toilet, ladies might say to powder one's noise, to freshen up; man may be said to go to the toilet, to relieve oneself, because nature calls [13] p36, or to rear; while the children might say go to the pot and make number one. Euphemism of the utilization of women than men, the nobility than the civilian population. Because

women than men are bound by the rules of society, naturally formed a cautious speech; aristocracy in order to flaunt their noble, large-scale use 'Ya-word'.

(Iv). of the times

Language change depends on the needs of society and development, so the times may also be referred to as variability. From the diachronic point of view, languages are in constant change, new words emerging, the old word gradually disappear. Euphemism even more so. In some cases, the use of a small number of euphemism is temporary (temporal), with the expansion of the scope of their use, after obtaining the recognition of people have become fixed (fixed) euphemism. Of course it is relative, because as time goes on will gradually lose its euphemism euphemism characteristics [14] p30. For example: expression of 'pregnancy' in the meaning of euphemisms in English as those who have been a way of expression:

Cancel all her social engagements (1856); Be an interesting condition (1890); be in a delicate condition (1895); be knitting little booties (1910); be in a family way (1920); be expecting (1935); be pregnant (1956).

Another example: the 'black' is called, in the United States has been from the 'Negro' to 'black people', and then to the present 'African American', these are African-American human rights movement with the change.

(V). Indirect and relevancy

Euphemism is to avoid direct mention of the nature of those unpleasant things or phenomena. For these things indirectly referred to or constitute a euphemism for a euphemism soul. Therefore, the indirect is the euphemism of the main features of the most obvious One, also known as implicit nature. The so-called correlation, a feature that reflects the formative principle of a euphemism, that is, it must be referred to directly within the meaning of things and it indirectly have some kind of relationship between things. In other words, euphemisms must make people can think through the things it refers to the things that it represents [15] p72. Such as:

- 'Don't you think my cooking is wonderful?' The girl asked.

- 'Are you fishing for compliments.' Her boy friend responded.

This is the dialogue, men who had sex with an implicit argument, both to answer his girlfriend's problems, not to make his girlfriend happy, reaching the effect of speech, avoiding the embarrassment, which reflects the indirect nature of Euphemism.

(VI). Ambiguity

The formation of a lot of Euphemism is the use of the ambiguity of the language, so that the expansion of some meaning. Some linguists tried to explain the theory of fuzzy language euphemism. They pointed out that euphemism is less accurate or more of semantics ġ to replace those words painted a more accurate

term [16] p74. Euphemism of the ambiguity can help to hide the cruel reality. Such as the following dialogue:

Devizes; Is the pain worse?

Surtees: It's no great pain, sir. I have been to one specialist, sir ... yesterday. It's ... that, sir.

Devizes: He couldn't be sure. An operation ...

Surtees: Too late, he said, for that. If I had been operated on long ago there might have been a chance.

As the above did not specify, but when we finished this conversation, in which it can not be determined, and that referred to what, to accurately understand the difficulties. In fact, Devizes in and Surtees talking about any cancer. As this is a painful, frustrating things, so Surtees deliberately use it, and that to replace it tactfully in order to cover up the unfortunate and harsh realities [17] p23.

(VII). Humor

The use of euphemism can make human language fun, witty humor, the humor resides in the fact that cruel. Euphemism is very much in this kind of usage. For example: 'battle of the bulge' after World War II, the emergence of a sense of humor said, and now used to describe shape carried out in order to maintain a

protracted war against fat. The ladies carried out in order to lose weight slim acts like an exaggeration to fight, humorous description of Ms. Chung's determination and perseverance to lose weight. Another example: In the East and the West family, the relationship between husband and wife are equal, as friends, regardless of level, failing to discuss joint decision, but there are master-slave (also known as master-servant type), that is a party to Lord, some relatively tough wife, husband weak, so that her husband often referred to as 'the wife tube Yan' (jokingly 'bronchitis' homophonic). English is the image of the so called husband 'hen-pecked husband' (being a hen pecked husband), humor for me.

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(VIII). Idioms of the spoken language of

Euphemism by many people's long-term use has become a fixed expression, and become the English vocabulary, is widely used, has become the language of communication in people's lives so that people will understand one in communication, so that these expressions colloquial manner, such as bite the dust (go down in defeat) means 'in the failure falls'; to return to the dust (died) means: 'death'. While others express the same meaning of the expression of a constantly replaced by different euphemism. Such as the mad (crazy), there have been crazy, insane, lunatic, mentally deranged than alternatives such as [18] p37.

http://eng.hi138.com/?i50538 On English Euphemism of the features

[1] 'Oxford Advanced Learner Dictionary (Fourth Edition updated edition)' Beijing: Commercial Press in January 2002.

[2] Yin Liu Qi 'Euphemism: Characteristics, Construction and application of' 'foreign language and foreign language teaching '2000 No. 8.

[3] Ye Jianmin 'English popular euphemism for cross-language comparison Language teaching '2004''Shandong No. 3.

[4] Kong Qingcheng 'euphemistic language phenomena three-dimensional perspective'''1993 International Studies No. 2.

[5] Ding-Fang Shu, Xu Jin 'euphemism Research: Retrospect and Prospect of foreign languages '1995''No. 5.

[6] Wang Jiayi 'Fun Euphemism' Shanghai: Shanghai Science and Technology Publishing House in August 2003.

[7] Wang Wen-chung 'euphemism interpret information and its context'''2000 Language Journal, No. 1.

[8] Gui-Yuan Li 'English taboo words and euphemisms of'''2004 Journal of Tianjin Foreign Studies University No. 3.

[9] Yu-ping, JIANG Yan-ping, in the annual Lake 'euphemism' Beijing: Xinhua Publishing House in February 1998.

[10] Ibid.

[11] Ibid.

[12] Hu Wenzhong editor of 'British and American English idioms and culture' Beijing: foreign language teaching and Research Press in January 2001.

[13] the same [2].

[14] the same [4].

[15] Wen Jui 'euphemism for the use of motives and characteristics of foreign language teaching '2002''Shandong No. 8.

[16] Ibid.

[17] Dai Jian-Dong 'On the vague language of the communicative function' ''2002 years of the PLA Foreign Languages Institute in November No. 6.

[18] the same [2].

[19] the same [6].

[20] Ibid.

[21] Le Meilin 'Social Linguistics and English Language Learning', Tianjin:

Nankai University Press, in February 2005.

[13] Wen-Juan Zhang, Yan-dong 'On the English euphemism'''2002 College of Foreign Languages, Shandong Normal University, No. 1.

[23] the same [4].

[24] the same [3].

[25] Ibid.

[26] the same [2].