A Comparative Study of English and Chinese Euphemism on Death 英语专业毕业论文.doc

A Comparative Study of English and Chinese Euphemism on Death1. Introduction The word “euphemism” comes from Greek meaning “to speak favorably” or “good speech”. Chen Dingan (2004) said “Euphemisms are mild, pleasant, neutral, or inoffensive expressions used instead of harsh, blunt, coarse, or unpleasant ones”. They are often used because of courtesy or consideration for other peoples feelings. According to Sun Xianghua (2005), “the main feature of euphemism is that people use the abstract and vague concepts or metaphor to make the speakers could adopt a kind of indirect way while talking about something which is not suitable to speak in a direct way”. In this way, embarrassment can be avoided when talking about these things are necessary. Euphemism may be said to be lubricating oil of social communication by people. Enrigh (1985) said “the world will stop running because of obstruction, and people will full of hostilities if there is no euphemism.” Hudson (1980) regarded euphemism not only as a kind of linguistic phenomenon, but also a kind of cultural phenomenon. The most typical euphemism is “death”. The mystery of death and the fear of death make people not dare or unwilling to speak it directly. In language communication, people always avoid mentioning the word “death”. Therefore, the substitutes for death are made one after another in both English and Chinese. They have a variety of differences and similarities in both expressed formations and cultural connotations. This paper focuses on the differences and similarities of both English and Chinese Euphemism on death, which have a close relation with peoples life. Taking euphemism on death as an example to give a brief analysis on differences and similarities of both English and Chinese culture . 2. The Causes for the Use of Euphemism on Death 2.1 The fear of death leads to avoidance of speaking and talking about it. According to Bao Lihong (2000), “In ancient time, people were not able to understand birth and death, thunder and lighting, volcanic eruption and earthquake.” So the fear was produced, and it slowly led to the superstition. As a result, natural worship is aroused by superstitions. Under the influence of concept that all the living things have souls, people think that every phenomenon ,including language phenomenon, are caused by the changes of living things. Thereby, they arouse a miraculous illusion about what they said. At the same time, they begin to arise a feeling of respecting or fearing, thinking that words have a mystical power, which surpass the human beings. It not only can bring fortunes, but also avoid disasters, so that people put the things which can be replaced by words about fortunes and disasters being considered to be themselves. So Sun Rujian(1996) said “people use the words about disasters and fortunes very carefully in case of making the God angry”. This is the reason why the fear of death is caused . Many linguistic phenomenon comes from this reason .For example, to gain a good omen for luck, and form an evade for avoiding a fear .For “death”, it is the most dreadful thing that people hold back. In fact, peoples birth, old age, sickness and death are physical phenomenon that people are not able to control .Any person can not avoid “death” no matter who he is, a famous person or a ordinary person. However, “death” was forbidd en to talk about by people in the past. They even thought that so long as they did not speak the word “death”, then the death would not befall them . Therefore, people chose to avoid it when talking something about it, or speak it in an indirect way. Under these conditions, a great number of words about euphemism on death appeared and applied. In English, there are expressions “To rest in peace, to go to heaven, to be called to God” which mean death. These phrases are used to express the worship of God. As it known to all, many people believe in religion so that they hope that they can go to heaven after they die. However, other phrases like “to lay down ones life, to make a sacrifice” reflect the value of people. These words are also used to express our feelings and respect to the heroes. “Go to a better place” is considered death as beginning a new life, which mirrors that people are desiring for a new life. In fact, Saussure(1986), the famous linguist , thinks that language signs have nothing necessary connection with concepts what it refers to. “It is the circumstance of social system. Language signs could not have any natural power, let alone have magic power”. But the knowledge of ancient people were limited. So they considered that the objects have an inherent and necessary connection. As a result, they worshiped the language as living things. It is the result of respecting the linguistic objects that lead to the cause of euphemism on death. 2.2 Politeness The production of euphemism has a large connection with language taboo. In language communication, many taboos which can not refer to directly, only can be replaced by the euphemism . This substitute is just the typical expression of English euphemism on politeness. In Chinese, when one does not know whether ones parents are still alive or not, we always say like this “Are your parents still heath now?” So that we can avoid the word “death” to express the same meaning . Similarly, if you want to tell others that one of your parents had passed away, we can adopt an indirect way to express. For example, “These flowers are planted by my mother when she was alive.” This kind of expression will not arouse more sadness to the speaker. In English there are a lot of tactful ways to replace death, such as “decrease, expire, breathe ones last, say hello to Marx, go west, join the majority, lay down ones life, pass away, pay the debt of nature, reach a better world and so on . Therefore, people can use euphemism on death to express their meanings to others, not only tell the necessary messages, but also not feeling impolite or offending by others. 3. The similarities of English and Chinese Euphemism on Death 3.1 Using physiological phenomenon to replace “death.” “Death” is a kind of physiological phenomenon which one can not resist . Both English and Chinese like using physiological phenomenon of features of body to substitute for “death” . In Chinese, “瞑目”，“合眼”，“断气”，“咽气”，“停止呼吸”，“心脏停止跳动”，“伸腿 ” (All these words refer to the death of people) . In English, like “close ones eyes, breathe ones last, at the last breath, lease breathing” are also expressed the meaning of death. From what mentioned above, although there are a lot of difference in culture and language, humans physiological motion is the same when they die . As a result, many euphemisms describing the physical activities are used to refer to the death in Chinese and English. 3.2 Using similar metaphors In both English and Chinese Euphemism, some similar metaphors are adopted to create euphemism in order to beautify and decorate. In English, it is always compared with “death” to “ rest” and “ sleep”, such as “ be at rest,” “ final sleep”, “ fall asleep”; Similarly, in Chinese, it is easy to find a lot of comparison between death and rest or sleeping. In English, using “go home” to refer death . For example, “be called home”, be brought to ones last home”, “ go to ones own place”, all these phrases are referred to death . Also in Chinese, we use“回老家”(go to ones last home), “送回老家”(be brought to ones last home) to replace death. On the other hand, life is compared with a race or a journey. Such as “run ones race”, “ come to an end” and “走完了人生的旅程”(run ones race)，“走到了生命的终点”(come to an end). In Chinese,“生命之光熄灭了”(the light of the life winks out). Similarly, in English, “snuff it” “wink out” refer “the life to the candle”. That the candle dies out meaning the death. These similar metaphors make full illustration that the two nations have similarities on culture. Although they live in different place and speak different languages, more or less, facing the challenge of nature, people have the same feeling for the knowledge of objective world. 3.3 Using weasel words to replace “death” Using weasel words are one of a semantic way to form euphemism. English use “ fall”, “ end”, “go” , “be gone”, “ depart”, “go off”, “pass away” to express the meaning of death. Chinese use “倒下了”(fall), “走了”(be gone) , “去了”(depart)“离开”(go off),“离去”(pass away) to refer to the death . Time is also used to refer to the time of death in English. For instance, “his time is close at hand”. Similarly in Chinese, if we want to imply that someone will die quickly, we can also use time concepts, too. Saying “时间不多了”(It means that there is little time for the person to alive), “时日不多”(means that the person will die quickly), “没有多少时间了”(his time is close at hand). These examples have a low-pitched tune and fade goal by semantic weasel. So the meanings of the weasel words used in two languages are essential to similar. 3.4 The attitude to death and afterlife have similarities in social psychology. In both English and Chinese language and culture, people considered life and death as two different worlds. Death means that departing from his life, going to the heaven, heaven or reaching a better world. Like English expressions “go to heaven”, “be taken to paradise”, “have gone to a better world”, “be in heaven” and so on. And in Chinese, such as “升天”(go to heaven ), “归西”(go west), “到西方极乐世界”(go to the west paradise)。Although both of them reflect different cultural connotations and have distinctive nation characteristics, their expressions of social psychology are still similar. The death is beautified in the hope of expressing the good desire of people . The similarity of euphemism on death between English and Chinese mirrors the cultural similarities of different nations. It is useful to reveal the psychology of national culture, to find the common place in cross cultural communication and to promote two cultures being harmonious with each other. The research of euphemism between English and Chinese for using rhetoric, crossing culture communication and foreign teaching act an import 4. The disparity of English and Chinese Euphemism on Death 4.1Different religious beliefs In both English and Chinese, the taboos of death expressions also mirror the different religious beliefs between Chinese and English. In China, many people believe in Buddhism and Taoism. This is considered as the polytheism beliefs .In Eastern culture, especially the Chinese culture. People prefer to talk about life and pay more attention to the contemporary age. Therefore, they avoid speaking death. “好死不如赖活”( Death is not better than a bad life), “言生不言死”(It means that people would prefer mentioning the life to the death) are just the best reflection of this culture. Hence, death become the most dreadful and frighten topic which people are unwilling to discuss. When comes to death conversation, people use a great deal of euphemisms because of the psychology of going after profit and avoiding bad things, such as “离开了”, “去了”, “走了”(all these phrases means that people dead). But in western, people prefer to believe in Christianity. The expressions of euphemism on death about Christianity oriented from The Bible, which was derived from legend and allusion stories about Christianity. Being the root of western culture, the Christianity put core on saving next life to show the value of death. They thought that life was arranged to the universe and the human kind by the God. Life begins to birth, experiences crime, sink low and a tone for ones crime, gains to save at last, and then goes to the heaven, enjoys the happiness for ever. Thus “go to the heaven”, “go to another world”(Nan Chuan，1995：5458) are always used to express the meaning of death” . The idea is illustrated in the following examples by Bao Ang (2002:230231). Example1: Fallen Asleep, Not Dead but Sleeping, Asleep in Jesus Example2: Look, arent all of us your children? Is BaoYu the only one wholl carry you as an immortal on his head to Mount Wu Tai , that you keep everything for him? The euphemisms in the two examples above express the concepts of “death”. Western people believe Christianity, so using “Asleep in Jesus” to express. Buddhism has a widely influence in the history of China, Mountain Wu Tai, it implies that the Buddhist has been practiced to ascetic or gone to the heaven. According to this, we can see that the national cultural background being different between eastern and western. Although the meaning is similar, the expression of euphemisms are different from one to another . 4.2 Different concepts of value In both eastern and western culture, the different concepts of value can be found in death euphemism. Lei Jing (2006) regarded western culture pays more attention to achieve individual desire, hoping that oneself can exist with God. Although there are heroes who devote themselves to the justice and the truth , that is because the death of the heroes finishes the mission of saving others which the God entrust him .Therefore ,the western people have few proud words to death ,even those English euphemism on death oriented from army life . Most of those words dont bring tragic emotion. Such as “to be written off, to fall , to fire ones last shot”. And “to lay down ones life”,“ to make the ultimate sacrifice” can be said to the brave words . The eastern cultures p ay more attention to the social value of death, and risk ones life and die for justice on necessary moment . What is known as “杀身成仁(It means to die for justice)”,“求生以害仁(live but losing benevolence )”. Many people hope that their death are weightier than Mountain Tai, but not lighter than a feather. Thus full of colors of mournful patriotism which reflect the different concepts of value in Chinese. 5Conclusion Euphemism on death is the most typical one which reflects the feature of euphemism. From what mentioned above, we conclude that euphemism on death in English and Chinese language not only has similarities, but also has differences. Its differences reflect religious beliefs and different concepts of value. Its similarities lie in the psychology of using physiological phenomenon to replace “death”. As a result, both westerner and Chinese use similar metaphors, and weasel words to replace “death” with the similar attitude to death and afterlife. Similarly, from the effect of euphemism on death in daily life, it reflects the disparity and similarity of different culture. In sum, euphemism is created and used as an appropriate expression for people to achieve a better communication effect in social communication. It is not only a linguistic phenomenon, but also a cultural phenomenon. References Enrigh, D.J. Fair of Speech-The use of Euphemism. New York,1985 Hudson, R. A. Sociolinguistics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press,1980