英汉委婉语的认知研究

论文摘要

委婉语是一种普遍存在的文化现象,也是一种语言现象,是交际行为中的“润滑剂”。委婉语的研究历来受到学界的密切关注,但大多数研究主要是从文体修辞、传统语义学、社会心理、文化和语用等角度入手。随着认知语言学的兴起和发展,一些认知理论也被用来阐释委婉语。但目前从认知语言学角度对不同语言中的委婉语进行比较研究的成果还较少。本文在已有研究的基础上,从认知语言学框架内的概念隐喻和转喻出发,对英汉委婉语进行了比较研究,着重探讨了它们意义建构和理解的认知机制,探究了它们异同背后的认知理据。研究发现,概念隐喻和转喻是英汉委婉语的认知机制,它们都具有突显和掩饰的功能,都可以为英汉委婉语的构成和理解提供令人满意的解释;英汉委婉语的认知基础都是人们的概念系统中的源域和目标域之间的相似性联想与邻近性联想或关联性联想,主要表现为源域中的概念与目标域相应的概念的语义相似性减弱,通过突显源域概念扬升语义,由心理可及性较强的源域概念映射到心理可及性较弱的目标域概念,实则突显后者。对典型委婉语进行分析的结果显示:我们不能单纯从隐喻或转喻一个方面全面地阐述英汉委婉语的构成和理解,而是需要同时从两方面进行分析才能得到比较充分的解释;在认知机制上,英汉委婉语虽然基本相同,但也各有侧重:英语委婉语主要以隐喻为构成机制,而汉语委婉语主要是通过转喻来实现。通过分析比较,研究还同时发现英汉委婉语有着相同的认知理据,这是由于人类的认知方式具有基于相同客观世界及相同身体体验的共性。当然,英汉委婉语也表现出一定的差异。这种差异则来自于英汉民族不同文化背景和思维方式对认知的影响。本文是在认知语言学理论基础上对英汉委婉语进行的理据研究,它有助于我们把握委婉语隐喻和转喻的意义构建,并对深入了解英汉委婉语背后的认知理据和思维方式起到重要的促进作用。英语和汉语都是当今世界使用广泛的语言,全面系统地对比分析英汉委婉语对言语交际和语言教学都具有重要的指导意义。

论文目录

• Abstract
• 摘要
• Introduction
• 0.1 Background of the Present Study
• 0.2 Objectives of the Present Study and Its Significance
• 0.3 Organization of the Thesis
• Chapter One Literature Review
• 1.1 Studies of Euphemism in Western Countries
• 1.2 Studies of Euphemism in China
• 1.3 Summary
• Chapter Two Theoretical Foundation
• 2.1 Conceptual Metaphor Theory
• 2.1.1 Definition of Conceptual Metaphor
• 2.1.2 Classification of Conceptual Metaphor
• 2.1.3 Features of Conceptual Metaphor
• 2.1.3.1 The Systematicity of Metaphor
• 2.1.3.2 The Effect of Systematicity:Highlighting and Hiding
• 2.1.4 Conceptual Metaphor and the Study of Euphemism
• 2.2 Conceptual Metonymy Theory
• 2.2.1 Definition of Metonymy
• 2.2.2 Classification of Metonymy
• 2.2.3 Features of Metonymy
• 2.2.3.1 The Systematicity of Metonymy
• 2.2.3.2 The Effect of Metonymy:Highlighting and Hiding
• 2.2.4 Conceptual Metonymy and the Study of Euphemism
• 2.3 Summary
• Chapter Three Cognitive Mechanisms of English and Chinese Euphemism
• 3.1 Cognitive Mechanisms of English Euphemism
• 3.1.1 Metaphor as a Mechanism of English Euphemism
• 3.1.2 Metonymy as a Mechanism of English Euphemism
• 3.2 Cognitive Mechanisms of Chinese Euphemism
• 3.2.1 Metaphor as a Mechanism of Chinese Euphemism
• 3.2.2 Metonymy as a Mechanism of Chinese Euphemism
• 3.3 Summary
• Chapter Four Cognitive Motivations of the Similarities and Differences between English and Chinese Euphemism
• 4.1 Cognitive Motivations of the Similarities between English and Chinese Euphemism
• 4.1.1 Common Objective World
• 4.1.2 Common Human Bodily Experience
• 4.2 Cognitive Motivations of the Differences between English and Chinese Euphemism
• 4.2.1 Different Cultural Backgrounds
• 4.2.2 Different Ways of Thinking
• 4.3 Summary
• Conclusion
• Bibliography
• Appendix
• Acknowledgements