从合作原则看英语委婉语的使用

　　and pheme meaning 'speech' or 'saying', and thus meansliterally 'to speak with good words or in a pleasantmanner'"[3]. Euphemisms have various reasons for existence.

　　They conceal the things people fear the most—death, the dead,the supernatural. They cover up the facts of life—of sex andreproduction and excretion—which inevitably remind even themost refined people that they are made of clay, or worse. Theyare beloved by individuals and institutions (governments,especially) that are anxious to present only the handsomestpossible images of themselves to the world. And they areimbedded so deeply in our language that few of us, even thosewho pride themselves on being plainspoken, ever get through aday without using them. But some people still mistake theeuphemisms in the conversation by the Cooperative principle.

　　Violating the CP, people also can continue the conversationwith euphemisms, which make the author interest in attitudesof participants and the purpose of conversation. That is ourbody today.

　　2.Formation of euphemisms2.1 Formal innovationTo avoid the emergence of certain letter or sound may achievethe effect of euphemizing. The formal innovation can hideaudio-visually those words we don’t want to say or weshouldn’t say so as to achieve better outcome incommunication.

　　2.1.1AbbreviationAbbreviation is the shortening of a word and may be seen inthe use of the British expression LADIES for ladies’ room.

　　There also is GENTS for gentlemen’s room.

　　2.1.2 ApocopationApocopation is another form of abbreviation apparent in theuse of vamp for vampire here meaning a seductive woman. Andlav is for lavatory; homo is for homosexual; coca is forcocaine; bra is for brassiere.

　　2.1.3 InitialingInitialing is the use of acronyms instead of their componentparts as in "JC for “Jesus Christ”, BM for bowel movement"[4],"W.C for water closet, B.O for body odor, V.D for venerealdisease, AIDS for acquired immune deficiency syndrome, SARSfor severe acute respiratory syndrome"[5].