Abstract: Euphemism is a common linguistic phenomenon both in English and Chinese. It plays an irreplaceable role in human social activities and interpersonal communication. Consequently, it has aroused heated discussions among the linguists. But previous studies are mainly focused on the semantic features of euphemism while little attention is paid to the cultural context. Owing to the differences between the Western and Eastern cultures, it exists not only in social language but also in culture. Meanwhile, it has been found that an increasing number of errors spring up in the students’ language learning, which impede their improvement of capability of reading, writing and cross-cultural communication. Thus this paper discusses the similarities and differences of English and Chinese euphemisms from the perspective of culture, and explores how people use euphemisms properly to adapt themselves to the cultural context in intercultural communication. |
