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A Study of Euphemism in Downton Abbey from the Perspective of Rapport Management
作者：陈明
来源：《校园英语·月末》2019年第09期
【Abstract】This paper reports on a pragmatic analysis of euphemism from the perspective of RM. Taking the British drama, Downton Abbey, as the corpus, the study found that RMT is applicable to analyze the strategic use of euphemisms. Euphemism contributes to the management of face and right by diminishing the rapport-threatening behavior and maintaining the rapport created by interlocutors in the talk exchange.
【Key words】RM; euphemism; Downton Abbey
【作者簡介】陈明，东北师范大学外国语学院英语语言文学。 1.Introduction
Euphemism derives from taboo and manifests itself in the form of indirect language (Liu 2017). It refers to the avoidance of words which may sound unpleasant or offensive to the addressee (Deng & Chen 2016). Previous studies on euphemism (e.g. Deng & Chen 2016) have primarily interpreted the linguistic phenomenon based on classic theories, such as Politeness Principle (PP), Relevance Theory, etc. Little attention has been paid to the rapport-managing function of euphemism. As euphemism is characteristically pleasant and indirect, it might be effective to achieve conversational harmony. In this context, this study analyzes pragmatic functions of euphemism in Downton Abbey by virtue of rapport management theory (RMT). Hopefully, it can throw light on the importance of euphemisms in managing rapport, enlightens learners on the comprehension of English euphemism, and promotes their strategic use of euphemism in L2 communication. 2.; Rapport Management Theory
RMT is built upon the notion of face (Goffman 1967) and politeness (Brown & Levinson 1987). It corroborates and complements PP on the grounds that PP is inapplicable to Oriental cultures and exclusive of social identity. Accordingly, Spencer-Oatey (2000) proposes a modified framework, RMT. RMT deals with harmonious-disharmonious relation in talk exchange among interlocutors. It maintains that conversational rapport is premised on interlocutors’ recognition of two elements, face and sociality right. The former is classified into quality face and identity face, while the latter is involved in equity right and association right.
As for quality face, Spencer-Oatey (2000) states that people fundamentally desire to be evaluated positively as to their personal qualities, such as appearance, abilities, etc. Accordingly, quality face is
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personal in essence. As for identity face, Spencer-Oatey (2000) notes that people are basically longing to get support and recognition form others about their social identity. Therefore, identity face is social in nature and it concerns the sense of public worth that people claim for themselves in terms of the societal role. Additionally, sociality right encompasses equity right and association right. The former is personal, while the latter is social. By equity right, Spenser-Oatey (2000) remarks that people should be respected and be treated fairly by others. They are not supposed to be imposed on unduly nor be ordered for no reason. By association right, Spencer-Oatey (2000) maintains that people are entitled to be connected with others and keep connection with others. Therefore, it emphasizes one’s share of concerns, feelings or interests. 3.; Research Methodology 3.1 Data Collection
The data were drawn from the British period drama Downton Abbey. The drama was set in the fictional Yorkshire country estate of Downton Abbey. It depicted the lives of the aristocratic Crawley family and their domestic servants in the post-Edwardian era. Due to this historical setting, a number of euphemisms are available in the utterances of main characters. 3.2 Research Method
Research methods included naturalistic observation and discourse analysis. The euphemistic data was first identified by observing Downton Abbey. Next, the collected data were analyzed explanatorily on the basis of their functions in the discourse. 3.3 Research Question
This study intends to investigate the pragmatic functions of euphemisms in Downton Abbey from the perspective of RM. The question the study tends to address is what pragmatic function euphemisms perform in Downton Abbey and how RMT is able to account for euphemistic use. 4. Pragmatic Function of Euphemisms in Downton Abbey 4.1 Quality Face and Euphemism
As noted earlier, quality face focuses primarily on personal attributes, such as intelligence,
capability, appearance, etc. In a conversation that proceeds successfully, interlocutors are willing to be praised in terms of positive attributes but are reluctant to be depreciated in terms of negative qualities so that their quality face is mutually protected (Spencer-Oatey 2000). In other words, speakers are preferable to mention positive attributes of the addressees but eschew the negative ones. The following example shows the contribution of euphemism to quality face protection. (1) Robert: How are you settling in?
Bates: Very well, I think, unless your Lordship feels differently.
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Robert: No complaints?
Bates: If I have any, I should take them to Mr. Carson, my Lord, not you. Robert: The house hasn’t worn you out with the endless stairs and so on?
This is a conversation hold between Robert, the host of Downton Abbey, and Bates, Robert’s old friend. In this scene, Robert offered Bates a job as the footman. Considering Bates was disabled with old wounds on his knees left during the war, Robert asked Bated if there was any problem with him when dealing with chores. In this context, Roberts didn’t directly inquire Bates whether he was able to complete his job with crippled leg. Instead, he adopted a euphemism (words in bold) to show his concern to Bates. With the euphemistic expression, Bates’ quality face is protected by means of the intentional avoidance of his negative attribute, disability. 4.2 Identity Face and Euphemism
By identity face, Spencer-Oatey (2000) means people have the fundamental desire to get acknowledgement or respect from others in terms of their social identities or roles. In order to converse harmoniously, speakers are supposed to protect addressees’ identity face and attune the utterances to their social status. The following is a conversation between Mary, oldest daughter of Robert, and her admirer, Tony.
(2) Tony: I refuse to believe that a woman like you, a lady, could give herself to a man without first being certain that he was the one. Mary: So what are you saying?
Tony: This is something we’ve got to get through.
The conversation took place when Mary regretted her acceptance of Tony’s proposal, which irritated Tony greatly. In order to persuade Mary to keep her promise, Tony made the utterance “I refuse to believe that a woman like you, a lady, could give herself to a man without first being certain that he was the one”. In the utterance, give herself to a man is a euphemism, which has a similar
meaning with the phrase “have sex with a man”. However, the euphemistic expression is preferred in the given context, because the word “sex” was regarded as taboo in British culture and wasn’t
expected to appear in the conversation between British nobilities like Mary and Tony. For this reason, Tony structured his utterances according to Mary’s social status so as to not humiliate and embarrass her. In this sense, euphemism plays a role in reducing the possibility of threatening one’s identity face. 4.3 Equity Right and Euphemism
Spencer-Oatey (2000) proposes that in a smooth conversation people wish to be treated fairly and equally. They are unwilling to be imposed on unduly, be controlled by others for no reason, nor be taken advantage of or exploited. In Downton Abbey, some euphemisms are pertinent to equity right protection.
A Study of Euphemism in Downton Abbey from the Per
