淺談美國現(xiàn)代俚語

1、-. z.外語外貿(mào)大學(xué) 公開學(xué)院本科畢業(yè)論文( 2013 屆 )論文題目Remarks on Modern American Slang英文論文題目淺談美國現(xiàn)代俚語 中文 專 業(yè) 英語教育 班 級 2013級本科 號 0 考 生 利玉 指導(dǎo)教師 艷 交稿時(shí)間 論文成績 Remarks on Modern American SlangLiu LiyuAbstract:E*pressions that can be called slang make up a major part of American munication in movies, television, radio, newsp

2、apers, magazines and informal spoken conversation.This paper looks at the characteristics and the formations of modern American slang. Also, an attempt is made to further discuss the rhetorical features of American slang. In order to have a better munication with American people and a better underst

3、anding of the munication, the study of slang is necessary.Key words: American slang; characteristics and formations; rhetorical features淺談美國現(xiàn)代俚語利玉摘要:俚語在美國的電影、電視劇、無線電播送、報(bào)紙、雜志以及在非正式口語交談中都占據(jù)了美國交流的大局部。這篇文章嘗試著答復(fù)美國現(xiàn)代俚語有哪些特征以及它是如何形成的。除此之外，還將會對英語俚語中涉及的各類修辭格進(jìn)展深入的討論。通過加深對美國俚語的認(rèn)識，加強(qiáng)與外籍朋友的交際能力。關(guān)鍵詞：美國俚語；特點(diǎn)和形成；修辭

4、-. z.Contents TOC o 1-6 u 1Introduction PAGEREF _Toc414473610 h 42Literature review PAGEREF _Toc414473611 h 43Brief analyses of modern American slangs PAGEREF _Toc414473612 h 43.1Definition PAGEREF _Toc414473613 h 43.2Characteristics PAGEREF _Toc414473614 h 5Brevity PAGEREF _Toc414473615 h 5Novelty

5、PAGEREF _Toc414473616 h 5Instability PAGEREF _Toc414473617 h 64Rhetorical devices PAGEREF _Toc414473618 h 74.1Le*ical rhetorical devices PAGEREF _Toc414473619 h 7Metaphor PAGEREF _Toc414473620 h 7Euphemism PAGEREF _Toc414473621 h 7Irony PAGEREF _Toc414473622 h 8Metonymy PAGEREF _Toc414473623 h 84.2P

6、honetic rhetorical devices PAGEREF _Toc414473624 h 8Alliteration and Rhyme PAGEREF _Toc414473625 h 95Conclusion PAGEREF _Toc414473627 h 9Works cited PAGEREF _Toc414473628 h 10Remarks on Modern American SlangGuangdong University of Foreign Studies 2013 Liu LiyuTutor: Zhang yanIntroductionE*pressions

7、that can be called slang make up a major part of American munication in movies, television, radio, newspapers, magazines and informal spoken conversation.This paper looks at the characteristics and the formations of modern American slang. Also, an attempt is made to further discuss the rhetorical fe

8、atures of American slang. In order to have a better munication with American people and a better understanding of the munication, the study of slang is necessary.Literature reviewMany researchers have studied the characteristics and formations of American slang. In this paper the writer will briefly

9、 analyse them and will further discuss the rhetorical devices of Modern American slang. There are many papers have discussed the le*ical rhetorical devices of American slang. This paper not only want to mention the le*ical rhetorical devices but also the phonetic rhetorical devices of American slang

10、 as well.Brief analyses of modern American slangsDefinitionMany linguists are trying to define slang. As for the definition of slang, different people may have different ideas. There have been various definitions on slang since its birth. Many of them are very impressive:Slang is a language which ta

11、kes off its coat, rolls up its sleeves, spits on its handsand goes to work (Carl Sandburg 1878-1967). Slang is the speech of him who robs the literary garbage cans on their way to the dumps (Ambrose Bierce， Epigrams p. 358). Also, the definition of slang offered by Wikipediais Slangconsists of ale*i

12、conof non-standard words and phrases in a givenlanguage.At present, a more acceptable and objective definition is offered by Longman Dictionary of English Language & Culture (English-Chinese):very informal language that includes new and sometimes not polite words and meanings, is often used among pa

13、rticular groups of people, and is usually not used in serious speech or writing. (1649) All in all, from the above-mentioned definitions, we can find that slang refers to the rude, dirty, indecent, informal and impolite language used by certain social groupsWANG BIN ed.:Translation on American Slang

14、 from the Perspective of Culture, C *ian International Studies University, 2011吳叔尉，英語俚語的修辭格研究，瓊州大學(xué)，外語系，* 五指山 572200，2007年5期第九卷 總第35期*農(nóng)業(yè)大學(xué)學(xué)報(bào)社會科學(xué)版陸曉紅. 趣味英語比喻. *: *科學(xué)技術(shù), 2003.吳叔尉. 美國俚語:流行的制約機(jī)制及促動因素分析. 瓊州大學(xué)英語系,* 五指山572200馮建.現(xiàn)代美國俚語淺析.外國語,1987(4).CharacteristicsAmerican slang is a language of highly collo

15、quial type. According to Partridge, Slang must always be related to convenience rather than to scientific laws, grammatical rules and philosophical ideals (Eric Honeywood Partridge，6 February 1894 1 June 1979). It does not only bring convenience to users, but also has its unique characteristicsbrevi

16、ty, novelty,instability.BrevityThe characteristic of brevity refers to the fact that American slang is concise, convenient and economic.The characteristic of brevity can be realized either by apocope,such as pic for picture, cig for cigarette, bro for brother,or by blending two words, such as the wo

17、rdWeisure =work + leisure(工閑) Refers to free time spent doing work or work-related tasks. Weisure time is fitting fun around work, rather than fitting work around fun. Its kind of like eating lunch at your desk.；smirting=smoking +flirting借火搭訕 Smirting is the practice of smoking and flirting outside

18、public places such as pubs, bars, cafs, restaurants, and office buildings where smoking is prohibited.;transumer=transient +consumer(旅游購物狂) They are consumers who increasingly live a transient lifestyle, freeing themselves from the hassles of permanent ownership and possessions.; Frenemy= friend+ en

19、emy(友敵) Refer to either an enemy disguised as a friend or to a partner who is simultaneously a petitor.Additionally, some American slang words are coined by acronym.For instance, DINKWAD (double ine, no kids, with a dog); JOMO (joy of missing out) The pleasure derived from no longer worrying about m

20、issing out on what other people are doing or saying.; K.O (knock out), IOW (in other words); ASAP (as soon as possible) are all slang phrases formed by means of acronym and they are quite terse, concise and quick.From the above-mentioned e*amples, a conclusion can be arrived at that many slang words

21、 or phrases are created by means of abbreviation. As a result, the newly-coined words or phrases can be used conveniently, economically and easily. And this characteristic of brevity of American slang caters to the effective and concise lifestyle of the American people.NoveltyIn the process of langu

22、age development and evolution, American slang has evolved from the cant and jargon subordinate to the subculture to the presently accepted words and phrases. And it can be frequently seen in such fields as literature, magazine and media report. Although it cannot be used on some occasions, it is not

23、 only used by people from the lower stratum of society but also by people in the upper-class nowadays. What brings about such change It is its novelty that attracts many peoples interest in the use of slang. All kinds of fresh and interesting e*pressions emerge constantly; they can easily catch the

24、eyes of people. The newly-coined slang words and phrases are e*tremely novel, fresh and vivid. For e*ample, the American slang words big shot大人物, airhead (傻蛋),couch potato(電視迷),party animal(派對狂). Sometimes slang words are coined by someone for the pleasure of novelty and used by people who try to ke

25、ep up with the latest trends. For e*ample, Bieber Fever So crazy about Justin Bieber that people like get a fever.,Gleek Blending word of Glee and geek. Glee is a American show name.,Hen-pecked(妻管嚴(yán))，Smilence(笑而不語) .With the development of science and technology and the improvement of the social life

26、 of people, many new things and concepts have sprung up like mushrooms. Afro (蓬松成圓形的發(fā)式)，Hot line(熱線) ，rock and roll (搖滾)，Hacker(黑客)。Novelty, as a kind of quality of American slang, however, would soon wear off. So slang has to be constantly renewed. For e*ample, slang phrases like to bag your faith離

27、開, big time認(rèn)真的, golden婦女 and worms丑陋的人, e*tremely popular with the young in the 1980s, are seldom used nowadays. There is no denying the fact that slang, when it is popular, can e*press an idea that would be hard to convey by other means.InstabilityThe essential feature of slang is its innovation. T

28、he pursuit of novelty and fashion gives an impetus to the development of slang. Therefore, slang has its characteristic of instability. Instability, on the one hand, refers to the emergence of new slang and the disappearance of old slang. With the rapid development of science and technology, more an

29、d more new things have sprung up like mushrooms. For e*ample, the word mouse is created as slang apparently according to its shape in the first place; however, it has evolved into the standard term in the field of science and technology. Words such as cheesecake半裸體的女人照片, booby女人乳房, chiseller騙子, popu

30、lar in a short period after they are coined, are seldom used nowadays. On the other hand, instability refers to the change of slang in semantics. Wicked originally mean bad, evil, today it has a new usage, means e*cellent, fantastic. All in all, American slang is instable in that many slang words ar

31、e coined for the pleasure of novelty and fashion in the first place, and then many slang words would disappear with the passage of time. At the same time, the meanings are likely to change in the process of language development.Rhetorical devicesSlang is playing a more and more important role in mod

32、ern peoples life. English slang widely uses the devices such as metaphor, euphemism, irony etc. to e*press its vividness and humour. As Chinese learners, though we can remember the denotative meaning of the slang, we cant understand the connotative meaning and the users purpose of using it for lacki

33、ng of conte*t. Hence, the study of rhetorical devices of English slang not only can prehend the slang from different perspective, but also can enhance our verbal prehension and municative petence. Slang e*presses its language features mainly through words (include phrases), therefore the author disc

34、ussed the rhetorical devices from le*ical and phonetic perspectives, not in syntactical point of view.Le*ical rhetorical devicesLe*icaldevicereferstosucharhetoricaldevicethattheuseremploysle*icalmeanstoe*pressideasclearlyandeffectivelyortoachieveartisticandstylisticeffect. It mainly includes: metaph

35、or, metonymy, irony, hyperbole, euphemism, punning, and synecdoche etc. according to the study of English slang by the author, metaphor is the main device and the euphemism, irony and metonymy are also employed. MetaphorAmetaphoris afigure of speechthat identifies one thing as being the same as some

36、 unrelated other thing, forrhetoricaleffect, thus highlighting the similarities between the two. Using some of the slang as a metaphor in spoken language or in literary works not only can enliven the language but also can activate the atmosphere, avoiding embarrassing situation. For instance, bad ap

37、ple is a metaphor for bad guy; cold fish is a coldhearted person; sweetie pie means lover. If we say I am going to be out of control. is less vivid than the slang go bananas. Also, everyone has a skeleton in the closet (secret). The slang is more mysterious than the word secret. EuphemismAeuphemismi

38、s a generally innocuous word or e*pression used in place of one that may be found offensive or suggest something unpleasant. (Wikipedia) For e*ample, death is a taboo topic. There are many slangs to e*press it in indirect way. We have passed away, kick the bucket, turn ones toes up, push up daisies,

39、 be a goner, go west, and join the majority. Also, be in the pudding club, be in the family way, be in a delicate condition, be e*pecting, be about to have a blessed event are the similar e*pressions of be pregnant. We tend to use wash up, go fi* ones face, go and tidy oneself up, visit John etc., i

40、nstead of going to the toilet. Euphemistic slangs not only enlarge the English vocabulary, but also make conversations indirect.IronyIrony is the incongruity between what might be e*pected and what actually occurs. To satirize the war and the army, we use tin hat to mean steel helmet; tooth-pick(牙簽)

41、 to mean bayonet. In order to chase after the girls, you sold me out. You are such a great pal! Pal is a slang. Originally mean good friend, in the sentence here, pal is a sarcasm of friend. Additionally, pound words and phrases of slang can better e*press the sense of satire. the phrase fairy-story

42、 is used to e*press hard-luck tale(倒霉的事)by the tramps in America.MetonymyMetonymy is a thing or concept called not by its own name but rather by the name of something associated inmeaningwith that thing or concept. Chink (a short light metallic sound) refers to money; clink (the sound of shackle) me

43、ans prison; snowcocaine; sheep-skin diploma. All in all, the characteristic of metonymy makes people associate something else above the literary meaning. Phonetic rhetorical devicesPhoneticdevicesaredevicesthatwritersusephoneticsoundsforrhetoricaleffectlikeechoingorrhyming. Phonetic devices includin

44、g onomatopoeia, alliteration, assonance and rhyme. In this paper, the author will mainly discuss the onomatopoeia, alliteration and rhyme, because those devices were most employed in slang usage.OnomatopoeiaOnomatopoeia is defined as a word, which imitates the natural sounds of a thing. It creates a

45、 sound effect that mimics the thing described, making the description more e*pressive and interesting. There are three types of onomatopoeia in English slang. First type is A type. For instance, oomph is an onomatopoeia for out of breath. In slang, it means se* appeal, desirability. Later, it added

46、meaning of dynamism, pizzazz, and energy. If we say Marilyn Monroe had lots of oomph. it means Marilyn Monroe is very se*y. Another sentence is Its not a bad song, but it needs more oomph. Here oomph means passion. Another e*ample is poop. Originally, it is an onomatopoeia for the balloon burst. In

47、slang, it means e*hausted, worn out. For e*ample, After climbing half-way up Baiyun mountain, we were all pooped (be drained of all ones energies). Second type is AA. Choo-choo is an onomatopoeia of the sound of lootive. Sometimes a train or a lootive also called a choo-choo. Bling bling is a word t

48、hat e*tended from the rappers appearance. The word has a visual effect. It can refers to the weak light reflected from metal or jewelry; or the description of a glistening diamond; or the sound of gold necklaces collide with each other. All in all,bling bling means brightness, flashing. The last typ

49、e is AB. Tick-tock, a steady recurrent ticking sound as made by a clock. Now it can refer to clock. Bow-wow, the bark of a dog, is an informal term for dog. Ding-dong,the noise made by a bell, also can mean bitter quarrel.Alliteration and RhymeAlliteration is a stylistic literary device identified by the repeated sound of the first consonant in a series of multiple words, or the repetition of the same sounds or of the same kinds of sounds at the