Abstract：Slang is a special language variety. Language is embedded in particular culture and mirrors the culture, and the same is true with American slang. American slang is commonly seen on newspapers, magazines and celebrity biographies, novels, etc, which makes it hard for non-native speakers to gain a full understanding. What causes difficulty in understanding is probably the cultural implication loaded in slang and language learners’ inadequate knowledge of the slang.
The present thesis makes a tentative attempt to probe into American slang in light of the phenomenon of American counterculture. The purposes of the study are to help the English learners better comprehend American slang, to help understand American counterculture in the 1960s and 1970s, and to reveal how the counterculture affects the formation of American slang. As there are a large number of slang terms in American language, it is impossible to exhaust them all. As the study falls into the scope of counterculture, only a minority part of American slang terms are integrated into the study.
Therefore, the study of American slang from counter-cultural perspective can help us have a better understanding of counterculture movements. The findings offer some implications for language learners.
Key words: American slang; counterculture; social functions
摘要：俚语是语言的一种特殊变体。语言根植于特定的文化，且体现文化。以此类推，美国俚语作为一种语言变体，也根植于文化，反映文化。美国俚语常见于报刊、杂志、名人传记以及小说中。这给以非英语母语国家的读者带来了理解上的诸多困难。造成理解困难的原因主要包括美国俚语中包含的文化内涵以及语言学习者缺乏必要的关于美国俚语的知识。
本研究的目的在于帮助英语学习者更好理解美国俚语，展现二十世纪六十年代和七十年代反文化运动的全貌，以及揭示反文化运动如何影响美国俚语的形成。由于存在大量的美国俚语，不可能穷尽。由于本研究是从文化现象入手，因此，一小部分与反文化运动相关的美国俚语被纳入研究范畴。
因此，研究美国俚语有助于增进对反文化运动的理解。这就给语言学习者一些启示，即理解美国俚语必须将其置于特定的文化环境。
关键词：美国俚语；反文化；社会功能
