An Analysis of English News Headlines

语时更需尽-番揣摩切磋之功，充分考虑译文所涉及的目的和An Analysis of English语境，灵活运用翻译技巧和方法，使其字面意义、语境意义News Headlines和隐含意义得到准确表达，所谓“译事艰辛”也许正在于此。0孙昌娟参考文献广东工程职业技术学院[1] Lakeoff, G. & Johnson, M.Menaphors we live by[M], Chicago:Uaiversity of Chicago Press19804.[2]陈家旭. 英汉隐喻认知对比研究[M].上海:学林出版社，2007:8.[3]何凤玲. 试论英谚汉译的技巧Abstract: A headline is an indispensable component ofa news report and is the[J]. 牡丹江教育学院学报，eye of the pages on the newspapers, through which the readers can gain as much2006-3):43.information as possible in the newspaper within the sbortest tine and search for[4]李涛贤， 赵广升.略论隐喻性谚clues to stories that interest them, as the headline is the condensation of the whole语的语义特征[].宜宾学院学story. Despite their own characteristic ways of editing headlines, English newspapers报，203():81.share something in common, namely brevity, accuracy, clarity and eye catchingess.[5] 李文革西方翻译理论流派[M].However, these features unique to English newspaper headlines constitute a big北京:中国社会科学出版社.barrier to readers' understanding of the headlincs and they may become quite at loss2004:139.{6] 束定券. 隐喻学研究[M].上海:when reading headlines at the very beginning, This thesis aims to make an analysis ofEnglish news headlines in terms of their features at structural, iexical and thetorical上海外语教育出版社. 200:9.levels and hopes to help readers understand English news headline better.[7]唐旭光. 从隐喻的角度批判英语Key words: English news headlines; lexical features; rhetorical Features30形象性谚语的意译[小.广西师范学院学报, 208();106..[中图分类号]H0-O [文献标识码]A [文章 编号] 109-6167(2012)06 00.03Abstract: Most English proverbsare metaphorical. A metaphorical1 Introductionproverb is characterized byNow in the information age, media are playing a significant role in people S daily life,double meanings, namely itscrossing the barrier of time and space to provide people with the latest news in the world.literal meaning and metaphoricalA piece of news is usually composed of a hcadline, a lead and a body. A newsmeaning, while the metaphoricalheadline, in Oxford Advanced I.carmer 's Englisb Chinese Dictioary, is defined as "Ilinemeaning can vary in differentof words prinred in large type at the top of a page. esp. in a newspaper." And Longmancontexts. So when a metaphoricalEnglisb-Cbinese Dictionary ofContemporary Englisb defincs it as the“the heading printedproverb is translated, its literalin larger lters above a story in a newspaper”. Taking these definitions into consideration,meaning, context-dependentwe may come to a conclusion: The headline is the line of words above a newspaper storymeaning or abstracted meaningusually printed in larger and beavier ltters and giving the gist of the story or article thatcan be translated according tofllows.different contexts, translation2 Structural Features of Englisb News Headlinepurposes or readers, while all the再translations are reasonable in theAccording to the content of the headline, we have one deck headline and two-deckShcadline. As its name suggests, a two deck bheadline has two parts: main beadline and sub-given situations.headline, which complement each other. Tbe two parts have their own functions, and theKey words; metapborical Englishfllowing are a few examples to ilustrate how the two parts work hand in hand.proverbs; semantic features;a(1) The main beadlitranslationr中国煤化e mks xaFor examplc, .TYHCNM H G_作者简介;孙昌娟，教师。研究方向:英语语言文学。Crisis in the science classroomCompletely new vogue words are created for the sake of the(2) Thc main bheadline introduces the core content of story; thecomputer' S development and hence always begin with somesub-headline provides important supplement. For example,newly-appearing prefix, such as E-, cyber, web, bio-, andAIDS: A Spreading Scourgetechno-, For example,(3) The main headline introduces the core content of the story;E-business电子商务nethead网虫the sub-headline arouses readers' interest. For example,4 Rhetorical Features of English News HeadilinesTbe Klling of Carol StuartNews must be universally absorbing and intriguing. And3 Lexical Features of English News Headlineboth vividness and humor are also the primary features of theThe language of newspaper headlines is special and hasheadline. In ordcr to achieve those effects, jourmnalists oftenits own fcature at the lexical, grammatical and rhetorical levels.employ some techniques to add favor to the language of tbeIt is characterized by its brevity. atractiveness and clarity. Theheadline, such as certain rhetorical devices.brevity of a headline is achieved through the use of sbort words,(1) Metaphorabbreviations and acronyms; sometimes words are even omitted.A metaphor is a figure of spech in which something is(1) Frequent Use of Midget Wordsdescribed by stating another thing with which it can be comparedSome of the short words whose sellings are familiar to uswithout using the words“as" or“like”. By knowing one of themcarry the meanings that are quite unfamiliar to lIs. For example,well, the readers will understand what the reporter really states inVoters go to the polls in Japannews story. For example,Union slammedBush builds new bridges in visit英语Here,“polls" has the same meaning as“voting station ",(2) Antithesis“slammed" means“criticized severely”. And these words areEmploying antithesis in headlines can make them vivid and场chosen in headines because they are sborter.impressive. For the readers, they can understand two parts well(2) Wide Use of Acronymsby contrasting the two extremes.学In order to save space, acronyms are frequently used in术newspaper headline. Most acronyms are usually for organizationCapital rich, revenue poor研究and countries, postions and vocations and other common things.(3) RhymeExamples:The employment of hyme in beadlines can make it soundPM=Prime minister(总理、首相)rhythmic and vivid.31PR=Public Relations (公共关系)The Great white wait(3) Wide Use of Shortened Words or AbreviationsHere rhyme is used in the headline in which “snow" isAbbreviation is very common in headlines, which has tworeplaced by“white”， and some grammatical parts are alsobenefits of saving space by reducing ltters and avoiding crossingomited. Hence tbree words ending with [] are applied one afterlincs. Since these abbreviations are frequently used, readersanother to make a great effect of forcefulness and urgency.can still get the complete meaning of them though clipped. For(4)Citationexample,The reporters bring their wit to the full play to create a lot ofLib Dems play to win as Tories defend Romseyheadlines witb ciation from technical terms, allusion and someHere“Lib" is the abbreviation of "Liberal" and" Dems" isidiomsthe abbreviation of" Dernocrats".1) Technical term(4) Flexible Use of Coinages or Once WordSome technical terms from other fields are occasionally usedWith the advantages of vivid expression and extraordinaryin beadlines 10 make them vivid and mimic.formation, the coinages are so popular in news headlines, henceWeary Pound Seck to 'stop the bleeding' in I0C scandalto be called“jourmalistic coinages ”, which are also called“once2) Alusionwords". As a resul, the coinage ofien presents great dificuliesUsing some alusions properly in headlincs can make themto the readers, who can only judge tbe meaning by getting cluescharning and impressive.from the context. For example,A Tale of Two DebtorsMedicidc-medical + suicide (医助安乐死)The Silence of the Goatstcan= trash + can (垃圾箱)(5) Flexible Use of Vogue Words5 ConclusionIn bheadlines, there exist lots of vogue words which relecetEnglish news. headlincs have formed its own features atthe developing trace of the society and can be divided into twovarious li中国煤化工imotant rolecategories: old words with novel meanings and voguc words.in newspapeMHCNMHGlerstand themcorrectly. Thus it is meaningful to analyzethe unique features of headlines.建立在体验哲学上的The language of English newsheadlines is the model of language that is认知语言学intensively compact and cleverly designedto serve the major purposes of tllig the口耿光旭赵延学news, drawing atention and establishing大连海洋大学外国语学院characters. By analyzing the languagefeatures of English news hcadlines, an[摘虱]认知语言学的哲学基础是体验哲学。体验哲学包括三个基本原outline is given 8s to how linguisticdevices are applied to ncwspaper headlins.则:心智的体验性、认知的无意识性、思维的隐喻性。在此基础上的认知in order to meet their basic requirements.语言学是有别于形式语言学的新兴学派。As some English iearners may find[关键词]认知语言学:体验哲学;范畴;象似性;理想认知模型it difcult to understand the meanings[中图分类号] H0-0 [文献标识码]Aof English news headlincs due to their[文章编号] 1009-67201206-0032-02unique features, this thesis has analyzedthe beadline language lexically and“认知语言学”是语言研究近年来兴起的-一个学派或思潮。是语言学内rhetorically in order to facilitate readers部的一种研究范式，其特点是着重阐释语言和其他认知能力之间密不可分to acquire information in reading English的联系。这- -研究范式发端于70年代，兴起于美国西海岸, 80年代开始活newspapers and understand the news跃起来，继而扩展到西欧和全球，形成继乔姆斯基革命之后的又-场革命。better.其范围已扩展到语言学的各个领域，包括句法学、语义学、音系学、篇章分析等。认知讲言学崇尚体验哲学，以建设性心智主义、互动论和联通论为心理学基础。它强调认知方式和主观性在语义形成中的作用，同时也重参考文献视社会文化和百科知识对于语义解读的必要性。[] Bll,.The Largrunge ofNews Medio[M].Oxford: Basik BlackwellLd, 1991.体验哲学的三条基本原则2] Evans, Harold. News Healine- -AnIlurrated Guide[M]. London: Mrrision在雷可夫和约翰逊1999 年合著的《体验哲学》-书中， 他们将上述思32想概括成三条基本原则:心智的体验性、认知的无意识性、思维的隐喻性。& Gibb Ltd, 1974.(1)心智的体验性3] Fowler, Roger. Language in the我们的概念、苑畴、推理和心智并不是外部现实客观的、镜像的反映，Nerwr[M], London: Routledge, 1991.而是由我们的身体经验形成的。因此，思维、心智、推理、范畴、意义是[4] The Missouri Group. News Reporing基于身体经验的，语自和句法不可能是自治的。心智模型如感知机制模型and Wring[M]. St Martin's Pres, 1991.[5]江彬. 英语新闻标题的文体特征分析和动觉图式模型，在语言学斗和推理中也能建构概念。(2)认知的无意识性[].大学学报, 2004.乔姆斯基语言观认为推理、语言是无意识的。这-观点对认知科学，61] 马建国，马桂花.新闻英语写作一从即“认知的无意识性”这一重要 结论作出了很大的贡献。雷可夫二人认为，实例到实践[M]外语教学与研究出版“认知”包括十分丰富的内容，诸如心智运作、概念系统、推理、语言，等社. 2005.等。认知的尤意识性是指对我们心智中的所思所想没有直接的知觉，视觉、[] 林柏.英语新闻写作与编译{M]对外经听觉、嗅觉、感觉等神经加工过程是不可能被意识到的，没有这种无意识济贸易人学出版社，2007.思维，就没有有意识思维。28[8]王化容. 标题ABC[M].新华出版社，(3)思维的隐喻性昌1991.传统的分析哲学认为概念都是非隐喻性的，通过抽象符号与独立于心9] 许明武英语新闻与翻译[M].中国对外智的世界之间纯粹的、客观的关系来确定。体验哲学强调客观实际对认识的第一-性地位，必须依据客观规律认识世界，坚持身体经验的基础作用。翻译出版公司.2002.再[10]张健英语新闻文体与范文分析[M]上在这三条基本原则中，心智的体验性是最重要的原则。[川] 张琼英语新闻的标题特点[湖南经海外语教育出版社，19949.2体验哲学之 上的认知语言学济管理干部学院学报，2001.(1)“身心合一”的认知观“认知语言学”干中“身心合一”的认知观。心智和思维产中国煤化工生这个相互作用的过程YHC NMH G_作者简介:耿光旭，讲师，硕士。研究方向:英语语言学及应用语言学。