A Comparative Analysis of Chinese and American Political News Discourses

【作者】 朱娜；

【导师】 楚军；

【作者基本信息】 电子科技大学 ， 外国语言学及应用语言学， 2008， 硕士

【副题名】From the Perspective of Verschueren’s Adaptation Theory

【摘要】 政治新闻与人们的生活紧密相关。政治新闻语篇体现着语言的巧妙应用。本文选取了《纽约时报》和《人民日报》中对日本首相参拜靖国神社的相关报道为语料作对比分析,旨在揭示政治新闻语篇是语言选择与语境相互顺应的结果。本研究是以Jef Verschueren提出的语言顺应论为理论基础。基于顺应论,作者研究了政治新闻语篇中语言的变异性,商讨性和顺应性,旨在揭示政治新闻语篇中语言和语境存在的密切关系。本研究包括微观的语言特点描述和宏观的语境因素分析。基于对语言特点的描述,采用定性和定量相结合的研究方法,论文全面分析了在政治新闻语篇中作出的选择,然后从语言语境与交际语境两方面重点探讨了选择是如何顺应政治新闻语篇和语言使用者的心理世界和社交世界。本论文认为新闻报道中的语言选择不是任意的,而是具有交际功能的。所有的选择都是动态的,可商讨的,由语言语境和交际语境决定的。政治新闻语篇是报道者作出选择并顺应语境的结果。通过分析,结果显示中美两国政治新闻语篇中作出的类似选择,是由语言语境及政治新闻语篇的特征和性质所决定的。政治新闻语篇强调为读者提供可靠和真实的信息。语篇中作出的不同选择是由不同的交际语境决定的。中国与美国在事件中的立场,意识形态,中美两国读者和报道者的情感和动机都决定了报道者作出不同的选择。更多还原

【Abstract】 Political news is indispensable to people’s life. Political news discourse is a tactful and skillful application of language. A thoroughly comparative analysis of the political news on paying homage to the Yasukuni Shrine by the Japanese Prime Minister from two prestigious newspapers, People’s Daily and the New York Times reveals that language in political news discourse is a reflection and a result of mutual adaptation between linguistic choices and context.The theoretical framework of the present study is based on Jef Verschueren’s linguistic Adaptation Theory. In accordance with the theory, the present thesis studies the variability, negotiability and adaptability of language in political news discourse. It is to uncover the close relationship between linguistic choices and context and explore how linguistic choices and context are mutually adaptable.The study ranges from the micro-linguistic features, to the macro-social settings and thus strives to be a comprehensive analysis. Based on the description of the linguistic features in the political news discourse and the study of linguistic and communicative contexts, with a combination of qualitative and quantitative analysis,a detailed and full explanation of the relationship between linguistic choices and context are achieved. It is found that the language use in political news discourse is not arbitrary but choices made among many options. Political news discourse is an end product of choice-making. The reporters select the adaptive possibilities from the linguistically possible resources. Moreover, all linguistic choices are dynamic, negotiable and serve communicative functions. They are determined by linguistic and communicative contexts.In the present study, it is found that the similar choices in the two newspapers are abundant use of reported speech and various news sources. These similarities are due to the same linguistic context. The nature of political news discourses stresses to impress the readers with the reliable and authentic information. The different choices are revealed in different wording, distribution of modes of reporting, modality, textual organization and rhetorical device. These differences are due to the different communicative context. The difference in the standpoint between China and America, ideologies of the reporters,motivation and emotion of Chinese and American readers and the social group the reporters represent determine the different choices made in the political news discourse.更多还原