Research on Discourse Analysis of the News

zwwx@overseaen.comISSN 1009-5039http://www .overseaen.comOverseas English ]阴英}遇Tel:+86-551-5690811 5690812Research on Discourse Analysis of the NewsHUANG Ian(olle of Oriental Science & Technology, Hunan Agicultural University, Changsha 410128, China)Abstract: This esay mainly discusses about the discourse analysis of the news. The writer analyzes the news at the base of the proceduresof discourse analysis. It mainly focused on methods and procedures of how to do discourse analysis of the news.Key words: discourse analysis; news中图分类号:G623文献标识码:A 文章 编号:1009 -5039(2011)08 -0297 -02News reporting plays an important role in our daily life. Ittransitivity.has a key source of access to events that affect our lives cultural-3.1.1 Transitivityly, plitially, economically, and often emotionally. A look at any1) People's lives have been changed so dramatically withnewspaper will reveal a range of different kinds of texts with dif-the advent of high technological developments such as DVD andferent aims, presentation, and content. The writer chose relevantdigital camera.topics from the website. Then a piece of news about MobileParticipants: People's daily lives (goa) technological de-phones has been rewitten and analyzed. It mainly focused on thevelopment (actor)knowledge of discourse analysis to ilustrate how to write theProcesses: have been changed (material process, -presentnews.perfect tense)1 The Procedures of Discourse AnalysisCircumstance: So dranatically with the advent of high tech-omentnological development such as DVD players and digital cameras.Norman Fairclough, one of the major researchers in dis-Passive & Active sentence: (-passive voice)course analysis, believes that discourse is more important today2) Many of us cannot imagine being without them.than at any other time in human history. Nohing that moderm so-Participants: many of us (-senser)ciety is'knowledge-based'or knowledge -driven,he suggestsProcesses: cannot imagine (-mental process,-present tense)thatlanguage may have a more significant role in contemporaryCircumstance: being without them (phenomenon)socioeconomic changes that it has had in the past"Passive & Active sentence: (-active voice)2 The Structure of the News3) Mobile phones are one of the latest innovations to beThe news consists of three parts. The first part talks aboutthe development of mobile phones around the world, includingParticipants: mobile phones (-identifed)mobile phones' development in China and UK. And it also pointsProcesses: are (-relational process,-present tense)out a problem which arouses the mobile users attention: whetherCircumstance: one of the latest innovations to be used wide-mobile phones will bring any negative effects to human health ornot. The second part reports some findings and scientific researchabout radiation by a famous European Science and Research In-3.1.2 Nominalizationstitution. The last part shows the attitude of mobile users andThere are a few nominalization words in the news such astheir expectation towards mobile phones in the future.with the advent of, the creation of, in catering for, a startling lackThe structure is from general to specific. The theme of theof and the impact of, Using the nominalization words in this newsnews is scientifie research repoting the negative effects of mobilelets the news become more formal than other leisure news.phones to human health. As well there are some relationships in3.2 Tenorthe news, between mobile users and mobile phones, mobile mar~3.2.1 Formal and informalket and mobile users, govemnment and mobile manufacturers, sci-This is a formal news. Most of sentences are witten in aentists and mobile users. From the inner relationship of the news,formnal way. However, at the end of the news, the sentences be-we notice that readers will have relationship with all of them duecome less formal. For example, "Let us hope it remains this wayto the majority of readers are mobile phone users.in the future"3 The Language of the News3.2.2 AppraisalA lot of metaphors (adverb) and evaluation words have been3.1 Fieldused to emphasize sentences and my personal view.Some sentences have been chosen from a graph to show the1)"People's daily lives have been changed 90 dramatically收稿日期:2011-03-05修回日期:2011-04-25中国煤化工作者简介:黄岚(1984- ),女,湖南怀化人,助教研究方向为英语翻译和英语教学。MYHCNMHG栏目责任榆辑:备菲蓉5黑要中外文美文化研究要297Overseas English 海外美语2011年8月by technological developments such as DVD players and digtalType (certainty) Certainty (high)cameras". dramatically is an evaluation word to describe howHowever, people concerns about the mobile phones whichtechnological developments deeply influences people's dailymight have negative effects for human health.Type (possibility) Certainty (medium)2)"Mobile phones are one of the latet of these innovationsBut, we might ask, are customers themselves bothered byto be used widely". latest is an evaluation word to show the re-these issues?sent trend of mobile phones in the market. widely is an evalua-Type (probability)tion word indicating the relationship of mobile phones and mobile3.5 CohesionRepetition-This is a news article. It is not like an advertise-3)"Manufacturers in the UK are currently promoting thement. Hence, there are not many repeated words in the news.third generation of mobile phones to atract audiences". curentlyOnly mobile phones and mobile users in the news are frequentlyis a evaluation word shows the development of mobile phones inhecauseUKRepetition- Repetition used in the last paragraph. The word3.3 Moodperhaps is used for three times.Declarative- Most of the sentences are declarative sentences.Conjunction- there are several conjunction words such asThis is a kind of news which is created facts to the readers. Mosthowever, and, but, or . With all these conjunction the reader canof sentences should be used to express the truth and the reality.easily follow the story.Therefore, it is better to use declative sentences to show the4 ConclusionCritical discourse analyts use several diferent methods toImperative- There is no imperative sentence. The purpose ofhelp them "dig' beneath the surface of the discourse to answerthis news is not to order the mobile users to do something. Ittheir questions. One widely used theoretical framework is Sys-shows the possible influence of. mobile phones which perhapscould arouse people's attention. Hence, I did not use imperativefunctions that language performs and the choices people makesentence.Interrogative- There are two interrogative sentences which Iwhen they speak /write to exchange meaning with reader/isten-er. This essay provides the simple procedures of discourse analy-want to emphasize. The first one is the title of the news: "Do Mo~bile Phones Undermine Human Health?" There are two purposessis of the news. .for me which used an interrogative sentence. The first reason isReference:because It attracts readers' attention. The second reason is to let[1] Judy Delin.The language of Everyday Life[M].London,2000.readers to think about the answer by themselves. The word Do is[2] Lynne Yong, Brigid Fitzgerald.The power of Language[M].E-to emphasize the title of the news. Another interrogative sentencequinox Publishing Ltd,2006.is the first sentence in last paragraph. "But, we might ask, are[3] Mobile phones'alter human DNA[EB/UTtp://newsbbe.co.customers themselves bothered by these issues?" It did not teuk/2hi/health/41 13989.stm.spond directly as reader will guess the answer by themselves.[4] Child warming over mobile phones[EB/0:Ttp://news.bbe.co.3.4 Modalityuk/2hi/health/4163003.stm.So, many of us can not imagine being without them.(上接第294页)育出版社:2000.这些只能算是《比较>- - 文的点点瑕疵,并不能完全否定其在[4]法显.法显传校注.章巽校注[M.上海:上海古籍出版社，翻译研究领域起到过的积极作用。笔者的思辨仅是-家之言,1985.难免不周之处,还望读者海涵与指正。[5]勒菲弗尔.中西方翻译思想比较[M].西安:世界图书出版公司,2007.参考文献:[6] 吕洁.论佛经翻译理论中的文与质[J广东外语外贸大学学[1] Bassnett S, Lefevere A. Constructing Cultures: Essays on Lit-erary Translation [M].Shanghai: Shanghai Foreign languages[7]圣经.南京:中国基督教三自爱国运动委员会[M.中国基督Education Press,2001.教学会,2005.[2] Lefevere A. Translation, Rewriting and the Manipulation of[8]谭载喜.西方翻译简史(增订版)[M].北京:上午印书馆,Literary Fame[M].Shanghai: Shanghai Foreign Languages Ed-ucation Press,20049]徐修鸿.中国翻译传统研究一 以中国翻译史上三次翻译[3]陈福康.中国译学理论史稿(修订本)M].上海:上海外语教高潮为例[J]长春工业大学学报,2008(9).中国煤化工MYHCNMH G栏目责任偏辑:杨菲莽