从语用含糊视角对政治英语新闻的批评性语篇分析
|
摘要
本文从语用含糊这一新的视角对政治英语新闻进行批评性语篇分析。批评性语篇分析最重要的理论基础和最主要的方法论来源是韩礼德的系统功能语言学。然而,就其方法论而言,无论是哪一家哪一派的理论方法,只要能用于分析语言、权力和意识形态的关系并产生令人信服的结果,它都不会拒绝。
语用含糊既是一种特殊的语言现象,又是一种语用策略,它在很大程度上反映了说话人的元语用意识。语用含糊现象在言语交际中十分普遍,在政治英语新闻中也不例外。其在政治英语新闻中的存在不是偶然的,而是新闻报道者有意识作出的一种语言选择。本文首先探讨了政治英语新闻语篇中的语用含糊表现手段,并从语用含糊角度对美国媒体的伊拉克战争新闻报道进行批评性分析,分析其元语用意识,进而揭示语篇中含而不露的意识形态。
本文提供了一个新的视角,透过语言现象看清其本质,通过对政治英语新闻的语用含糊现象进行批评性语篇分析,进一步阐明政治英语新闻语篇中的语言运用不是任意的,总要顺应强势群体和权力机构的思维方式和意识形态。通过阅读本文,作者希望可以帮助读者增强批评意识,正确解读政治英语新闻中的语用含糊现象,认识到新闻报道不可能做到绝对的客观公正,它总是受各种政治集团和权力集团的利益驱动。
This thesis is a preliminary attempt to make critical discourse analysis of political English news from the perspective of pragmatic vagueness. It is no denying that the major methodology of CDA is based on Halliday’s systematic-functional grammar. However, Critical discourse analysis doesn’t provide a ready-made, how-to-do approach in social analysis. Any theory is acceptable if it aims to reveal the relationship between language, power and ideology.
Pragmatic vagueness refers to the deliberate use of vague language in verbal communication, which is viewed as a communicative strategy and greatly reflects the speaker’s metapragmatic awareness. It is a pervasive language phenomenon in verbal communication, so is in political English news. Its existence in political English news is not accidental but intentional. Through making a critical analysis of news reports of the American media on Iraq war from the perspective of pragmatic vagueness, the thesis not only illustrates linguistic choices at different levels to realize vagueness in political English news, but also investigates the reporter’s metapragmatic awareness triggering the choice of this strategy, and finally discloses the ideologies concealed in political English news.
The present study aims to provide a new perspective of“seeing through language”: to probe into vagueness used in political English news and to explain how language is used by powerful groups to reinforce their political ideologies. Besides, it expects to help readers increase the awareness of how language contributes to the domination of some people by others because political English news is not a value-free reflection of“facts”; it is constructed socially and inevitably influenced by dominant ideologies.
语用含糊既是一种特殊的语言现象,又是一种语用策略,它在很大程度上反映了说话人的元语用意识。语用含糊现象在言语交际中十分普遍,在政治英语新闻中也不例外。其在政治英语新闻中的存在不是偶然的,而是新闻报道者有意识作出的一种语言选择。本文首先探讨了政治英语新闻语篇中的语用含糊表现手段,并从语用含糊角度对美国媒体的伊拉克战争新闻报道进行批评性分析,分析其元语用意识,进而揭示语篇中含而不露的意识形态。
本文提供了一个新的视角,透过语言现象看清其本质,通过对政治英语新闻的语用含糊现象进行批评性语篇分析,进一步阐明政治英语新闻语篇中的语言运用不是任意的,总要顺应强势群体和权力机构的思维方式和意识形态。通过阅读本文,作者希望可以帮助读者增强批评意识,正确解读政治英语新闻中的语用含糊现象,认识到新闻报道不可能做到绝对的客观公正,它总是受各种政治集团和权力集团的利益驱动。
This thesis is a preliminary attempt to make critical discourse analysis of political English news from the perspective of pragmatic vagueness. It is no denying that the major methodology of CDA is based on Halliday’s systematic-functional grammar. However, Critical discourse analysis doesn’t provide a ready-made, how-to-do approach in social analysis. Any theory is acceptable if it aims to reveal the relationship between language, power and ideology.
Pragmatic vagueness refers to the deliberate use of vague language in verbal communication, which is viewed as a communicative strategy and greatly reflects the speaker’s metapragmatic awareness. It is a pervasive language phenomenon in verbal communication, so is in political English news. Its existence in political English news is not accidental but intentional. Through making a critical analysis of news reports of the American media on Iraq war from the perspective of pragmatic vagueness, the thesis not only illustrates linguistic choices at different levels to realize vagueness in political English news, but also investigates the reporter’s metapragmatic awareness triggering the choice of this strategy, and finally discloses the ideologies concealed in political English news.
The present study aims to provide a new perspective of“seeing through language”: to probe into vagueness used in political English news and to explain how language is used by powerful groups to reinforce their political ideologies. Besides, it expects to help readers increase the awareness of how language contributes to the domination of some people by others because political English news is not a value-free reflection of“facts”; it is constructed socially and inevitably influenced by dominant ideologies.
引文
Ballmer, T.T. & M. Pinkal (eds.). Approaching Vagueness. North-Holland: Elsevier Science Publishers, 1983.
Channel, J. Vague Language. Shanghai: Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press, 2000.
Clark, H.H. & R.J. Gerrig.“Quotations as Demonstrations”. Language1990 (vol.66): 764-805.
Crystal, D. & D. Davy. Advanced Conversational English. London: Longman, 1975.
Deese, J. Towards a Psychological Theory of the Meaning of Sentences, in Silverstein, Albert (ed), Human Communication: Theoretical Explorations. Oxford: Lawrence Erlbaum, 1974.
Dubois, B.“Pseudoquotation in current English communication: 'Hey, she didn't really say it’”. Language in Society, 1989(18):343-359.
Edgington, D. Vagueness by Degrees, in Keefe, R. and Smith, B.(eds.),Vagueness: A Reader. Cambridge MA:MIT Press, 1997.
Fairclough, N. Discourse and Social Change. Cambridge: Polity Press, 1992.
Fairclough, N. Language and Power. London/New York: Longman, 1989.
Fine,K.“Vagueness, Truth and Logic”, Synthese 1975(30):265-300.
Foolen, Ad.“Metalinguistic Negation and Pragmatic Ambiguity: Some Comments on a Proposal by Laurence Horn”. Pragmatics, 1991(1: 2): 217-237.
Fowler, R. Language in the News. London: Routledge, 1991.
Franken, N.“Vagueness and Approximation in Relevance Theory”. Journal of Pragmatics, 1997(28): 135-151.
Fredsted, E.“On Semantic and Pragmatic Ambiguity”. Journal of Pragmatics, 1998(30): 527-541.
Grice, H.P. Logic and Conversation, in Cole, P. and Morgan, J.L. (eds.), Syntax and Semantics. New York: Academic Press, 1975.
Grundy, Peter. Doing Pragmatics. NY: Oxford University Press, 2000.
Hall, S., C. Critcher, T. Jefferson, J. Clarke & B. Roberts. Policing the Crisis: Mugging, the State and Law and Order. London: MacMillan, 1978.
Hodge, B., G. Kress & G. Jones. The Ideology of Middle Management, in R. Fowler, B. Hodge, G. Kress & T. Trew (eds.), Language and Control. London: Longman, 1979.
Hyland, K.“Nurturing Hedges in the ESP Curriculum”. System, 1996 (vol.24):477- 490.
Keefe, R. Theories of Vagueness. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2000.
Lakoff, G. Hedges: A Study in Meaning Criteria and the Logic of Fuzzy Concepts, in P. Peranteau, J.
Levi and G. Phares (eds.), Chicago Linguistic Society Papers. Chicago: Chicago Linguistic Society, 1972.
Lehrer, A. Remembering and Representing Prose: Quoted Speech as a Data Source. DiscourseProcessess, 1989 (12): 105–125.
Levinson, S.C. Pragmatics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1983.
Machina, K.F.“Truth, Belief and Vagueness”. Journal of Philosophical Logic, 1976(vol.5):47-78.
Prince E F., J. Frader & C. Bosk. On Hedging in Physician-Physician Discourse, in R.D.Pietro (ed.), Linguistics and Professions. New Jersey: Ablex Printer, 1982.
Qiao, Zhang.“Fuzziness and Relevance Theory”.外国语言文学2005(2): 73-84.
Qiao, Zhang.“Fuzziness-Vagueness-Generality-Ambiguity”. Journal of Pragmatics, 1998a(29): 13-31.
Russell,B.“Vagueness”. Australasian Journal of Philosophy and Psychology, 1923(vol.1):84-92.
Sperber, D & D. Wilson. Relevance: Communication and Cognition (2nd Edition). Oxford: Blackwell,1986.
Sperber, D. & D. Wilson. Relevance: Communication and Cognition. Oxford: Blackwell, 1995.
Thomas, J.A. Meaning in Interaction: An Introduction to Pragmatics. London: Longman, 1995.
Thomas, J.A. Pragmatics: Lecture Notes. Lancaster University, 1991.
Thompson, J.B. Ideology and Modern Culture. Cambridge: Polity Press, 1990.
Ullmann,S. Semantic. Oxford: Blackwell, 1962.
van Dijk, T. News Analysis: Case Studies of International and National News in the Press. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum, 1988.
Verschuren, Jef. Understanding Pragmatics. London: Edward Arnold, 1999.
Wittgenstein,L. Philosophical Investigations. Oxford:Blackwell, 1953.
Wu Yaxin. Pragmatic Vagueness: A Strategy in Chinese Verbal Communication. Unpublished Ph. D. Dissertation. Guangzhou: Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, 2002a.
Zadeh, L.A“The Concept of a Linguistic Variable and Its Applications to Approximate Reasoning-I”. Information Sciences, 1975a(vol.8):199-249.
Zadeh, L.A“The Concept of a Linguistic Variable and Its Applications to Approximate Reasoning-II”. Information Sciences, 1975b(vol.8):301-357.
Zadeh, L.A“The Concept of a Linguistic Variable and Its Applications to Approximate Reasoning-III”. Information Sciences, 1975c(vol.8):301-357.
Zadeh, L.A.“Fuzzy Sets”. Information and Control, 1965 (vol.8):338-353.
Zadeh, L.A.“Probability Measure of Fuzzy Events”. J. Math. Anal. Appl,1968 (vol.12):421-427.
陈中竺.批评语言学述评.外语教学与研究1995a (1):21-27.
陈中竺.语篇与意识形态:批评性语篇分析——对两条罢工新闻的分析.外国语1995b(3):42-45.
陈忠.灰色信息的语用分析.修辞学习1998(4):10-11.
陈忠.信息语用学.济南:山东教育出版社,1999.
邓聚龙.灰色系统理论教程.武汉:华中理工大学出版社,1990.
何兆熊.新编语用学概要.上海:上海外语教育出版社,2002.
何自然.浅论语用含糊.外国语1990(3): 28-32.
何自然.再论语用含糊.外国语2000(1): 7-13.
吴亚欣.“含糊”现象在广告语中的利与弊.修辞学习2002b(1):28-29.
吴亚欣.语用含糊的元语用分析.暨南大学华文学院学报2002c(1):65-77.
吴亚欣.含糊的语用学研究.外国语言文学2006(1):16-19.
伍铁平.模糊语言学.上海:上海外语教育出版社,1999.
辛斌.批评性语篇分析:问题与讨论.外国语2004(5):64-69.
辛斌.批评性语篇分析方法论.外国语2002(6):34-41.
辛斌.批评语言学:理论与应用.上海:上海外语教育出版社,2005.
辛斌.语言、权力与意识形态:批评语言学.现代外语1996(1):21-26.
辛斌.语言语篇权力.外语学刊2003(4):1-6.
徐立新.语言反映意识形态——对四家报纸关于印度核试验报道的语篇分析.外语教学1999(4):12-16.
俞东明.语法歧义和语用模糊对比研究.外国语1997(6): 29-35.
俞东明.语用学定义与研究范畴新探.浙江大学学报1993(4):94-112.
张乔.模糊语义学.北京:中国社会科学出版社,1998b.
Channel, J. Vague Language. Shanghai: Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press, 2000.
Clark, H.H. & R.J. Gerrig.“Quotations as Demonstrations”. Language1990 (vol.66): 764-805.
Crystal, D. & D. Davy. Advanced Conversational English. London: Longman, 1975.
Deese, J. Towards a Psychological Theory of the Meaning of Sentences, in Silverstein, Albert (ed), Human Communication: Theoretical Explorations. Oxford: Lawrence Erlbaum, 1974.
Dubois, B.“Pseudoquotation in current English communication: 'Hey, she didn't really say it’”. Language in Society, 1989(18):343-359.
Edgington, D. Vagueness by Degrees, in Keefe, R. and Smith, B.(eds.),Vagueness: A Reader. Cambridge MA:MIT Press, 1997.
Fairclough, N. Discourse and Social Change. Cambridge: Polity Press, 1992.
Fairclough, N. Language and Power. London/New York: Longman, 1989.
Fine,K.“Vagueness, Truth and Logic”, Synthese 1975(30):265-300.
Foolen, Ad.“Metalinguistic Negation and Pragmatic Ambiguity: Some Comments on a Proposal by Laurence Horn”. Pragmatics, 1991(1: 2): 217-237.
Fowler, R. Language in the News. London: Routledge, 1991.
Franken, N.“Vagueness and Approximation in Relevance Theory”. Journal of Pragmatics, 1997(28): 135-151.
Fredsted, E.“On Semantic and Pragmatic Ambiguity”. Journal of Pragmatics, 1998(30): 527-541.
Grice, H.P. Logic and Conversation, in Cole, P. and Morgan, J.L. (eds.), Syntax and Semantics. New York: Academic Press, 1975.
Grundy, Peter. Doing Pragmatics. NY: Oxford University Press, 2000.
Hall, S., C. Critcher, T. Jefferson, J. Clarke & B. Roberts. Policing the Crisis: Mugging, the State and Law and Order. London: MacMillan, 1978.
Hodge, B., G. Kress & G. Jones. The Ideology of Middle Management, in R. Fowler, B. Hodge, G. Kress & T. Trew (eds.), Language and Control. London: Longman, 1979.
Hyland, K.“Nurturing Hedges in the ESP Curriculum”. System, 1996 (vol.24):477- 490.
Keefe, R. Theories of Vagueness. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2000.
Lakoff, G. Hedges: A Study in Meaning Criteria and the Logic of Fuzzy Concepts, in P. Peranteau, J.
Levi and G. Phares (eds.), Chicago Linguistic Society Papers. Chicago: Chicago Linguistic Society, 1972.
Lehrer, A. Remembering and Representing Prose: Quoted Speech as a Data Source. DiscourseProcessess, 1989 (12): 105–125.
Levinson, S.C. Pragmatics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1983.
Machina, K.F.“Truth, Belief and Vagueness”. Journal of Philosophical Logic, 1976(vol.5):47-78.
Prince E F., J. Frader & C. Bosk. On Hedging in Physician-Physician Discourse, in R.D.Pietro (ed.), Linguistics and Professions. New Jersey: Ablex Printer, 1982.
Qiao, Zhang.“Fuzziness and Relevance Theory”.外国语言文学2005(2): 73-84.
Qiao, Zhang.“Fuzziness-Vagueness-Generality-Ambiguity”. Journal of Pragmatics, 1998a(29): 13-31.
Russell,B.“Vagueness”. Australasian Journal of Philosophy and Psychology, 1923(vol.1):84-92.
Sperber, D & D. Wilson. Relevance: Communication and Cognition (2nd Edition). Oxford: Blackwell,1986.
Sperber, D. & D. Wilson. Relevance: Communication and Cognition. Oxford: Blackwell, 1995.
Thomas, J.A. Meaning in Interaction: An Introduction to Pragmatics. London: Longman, 1995.
Thomas, J.A. Pragmatics: Lecture Notes. Lancaster University, 1991.
Thompson, J.B. Ideology and Modern Culture. Cambridge: Polity Press, 1990.
Ullmann,S. Semantic. Oxford: Blackwell, 1962.
van Dijk, T. News Analysis: Case Studies of International and National News in the Press. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum, 1988.
Verschuren, Jef. Understanding Pragmatics. London: Edward Arnold, 1999.
Wittgenstein,L. Philosophical Investigations. Oxford:Blackwell, 1953.
Wu Yaxin. Pragmatic Vagueness: A Strategy in Chinese Verbal Communication. Unpublished Ph. D. Dissertation. Guangzhou: Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, 2002a.
Zadeh, L.A“The Concept of a Linguistic Variable and Its Applications to Approximate Reasoning-I”. Information Sciences, 1975a(vol.8):199-249.
Zadeh, L.A“The Concept of a Linguistic Variable and Its Applications to Approximate Reasoning-II”. Information Sciences, 1975b(vol.8):301-357.
Zadeh, L.A“The Concept of a Linguistic Variable and Its Applications to Approximate Reasoning-III”. Information Sciences, 1975c(vol.8):301-357.
Zadeh, L.A.“Fuzzy Sets”. Information and Control, 1965 (vol.8):338-353.
Zadeh, L.A.“Probability Measure of Fuzzy Events”. J. Math. Anal. Appl,1968 (vol.12):421-427.
陈中竺.批评语言学述评.外语教学与研究1995a (1):21-27.
陈中竺.语篇与意识形态:批评性语篇分析——对两条罢工新闻的分析.外国语1995b(3):42-45.
陈忠.灰色信息的语用分析.修辞学习1998(4):10-11.
陈忠.信息语用学.济南:山东教育出版社,1999.
邓聚龙.灰色系统理论教程.武汉:华中理工大学出版社,1990.
何兆熊.新编语用学概要.上海:上海外语教育出版社,2002.
何自然.浅论语用含糊.外国语1990(3): 28-32.
何自然.再论语用含糊.外国语2000(1): 7-13.
吴亚欣.“含糊”现象在广告语中的利与弊.修辞学习2002b(1):28-29.
吴亚欣.语用含糊的元语用分析.暨南大学华文学院学报2002c(1):65-77.
吴亚欣.含糊的语用学研究.外国语言文学2006(1):16-19.
伍铁平.模糊语言学.上海:上海外语教育出版社,1999.
辛斌.批评性语篇分析:问题与讨论.外国语2004(5):64-69.
辛斌.批评性语篇分析方法论.外国语2002(6):34-41.
辛斌.批评语言学:理论与应用.上海:上海外语教育出版社,2005.
辛斌.语言、权力与意识形态:批评语言学.现代外语1996(1):21-26.
辛斌.语言语篇权力.外语学刊2003(4):1-6.
徐立新.语言反映意识形态——对四家报纸关于印度核试验报道的语篇分析.外语教学1999(4):12-16.
俞东明.语法歧义和语用模糊对比研究.外国语1997(6): 29-35.
俞东明.语用学定义与研究范畴新探.浙江大学学报1993(4):94-112.
张乔.模糊语义学.北京:中国社会科学出版社,1998b.