The Functions of Idiom in the English Economic News Text Viewed From the Perspective of Lang.doc

毕业论文(设计)AcknowledgementsI want to express my sincere appreciation to all those who helped me to accomplish this paper. First, I would like to give my thanks to my advisor Li Erjie who helped me so much throughout the writing of this paper with patience and invaluable guidance, especially for her advice on some related theory of linguistics and some books she recommended. In addition, I would like to give my gratitude to my former conductors, Cai Ziliang, Meng Fanyi, Tian Minggang, Li Weihong, Qing Taojiao, especially to Meng Fanyi who gave me illuminations and consistent encouragement when I was depressed, conducted me the right direction when I lost my way. During the last two years of my college life, his unique personality with a combination of jocosity and ironically wit, and his profound knowledge in the professional field as well as his sophisticated world experiences deeply impressed me, which means a great for me in the rest of my life. This paper is done with all my heart and I believe that the efforts of many painstaking days and nights will return me something tangible, that is, the knowledge that can be applied to make a good future.AbstractIdiom is an element of a language that possesses a unique way of expression based on its time-honored use. As a language used most widely in the world, English is one of the languages having most prolific expressive means and a brilliant cultural tradition, and English idioms are the linguistic gems of English language. With regard to the importance of idiom in English, scholars study the idioms from different perspectives, namely focusing on its patterns, semantics, syntactic features and the mental processing and comprehension of idiom. However, these studies attach so much importance to the structures and the properties of idiom itself that they neglect the functions of English idiom in text.Based on Hallidays metafunction theory and the authentic data collected from English economic news texts, this paper attempts to study the use of English idiom in text. By means of statistical classification, exemplification and analysis of large qualities of examples, it is found that idiom has important textual, ideational and interpersonal functions. The application of idiom in the English economic news texts is not entirely optional. First, some English idioms are metaphorical in nature, the use of idioms that have connection with the context in the literal meaning and also suits the contents of the text is a way to express new concepts or certain unfamiliar events， which is its ideational function; In addition, the interpersonal function is achieved by the popularity and familiarity of idiomatic expressions, which makes the dull and dry economic articles more readable and fascinating, facilitating the two-way interaction between speakers and listeners or writers and readers. The textual function, often appearing in the important part of a text, helps to organize text structure and foretell the following text as well as play a role as cohesive ties in linking to context in sense of semantics.The author demonstrates that English learners should pay more attention to the study of English idiom and be aware of the functions in text. Through analyzing the functions of idiom, this paper not only can help in understanding idioms more deeply but also can facilitate the comprehension and translation of English economic texts.Key Words: English idiom metafunction English Economic News Texts functions摘 要 习语是在某一种语言体系中由于长期习惯性使用形成的、具有独特表达方式的语言元素。英语作为世界上使用最广泛的语言之一，具有丰富多彩的表达方式和浓郁的文化特色，而英语习语则被认为是英语语言的精华。由于英语习语的重要性，很多国内外的学者从不同角度对习语进行了研究，主要关注习语的类型、句法特征和语义等问题，然而，这些研究过于注重研究英语习语个体本身的属性和特征，而忽略了英语习语在语篇中的功能。本文以韩礼德系统功能学的一个重要概念纯理功能为理据，以英语经济类报刊杂志文章为语料来探讨分析英语习语在经济类语篇中的功能，通过收集大量的例证，然后归类，分析得出结论，英语习语在语篇中有三大重要的功能：概念功能、人际功能、语篇功能。英语习语在语篇中的使用并不是随意的，很多习语本身是具有比喻性，既在字面语义上衔接了上下文又适合语篇内容，这些习语的运用是表达某种新事物或抽象概念的一种有效途径；其次，英语习语的使用使得本来相对枯燥无味、晦涩难懂的经济现象变得平易近人，生动活泼，极具情趣，从而加强了读者与作者对信息的双向交流；另外，语篇中的习语经常出现在文章的重要位置，具有组织语篇结构、连接信息和预示上下文以及作为衔接链照应上下文等作用。 笔者认为英语学习者应重视英语习语的学习和积累，并了解其在语篇中的作用；对其在语篇中的功能进行分析探讨，一方面有利于加强对英语习语的理解和学习，另一方对英语经济类报刊文章的阅读理解和翻译都大有裨益。关键词：英语习语 纯理功能 英语经济类新闻语篇 作用ContentsAcknowledgements.iAbstract (English).iiAbstract (Chinese).iiiContents.v1. Introduction1 1.1 The purpose of this paper.1 1.2 The approach of this paper.22. The rationale: Hallidays theory of metafunctions 23. A general review of the previous study of idiom53.1 The definition of English idiom.53.2 The classification of English idiom.73.3 The characteristics of English idiom.8 3.3.1 Structural stability.8 3.3.2 Semantic unity.93.3.3 Figurative features.93.3.4 Phonological features.93.3.5 Cultural characteristics.104. A brief review of the economic news text104.1 The concept of text.104.2 The definition of the economic news.114.3 Studying English idioms in texts.125. Functions of English idiom in the English economic news texts.155.1 Ideational function.155.2 Interpersonal function175.3 Textual function.206. Conclusions.25References2728 毕业论文(设计)The Functions of Idiom in the English Economic News Text Viewed From the Perspective of Language Metafunction1. Introduction 1.1 The purpose of this studyIn the highly developed modern society, economy is an indispensable part of our life. Economic articles are read by economists and specialists as well as by lay people. However, it seems difficult for the ordinary people to grab the authors viewpoints in the economic articles at a quick glance of the texts, partly because of the abstract features of economic events and partly due to their lacking some professional knowledge of economic activities. Nevertheless, some idiomatic expressions used in some particular places of the text can be a good guidance for our comprehension of the article. For example, the idiomatic expressions such as, “its just a part of the story” are very common in the text to indicate that there is more significant reason behind the superficies. Besides, in order to add vividness and attractiveness to the dull economic news texts, the writers usually apply English idioms to do the trick in economic texts. For example, the writer will describe a fast growing economy as “the economy is growing by leaps and bounds.” The use of idioms in the economic texts will also achieve interpersonal function, establishing some kind rapport with readers, facilitating their interpretation of the economic texts by mapping the familiar and received concept (idioms, idiomatic expressions) into the unfamiliar and abstract notion (economic activities and texts).When reading English economic newspapers and magazines, the author is attracted by the heavily-used idioms. Based on the authentic data collected from the English newspapers and magazines, the present study is done in an attempt to probe the multi-functions of idiomatic phrases in English Economic texts. The result of this study should be meaningful for helping English learners to pay more attention to the study of English idioms and eventually polish our skills in using English language.1.2 The approach to this paperAt the beginning of the research, the major task is to collect data. About 20 examples of English idiom in economic texts are selected from English business newspapers, magazines and websites. Qualitative approach and example analysis are employed in the procedure of the case study. Qualitative approach is adopted to show multi-functions of idiomatic phrases in English Economic texts. 2. The rationale: Hallidays theory of metafunctions In the field of systemic functional grammar (SFG), Hallidays view on language function is popularly accepted by most of functional grammarians, and is regarded as the authority in the school of SFG. He interprets language development from a functional perspective and formulates the functional linguistics, in which the fundamental theory is the functional grammar, which attempts to explain linguistic structure and linguistic phenomena, by reference to the notion that “language plays a certain part in our lives, that is required to serve certain universal types of demand”(Halliday, 1998: 5). Based on this notion, he maintains that every language has three major functions: the ideational function, the interpersonal function and the textual function, together termed as three metafunctions, which are the basic theory for analyzing the topic in this paper. English idiom, as the linguistic gem, also possesses these three metafunctions. And it is based on these three metafunctions that C. Fernando divides English idiom into three types, ideational idioms, interpersonal idioms and textual idioms. And this categorization of English idiom have close connection with Hallidays theory of metafunction, more exactly, they respectively reflect the three metafunction by different means in the texts. The following-up will be given more detailed explanation of the relation between the three kinds of English idiom and the metafunctions. The Ideational function, which consists of two aspects, experiential and logical, is a term used by Halliday to designate the macro-function of language realized through the clause and concerned with serving for “the expression of content: that is, of the speakers experience of the real world, including the inner world of his own consciousness” (Halliday, 1970: 143). And the way we experience the world, internally as well as externally, is manifested in the vocabulary we use. Arising from our more general knowledge of world embodied in our conceptual system, English idioms make a large part of the English lexis, and they are one of the most effective ways to express peoples real thinking. Lakoff (1987) claims that our thought is metaphorically structured; therefore, it is expected that many idioms are metaphorical in nature. To put it simply, the ideational function of English idiom tells us “what it is” or “what it is going on”, conveying new information or content that is unknown to us by means of metaphorical devices. In serving this function, language also gives structure to experience, and helps to determine our way of looking at things.Through the interpersonal function, language serves to “establish and maintain social relations: for the expression of social roles, which include the communication roles created by language itself”. And some idioms provide them with a resource for organizing language as an interactive event involving speaker, or writer, and audience. That is what Halliday (Halliday and Hasan, 1985) calls “meaning as exchange”, he explains “imagine that you come in to a situation that is already going on. Very quickly, you are able to take part in the interaction. You are able to do this by constructing in your mind a model of the context of situation.” And it is this imagined “model of the context of situation” that facilitating the readers understanding of the unfamiliar events or phenomena written by the author, thus, both the readers and the writers achieve some common purpose: the form gets more clear information from the writer while the later get his meaning or intention across. The textual function enables the listeners or readers to distinguish a text from a random set of sentences. It means language has mechanisms to make any stretch of spoken or written discourse into a coherent and unified text and make a living message different from a random list of sentences, especially by means of organization and cohesion. It enables us to organize what we say or writer logically and connect the central theme in sense of semantics, functioning as cohesive ties. These idioms are called textual idioms, such as “with this in mind”, “if not”, “on the corner”, etc. Often appearing in the important part of a text, they help to organize text structure and foretell the following text as well as play a role as cohesive ties in linking to context in sense of semantics.While English idioms have their respective functions in the English economic texts, examples with more detailed analyzing and explanation will be given in part 5.3. A general review of the previous study of idiomIdioms are the crystallization of human beings wisdom and ingenuity, and they are the cream of the language coined by long-time practice and usage, making itself a crucial part of the general vocabulary of a language and achieving an effect of rhetoric functions by its vividness and attractiveness. English idiom shares all these common features, while it has its own unique characteristics, being rich in its contents and quantity, usually short and to the point with strong personality and culture background. As a matter of fact, people are using idioms everyday without realizing it. Before analyzing the functions of English idiom in the economic articles, it is necessary to define what idiom is and what the features of idiom are.3.1 The definition of idiomIt seems that the word “idiom” possesses several meanings, which might cause us some confusion. Therefore, it is very necessary to make a comprehensive contrast of those varied definitions of idioms and the find a relatively scientific and exhaustive description for the word “idiom”. The oxford advanced learners English- Chinese Dictionary (6th edition) gives the following senses of the term:1. A group of words whose meaning is difficult from the meanings of the individual words.2. The kind of language and grammar used by particular people at a particular people at a particular time or place.3. The style of writing, music, art, etc. that is typical of a particular person, group, period or place.4. A phrase whose meaning is difficult or sometimes impossible to guess by looking at the meanings of individual words it contains.The Oxford English Dictionary (1970) (OED) defines idiom as follows:1. The form of speech peculiar or proper to a people or country; own language, own tongue.2. (In a narrower sense) That variety of language which is peculiar to a limited district or class of people; dialect.3. The specific character, property or genius of any language, the manner of expression which is natural or peculiar to it.4. A form of expression, grammatical construction, phrase, etc., peculiar to a language; a peculiarity of phraseology approved by usage of the language and often having a signification other than its grammatical or logical one.5. A specific form or property, peculiar nature, peculiarity.In Websters New World Dictionary of the American Language (Second College Edition 1974): “An accepted phrase, construction, or having a meaning different from the literal.”Many linguistic scholars and dictionary compilers also defined idiom in different ways. W. Mcmordie (1954) treats idiom in English Idioms and how to use them as “peculiar uses of particular words”, W.J.Ball (1958), in A Practical Guide to Colloquial Idioms, claims that idioms are “the use of familiar words in an unfamiliar sense” A.P. Cowie & R. Mackin (1975), in Oxford Dictionary of Current Idiomatic English, defines idiom as “a combination of two or more words which function as a unit of meaning.”McCarthy (1998) identifies idioms as “strings of more than one word whose syntactic, lexical and phonological forms are to a greater or lesser degree fixed and whose semantic and pragmatic functions are opaque and specialized also to a greater or less degree.” Australian scholar C. Fernando (2000) gives the definition as “Idioms are indivisible units whose components cannot be varied or varied only within definable limits.”Obviously, from the above-listed definitions we can see that idiom is in fact a polysemous word, but most dictionaries of English only define it as “a fixed group of words with a special different meaning from the meanings of the separate words” without providing a semantic criterion that can be applied to distinguish idioms from non-idioms. In other words, most dictionary compilers have observed the conventionalized usage, structural frozenness, semantic unity, figure of speech, and colloquialism. 3.2 The classification of idiomAs to the range of idiom, there are two major principles for classifying them, according to C. Fernando (2000); one is to classify them by its function and structure, the other by the semantic criterion. Based on the former standard, English idioms are divided into three types, namely ideational idioms, interpersonal idioms and relational idioms, which are in accordance with the perspectives of Hallidays three metafunctions, while based on the semantic criterion; they are composed of pure idioms, semi-idioms, and literal idioms. So we can see that C. Fernando classifies English idioms in a broad sense, that is, the wide-ranging idioms, which cover all kinds of idiomatic expressions, including idiomatic phrases, proverb, sayings, slang, allusion, multiword expressions and habitual collocations (C. Fernando, Idiom and Idiomaticity, 2000). By textual idioms, we mean those multi-word expressions, namely relational idioms (e.g. to put it another way, let alone, no wonder), pure idioms (e.g. in a jiffy, pound the clock) and habitual collocations (e.g. as recently as 1987), which make the semantic conn