新闻英语语法特点与翻译

新闻英语句式特征1/261、被动语态使用频率较高

新闻报道最主要作用是向大众报道最新,有重大意义事件和信息。所以,报道中强调重点就是新闻精华所在。也就是我们常说五个W和一个H(WHAT,WHO,WHERE,WHEN,WHY,HOW)。为了能突出重点,新闻报道中惯用被动语态强调行动或事件结果,这尤其适合用于对天灾人祸报道(如地震,特大洪灾,严重交通事故等)以及相关犯罪谋杀新闻。比如:2/26NinepeoplewerekilledandseveninjuredinanoiltankexplosiononTuesdaynightinJiangsuProvince(ChinaDaily)(周二夜间江苏省境内发生油车爆炸事件,造成9人死亡,7人受伤。)Russianofficialshavesaid10federaltroopshavebeenkilledsofarandafurther27injured.(ChinaDaily)(俄官员声称到当前为止,共有10名联邦军人被杀,另有27人受伤。)使用被动态可使读者对受害者伤亡情况一目了然。3/26About300peoplehavebeenkilledwith8,000injuredandmoreothersburiedunderthetoppledhousesaftera7.1-magnitudeearthquakehitnorthwestChina'sQinghaiProvinceearlyonWednesday,officialssaid.4/26简明是新闻报道最基本要求。在新闻标题中，被动语态动词be还经常被省略,且只需讲述受动者行为。所以,同一句话用被动语态表示要比用主动语态来得精炼、简单、客观、生动。比如:Passportproceduressimplified.(ChinaDaily)(护照办理程序简化。)5/26MoreTrainingforForeignStudentsByJULIAPRESTONImmigrationofficialssaidtheywereextendingthedurationofon-the-jobtrainingforimmigrantstudentswhoarerecentgraduateswithadvanceddegreesinscience,technologyandengineering.Thetrainingperiodwillbeextendedto29monthsfrom12monthsforimmigrantsonstudentvisasemployedinjobsrelatedtotheirfieldofstudy.TrainingwillalsobeautomaticallyextendedforstudentswhoarewaitingtoshifttotemporaryworkvisasknownasH-1B.Themeasure,whichofficialssaidwouldbenefitabout25,000students,isdesignedtoclosevisagapsthathadforcedsomehighlyskilledgraduatestoleavethecountry.

NewYorkTimes6/262、双重属性词汇大量作为动词使用。

既可作为名词又可作为动词使用双重属性词汇大量作为动词使用(如“voice”,“target”,“brief”等词)，从而使新闻英语生动简明，这是新闻英语基本特征。TheBushadministrationhadnoobjectiontoatriptoChinabyformerpresidentBillClintonwhowasbriefedbyseniorofficials.(据高级官员透露,前总统比尔·克林顿将出访中国,布什政府对此未给予反对。)7/26出现在新闻报道标题中,使之简明、清楚、生动。比如:

Centertargetskids’illness.(ChinaDaily)(中心致力于儿童疾病研究。)对比:Co-operativesprofitfarmersmore.(合作经营更有益于农民。)Co-operativesbringmoreprofitstofarmers8/263.单句多于复合句，多采取扩展简单句，句子结构比较涣散。

新闻英语中通常使用广泛是结构简单句子。为求简明,经常一个句子就是一个段落,而要把众多信息包含在里面,在确保句式不复杂情况下,作者只有大量使用或增加修饰限定词数量,其方法就是使用定语,状语,同位语等补加成份。9/26RescuersaresearchingfortwootherswhoarebelievedstilltrappedundergroundatWangjialingCoalMine,whichstraddlesXiangningCounty,ofLinfenCity,andHejinCity,ofYunchengCity,accordingtotherescueheadquarters.Altogether261minerswereworkingintheshaftofthecoalmine,whichisunderconstruction,whenthefloodinghappenedatabout1:40p.m.March28,andonly108wereliftedunharmedtothesurface.10/26WARSAW—AplanecarryingthePolishpresidentanddozensofthecountry’stoppoliticalandmilitaryleaderstothesiteofaSovietmassacreofPolishofficersinWorldWarIIcrashedinwesternRussiaonSaturday,killingeveryoneonboard.

11/26Thestrongodor,describedbymanypeopleassimilartonaturalgas,resultedintheevacuationofsomebuildingsandaffectedsomesubwayandtrainlines.(WashingtonPost)(这被许多人形容很像瓦斯味腔壁气味,不但造成了一些大楼人员疏散,也影响了部分地铁和火车营运。)Moreexamplessee3112/26简单句使用有利于清楚地表述事情发展,方便读者阅读和了解,也易于作者写作。作者常须赶在截稿时间前仓促定稿,往往想到什么事实或背景材料来不及改动就随即增添或补插进去。所以句子结构显得涣散,使看似简单句子变得复杂,也给翻译造成了困难。为了适应汉语读者阅读习惯,充分发挥汉语精炼优势,翻译时,能够将冗长扩展简单句拆开来,分成几句话表述。13/264.在新闻英语中惯用直接引语和间接引语直接引语放在前面,提供消息内容消息起源放在后面,这是新闻英语一个习惯表示方式。在新闻英语中,这种安排是很常见,也表现出了新闻特点,就是让读者最早读到最主要新闻内容。14/261)“Wetakeeachandeverydeathveryseriouslyandarecommittedandsworntoinvestigatingeachcasewiththeutmostprofessionalismandthoroughness,”saidChrisGrey,spokesmanfortheCriminalInvestigationCommand.2)"TheChinesegovernmentanditspeoplewillnotsitbyifChenShuibianforgesaheadwithhispro-independencetimetabletochangethestatusofTaiwanaspartofChina,“Liweiyi(spokesmanoftheTaiwanAffairsOfficeoftheStateCouncil)said.15/26Inastatement,Lawrence.H.Summers,Harvard'scurrentpresident,indicatedthathewouldactonthereportinJanuary.Hecalledita“veryconstructivedocumentthatoutlinesapromisingdirection.”(TheNewYorkTimes)(现任哈佛大学校长劳伦斯·H.萨默斯在一份申明中指出,他将于周一对汇报做出决定。他称这份汇报为非常有建设性文件,它指明了一个充满希望方向。”)16/26有时也用间接引语,比如:

Healsosaidthemainlandhasthegreatestsincerityandwillexertutmostefforttoachievepeacefulreunification宾语从句中引导词省略新闻经常都要说明消息起源,也就是要说明信息或消息出处。从语法上讲,在新闻英语中,主句经常是信息或消息起源或出处,而它后面宾语从句则是信息或消息内容。不过,在英语新闻报道中,引导宾语从句that经常省略,这是一个常见现象。17/261)ForeignMinistryspokesmanLiuJiantaosaid(...)thevisitis“anunfavorableincident“forChina--Japanties.Hesaid(...)asoundSino--JapaneserelationshipalsohingesonJapan'sproperhandlingofissuesofvitalinterestofChina.2)Organizerssaid(...)itmighttakeatleast80millionTaiwandollarstomobilizepeopleinTaipeitoprotestagainsttheAnti-SecessionLawadoptedbytheNationalPeople'sCongress.18/265.依据内容灵活利用时态

新闻报道绝大多数是刚才发生或正在发生事情,所以记者常使用普通现在时态和现在完成时态,以示“新”和“快”;为了把消息绘声绘色地传达给听众,进行时态使用也比较普遍。如新闻标题：PolishPresidentDiesinJetCrashinRussia19/26有时并不严格恪守时态一致。

在普通文体中,按照语法规则,宾语从句中谓语动词时态,要受制于主句中时态,我们把这称之为时态一致或呼应(sequenceoftenses)。新闻英语普通也遵照这种时态改变规则。然而,我们在阅读报纸时,会发觉新闻英语中时态有时并不拘泥于这种语法规则,而是按照实际情况,按新闻事实发生时间改变与次序,酌情灵活地利用时态。20/26TheironlyworryinGroupCwasTurkey,whotheyhaveplayedjustonceintheirhistoryin1956.(ChinaDaily)这段新闻是说在C组中他们唯一担心是土耳其足球队,用过去时态“was”,而说过去他们只交锋过一次,用是“haveplayed”,而没有用符合传统语法规则“hadplayed”,愈加突出了与现时关联,时态利用在此显得非常灵活。21/26新闻报道正文中,我们常可发觉said,told,added,reported等动词,但后面所接that从句中时态能够与这些动词时态不一致。比如:InWashingtontheStateDepartmentsaidthatarmsrequestedbyYemanarestillbeingsenttothecountry.(在华盛顿，美国国务院说,也门所需要武器仍在运往该国。)22/26Non-discriminatorytreatmentinworldtradewillcreatemoremotivationforChineseentrepreneurstoactivelyparticipateininternationalco-operationinthecompetitiveEuropeanarena,which,hesaid,willencourageallChina’stradepartners,includingtheEU.23/266.定语前置

新闻英语中为使句式简练,常采取带连字符复合短语做前置定语来代替定语从句,从而使句子化长为短,既节约了篇幅,又能帮助读者加紧阅读速度。multi-drug-resistantvirus