浅析英语新闻标题的特点与翻译.doc

JIUJIANG UNIVERSITY

毕 业 论 文 （设 计）

题 目 浅析英语新闻标题的特点与翻译
英文题目 An Analysis of the Features and Translation of English News Headlines

院 系 外国语学院
专 业 英 语
姓 名 张 蓓 蓓
年 级 外A0915
指导教师 邹 玲

二零一三年六月

Abstract

The title is an important part of the news. Good title can arouse reader’s reading interest and desire; can leave the clear and deep impression to the reader. It plays roles of guiding, generalization and prompting the news. A good title can not only play the role of beautification layout, more important is to be able to concentrate the soul of news, grasp the main idea, and attract the reader’s eyeball. Therefore, the title is often regarded as news reports "eyes". The reader to read news, are used to read the title, and then decide whether to read the text. People often use "a good beginning is half the battle", "read the newspaper look at the topic first " to illustrate the importance of the title.So this thesis is firstly intended to introduce some features of English news headlines, including the lexical characteristics, the grammar characteritics, the rhetoric characteristics and form characteristics to analyze the features of English news headlines. In addtiion , reading the news as the main way for people to obtain the political , ecnonmic ,scientific and cultural infoumation in today’s society. News title as the height of the news content summary and concertration, must be brief concise and meet the requiremnets of the layout and reader. Title translation is correct or not will affect the news whether paly their due pqread value. So the second part from the literal translation , liberal translation , amplification translation, omission translation and how to use the advantages of Chinese translation to handle the rhetoric features. The last part will introduce some of the differences in both Chinese and English news headlines, so as to catch the main points of the news headlines, we can understand the news better.

Key words: English news headlines; features; translation

摘 要

标题是新闻的重要组成部分，对新闻起引导、概括和提示的作用，一个好的标题不仅能起到美化版面的作用，更重要的是浓缩新闻的灵魂，抓住文章主旨，吸引读者的眼球。因此，标题通常被视作新闻报道的“眼睛”。读者阅读新闻，都是习惯先看标题，然后再决定是否阅读正文。人们常用“题好一半文”、“看报先看题”来说明标题的重要性。此论文分别从用词特点、语法特点、修辞特点、形式特点来分析英语新闻标题的特点。此外，阅读新闻是人们可以获取当今社会政治、经济、科学文化等信息的主要途径，新闻标题作为新闻内容的高度概括和集中，必须简短精练，才能符合版面要求和读者要求。标题翻译是否准确会影响该新闻能否发挥其应有的传播价值，所以第二部分将从直译法、意译法、增译法、省译法以及在翻译标题过程中，灵活处理修辞特色，充分发挥汉语优势等翻译策略来介绍英语新闻标题的翻译。最后一部分将简单介绍中英文新闻标题的一些差异，从而抓住新闻标题的要点，更好地理解新闻。

关键词：英语新闻标题；特点；翻译

1. Introduction
With the progress of the society, more and more Chinese readers contact with English newspapers and magazines though various channels, more and more people are interested in English newspapers and magazines. But people who reading English newspapers have the same feeling, English news headlines are not easy to understand. News headlines can be compared to the showcase of the shops, its purpose is to attract the reader’s attention, pass information to then in time. Therefore, the title in the form, content and morphology syntax, ext aspect, is forming a king of special “title language”.
An English newspaper has large information, but usually the readers’ time is limited. They pick up a newspaper always want to find the key report and individuals interested quickly. Then the news title became very ideal guide, because the title is the concentration and summary of news content. It use succinct words concentrated the most important and most notable content of the news. With the help of the headlines, the reader can choose their reading quickly. The reader browsing title can also slightly know some of the major events occurred at home or abroad in their busy life.
For English learners, English news provides them with great material to learn contemporary English and understand the development of English. English news headlines as “open the door of the pen that nods eyeball” to the news report, has the specific style, grammar and rhetorical characteristics. When we are in translation , we should think carefully, understand correctly, and follow certain principles and laws, make full use of the rich Chinese vocabulary, make the translation vivid and accurate, the sentence is smooth appropriate, causes the reader to be clear at a glance. English news title has very important position in the whole piece of the news translation, and it is quite necessary to discuss its characteristics, structure, translation skills and requirements. This paper combined with the main characteristics of English news headlines, through the case analysis, probes into some methods of English news headlines translation.
2. The features of English news headlines
2.1 The lexical characteristics
News reports are different from literature and other academic writing, its the biggest task is report the significant events of both at home and abroad with fastest speed and limited space. To spread the information in the limited time and space as much possible, the article must concise and comprehensive. Therefore, in the news headlines, readers will find many dapper brief words, countless new words, a lot of confusing acronym, all of these words play the role of concise language in different degree.
2.1.1 The use of short words
As is known to all, the layout is limited to publish various news or magazines, journalists have always tried to provide for the amount of information in the minimum layout. By time and space constraints, news writers try their best to use the least amount of language symbols convey the most information. They often use some brief minor term, some short words and verbs in English news headlines often are used to relieve the layout tension.
Such as cut instead of reduction, blaze instead of conflagration, curb instead of control, so as to obtain clear and concise effect. So, the news language, especially title language has formed a relatively unique vocabulary, called news terms. These words are usually very short, but it has the very strong expression force. American linguist H.L.Mencken once described the minor term used in the newspapers as synonym of all work （万能同义词）. For xample,
(1) All livestock banned across Europe (ban instead of prohibition)
(2) Striker in Clash with Police (clash instead of conflict)
(3) Six Die in Moscow Bomb Blast. (blast instead of explosion)
(4) Annan Reaches Bagdad in Last-Minute Peace Bid. (bid instead of attempt)
(5) Pioneer Colleges Face Axe. (axe instead of dispensation)
2.1.2 The use of new words
The vitality of news language is “new”. Every aspect of modern society and modern life occurring change. The new social phenomenon, new ideas and new social fashion appear constantly, new inventions, new technology, new commodity service emerge in endlessly, all need to be named on new words. Many new things and new ideas first appeared in the news media, and express the new things and new ideas are “new words”.
Such as telephone harassment（电话骚扰），junk mail（垃圾邮件)，down payment （首付款），maglve train（悬磁浮列车），suicide bomber （人体炸弹），etc Many new words are known to people by the spread of the newspapers and periodicals. After the Watergate scandal in United States, many new words were came out, for example, Clinton's sex scandal—Zippergate（拉链门事件）; Prince Charles mistress scandal—Camillagate （卡米拉情妇）. The rapid develpoment of medicine and genetics technology also make out a lot of refreshing and new vocabulary, like genetic code （遗传密码）, clone （无性生殖，克隆）etc.
2.1.3 The use of acronym
The main reason to use the acronmy is saving space, use the acronmy can decrease the title letter number as far as possible, avoid the title migration. As a result of long-term use, part of the acronym have already be known, they can be checked in dictionary. The acronmy in English news headlines is very common, as an important sign in news succinct style. The following three types acronym are ofent used in English news :
2.1.3.1Organzation proper nouns
WTO （世界贸易组织) NPC （全国人民代表大会） UN （联合国）
2.1.3.2Common things name
AIDS: Acquired Immune Deficifency Syndrome （后天免疫缺损综合症）
UFO: Unidentified Flying Objeict （不明飞行物）
2.1.3.3Occupation,poision,or title noun
PM: Prime Minster （总理，首相）GM: General Manager （总经理）
VIP: Very Important Person （贵宾）

2.2 The grammar characteristics
2.2.1 The use of present tense
Normally, newspapers reported more news for what has already happened, according to the English grammar rules, the verb should use the past tense,but it is easy to give a feeling of old to person. News is newliy happened, so the tense of English news headlines is more agile. The present tense can increase the sense of reality and vitality to the news report, close the emotional distance to readers and reading object. Let’s see some examples:
(1) 2.5million take college entrance exams
二百五十万高中毕业生参加大学入学考试
(2) U.S Forces Step up Pressure on Rebels in Najaf
美军高压对待纳杰夫暴乱分子
(3) Wall Street Takes a Dive
华尔街股票出现跳水行情
2.2.2 The use of non-predicate verb
English news headlines words must save space for more information. Therefore, in English, including the predicate verb infinitive, gerund, present participle and the past participle, are frequently used. Commonly use the “infinitive” structure to express what will happen in English news headlines. Such as:
(1) Florida Freeze to Increase Area Produce Prices
佛罗里达严寒将使本地区农产品涨价
(2) Trial to Begin for Four Inmates at Guantanamo
古巴关塔纳摩基地的4名囚犯将要受审
(3) Chinese Leader to Visit U.S
中国领导人将访美
(4) Peace Talks to Resume
和平谈判将恢复
2.2.3 words omission
Ellipsis is one of the features of news headlines. News headlines are often use content words, function words are usually omitted, such as articles, auxiliary verbs, verbs, personal pronouns. The purpose of tomission is to shorten the length of the title, save page. Here is some examples:
(1) Italian Ex-mayor Murdered (=An Italian Ex-mayor Was Murdered)
(2) Mother, Daughter Share Fulbright Year (=Mother, and Her Daughter Share Fulbright Year)
(3) Streets Calm as Death Toll Reaches 40 (= Streets are Calm as Death Toll Reaches 40 )
(4) Police killer’s jail death (=the death in the jail of the man who had killed a policeman )
2.3 The rhetoric characteristics
English news headlines in under the principle of seeking attraction . To attract the reader for at a glance, the title must be attractive, so the rhetoric is an important means to achieve the purpose. The rhetoric of various kinds, English title is often use parables, alliteration, contrast, metonymy, irony, pun, repetition, hyperbole, etc. English title production should pursue the language lively, full of fun and a sense of humor. Such as:
(1) Fit or fat? 健康还是肥胖 (contrast)
(2) Democracy of the Big Stick 大棒民主 (irony)
(3) Slow Lane Is Safest on Currency Issue在货币问题上，走慢车道最安全 (parable)
(4) Europe Is Alive and Kicking 欧洲富有活力 (personification)
2.4 The form characteristics
2.4.1 Phrase type title
The mian reason to use the phrase tpye of the title in English news is to save the length of an anticle. The main phrase type title structure: noun + qualifiers (such as verb infinitive, prepositional phrases, adverb phrase, adjective phrase, participle phrase, etc.), gerund phrase + noun . For instance:
(1) Growing with China
和中国一起成长
(2) Great Leap Skyward
迈向太空的一大步
(3) Time to Kick the Habit
该戒掉恶习了
(4) Reining in House Prices
控制房屋价格
2.4.2 Sentence type title
2.4.2.1 Incomplete sentence title
Beijing to Fire Test Rocket to South Pacific
中国将向南太平洋发射实验火箭
2.4.2.2 Simple sentence title
Education Gap Widens in Eurpoe
欧洲教育差距拉大
2.4.2.3 Compound sentence title
China to Fight the Big Bullying the Small, Vows Hu Jintao
胡锦涛誓言中国反对以大压小

3. The techniques of translating English news headlines
Through the above introduction about the characteristics of English news headlines, we have a general understanding to news headlines. However, it is not enough to understant the characteristics of headlines only, we also must knoe some transltion skills about English news headlines, so we can understand it better. In English news, the title is regard as the abbreviation of full report. In order to attract the readers, editors often use all kinds of rhetoric, and strive to make the news headlines more attractive, it is the challenges for English news transltion. This requires news translation workers should pay more attention to accumulate over a long time, have a considerable degree of understanding to the English countries national history, cultural allusions and historical background. Firstly, you must pay attention to the differences between Chinese and English title in vocabulary, grammar, etc. Then ,make full use of various means of translation on the basis of the principle for faithful, smooth. Can express the English title with same effect in Chinese, let the reader have the same felling. When we translate the English news headlines , should give consideration to the difference of English and Chinese, and can give dual attention to the Chinese expression habit.
3.1 The literal translation
The main purpose of the news title is ont only “selling article “ to readers, but also produce the effect that “catch the eye” , attracting the readers’ migratory browse eyes in the form of striking. So, the title usually reflected the essence in the sound , form and meaning If the meaning of English news headlines is understang very clearly, the expression of English and Chinese are completely or basic same, and Chinese readers are not have difficulty in understanding after direct translation into Chinese, you can choose the literal translation. But the literal translation can’t influence the accurate, cannot destory the color of the title. Translation can communicate the original meaning through literal translation, Let the reader appreciate the original style. Here are some examples:
(1) Lork, Keep Her from Harm
主啊，保佑她不受伤害
(2) The three Ifs of a Clinton Doctrine
克林顿主义的三假设
(3) Kasmier: Once More to the Brink
克什米儿：再一次走向悬崖边缘
(4) World Corruption and Anti-Corruption
席卷全球的腐败和反腐败斗争
(5) Putin Faces Harsh Press Criticism Over Terror
普京因恐怖时间受媒体严厉批评
(6) Olympics Begin in Style; Swimmer Takes 1st Gold
奥运盛装开幕；泳将喜夺首金

3.2 The liberal translation
But in many cases, literal translation can't reflect the characteristics of the original title, now we need another translation method- liberal translation. English newspaper headlines tend to meet the requirement of the readers, but because of different thinking habits between English and Chinese, the also have different expressions. If the original English news headlines cannot summarized the news content accurately with the literal translation, or can’t truthfully reflect the intentions, or not conform to the Chinese expression habit, can use the free translation appropriately. But we must