英语新闻标题及其翻译

Outline1. Introduction2. Development of English News Title2.1 History of English News Title2.2 Functions of English News Title2.2.1 Pointing Out the News Content2.2.2 Producing Attractive Effects.2.3 Differences between Chinese and English News Titles2.3.1 V ocabulary Similarities and Differences2.3.2 Tense Similarities and Differences2.3.3 Rhetoric Similarities and Differences2.3.4 Punctuation Mark Similarities and Differences3. Translation of English News Titles3.1 Literal Translation3.2 Free Translation3.3 Addition3.4 Omission3.5 Negation Translation3.6 Alliteration3.7 Making Use of the Advantage Chinese in Translation4. Conclusion[Abstract] English news titles play a special role in news reporting. Thus we should place special emphasis on the research of the characteristics and translation of English news titles. This thesis focuses on the study of English news titles in terms of their grammatical features and its translation. When it comes to translation, it tries to reproduce the functions of English news titles which requires translators’ agility and ingenuity in applying semantic and rhetorical devices. With grammatical and semantic exploration into the English news titles, such studies strive to benefit the readers in their understanding of what the editor wants to convey.[Key words] English news title; function; comparison; translations methods英语新闻标题及其翻译[摘要]标题在新闻报道中具有独特的地位。

因此在整个新闻英语翻译中标题翻译的作用不可忽视。

本文拟从以下角度进行论证：英文报刊标题的文字简练醒目，无疑是来源于对英语语法得心应手的灵活运用。

而要再现英文标题在原文中所起的浓缩主题、画龙点睛的作用，需要译者同样在用词和修辞等语法方面匠心独运。

本文拟通过对英语新闻标题翻译原则和策略的探讨，以期能对新闻英语包括英语标题翻译找到一条具有特定翻译规则的途径作出有益的尝试。

[关键词] 英语新闻标题; 作用; 分类; 对比; 翻译方法1 IntroductionWhat is the title? A title of a piece of news usually printed in large type and devised to summarize, gives essential information, or interests readers in reading the news content . Naturally readers buy newspapers in order to keep posted on daily happenings. However, t oday’s English newspapers are getting fatter with a greatnumber of pages. Therefore, many readers have formed the habit of scanning titles, which makes possible rapid news comprehension. Thus one of the most important purposes of titles is to inform readers quickly, which means that a well-designed title immediately tells them the gist of the accompanying story. Nothing is more important than packaging the product. A piece of news and its titles resemble the product and the packaging respectively. Only when the titles grasp the attention of the readers, the whole page can obtain vitality. So we say a final requirement of titles is to stimulate the reader’s artistic sense.Therefore, news people need to make sure that English title forms are set to beautify the layout of the newspaper and thus to interest readers in the stories.2. Development of English News Title2.1 History of English News TitleThe history of English news title is long and it can be divided into three phases. English news titles were originated in the Qing Dynasty. The characteristic of embryo is long and complex. The second stage of news title begins with the characteristic of diversity in the 19th century 70's. The third stage is from 20th century to nowadays and has the feature of concise and simplicity. In a word, the translation of English news title experienced the process from complexity to simplicity.2.2 Functions of English News TitleThe news title is the fundament al part of any piece of news. In a time when it’s harder to get people’s attention, good writers always spend too much time and creative energy working on their titles, because they know that the title is one of the most important parts of their work. According to Bruce H. Westley, from the standpoint of the reader, newspaper titles serve the following purposes:2.2.1 Pointing Out the News ContentNews titles summarize the news content, so the news content can be reflected by the titles alone. By glancing over them, the readers will know what the story is about. Readers can quickly locate the parts that interest him mostly by following the sequence of the news points line by line. Titles rank the importance of stories by the size of the print and placement on the page. And titles can convey the relative significance of the news.2.2.2 Producing Attractive EffectsNews titles are essential to attract the re ader’s attention. General speaking, two methods are used. First, the consistent use of familiar title structure gives the newspaper a relatively familiar and welcome nature. Secondly, English news title is trying to make good use of the front page of a newspaper, especially in electronic media. All of that can help attract the public’s attention. The front page plays the most important role of attracting the eyeballs of the readers well. Since newspapers are usually sold on the newsstands with just the top-half of the paper showing to the passengers, reporters of newspapers try every means to make the banner titles across the top of the page attractive enough to be a crowd-stopper (Westley 1972).2.3 Differences between Chinese and English News TitlesUnderstanding the similarities and differences between the Chinese and English news titles are carrying on the accurate translation. Any thing has its general character and its individuality. The Chinese and English news title is not exceptional. Directness and factuality are the two most prominent general characters. But the different language cultural context and the news tradition enable the Chinese and English title to have their own clear characteristics.2.3.1 Vocabulary Similarities and DifferencesIn most cases both English titles and Chinese titles share similarities in the vocabulary usage. First, in the news titles they both use shrinks and concise words (In Chinese we often used “armed police”,“Political Consultative Conference”,“WTO”,“Security Council”and so on. In English UN, UK, USA, NATO, WTO, NASA EU) “Minor term” is the popular word usage and t he fashionable word usage in English news titles. Second, both enjoy using popular words. Third, both enjoy using stylish words. For example:(1) 全球瞩目A股巨震，暴跌难阻股民入市热情(2) MP demands probe into MoD bungles (MP=Member of Parliament; MoD=ministry ofDefense(3) 越来越多的人在聚会时喜欢“k歌”(K song is stylish word)(4) American Online; Often Down, Never Out (Online is stylish word)The first two examples use the popular terms and the last two ones use the stylish word.Differences:Judging from vocabulary, the Chinese news title is fond of using several verbs together, but the English news title is fond of using several noun words together. English news often uses short words and some initials or acronyms which are printed in large type, Such as EEC short for European Economic Community.(5) 开放搞活改革致富(6) Britain “Flagship” Detention Center Abandoned(7) 武船再助“神舟”飞天（“武船”指武昌造船厂）(8) A 2nd LI Priest Removed (LI=Long Island)The first example shows Chinese title uses four verbs together, while the second one shows English title uses four nouns together. That’s the difference lying in the Chinese and English news title in the vocabulary usage.2.3.2 Tense Similarities and DifferencesEnglish and Chinese news titles all massively use the phrase title. In Chinese we commonly use verb-object phrase, noun phrase and so on. In English we commonly use non-localization minor sentence (for example participial phrase, Infinitive phrase and gerund phrase), adjective phrase, and preposition phrase and so on. Translation may happen according to respective characteristic transformation. E.g.(9) Five Ways to Be Romantic(10) Helping the Homeless to Help Themselves(11) US carmakers ready to cut output.(12) 走向美好明天的江西.(13) 变化中的股市(14) 中国与发展In the above English news titles, the first uses the infinitive phrase, the second uses the gerund phrase and the third uses the adjective phrase. In the Chinese news titles, the first uses two verb-object, the last one uses noun -verb.When we read English news title we will find English news titles often use simple present tense, present progressive tense and simple future tense, whose sign is obvious. However, you will find Chinese news titles often use present tense and progressive tense. Who tense sign is not obvious (Peter, Newmark 2001).For example:(15) French Culture Is the Doldrums法国文化颓然不振(16) China is growing strong.中国正在发展壮大.(17) China had an earth-shaking change.中国发生了一个翻天覆地的变化(18) 中国自然资源丰富.(19) 总理会见了受难群众(20) 中国法律将更加完善.(21) 圆满取得了成功.From the above examples we can find the first four examples use general present tense, general future tense, and present progressive tense, general past tense individually, and have obvious tense signs. The last ones use general present tense, the present tense replace past tense, future tense, past tense. But they have no obvious tense signs.2.3.3 Rhetoric Similarities and DifferencesBoth English and Chinese news title use the ordinary rhetoric, such as metaphor and hyperbole. It can attract more readers and make the news more clear and colorful.(22) Dam work brings flood of debate(23) 孩子是祖国的花朵(24) Graying Armies March to Defend Social Security(25) 一落千丈The first and second examples use the metaphor. The rest uses the hyperbole. The above two kinds of rhetoric are often used in English and Chinese news titles.As for the rhetoric, English-Chinese news title style is respectively different. The Chinese news title highly values a literary talent especial in antithesis and controls rhyme. The English news title is insipid and pays more attention to the fact. The usage of rhetoric lattice is limited. It often uses literary quotation, allegory, personification, harmonic tone, alliteration, repetition, word or phrase with double meaning, changing the order of rhetoric. Chinese news titles often use parallelism, overlapping, swing, aphorism, antithesis, comparison, word or phrase with double meanings. Some rhetoric is respectively for English institute such as alliteration and swings.(26) Protestant Protest(27) Grammy Apple of New York’s Eye?(28) The Scent of Descent(29) 名言草，实言人。