奥巴马胜选演说文体分析

• (3) Rhythmic effect • (Obama often seeks to exploit the rhythm of language by the choice and arrangement of words. Obama’s arrangement of stressed and unstressed syllables gives the speech an almost musical quality. )
• Various sentence types
• The majority of sentences in president Obama’s speech are declarative sentences, but imperative sentences and interrogative sentences can also be found.
• e.g. democracy, sacrifice, enormity, mortgage, humanity, determination, challenge
• This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment. • This is our time - to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American Dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth - that out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope, and where we are met with cynicism, and doubt, and those who tell us that we can't, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people: • Yes, we can.
Syntactic (Grammatical) features
• Variation in sentence length • The adoption of different lengths of sentences made his address more acceptable, understandable, and eloquent and can satisfy both the ordinary and the elites taste. And the combination of short sentences and long sentence made the speech less boring.
When there was despair in the Dust Bowl and depression across the land, she saw a nation conquer fear itself with a New Deal, new jobs and a new sense of common purpose. Yes, we can It is the only chance for us to make that change.
• (5) Stress is used on some words
• e.g. Their voices could `be that different. • Our union `can be perfected.
• (5) Full use of non-verbal communication • (Gestures appear naturally and spontaneously, help to clarify or reinforce ideas and be suited to the audience and occasion. Eyes contacts are sometimes used to establish a communicative bond with the audience, conveying the speaker’s confidence, sincerity and conviction.)
• e.g. to put our people back to work and open doors for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace…
• Block by block, brick by brick • Heartache and hope • She lived to see them stand up and speak out…
Lexical Features
• Less hard words are used, however, the big abstract words which describe the quality are also frequently used. And these words made the speech formal and serious without losing the features of formal public speech.
The Stylistic Features of President Obama’s Victory Speech
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Background & Comments
Obama's finest speeches do not excite... They elevate. They enmesh you in a grander moment, as if history has stopped flowing passively by, and, just for an instant, contracted around you, made you aware of its presence, and your role in it. ---------The American Prospect's Ezra Klein
• Alliteration is used for rhythmic effect • e.g. • partisanship and pettiness, poisoned our Politics. • From parliament and palaces. • A new spirit of service, a new spirit of sacrifice.
• (4) Distinct articulation
Standard pronunciation; Fluent speaking and good memory 如：Let us，而不用 “Let’s…” I would not be standing here… (不用”I wouldn’t…”) 少用吞音，压缩音，缩略词也少用, 不仅减 少了理解困难，同时使奥巴马的演讲显得 庄重、严肃。
• 在奥巴马的演说词中，多次运用 “We”，便于拉近演讲者和听众的距 离，听众感受到与演说者的一种强烈 的亲密联系，整个国家仿佛是一个密 切的整体，这样更容易赢得听众的赞 同和支持。
• 在此演讲中，"we" 共计使用47次, "us" 用12次，"our" 用27次，合计86 次。 • 当演讲者用“we”代替“I”时，可以 营造一种友好的气氛，让受众感到更 为亲切。
Phonological features
• (1) Appropriate tempo and pitch variation
• In president Obama’s address, he spoke in different pitches and tempos with the development of his speech. In order to show his feelings and emotions, president Obama used different pitches and tempos in different parts.
• Pronouns are used, especially the first & second person pronouns “we, I, me, my, us and our &you and your” • In public speech, by frequently using the first person pronouns, it is easier for the speaker to demonstrate his views and get the resonance from the public. • The use of “we” can make the address and president Obama closer to the public, because this word can shorten the distance between the president and ordinary Americans, and their relationship becomes more intimate.
• The different types of sentences can make the listeners closely follow the speaker’s idea without feeling bored. The Interrogative sentence can lead the listeners to think and then get the resonance. The imperative sentences made the listeners feel to be involved in president Obama’s address and can feel both the heavy responsibility on their shoulder and the pride to be an American.
• (2) Rightly timed pauses are used appropriately, waiting for audience’s feedback and make emotional climax. • (Pause in public speech is useful. It can signal the end of a thought unit, give an idea time to sink in, and lend dramatic impact to a statement. The crucial factor is timing pause for a right length of time. In a sense, a rightly timed pause can be more effective than a right word.)
• You’d have to have a heart of stone not to feel moved by this. An African-American man wins a closely fought campaign in a pivotal state. He beats two strong opponents, including the mighty Clinton machine. He does it in a system that favors rural voters. • ------The New York Times' David Brooks