Abstract: With the development of mass media, newspapers have become one of the main media for us to obtain global information. Nowadays, English newspapers are very popular and have readers all over China. However, even for some English majors, many people still find it difficult to understand English newspaper headlines. This is because English newspaper headlines have their own characteristics and cultural background, which are different from the English we use every day in many ways. This paper will focus on the vocabulary, structural features and rhetorical devices of English newspaper headlines, which will help us to better understand when reading newspapers.
Key words: newspaper title, lexical features, structural features, rhetorical devices.
Abstract: With the development of media, newspapers have gradually become the main media for us to obtain information from all over the world. Nowadays, reading English newspapers is very popular. However, many people still find it difficult to understand the headlines of English newspapers, even English majors. This is because the headlines of English newspapers have their own unique characteristics, and the cultural background and daily English are different from ours in many ways. This paper focuses on the vocabulary, structure and rhetorical features of English newspapers, which helps us to have a better understanding when reading newspapers.
Key words: newspaper title, lexical features, structural features, rhetoric.
1. Introduction
Whenever we pick up the newspaper, we are greeted with a lot of news headlines. Headlines have become an indispensable part of newspapers. Editing means attracting readers' attention through headlines. Therefore, newspaper headlines are usually specially designed to be short, concise and informative to convey different kinds of information. We may be confused by the headlines, such as "Carter's garbage war", "UFO discovery", "Smuggler jailed and fined", "Stamp lovers weekly will be published soon" and so on. However, it is not easy for us to read English newspapers without some knowledge of the characteristics of news headlines. This paper summarizes the research on the development of newspapers in recent years, and introduces in detail the lexical features, structural features and rhetorical devices of English newspaper headlines.
2. Lexical features of English newspaper headlines
The lexical features of English newspaper headlines mainly include four parts. Their examples are as follows.
[1] abbreviation
Abbreviation, which is widely used in English newspapers, means "the abbreviated form of a word or phrase, mainly used for writing to represent the complete form". Generally speaking, there are three abbreviations in newspapers.
① abbreviation of organization
For example: UNESCO = United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
PLO = Palestine Liberation Organization
International Olympic Committee (IOC)
National Aeronautics and Space Administration = National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Conference
Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA)
② Abbreviations of majors and occupations.
For example: MP = MP = Prime Minister
GM = general manager PA = personal assistant
(3) the abbreviation of familiar things.
Example: UFO = UFO DJI = Dow Jones index
AIDS = acquired immunodeficiency syndrome
GMT = Greenwich mean time
Laser = amplification by stimulated emission of light
Radar = radio detection and ranging
Sonar = acoustic navigation ranging
TOEFL = English as a foreign language test
International English Language Testing System
[2] Shortened oil
The abbreviations of different words in newspapers are designed to save more space or shorten the length of headlines.
For example: cig cigarettes in graduate school-hospital
Cell-cell second-second representative-representative
Information-international information-international deli-deli
Hi-Fi-Hi-Tech-Hi-Tech 3-D- 3D
G7–G7 Atomic Bomb–Atomic Bomb V Day–Victory Day
[3] compound
Compound words in English newspapers usually consist of two or more words. By combining, we can make complex structures simple and save space.
For example: (1) "Expanding the program of subsidizing out-of-school children" (China Daily, February 5, 1998). The "dropouts" here refer to "students who drop out of school".
② "Li emphasizes anti-corruption" (China Daily, February 6. 1998). The "anti-corruption struggle" here refers to the "anti-corruption struggle".
[4] Informal small words
Newspaper headlines are likely to use informal small words, because small words have more meanings than big words and can be used in many situations. In news English, these words are called "synonyms of all works".
Example: goal-purpose, design, goal intention, etc.
Meetings-assemblies, conferences, parties, exams, etc.
Contract-contract, contract, agreement and practice
Trading-negotiation, trading, bargaining, etc.
3. The structural characteristics of English newspaper headlines
The structural features of English newspaper headlines can be divided into two aspects. They are as follows:
[1] omitted
Ellipsis is one of the main features of English newspaper headlines. Generally speaking, ellipsis can be divided into four types.
① Omit the article.
The former mayor of Italy was murdered
One tenth of English mackerel is ground into feed.
One tenth of British Maquerel fish is ground into feed.
② Omitting conjunctions and pronouns
Example: The United States and Vietnam resumed talks.
If you have dollars, sell them.
③ Omit "be" and auxiliary verbs.
Three people died from inhaling too much gas.
Married women receive nursing allowance.
Married women will receive nursing allowance.
PNC's worldview was praised.
④ Verb ellipsis
Example: votes, not bullets
It is reported that Pom peii was seriously damaged.
It is reported that the house was seriously damaged.
[2] Use nouns instead of adjectives, phrases and verbs.
Nouns are often used in newspaper headlines to replace different words and form various structures. So nouns are the most dynamic words in news headlines.
Example: Yugoslav pianist shocked the music world.
("Music World" = "Music World")
Corruption reports against the police have increased.
("corruption report" = "corruption complaint report")
The female axe killer was executed
("A woman murdered with an axe" = "A woman murderer who kills with an axe")
Export growth overcomes crisis
("growth" is used instead of "growth")
4. Rhetoric of English newspaper headlines
There are six main figures of speech in English newspaper headlines. They are as follows.
[1] imitation
Example: Does the son also get up to save or not?
The road that must be taken is just like what Maori do.
The candidate of China shopping mall is in the wind.
Therefore, I am an iPod.
[2] Metaphor
Example: A pigeon with wings spread.
White water may drown Democrats.
Trouble in the making
[3] alliteration
Alliteration is the repetition of the same consonant in continuous or closely connected syllables. Stressed syllables
Example: Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility.
Kill or cure? Carrots and sticks?
A lonely tiger tied to a virtual villain
[4] rhymes
Rhyme is the repetition of the same stressed vowel, followed by the same consonant, but preceded by different consonants.
For example: masculine rhyme: Foe/toe meet/fleet make/brake.
Female rhyme: Renaissance/Advent Mountain/Fountain
Eye Rhyme: Talent Gain/Loss Dream Team Wheels and Transactions
Bubble, bubble, toil and trouble This is not just a war.
[5] Pun
Pun is an expression of emphasis or humor by creating ambiguity. Two different meanings are implied by the same word or two words with similar pronunciation.
Example: Why is this river so rich? It has two banks.
Why are monkeys as talkative as women? Every monkey has a tail.
Why is that actress so cool? She has many fans.
Which runs faster, hot or cold? Hot, because everyone will catch a cold.
What is the worst weather for mice?
When it rains cats and dogs.
Why is the bride's wedding day always unlucky? Because she can never marry the best man.
What is the mind? It doesn't matter.
What's the matter? It doesn't matter.
[6] Idioms
Example: Rome was not built in a day.
Third time lucky.
The seven-year itch.
conclusion
In a word, English newspaper headlines can use different lexical features, structural features and rhetorical skills to create a variety of effects. In addition to the features mentioned above, English newspaper headlines have many other features for us to analyze. Understanding news headlines is the gateway to understanding world news, so news headlines are a field worthy of our in-depth study.