Critical Discourse Analysis Of Reported Discourse In News Translation

Critical discourse analysis is suitable for detailed analysis of discourse from macro social background and micro textual level,thus providing us with a practical tool for discourse analysis.This study attempts to explore how this analytical model can be applied to the analysis of the translation of news reported discourse in order to disclose the factors influencing the text generation and translation.And reporting verbs are an important concept that can directly indicate the viewpoint and attitude of the reporter in the research category of reported discourse in critical discourse analysis.Therefore,this paper will focus on the reporting verb in news texts to explore the real meaning hidden behind.Specifically,this paper is theoretically based on critical discourse analysis and combines a series of methods,such as text analysis,data collection,classification and contrastive analysis.The present thesis uses critical discourse analysis to analyze such factors as political position and power and their potential influence on the reported discourse that is frequently used by The Washington Post in its reports on South China Sea,revealing the causes for the choice of diction and the translation of the reported discourse in the English original news and corresponding Chinese translations.Through critical discourse analysis of the reported discourse on South China Sea news,it is found that the US media tend to use the meaning potential of reported discourse,especially positive reporting verbs to safeguard their own national interests and right to speak while using that of the negative reporting verbs to undermine the image and interests of other countries,thus promoting the hegemony and power politics intended by the US government.Through contrastive analysis of the news translations without critical discourse analysis and their corresponding ones with critical discourse analysis,the real intention of the US to influence and control the situation of the South China Sea region is exposed to be hidden in the reporting verbs in the news of The Washington Post.Through research,this thesis reaches the following conclusions:(1)Reported discourse,especially reporting verbs,are important means of expressing political overtone in news and critical discourse analysis avails news translators of the ability to see the influence of the macro and social context on news discourse.Critical discourse analysis can not only reveal the reasons for the changes in language forms and meaning behind translation,but also deepen people's perception and understanding of news and its translation.At the same time,it can also reveal the competition and confrontation among countries through critical discourse analysis of news reports and their reporting discourse,thus helping the translator understand and translate the news correctly.(2)After studying the relevant reports on South China Sea,it can be concluded that The Washington Post tends to use negative reporting verbs to report the standpoints and views of the Chinese government,especially those with a high degree of negativity.However,when reporting the relevant views of the US government,they prefer to use positive reporting verbs or the negative reporting verbs with a low degree of negativity.This leads to misunderstanding about the Chinese government by foreign readers,whereas produces more supporters for the US government at the same time.Therefore,reported discourse and reporting verbs tend to either praise or criticize in news and the user's intention of them matters most,to which the translator should pay special attention.(3)Translation variation is a significant translation strategy in news translation,which provides us with a new approach to the translation of news and reported discourse.With the help of the specific methods like addition,subtraction and integration of translation variation,news translators can adjust the structure of the original news discourse,increase some words to explain the content in the original news,or to delete unnecessary information to make the translated news easier for people to read and accept as it goes more in line with the Chinese language,the Chinese culture and the Chinese politics after a critical discourse analysis is carried out.In a nutshell,the translator is expected to conduct critical news discourse analysis and use appropriate translation strategy and techniques if he is to achieve a moreaccurate editing and translation of international political news.