英美报刊课程论文Course PaperOn the importance of the course of Selected Readings from American and British Newspapers and MagazinesCollege：西南林业大学外国语学院Specialty and Grade：10级英语2班Number；20100351004Name：严青为Submitted time: 2012/10/16Title: O n Linguistic Features of Financial Coverage inEnglish News PublicationsAbstract:Based on first-hand examples characteristic of journalistic style, this，paper probes into the seven major linguistic features of financial coverage in English news publication. It adopts the view that the language used in financial news, whose primary function is to inform, is supposed to be specific, accurate and concise. Though sharing the common features of journalistic English in terms of writing style, financial coverage stands out for its own uniqueness.Key words:Financial news significance features English learning1.The significance of the financial coverageFinancial news is an important style of news report in modern time. With the development of technology and social level, people concentrate more on the economy. Financial news plays an increasing role in human’s daily life, and individuals are supposed to acquire the information and knowledge from it. The significance of the financial news can be classified into tow points.1.1The improvement of English levelsIt is believed that reading is an essential way of learning English. Reading English newspapers can not only help the students increase knowledge, and helps develop students’ ability of observation, understanding, thinking and judgment. English newspapers are attention to current events. The novel is very interesting. Reading English newspapers can effectively avoid out of touch with real life, helps to stimulate interest in learning English and to strengthen their confidence and motivation for learning English. At the same time also allows us to better understand the way of news features and news. Newspaper reading is not only used the simple and obvious words, popular language, illustrated, but also introduce learning methods and techniques of column, helping to improve the ability to actually use the language.1.2 The enlargement of knowledge of EconomyThe main aim of news is to transfer information. Reading is the beginning. What we should do when we read is scope knowledge. It is crucial for us to get the effective information.Having read financial news, we have learnt that many governments and parties have taken effective and drastic measures to protect the country from the economic recession and step forwards to recovery. At the same time, we get to know some economic specialized terms, words such as Fluctuation, Recession, Stocks, Overheated, IMF (the International Monetary Fund), phrases and expressions such as the Adjustment of Industrial Structure, Wall Street, Regional economy. They are either specialized words or set phrases, which can help us with a better understanding of economy—related texts and enlarge our storage of the knowledge of economy.2. The features of financial news2.1Features of Words1. SpecialtyOn the one hand, there are many terminologies (professional language) and some words have their special meanings.For instance: long(多头)、short(空头)、rally(价格回稳)、call(看涨)、put(看跌) On the other hand, sometimes there are slang and oral words used in Economic News. Like: Clinton has vowed to veto the bill on grounds that it is unfair to America's have-nots.( have-nots means poor, it always used in spoken English.)2. Creativity (New words and minor term)Creating new words and using minor terms are tow effective ways to get the meanings across to readers.For instance, rout=defeat completely ; swap=influence.3. Midget WordsUsing midget words is very common in a piece of financial coverage. These midge words can be used to describe many phenomena, so they also called synonyms words (万能同义词).For instance:a. Quake Death Toll May Top 2000= The Death Toll in the Earthquake exceeds 2000b. Governor to Axe Aide?=Is the governor going to cut his aides?c. FBI Foils Bid to Hijack Plane to Iran=FBI has prevented gangsters’attempt to hijack plane to Iran4. VividnessIt is commonly believed that economy is a serious topic, but the news is read by ordinary people. In order to stay close to the life and the readers, there are not only various of terminologies, but also some common sayings and vividly metaphors or similes are used in financial news at the same timeSuch as:The company, , is arguably the hottest ticket on the runaway train of electronic commerce.“the hottest ticket on the runaway train” describe the influence of this company in electronic commerce.Express the phrases in various waysrise上升fall下降jump跳升drop下落skyrocket爆涨dump狂泻surge急涨plunge猛跌soar剧增retreat回落climb攀升dive下跌spurt突升tumble急落advance上涨decline下降inch up缓升slip下滑notch up升高shed跌落fly飞升dip下降rebound反弹roll back回落gain增长lose降低5. AbbreviationThe w ord ‘abbreviation’, strictly means a shortening or abridgment, commonly refers to a letter or a group of letters taken from a single word or phrase, a nd used for brevity’s sake, to represent that word or phrase. In financial news, abbreviations are very often used to save space and time. This conforms to the conciseness characteristic of financial news. However, when we use the abbreviations, we should know their meanings and know where they are appropriateFinancial news has large quantity of information, and updates fast. So, using abbreviation satisfied the fast characteristic of financial news. It greatly improved the speed of the language expression.Like:MOC---Ministry of CommerceGDB---Guangdong Development BankCNOOC---National Offshore Oil CorpF.A.Q (=fair average quality) 平均中等品质 D.W.T (=dead weight on) 载重吨位PCT (=percent) 百分比3) Abbreviations and Simplified 简化Words Commonly Used 常用in Cables and Telexes PLS (=please) ASAP (=as soon as possible) DOC (=document) 4) Country Codes 国家代码CN (=China) US (=United States) WTO (=World Trade Organization) 6) Currency Codes 货币代码CNY (=Chinese Yuan) USD (=United State Dollar)a. World Bank, IMF— Do They HelpOr Hurt Third Worldb. PM to see MPs over big factory closures( The Times, 1981)3.1 the features of language1. Timelessness ( it is very objective and instructive)This feature means when we read Economic News , we will get the information from the News and we can know the policy of the government , in this case, we will make right choice when we want to invest or do something about Economy.2. ComparisonThere are many short and powerful comparable verbs in Economic News.Increase ( rise, go up, amount, advance, jump, lift, peak, inch up, grow, leap) Decrease ( fall, drop, go drown, dive, lop, reach a low point, fall off, decline) Example: The report says members of the association forecast the operating rates will slump to an average of 70.7 percent next year.3. AccuracyWhen it comes to data, the Economic News will show their accuracy to us.For example: According to the new measures, which will be in place for a year, the import taxes Brazil imposes on bicycles and car tires will increase from 16 percent to 25 percent, on mineral oil from 4 percent to 25 percent, on aluminum plating from 14 percent to 20 percent, and on potatoes from 14 percent to 25 percentSometimes, when explain the data, the Economic News always make it smaller to understand.Like: The world arms expenditure last year reached an unprecedented number, altogether 550billion, that is, about 1million every minute.4. The features of headlinesHeadline is a key factor of the economic news, featuring unique stylistic characteristics. This paper, based on the functional stylistic theory, makes a tentative study of the economic news’ headline from the perspective of grammatical characteristics, news vocabulary and rhetoric feature.4.1 Grammatical featuresOmissionOmission of articles / pronoun/ “and” / auxiliary verbsChina launches first ICBM into pacificBoys on cliff rescuedMother, daughter share Fulbright yearWitty, Inventive furniture dominates Milan ExpositionForecast of Mexican quake accurate, but ignoredTourist arrested for espionage chargesI.冠词的省略：Consumer confidence hits 8-month highII.连词and 省略：Incomes, spending rise in NovemberIII.系动词be的省略：Caller-pays system still far awayIV.组动词be的省略：Succession Pace Stepped UpTensea. Simple present is the most commonly used tense in headline to give the reader a sense of “timeliness”by giving a vivid, eyewitness account.US and Egypt hold air exercisesWomen’s soccer calls for supportBut: Unemployment in U.K. increased in Octoberb. Future is always indicated by infinitive “to + do”, or in simple present tenseRussia to hold Polish border manoeuvresShanxi to invest large sums for tourism2 EC officials to visit U.S. to pave way for trade talksPredicate(1) Adjective as predicateUS carmaker ready to cut outputBuenos Aires “close” to deal on fresh IMF loanEU and China closer to deal on Beijing’s WTO entry(2) Participial phrase as predicateIdentities of Hijack suspects releasedU.S. Attacked: Hijacked jets destroy twin towers and hit pentagon in day of terror Fed expected to make a half-point cut in ratesUS weather forecasters caught out by stormTop Pakistan judge dismissed after refusing to take oath(3) Infinitive as predicateGermany to lift ban on transport of N-wasteChina to continue fiscal program to aid economyJapan to help elderly joblessPunctuationEleven dead, 200 injured in concert blastProtests sweep Israel, PalestineEconomy grows slowly as unemployment, inflation rise --- economistKissinger reasserts: Sino-US ties crucial4.2Rhetorical features1. Rhyme & alliterationAfter the boom everything is gloomWeather worriesPei’s pyramids puzzle2.PunThe pun in this case is in the words burning questions. The questions are about fires, hence burning questions, but burning question is another way of saying an important or urgent question.The term gender has to do with male and female; and the newspaper article in question deals with the return of tension in the working relationships of men and women in London post offices. The headline is a pun on the instruction Return to sender, which is stamped on letters that cannot be delivered and must be sent back to the people who wrote them.Burning questions on tunnel safety unanswered (About the possibility of fires in the Channel tunnel)Return to gender (About a reoccurrence of sexual harassment in London post offices)5. ConclusionThe linguistic features of financial coverage in English news publications are various and worth to study.By studying the features and readying the financial news, we can not only get the information, knowledge, expanding horizons, enrich the spare life, learn English, and will enable us to recognize the meaning and value of learning English, experience the fun of learning English so boring life more colorful. In today’s information society, to get valuable information, learn the modern English textbooks alone are not enough. In constant development and change in English and Chinese, foreigners learning Chinese, have to read Chinese newspapers and periodicals, and modern we learn English, also have to read English newspapers. Students cultivate a good habit of reading English newspapers and periodicals, we can closely follow the trend of English language, discover a wealth of learning materialsin the newspaper reading, improving listening comprehension, reading comprehension, verbal communication and writing, language ability effectively.References:[1] Xinhua online&Wright, Laura and J. Hope. Stylistics: A Practical Coursebook. [M]. Beijing: FLTRP, 2000[2].Widdowson, H. G. Practical Stylistics Oxford. [M]. Oxford University Press,1992.[3].Itude, Bruce D.& Douglas A. Anderson News Writing and Reporting for Today's Media[M].5th ed. New Youl: McGraw—Hill, 2006.[4].Luo Xianglin, The Thinking towards the course of Selected Readings from American and British Newspapers and Magazines [M],2006, 6.。