When Literature Language Meets News Language

盧胡卓越

【Abstract】Literature language and News language are two different language type, while, for attracting readers, writers more likely apply Literature language in News reports. This paper presents some comments on this phenomenon and make analysis, using examples to understand and comment on it.

【Key words】Literature Language；News Language; Integration; Phenomenon

These years, using literature language in news report becomes an ultimate weapon to attract readers eyeballs. When using language types people should draw a attention in expressions, because each of them has own standards. While, when two language types meet, whats the “chemical reaction”?

Any literary form has developed its own language style. Imaginary and truth are the essential distinctions between literature language and news language. Asa communication product, News needs journalists catch valued news in time by their keen eyes. Truth is the first property, and report is the second.. Namely, News reflects things original appearance, it requires not only the true basic elements of news, but including process, details, data, backgrounds.

While literature language is an art of language, it needs fabrication rather than truth. British contemporary literary critic, I·A·Richards says that literature language is a “sign”, this sign has no signified, it only relates to emotion. Literature language aims to arouse readers sympathetic response or special emotions. To some degree, literature is the reflection of real life, but it is not a concrete existence. Writers acquire inspiration from the reality, and created literature. Objectively, literature can transmit information, yet, this transmission cannot be its essential function.

News demands frequent terms. Journalists would make some explanations or metaphors for professional and technical terms. Popularization is one of standards for news language. Because the target of news is that make individuals acquire information completely, accurately and quickly. In this level, news language shares the same features with everyday speech, that is to say, news adopts accurate and simple language rather than artistic language. While it doesnt mean that news language is equal to everyday speech.

Over the years, common news cannot attract readers easily. Internet makes information transmit within a second, people need deeper report. Especially the popularization of news media( like television, broadcast) give a huge challenge to newspaper. This change requires news language develop to a deeper and vivid level. However, a thing turns into its opposite if pushed too far. Nowadays, when we open a piece of newspaper, some news titles give us a big ”surprise”, sometimes even frighten us.

For example, in one days Sina News, there a piece of news named “Policemen Captured the Maniac after 5-year Chasing”, it mainly tells a man killed a woman 5 years ago, and he ran away, during the five years, he escaped from one city to another city, and wrote many letters to his girlfriend deliberating provocation. This is totally a event of sorrow and anger, but the reporter emphasized the process of raping the woman, especially the description of raping mixed with the killers inner action, which makes readers horrible. It seems that the readers are reading a horror fiction. it wrote:

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“In Feb. 19, 1999, the 11th floor was a blank without decoration. That was a lonely and deserted 4th day of Chinese lunar new year, a female accountant was killed and spitted by a male security guard. In that night, the abnormity came out from his body, suddenly, the new security guard turned to be a maniac within a second, and then, this tragedy was starting…”

Needless to say, the news writer is a good novel writer, he is good at heightening atmosphere. Readers may feel chilly wind spray to own face when they read this paragraph. Another paragraph as follows:

“If the female accountant alive, does she still say those wordsto the male guard, what are you looking, silly man.This lady who is proud of her own beauty did not now that a intention to kill appears in the eyes of the silly guard…”

This detailed description is out of the objective of news, writer adds many details which make the report like a novel. Of course, such news report may attract more readers to read it, but what shall we call this kind of news a story or report?

When literature language and news language meet, it creates a new feeling. How to regard this trend? We have to make clear that the two types integrate in some reasons, since this phenomenon appears, we should admit it, and hold an attitude of concrete analysis. From current situation, the integration is well liked by most reader. While, with more practice, there will more problems appear, wed better not eager to make a conclusion, viewing the development, and leading it to a healthy development.

Reference：

[1].林溪漫.新聞語言與文學語言的差異與合流[J].閩江學院學報,2004(4).

[2].千仲明.新聞語言與文學語言比較[J].新聞與寫作,2001(12): 31.

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