??初讀英語新聞的時候，我們會對新聞英語中的一些語法現(xiàn)象和習(xí)慣用法不理解或不習(xí)慣。了解和熟悉這些語法現(xiàn)象和習(xí)慣用法有助于我們更好地閱讀英語新聞，也有助于對新聞內(nèi)容的理解。
??一、句子松散，口語化較強(qiáng)
??英語新聞中的句子一般較長，通常一段就是一句話。這是因為記者在報道新聞時總是用盡量短的篇幅來提供盡量多的信息。另外，新聞報道有截稿時間的限制，記者在想到新的情況和背景材料時來不及對原稿進(jìn)行改動就隨即增添或補(bǔ)插。因此，英語新聞中的句子較長，結(jié)構(gòu)較為松散，插入成分較多。我們用下面這則新聞來分析新聞英語的這一特點(diǎn)：
Microsoft Offers ＄1B to Schools
By ALLISONLINN
……
The funding，to be disbursed over five years, would pay for teacher?training，technicalsupport，refurbished computers and copies of Microsoft's Windows and Office，to about 14 spokesman Matt Pilla said．
……
-Associated Press Nov．21, 2001
??這段新聞只有一句話：微軟公司決定向美國14％的學(xué)校提供資助。句中"to be disbursed over five years"是動詞不定式作定語修飾前面的"funding"；"such as Windows and Office"也是插入語，修飾前面的"popular software"，這都給新聞提供了背景材料。同時作者將said引導(dǎo)的賓語從句放在句首，來強(qiáng)調(diào)重要的信息。整個句子結(jié)構(gòu)松散，明顯是口語化的句子，讀起來短促有力。
??英語新聞中，記者經(jīng)常利用狀語、定語、同位語、介詞短語、名詞短語等為新聞提供背景材料或?qū)π侣劦膬?nèi)容做進(jìn)一步的說明，這就是新聞英語的句子結(jié)構(gòu)顯得松散和插入成分較多的原因。
??二、賓語從句中引導(dǎo)詞的省略
??新聞常常都要說明消息來源，也就是要說明信息或消息的出處。從語法上講，在新聞英語中，主句常常是信息或消息的來源或出處，而它后面的賓語從句則是信息或消息的內(nèi)容。比如：China Daily said that．．．《中國日報》報道，……；Officials said that…官方人士稱，……等等。但是，在英語新聞的報道中，引導(dǎo)賓語從句的that常常省略，這是一個常見的情況。請看下面這段新聞：
Microsoft Offers ＄1B to Schools
By ALLISONLINN
……
Furniss said the proposed deal does not provide enough money to sustain the school programs and therefore would have no real long-term benefits．He also said it provides no real punishment for Microsoft，which has cash reserves of some ＄32billion．
……
-Associated Press Nov．212001
??在上面的這段新聞中，兩處的"said"之后都省略了"that"。有時引導(dǎo)賓語從句的 that也不省略，引導(dǎo)詞是否省略與新聞媒體各自不同的風(fēng)格有關(guān)。
??三、直接引語標(biāo)點(diǎn)符號的運(yùn)用
??在新聞英語中，直接引語用引號標(biāo)明并在適當(dāng)?shù)牡胤郊由舷碓?某某人、機(jī)構(gòu)、書報說"。"某某說"放在直接引語之前、之后、或者放在引語中間。"某某說"之前或之后可用冒號，逗號和句號。請看下面的例子：
??1．冒號之后接直接引語：
Cromer resigns as Seattle Weekly publisher
……
Schneiderman said："It really wasn't strategic；it was really style of leadership．We worked on it，we tried，but we just couldn't see eye to eye on what to do about it．"
……
-Associated Press Dec．7，2001
??在某某人說之后用冒號，后面的直接引語可能是一句話，也可能是幾句話，但必須是完整的句子。引號內(nèi)的引語第一個字母大寫，句子結(jié)尾用句號。實(shí)際上，直接引語放在said之后，這種情況在消息報道中用得并不多。
??2．直接引語放在said之前：
3 Americans Die in Afghanistan
By ROBERT BURNS
AP Military Writer
……
"This is one of the potentially most hazardous type of missions that we use as a military tactic，"said Rear Adm．John Stufflebeem， deputy director of operations for the Joint Chiefs of Staff．
……
-Associated Press Dec．05，2001
??直接引語放在前面，提供消息內(nèi)容的消息來源放在后面，這是新聞英語的一個習(xí)慣表達(dá)方式。在新聞英語中，這種安排是很常見的，也表現(xiàn)出了新聞的特點(diǎn)，就是讓讀者最早讀到最重要的新聞內(nèi)容。在上面的兩段中，引號內(nèi)的原話雖然是一個完整的句子，但是，按照英語的習(xí)慣，在沒有交代清楚是誰說的之前，它的句子仍不算完整。所以，引語的末尾仍然用逗號，消息來源某某說后面才使用句號。
3．直接引語中間插入 said：
New Law Lets U．S．Nab Foreign H ackers
By D．IAN HOPPER
……
"We haven't done that yet，because it's an affront to the way the Internet works，"Rasch said．"But now we're criminalizing anything that happens over the Internet because traffic passes through the United States．"
……
-Associated Press Nov．22，2001
??我們從上面的例子看到，"他說"插入在兩個完整的句子之間。第一個句子結(jié)尾用的是逗號，在"他說"之后用句號；這種情況與上面第二部分"直接引語放在said之前"的情況相同。"他說"后面接著的But now we're crim- inalizing anything…是另一個完整的句子，所以用大寫字母開頭。但是，必須注意這個句子仍然是前面"他"所說的內(nèi)容。
??四、根據(jù)內(nèi)容靈活運(yùn)用時態(tài)
??新聞報道的絕大多數(shù)是剛剛發(fā)生或正在發(fā)生的事情，因此記者總是盡量使用一般現(xiàn)在時態(tài)和現(xiàn)在完成時態(tài)，以示"新"和"快"；為了把消息繪聲繪色地傳達(dá)給聽眾，進(jìn)行時態(tài)使用的也比較普遍；當(dāng)然，過去時態(tài)也常使用。
??一般來說，新聞報道基本遵循時態(tài)和時態(tài)呼應(yīng)的語法規(guī)則，但又不拘泥于這一原則，往往根據(jù)實(shí)際，靈活運(yùn)用時態(tài)。例如：
NOVEMBER 21，18：55EST
Microsoft's Top Lawyer To Retire
William H．Neukom，executive vice presi- dent of law and corporate affairs，announced Wednesday that he will leave Microsoft to concentrate on philanthropy and to spend more time with his grown children．．．．
Neukom said he will continue living in Seattle，where he is chairman of the Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce and active in other community organizations．．．．
在上面的這段新聞中，動詞announced和 said后面的賓語從句中沒有用過去將來時，而是用現(xiàn)在將來時"will leave Microsoft"，"will continue living in Seattle"，因為消息發(fā)出時，從句中所說的事情還沒有發(fā)生。
［新聞英語閱讀訓(xùn)練］
??以上我們講解了新聞英語的一些語法特點(diǎn)，由于篇幅限制，不能引用更多的實(shí)例。下面是美聯(lián)社2001年11月25日發(fā)自瑞士蘇黎世的新聞報道，仔細(xì)閱讀該消息，相信同學(xué)們會對新聞英語中上述語法特點(diǎn)有更深的體會。
NOVEMBER 25，00：48EST
At Least 10 Die in Swiss Plane Crash
By ERNST E．ABEGG
Associated Press Writer
ZURICH，Switzerland（AP）-A Swiss airliner with 33 people on board crashed Saturday night as it was approaching Zurich Airport to land．At least 10people were killed and nine others walked away from the wreckage，officials said．
Local authorities issued an urgent appeal for local residents to join the search for survivors from the Crossair Jumbolino，which went down in a wooded area in the suburb of Birchwil，some two miles east of the airport．
"We have seen additional bodies but have not yet recov- ered them，"Zurich police chief Peter Grueter told a news conference．He refused to speculate about the final number of dead．
The cause of the crash- the second to strike Crossair in less than two years-was not immediately known．
However，two experts quoted on state-run Swiss television said the plane appeared to be flyingtoo low． Weather conditions were alsopoor when Flight LX3597went down，just after 10 p．m．，with rain and some snow．Crossair chief Andre Dose said there were no indications that terrorism was to blame．
On board the Avro RJ-100 Jumbolino from Berlin to Zurich were 33people -28 passengers and five crew，said Manfred Winkler，spokesman for Crossair，a subsidiary of the financially troubled Swis- sair Group．
Hans Baltenberger，a local police official，told Swiss television that at least 10 peo- ple had been killed．The nine known survivors walked on their own to rescue workers， said Zurich airport's chief medical officer Remo Reich- lin．Three had serious burns while the other six had less severe ones．
Neither the dead nor those who survived were immediately identified．However，the five crew were all Swiss nationals．
The plane was approaching runway 28，a new night landing strip that just began operating a month ago following an agreement by the Swiss transport ministry to limit Germany．
A fire ball engulfed the crash，but the cockpit ands cathed，local police and air-unconfirmed reports that the covered．
Winkler said there had never been any known problems with the small， four-engine jetliner，which is manufactured by Britain's BAE Aircraft Services Group and seats 97 people．
The crash was sure to add to the woes of Swissair．
Crossair，a subsidiary of the ailing Swissair Group，flies routes between Swiss cities and to other destinations in Europe．It is taking over parts of the Swissair operations in a complicated，government-financed bailout that is meant to be completed next spring．
"It's come at a very difficult time，"said company chief Dose．
Once the proud national flag flyer，Swissair last month suffered the indignity of having its planes grounded because they could no longer meet fuel and landing fees．Although the government and industry has since stepped in，the airline is still struggling to recover customer confidence and to fill empty seats．
??一、句子松散，口語化較強(qiáng)
??英語新聞中的句子一般較長，通常一段就是一句話。這是因為記者在報道新聞時總是用盡量短的篇幅來提供盡量多的信息。另外，新聞報道有截稿時間的限制，記者在想到新的情況和背景材料時來不及對原稿進(jìn)行改動就隨即增添或補(bǔ)插。因此，英語新聞中的句子較長，結(jié)構(gòu)較為松散，插入成分較多。我們用下面這則新聞來分析新聞英語的這一特點(diǎn)：
Microsoft Offers ＄1B to Schools
By ALLISONLINN
……
The funding，to be disbursed over five years, would pay for teacher?training，technicalsupport，refurbished computers and copies of Microsoft's Windows and Office，to about 14 spokesman Matt Pilla said．
……
-Associated Press Nov．21, 2001
??這段新聞只有一句話：微軟公司決定向美國14％的學(xué)校提供資助。句中"to be disbursed over five years"是動詞不定式作定語修飾前面的"funding"；"such as Windows and Office"也是插入語，修飾前面的"popular software"，這都給新聞提供了背景材料。同時作者將said引導(dǎo)的賓語從句放在句首，來強(qiáng)調(diào)重要的信息。整個句子結(jié)構(gòu)松散，明顯是口語化的句子，讀起來短促有力。
??英語新聞中，記者經(jīng)常利用狀語、定語、同位語、介詞短語、名詞短語等為新聞提供背景材料或?qū)π侣劦膬?nèi)容做進(jìn)一步的說明，這就是新聞英語的句子結(jié)構(gòu)顯得松散和插入成分較多的原因。
??二、賓語從句中引導(dǎo)詞的省略
??新聞常常都要說明消息來源，也就是要說明信息或消息的出處。從語法上講，在新聞英語中，主句常常是信息或消息的來源或出處，而它后面的賓語從句則是信息或消息的內(nèi)容。比如：China Daily said that．．．《中國日報》報道，……；Officials said that…官方人士稱，……等等。但是，在英語新聞的報道中，引導(dǎo)賓語從句的that常常省略，這是一個常見的情況。請看下面這段新聞：
Microsoft Offers ＄1B to Schools
By ALLISONLINN
……
Furniss said the proposed deal does not provide enough money to sustain the school programs and therefore would have no real long-term benefits．He also said it provides no real punishment for Microsoft，which has cash reserves of some ＄32billion．
……
-Associated Press Nov．212001
??在上面的這段新聞中，兩處的"said"之后都省略了"that"。有時引導(dǎo)賓語從句的 that也不省略，引導(dǎo)詞是否省略與新聞媒體各自不同的風(fēng)格有關(guān)。
??三、直接引語標(biāo)點(diǎn)符號的運(yùn)用
??在新聞英語中，直接引語用引號標(biāo)明并在適當(dāng)?shù)牡胤郊由舷碓?某某人、機(jī)構(gòu)、書報說"。"某某說"放在直接引語之前、之后、或者放在引語中間。"某某說"之前或之后可用冒號，逗號和句號。請看下面的例子：
??1．冒號之后接直接引語：
Cromer resigns as Seattle Weekly publisher
……
Schneiderman said："It really wasn't strategic；it was really style of leadership．We worked on it，we tried，but we just couldn't see eye to eye on what to do about it．"
……
-Associated Press Dec．7，2001
??在某某人說之后用冒號，后面的直接引語可能是一句話，也可能是幾句話，但必須是完整的句子。引號內(nèi)的引語第一個字母大寫，句子結(jié)尾用句號。實(shí)際上，直接引語放在said之后，這種情況在消息報道中用得并不多。
??2．直接引語放在said之前：
3 Americans Die in Afghanistan
By ROBERT BURNS
AP Military Writer
……
"This is one of the potentially most hazardous type of missions that we use as a military tactic，"said Rear Adm．John Stufflebeem， deputy director of operations for the Joint Chiefs of Staff．
……
-Associated Press Dec．05，2001
??直接引語放在前面，提供消息內(nèi)容的消息來源放在后面，這是新聞英語的一個習(xí)慣表達(dá)方式。在新聞英語中，這種安排是很常見的，也表現(xiàn)出了新聞的特點(diǎn)，就是讓讀者最早讀到最重要的新聞內(nèi)容。在上面的兩段中，引號內(nèi)的原話雖然是一個完整的句子，但是，按照英語的習(xí)慣，在沒有交代清楚是誰說的之前，它的句子仍不算完整。所以，引語的末尾仍然用逗號，消息來源某某說后面才使用句號。
3．直接引語中間插入 said：
New Law Lets U．S．Nab Foreign H ackers
By D．IAN HOPPER
……
"We haven't done that yet，because it's an affront to the way the Internet works，"Rasch said．"But now we're criminalizing anything that happens over the Internet because traffic passes through the United States．"
……
-Associated Press Nov．22，2001
??我們從上面的例子看到，"他說"插入在兩個完整的句子之間。第一個句子結(jié)尾用的是逗號，在"他說"之后用句號；這種情況與上面第二部分"直接引語放在said之前"的情況相同。"他說"后面接著的But now we're crim- inalizing anything…是另一個完整的句子，所以用大寫字母開頭。但是，必須注意這個句子仍然是前面"他"所說的內(nèi)容。
??四、根據(jù)內(nèi)容靈活運(yùn)用時態(tài)
??新聞報道的絕大多數(shù)是剛剛發(fā)生或正在發(fā)生的事情，因此記者總是盡量使用一般現(xiàn)在時態(tài)和現(xiàn)在完成時態(tài)，以示"新"和"快"；為了把消息繪聲繪色地傳達(dá)給聽眾，進(jìn)行時態(tài)使用的也比較普遍；當(dāng)然，過去時態(tài)也常使用。
??一般來說，新聞報道基本遵循時態(tài)和時態(tài)呼應(yīng)的語法規(guī)則，但又不拘泥于這一原則，往往根據(jù)實(shí)際，靈活運(yùn)用時態(tài)。例如：
NOVEMBER 21，18：55EST
Microsoft's Top Lawyer To Retire
William H．Neukom，executive vice presi- dent of law and corporate affairs，announced Wednesday that he will leave Microsoft to concentrate on philanthropy and to spend more time with his grown children．．．．
Neukom said he will continue living in Seattle，where he is chairman of the Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce and active in other community organizations．．．．
在上面的這段新聞中，動詞announced和 said后面的賓語從句中沒有用過去將來時，而是用現(xiàn)在將來時"will leave Microsoft"，"will continue living in Seattle"，因為消息發(fā)出時，從句中所說的事情還沒有發(fā)生。
［新聞英語閱讀訓(xùn)練］
??以上我們講解了新聞英語的一些語法特點(diǎn)，由于篇幅限制，不能引用更多的實(shí)例。下面是美聯(lián)社2001年11月25日發(fā)自瑞士蘇黎世的新聞報道，仔細(xì)閱讀該消息，相信同學(xué)們會對新聞英語中上述語法特點(diǎn)有更深的體會。
NOVEMBER 25，00：48EST
At Least 10 Die in Swiss Plane Crash
By ERNST E．ABEGG
Associated Press Writer
ZURICH，Switzerland（AP）-A Swiss airliner with 33 people on board crashed Saturday night as it was approaching Zurich Airport to land．At least 10people were killed and nine others walked away from the wreckage，officials said．
Local authorities issued an urgent appeal for local residents to join the search for survivors from the Crossair Jumbolino，which went down in a wooded area in the suburb of Birchwil，some two miles east of the airport．
"We have seen additional bodies but have not yet recov- ered them，"Zurich police chief Peter Grueter told a news conference．He refused to speculate about the final number of dead．
The cause of the crash- the second to strike Crossair in less than two years-was not immediately known．
However，two experts quoted on state-run Swiss television said the plane appeared to be flyingtoo low． Weather conditions were alsopoor when Flight LX3597went down，just after 10 p．m．，with rain and some snow．Crossair chief Andre Dose said there were no indications that terrorism was to blame．
On board the Avro RJ-100 Jumbolino from Berlin to Zurich were 33people -28 passengers and five crew，said Manfred Winkler，spokesman for Crossair，a subsidiary of the financially troubled Swis- sair Group．
Hans Baltenberger，a local police official，told Swiss television that at least 10 peo- ple had been killed．The nine known survivors walked on their own to rescue workers， said Zurich airport's chief medical officer Remo Reich- lin．Three had serious burns while the other six had less severe ones．
Neither the dead nor those who survived were immediately identified．However，the five crew were all Swiss nationals．
The plane was approaching runway 28，a new night landing strip that just began operating a month ago following an agreement by the Swiss transport ministry to limit Germany．
A fire ball engulfed the crash，but the cockpit ands cathed，local police and air-unconfirmed reports that the covered．
Winkler said there had never been any known problems with the small， four-engine jetliner，which is manufactured by Britain's BAE Aircraft Services Group and seats 97 people．
The crash was sure to add to the woes of Swissair．
Crossair，a subsidiary of the ailing Swissair Group，flies routes between Swiss cities and to other destinations in Europe．It is taking over parts of the Swissair operations in a complicated，government-financed bailout that is meant to be completed next spring．
"It's come at a very difficult time，"said company chief Dose．
Once the proud national flag flyer，Swissair last month suffered the indignity of having its planes grounded because they could no longer meet fuel and landing fees．Although the government and industry has since stepped in，the airline is still struggling to recover customer confidence and to fill empty seats．