| As one of mass media, news has an important position in people's daily life. English news, nowadays, has become the window through which all the people in the world get to know the world and reflect the world. Undoubtedly, English news requests the latest information in the shortest time and emphasizes accuracy which is one of its most important elements. However, how to explain the phenomenon that much vagueness exists in English news reports. On the basis of the framework which comprehends adaptation theory, relevance theory, and hedges, this dissertation analyzes fifty-one pieces of English news materials in order to answer three research questions: Why does vagueness occur in news English? How is vagueness realized in news English? What are the functions of vagueness in news English and how are they fulfilled?With regard to the existential reasons of vagueness in news English, through the analyses of the news materials from the perspective of adaptation theory, the author reached a conclusion that news wording has to make some certain adaptations: adaptations to the news users, the mental world, the social world, and the physical world. Vagueness can be realized on different structural levels such as the semantic level including hedges. What's more, vagueness in news English can exert some functions: attention attracting function, leading function, protecting function and so on. The author explained the functions using relevance theory.Via the research of this dissertation on vagueness in news English, the readers can know more about vagueness and correctly view the phenomenon that much vagueness exists in news English. Besides, through this dissertation, the readers can further the understanding of adaptation theory and relevance theory.
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