| As one of the inherent property of all natural language, vagueness appears to be a pervasive phenomenon during the process of language communication. As a part of vague language, hedges are not only widely used as a choice of linguistic forms, but also is an important communicative strategy.A large number of scholars both at home and abroad have made great efforts to the study of hedges from various perspectives. However, it is not difficult to find that pragmatic studies on hedges are mainly carried out under the theoretical framework of Paul Grice’s Cooperative Principle and Geoffrey Leech’s Politeness Principle. Based on George Lakoff’s definition of hedges as well as the classification of hedges made by E. F. Prince et al., this thesis attempts to conduct an analysis of how linguistic hedges are applied to the adaptability of the three worlds from the perspective of the Adaptation Theory, which include the physical world, the social world and the mental world as well as the diversified pragmatic functions of hedges performed in English political news.This thesis collects 30 political news reports with a total number of 25735 words from one of the mainstream news media, the Guardian (http://www. theguardian.co.uk). Based on George Lakoff’s definition as well as E. F. Prince et al.’s classification of hedges considering the specific contexts, four types of hedges as well as their frequencies are respectively identified and listed one by one. Both quantitative and qualitative analyses are conducted to prove the pervasive existence of hedges in English political news. And the attribute shields are the prior choice for English political news. Specific examples are employed to discuss the diversified pragmatic functions in English political news.The Adaptation Theory offers a theoretical framework to explain the application of hedges in political news reports. With a detailed analysis of hedges in English political news reports, this thesis finds that the employment of various hedges is the result of choice making, which is inter-adaptable to the physical world, the social world and the mental world. In the process of news writing and linguistic choice making, news reporters make adaptations to various factors, including accuracy, impartiality, and timeliness within the physical world, confidentiality and politeness principle within the social world as well as readers’ and reporters’mental worlds so as to realize the diversified communicative purposes. Additionally, the variety of pragmatic functions performed in political news can make a contribution to increase the objectivity, flexibility, credibility of political news reports as well as to avoid sensitive political topics, providing self-protection for news writers and maintaining the stability of political lives.These findings are conducive to helping English political news writers and readers to have a better comprehension of the usage of hedges and can also reduce the comprehensive burden of second language learners. |
PDF Full Text Request