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          廣告英語語言特色
          
						
						
						
						
						
          
						
						
					
          					
					 
           
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          廣告英語語言特色
           
          摘要
           
          廣告，顧名思義就是廣而告之。作為一種宣傳和傳播信息模式，廣告的作用不容忽視，因為它不僅只是一種說服顧客進行消費的技巧，更重要的是，它已逐漸成為社會交流的必須手段之一。本文通過對大量英語廣告實例進行分析，并參照國外著名廣告人GuyCook等的理論，詳細剖析了廣告英語的語言特點。
           
          廣告在我們今天的社會幾乎是無孔不入，它的傳播介質多種多樣，包括報紙、雜志、電視、廣播、網絡等。廣告具有鮮明的目的性，即說服顧客進行購買，這種目的性決定了其語言的特色性風格，使其獨立于其它文體，在語言學范疇內值得研究。本文選定英語這一全球普遍使用的語言，就其應用于廣告領域而產生的一些語言學特點和廣告本身的社會性特點進行深入分析，希望能對相關領域的研究有一定的借鑒作用和參考價值。
           
          本文共分為五章，第一章追溯了廣告的起源，對廣告的分類、作用及定義做了簡單概要；第二章介紹了廣告和文體學的基本定義，廣告中，文字和圖像的完美結合取決于創意和所用媒體，但它們共同組成了廣告語言；第三章從句法學、修辭學、詞匯學等理論切入，用大量例子分析了廣告英語的語言特點，并從語篇分析的角度對其語言特點進行了剖析；在語篇分析的章節中，引用了GuyCook的語篇分析模型，并引入了廣告問題研究領域新近提出的“文章關聯性”等概念；第四章結合了第三章的觀點，通過具體英語廣告實例對標題中的用詞、句子結構、稱謂模式、修辭格進行了闡述，分析了廣告語言對廣告效果的影響；最后一章指出了廣告英語發展的口語化和簡單化趨勢及其目前存在的模糊性語言特點，揭開了廣告華麗詞藻下所掩蓋的非真實的廣告氛圍，批判了其模糊性誤導消費者的消極一面。
           
          關鍵詞：廣告；廣告英語；語言特點
           
          Abstract
           
          Asawayofpropagatingandtransmittinginformation,advertising’sroleconnotbeunderestimatedbecauseitisnotonlyanartfultechniqueinpersuadingpeopletobuy,butalsograduallyhasbecomeamustforsocialcommunicationwhichinturninfluencesthedevelopmentofsocietyandeconomy.ThepurposeofthispaperistostudythelinguisticfeaturesandsociologicalfeaturesofadvertisingEnglish,inthehopetohelpcopywritersathomemarketsintheircreatingprocess.
           
          Nowadaysadvertisinghaspenetratedintoeverycornerofourlifeasitstransmittingmediainmanyforms:newspaper,magazine,TV,radioaswellasnetwork.Thegoalofadvertisingdecidesitslanguagetobesimpleanddirect,distinctfromthecharacteristicsofotherdiscourses.ThusananalysisonthelinguisticfeaturesofadvertisingEnglishinthelinguisticfieldisworthwhile.Undersuchcircumstances,astudyonthelinguisticfeaturesofadvertisingEnglishwillhavepracticaleffectsonthecomposingandtranslatingworkofthecopywriters.
           
          Thewholepaperisdividedintofivechapters.Thefirstchaptertracesbacktheoriginofadvertisingandabriefintroductionontheclassifications,rolesanddefinitionsofadvertisingispresentedforthelaterdiscussion.
           
          Thesecondchapterintroducesthetheoryofadvertisementsandstylistics,theprecisebalanceofwords(eitherspokenorwritten)andpicturesisdeterminedbythecreativeconceptandthemediumused,butthecombinationofimagesandwordsmakesupthelanguageofadvertising.
           
          Thethirdchapterstartsfromthetheoriesinsyntax,lexicology,rhetoricandendswiththelinguisticfeaturesanalyzedinthefieldofdiscourseanalysis.
           
          ThefourthchaptercombinestheviewpointsfromthepreviouschapterthirdandexplorestheeffectoftheadvertisingEnglishasawholeadvertisingprocess.Thelastchapter,alsotheconclusionpart,showsthatthoughadvertisinglanguageappearstobefloweryandrefined,itscontentisnobetterthancommonestlanguagecouldconvey.Byexposingthevarioustechniquesadvertisershaveemployedintheirwriting,thisparthopestoremindconsumersthatadvertisingEnglishisgraduallyattainingthenegativeandambiguousroleinguidingpeopletobuy.
           
          Keywords:Advertising,AdvertisingEnglish,LinguisticFeatures
           
          Chapter1Introduction
           
          NootherstatementcouldhavesummedupthecharmofadvertisementthanwhatAldousHuxleyhascommented.Ashehassaidadvertisementasaliteraryformisthemostexciting,themostarduousliteraryformofall,andthemostpregnantincuriouspossibilities.Inhiscommentheassertedadvertisementisaliteraryformandthecopywritingprocessisthedelightfulandsalubriousexerciseforthemind.Butallinall,whatisadvertising,andwhatmakesitunique?
           
          1.1HistoryofAdvertisement
           
          Advertisementemergedfromthewombofcommodityproductionandexchange.Theconditionfortheexistenceofadvertisingis“atleastasegmentofthepopulationmustliveabovethesubsistencelevel”.Whenthissituationoccursitalsobecomesnecessaryfor“theproducersofmaterially‘unnecessary’goodstodosomethingtomakepeoplewanttoacquiretheircommodities.”(VestergaardandSchroder4)
           
          Theembryonicformofadvertisingintheworldisstreetcries,whichexisteventoday.AdvertisingwasnotunknowninancientGreeceandRome,butadvertisingaswerecognizeitdidnotstartuntiltheseventeenthcenturyintheWest.Itwasataboutthistimethatnewspaperbegantocirculate.Beforethat,itisprintingwhichwasfirstinventedinChinaandthenintroducedtotheWestthatplayedavitalroleintheproductionofprintadvertising.“Classified”(smallads)typesofadvertisingweredominantbeforethenineteenthcenturyandstyleandlanguageusedinadsatthattimetendedtobedirectandinformative.TheindustrialRevolution,whichbeganinEnglandinthemid-1700sandreachedtheUnitedStatesbytheearly1800s,facilitatedmass-productionofgoods.Meanwhileadvertisingbecamemoreandmoreimportantintheindustrialmarket.Thegreatbreakthroughforadvertisingcameonlyinthelatenineteenthcentury.Technologyandmass-productiontechniqueswerethensufficientlydevelopedformorefirmstobeabletoturnoutproductsofroughlythesamequalityandatroughlythesameprice.Thisbroughtonacrisisofover-productionandunderconsumptionwhichmeantthatthemarketneededtobestimulatedbyadvertising.Atthistimeadvertisingchangeditsfunctionfromproclamationtopersuasion.Inthetwentiethcentury,advertisingdevelopedrapidlyalongsidetheadventofnewmedia-radioandtelevisioninsuccession.
           
          AccordingtoRichardPollay’scontentanalysisoftwothousandprintadsfromtenleadingmagazinesintheUSA,adshaveprogressivelyturnedtowardstheemotionalratherthantheinformativeapproachandthereisashiftseeinghumannatureasrationaltoseemingitasemotional.
           
          TodayinChina,whileoureconomicstructureisshiftingfromtheentirelyplannedeconomytothesocialistmarketeconomysystem,advertisingisbecomingmoreandmoreactiveandsophisticated.In1992,China’sadvertisingexpenditurereached$862million,amongthefastestgrowingcountriesinAsia.ThisyearwiththeentryofChinaintoWTO,thisexpenditurefigurewillundoubtedlyriseup,whichwillsupporttheviewthatadvertisingisanindispensablemeansforprovidingtheinformationthatallmarket-orientedindustrializedsocietiesneedfortheireconomiestofunctionefficiently.
           
          1.2ClassificationsofAdvertising
           
          Advertisingmaybeclassifiedbymedium(newspaper,magazine,radio,television).Bytargetaudience(consumer,industrial,business),bygeography(international,national,regional,local),orbyitsfunctionorpurpose(productornon-product,commercialornoncommercial,primarydemandorselectivedemand,directactionorindirectaction).
           
          BecauseitisdifficulttogainaccesstoenoughdateforEnglishcommercialsandadsonradioorTV,thus,thesubjectofthisresearchpaperwillmainlyconcentrateontheprintadvertising.
           
          1.3RolesofAdvertising
           
          Anadvertiser’smainpurposeistopresentandexhibitproductorservice,andtospreadtheinfluenceandcoverageofwhichtotheextentthatthepotentialpurchasingpopulationbecomesrealandactual.Simplyput,advertiserstrybythevariousmeansattheirdisposaltogetpeopletobuytheproductorserviceadvertised.Moreover,advertiserswantpotentialpurchaserstoconsiderwhatisadvertisedtotheexclusionofallothersimilarproductsorservices.Theythereforeattempttoconstructanadvertisementthatwillfullyinvolvetheattentionofthepotentialpurchaserandwhichwillhaveapersuasiveeffect.Advertisersthuscreateasemioticworldinordertopersuadetheiraudienceofessential“rightness”ofpurchasingtheproductorserviceadvertised.
           
          1.4DefinitionsofAdvertising
           
          Afterabriefintroductionoftheclassificationsandrolesofadvertising,wenowcometothedefinitionsofadvertising.Fromdifferentperspectivesorpurposes,thedefinitionsmightalsovary.InEnglish,theword“advertise”hasitsoriginin“advertere”inLatin,meaning“toinformsomebodyofsomething”,“tobringintonotice”or“todrawattentiontosomething”,etc.InChinese,theequivalentterm“guanggao”means“widelyannounce”.
           
          Thefatherofmodernadvertising,AlbertLaskersaidthatadvertisingwas“salesmanshipinprint”.Althoughthedefinitionwasgivenlongbeforetheadventofradioandtelevision,andthenatureandscopeofadvertisingatthattimewereconsiderablydifferentthantheyaretoday,thisoften-repeatedsayingindicatesthattheultimateobjectiveofadvertisingistosell.Obviouslyitisnotaworkingdefinitionbecausewecannotuseittocoveralladvertisements.Today,awidelyquotedworkingdefinitionofadvertisingwasputforwardbyCourtlandL.BoveeandWilliamF.Arens:”Advertisingisthenonpersonalcommunicationofinformation,usuallypaidforandusuallypersuasiveinnature,aboutproducts(goodsorservices)orideasbyidentifiedsponsorsthroughvariousmedia.”（Cook，Guy.TheDiscourseofAdvertising.London:Routledge,1992）
           
          AnotherlinguistBolendefinesadvertisingasa“Paid,non-personalcommunicationthroughvariousmassmediabybusinessfirms,nonprofitorganizations,andindividualswhoareinsomewayidentifiedinthemessageandwhohopetoinformorpersuademembersofaparticularaudience.”(Carter,RonaldandGoddard,Angela,ReahDanutaetal.WorkingwithTexts.London:Routledge,1997)
           
          Ifthedefinitionsofadvertisingweretoovagueandabstracttocomprehend,afewwordsofitsfunctionwouldhelptoclarifythiscrucialterm.Broadlyspeaking,advertisementshaveatleastoneoftwofunctions:informingorpersuading,althoughoverlapmayoftentakeplaceinonesinglepiece.Thetrickhereisthataninformativeadvertisementinforms“thecustomeraboutgoods,services,orideasandthentellshowtogetthemmeansofanidentifiedsponsor”(Bolen6).Examplesofinformativeadvertisementsarenotafew,rangingfromflyerstoinsertionsinmagazineandnewspapers,allofthataimtoadvertisenewproducts/servicesorspecialpricesoncertainproducts/services.Thistypeofadvertisementgivesbasic,factualinformationandsometimesshowsaphotosoranillustrationoftheproduct/servicetogivethetargetaudienceabetterviewabouttheadvertisedproduct.
           
          Persuasiveadvertisementsarethustheinstrumentsusedbyadvertisers“whohavedefinedtheirtargetaudiencesanddeterminedtheeffecttheyhopetoachievethroughpersuasiveadvertisementsinthemedia”(Bolen9).Andapersuasiveadvertisementshouldtrytopersuadethepotentialcustomerstobuythenewproduct.(Bolen6)Thepersuasivefunctionisnotonlylimitedtoattractingthepotentialcustomerintobuyingacertainobject,butalsoincludingthesellingofservices,ideas,normsandvalues.
           
          Tosummarize,wewouldgettheideathatfirstlyadvertisingisacommunicationprocess.Secondly,atleastamediumisused.Thirdly,thiscommunicationprocesshasadefinitepurposetoconvincethetargetaudience.Theabovethreecharacteristicssuggestadvertisingiscloselyconnectedwiththesociety,employingitsmedia,interconnectingwithitspeopleandguidingtheirbuyinghabit.Alsoinachievingtheadvertisingeffect,theadvertisinglanguageshouldbevividandattractive,whoselinguisticcharacteristicswouldbecoveredintheChapter3.
           
          Chapter2TheoreticalBackground
           
          .1Advertisement
           
          2.1.1DefinitionandGoal
           
          Advertisingisthepaid,impersonalcommunicationofinformationaboutproductsorideasbyanidentifiedsponsorthroughmassmediainanefforttopersuadeorinfluencebehavior.Notalladvertisingisalike.Advertisementsdifferdependingonwhothemessageisintendedfor,wheretheadvertisementisshown,whichmediaareused,andwhattheadvertiserwantstoaccomplish.(seeTable2.1)
           
          Table2.1
           
          Advertisingcanbeclassifiedinfourways:bytarget,geographicarea,mediaused,andpurpose.
           
          ByTarget
           
          ByGeographicArea
           
          ByMediaUsed
           
          ByPurpose
           
          Audience
           
          Consumer
           
          Business:
           
          Industrial
           
          TradeProfessional
           
          Agriculture
           
          International
           
          National
           
          Regional
           
          Local
           
          Print:
           
          Newspaper
           
          Magazine
           
          Electronic:
           
          Radio
           
          Television
           
          Internet
           
          Out-of-home:
           
          Outdoor
           
          Transit
           
          Directmail
           
          Directories
           
          Othermedia
           
          Productiveornonproductive
           
          Commercialornoncommercial
           
          Primarydemandorselectivedemand
           
          Directactionorindirectaction
           
          Thepurposeofcopywritingistopersuadeorremindpeopletotakesomeactiontosatisfyaneedorwant.Butfirstpeopleneedtobemadeawareoftheproblemor,iftheproblemisobvious,ofasolution.Tocreateawareness,thecopywritermustfirstgetpeople’sattention—forexample,byusinglargetypeandprovocativevisuals.Next,thecopywritermuststimulatetheprospect’sinterestintheproductandbuildcredibilityfortheproductclaims.Thenthecopywriterfocusesongeneratingdesireandfinallyonstimulatingaction.Thesefiveaspectsshouldbepresentineveryadvertisementorcommercial.
           
          Hereistheadvertisingpyramid.
           
          2.1.2ElementsofanAdvertisement
           
          Asonewillsee,anyadvertisementismadeupofseveralelements.Mostadvertisementsusedallofthem.Theyincludetheheadlineordisplayline;theillustration;thebodycopyortext;thethemelineorslogan,tradecharacter,seal,andothermarks;andthelogotypeorsignature.Eachwillbeconsideredinsomedetailbelow.
           
          (1)Headlines
           
          Theheadlineordisplaylineappearsinmostadvertisementsforseveralreasons.First,itisanattention-gettingdevice;secondly,italsoselectsanaudiencebyappealingtoaspecificgroup,asthislinedose:Arthriticsreducepainfulinflammationandgetstomachupsetprotection.(Anadformedicine)Finally,itisthekeyfactoringettingpeopletoreadthebodycopy.
           
          (2)Illustration
           
          Inadditiontoheadlines,mostadvertisementscontainillustrations.Theillustrationliketheheadline,attractsattention,selectstheaudience,andstimulatesinterestinbodycopy.Whatismore,theillustrationcanbeinvaluableinshowingtheproductorproductuseandexplaininggraphicallycertainideasorsituationsthatarecumbersometoputintowords.Theoldsayingthatonepictureisworthathousandwordshasmuchmeritinit.
           
          (3)BodyCopy
           
          Tobeginwith,someexplanationofthewordcopyisnecessary.Thejobofbodycopyistostimulateinterestintheproductorserviceorideabeingadvertised,createsdesireforit,andurgeaction.Thisisabigtaskandcallsforrightwords.Althoughheadlinesandillustrationscleartheway,itisbodycopythatmustcarrytheburdenofthesellingjob.
           
          (4)Themelines,slogan,tradecharacters,sealandothermarks
           
          Anumberofdifferentmarksanddevicesmayappearinanadvertisement,includingthemelines,tradecharacters,andseals;Forexample,GeneralFoodsusesthecorporateidentitysymbolinallitsadvertisements.Theautomaticuseoftheseelementsintheadvertisement,however,doesnotdiminishtheirimportance.
           
          2.2Stylistics
           
          2.2.1TheNeedforStylistics
           
          WhentalkingabouttheEnglishlanguage,oneshouldnotbemisledintothinkingthatthelabelshouldinsomewayrefertoareadilyidentifiableobjectinreality,whichhecanisolateandexamineinaclassroomasatest-tubemixture,apieceofrockorapoem.ThelabeloftheEnglishlanguageisinfactacomplexofmanydifferent‘varieties’oflanguageinuseinallkindsofsituationsinmanypartsoftheworld.Naturally,allthesevarietieshavemuchmoreincommonthandifferentiatesthem－theyareallclearlyvarietiesofonelanguage,English.Butatthesametime,eachvarietyisdefinablydistinctfromalltheothers.
           
          AsaneducatedspeakerofEnglish,astudentofEnglishis,inasense,multilingual:forinthecourseofdevelopinghiscommandoflanguage,hehasencounteredalargenumberofvarieties,andtocertainextent,haslearnednowtousethem.Aparticularsocialsituationmakeshimrespondwithanappropriatevarietyoflanguage,thelanguageofconversation,thelanguageofnewspaperreporting,thelanguageofadvertisingandsoon.Butwhatisstylistics?
           
          2.2.2Definition
           
          Inthepast,menhavebeenintriguedwithstyleandmanystudentsofhumancommunicationhaveofferedtheirideasaboutit.Someareconcernedwithclarity－orlucidity,asAristotlecalledit.ForthisancientGreekcritic,itwasimportantthatthespeakerorwriternotonlyhasideasbutthathesaysthem‘intherightway’,awayanaudiencecanunderstandclearly.Healsosaidthatstyleshouldbeneitherabovenorbelowthedignityofthesubjectbutmustbe‘appropriate’.Anotherstudentoflanguageandhumanuseofit,theScottishwriterGeorgeCampbell,alsobelievedwords(theauthor’sdictionorwordchoice)werethefoundationofstyle.Hebelievedthebeststylecomesfromdictionthatthelistenernoticessolittlethatheisbarely‘consciousthatitisthroughthismediumdictionheseesintothespeaker’sthoughts’(ThesenseofstylebyGeoffreyN.Leech).Butunfortunately,theydonotclarifymattersgreatly,atleastfourcommonlyoccurringsensesofthetermstyleneedtobedistinguished.
           
          Stylemayrefertosomeorallofthelanguagehabitsofoneperson-aswhenpeopletalkofShakespeare’sstyle(orstyles),orthestyleofJamesJoyce.Moreoften,itreferstoaselectionoflanguagehabits,sharedbyagroupofpeopleatonetime,oroveraperiodoftime,aswhenwetalkaboutthestyleoftheAugustanpoets,thestyleofOldEnglish‘heroic’poetry,thestyleinwhichcivilservicesformsarewritten,orstylesofpublic-speaking.
           
          Styleisgivenamorerestrictedmeaningwhenitisusedinanevaluativesense,referringtotheeffectivenessofamodeofexpression.Thisisimpliedbysuchpopulardefinitionsofstyleas‘sayingtherightthinginthemosteffectiveway’oras‘goodmanners’.(InvestingEnglishstylebyDavidCrystal&DerekDavy)
           
          Partlyoverlappingwiththethreesensesjustoutlinedisthewidespreaduseofthewordstyletorefersolelytoliterarylanguage.Stylehaslongbeenassociatedprimarilyorexclusivelywithliterature,asacharacterized‘good’,‘effective’,or‘beautiful’writing.
           
          Oftheabovefoursenses,thefirstandsecondcomenearesttowhatismeantbystyle.Asastarting-point,theaimofstylisticsistoanalyzelanguagehabitswiththemainpurposeofidentifyingfromthegeneralmassoflinguisticfeaturescommontoEnglishasusedoneveryconceivableoccasion.Thosefeatureswhicharerestrictedtocertainkindsofsocialcontextaretoexplain,wherepossible,whysuchfeatureshavebeenused,asopposedtootheralternatives,andtoclassifythesefeaturesintocategoriesbaseduponaviewoftheirfunctioninthesocialcontext.