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1. Introduction
At a time when the pace of life is getting faster and faster, everything seems to be bidding for people’s attention, and newspaper is no exception. As the eye of the news, headline sits in a position to capture the essence of the event, demonstrate the readability of the news and attract readers’ attention. A good headline, generally speaking, should include such features as accuracy, brevity and clarity which are generally developed by lexical items, punctuation, rhetorical devices, and grammar. Put it in detail, first, as for words selection, such items as acronym, new words and midget words are commonly chosen for the headline. Second, not all punctuations could appear in headline, and the frequently used ones like comma, colon, and dash also indicate specific meaning of the headline. Third, in order to lead force to an idea, to heighten effect, or to create atmosphere, headline is usually written figuratively. Finally, the limited space of newspaper demands that headline be concise and brief, and therefore it has developed its own grammatical style. The major difference of the grammar rules used for daily English
and news headlines lies in the frequent omission of function words(article, auxiliary verbs, conjunctions and so on), and unique practice of tense, voice and non-predicate verbs. Such features of English news headline as mentioned above are essential and critical for readers to understand the connotation of news headline, and also are the difficulties and problems needed settling in translating English news headline. This essay focuses on introducing some correspondent translating techniques with these features of English news headline.
2. Translation of lexical items in English news headline
2.1. Translation of acronym
Acronym (word formed from the initial letters of a group of words) is one main form of English news title’s glossary variation. Since newspapers are limited in time and space, acronym meets the need, saving the space of newspaper. This chapter attempts to discuss some skills in translating acronym.
2.1.1. Translate according to its pronunciation
For example:
(1) OPEC 22nd Session Ends
(OPEC =Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries石油输出国组织，即欧佩克)
---欧佩克第二届会议结束
(2) AIDS---The Risk to Heterosexual
(AIDS=Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome艾滋病,即后天免疫缺损综合症)
---艾滋病危及异性恋爱者
2.1.2. Translating and shortening the full name
For example:
(1) NATO to Seek New Secretary General
(NATO=North Atlantic Treaty Organization北大西洋公约组织,简称北约)
---北约寻求新任秘书长
(2) USSR Dissolves, Mikhail CorbachevResigns: Boris Yeltsin Takes over
(USSR=Union of Soviet Socialist Republics苏维埃社会主义共和国联盟,简称苏联)
---苏联解体,戈尔巴乔夫辞职,叶利钦上台
2.1.3. Explaining all letters
In view of the fact that not all acronyms can be translated according to the pronunciation; otherwise readers would be confused. The translator had better point out the meaning of all letters.
It can be clearly seen in the below examples:
(1) BBC Considering Starting Global Television Service
(BBC=British Broadcasting Corporation)
---英国广播公司拟开通全球电视服务
(2) PLO Says Israeli Drive ahead
(PLO=Palestine Liberation Organization)
---巴勒斯坦解放组织说以色列即将大举进攻
(3) START Announced to Begin June29
(START=Strategic Arms Reductions Talks)
---裁减战略武器会谈于六月而十九日开始
(4) 36th WTTC triumphantly closes in Yugoslavia.
(WTTC=World Table Tennis Championships)
---第三十六届世界乒乓球锦标赛在南斯拉夫胜利闭幕
(5) Government Is Covering up UFO Evidence?
(UFO=Unidentified Flying Object)
行物真相？
(6) Hollywood Helps CIA Come in From the Cold
(CIA=Central Intelligence Agency)
---好莱坞为中央情报局重塑形象
2.2. Translation of new words in English news headline
As science and technology of the world swiftly develop, the contact among countries increasingly expands, more and more new English words are born to the world. In order to draw close to the social life, grasp the times pulse, news report need to create massive new words to reflect the world’s new things, new thoughts, new phenomenon and new prevailing customs to attract readers’ attention. “This kind of words may be divided into two types: one is to give old words new meaning. For example, ‘clone’ means ‘无性系繁殖’and then it is exuded to be ‘复制’； ‘Bug ’means ‘机器的毛病’now refers in particular to ‘计算机千年虫问题’；Sept.11 or 9/11 has the special meaning because the terrorists attacked the US world trade building. The other is completely new words ,namely, coin age, mainly in the fields of science technology, such as Internetese(因特网语言），com, e-mail, e-commerce（电子商务），cyberspace（电脑空间）, bio-chips(生物芯片）， techno-millionaire（高科技百万富翁）and so on. ”[1]P108
For example：
(1) Year 2000 Bug Unstoppable for Some Corporations
---计算机千年虫问题迫在眉睫
(2) American Online: Often Down, Never Out
---美国在线公司:屡挫不倒
(3) What Is Dateline?
---何为征婚热线？
(4) The Sandbaggers
---用沙袋治沙的人们
(5) Cold-Fighting Drug May Be Used Against SARS
---千呼万唤始出来抗非典药物有望面世
(6) Asia Pledge Action on Bird flu
---亚洲国家表示采取一致措施控制禽流感
(7) Yahoo Awards World’s Best Cyber cafés
---雅虎评选全球最佳网吧
2.3. Translation of midget words
“Midget words are verbs or nouns that are shorter or fewer syllable but more vivid employed in news headline to make it easier for readers to understand.”[2]P98 At this point, the translator should seek to produce something relatively equivalent to this kind of words in Chinese.
For example:
(1) War Strains and the Production of Killers.
---战争压力与杀戮者的产生
(2) The U.S. Proposal and Its Chances.
---美国的建议及其机会
(3) The Pressure on Cherbourg and the Enemy’s Distress
---瑟堡吃紧敌军凄苦
(4) A Fertile Valley and Its Scourge
---肥沃河谷的灾难
Further examples:
(1) Report Backs Methadone for Addicts
---报道支持吸毒者使用镁沙酮镇定剂
(2) Nuclear Blast Seepage Is Found
---核爆炸渗漏物被发现
“The words ‘back’ and ‘blast’ are shorter than the words ‘support’ and ‘explosion’, but there are no Chinese words Correspondent with them to express the difference in visually between ‘back’ and ‘support’, ‘blast’ and ‘explosion’, so it is only translated literally to be ‘支持’and ‘爆炸’，stressing in the significance transmission in spite of losing English midget words’ language characteristic.”[3]P98
(3) British Student Knifed in France
---英国学生在法被刺
Here if “knife” is translated to be “刀刺”，it would gild the lily.
(4) Chun Axes 37 Judges in Shape-up
---全斗焕在改组中撤掉37名法官
“If the word ‘axe’ is translated literally to be ‘斧砍’ in Chinese, it is possible to cause two penalties: one is to make the divergence ---全斗焕在改组中用斧头砍伤了37名法官；the other is that the scale of formality of Chinese word ‘斧砍’ makes it quite alien to the phrases ‘改组’, ‘法官’ and ‘全斗焕’.”[4]P98 Under such circumstances, we are concerned with the essential meaning implied in the words. When words or phases in the English news headline are meaningless or misleading if translated literally into Chinese, one is obliged to make some adjustments in translation to guarantee the headline pass into Chinese without losing its essence.
3. Translation of proper punctuations
News title is always simplified in structure; accordingly, punctuation plays a very important role in news headline. More often than not, certain punctuation can produce some kind of special result. The translator should pay attention to the concrete meaning of these punctuations while translating them.
3.1. Comma (,)
“Comma expresses the stop between the compound ingredients in title, and it is also used to replace ‘and’ in order to save space, generally being translated to be ‘和’ in Chinese.”[5]P29
For example:
(1) Australia，U.S. Seek More Ways to Promote Trade
(=Australia and U.S .Seek More Ways to Pro-mote Trade)
---澳大利亚和美国寻求更多途径以促进两国贸易
(2) UN, Iraq Talk on Refugee Aid
---联合国和伊拉克谈判援助难民问题
(3) China, CIS States May Share Cables
---中国和独联体国家合作开发光电通讯
(4) Ready, aim, flambé: Army, Marine Cooks Battle Each Other
---预备、瞄准、开火:海陆两军交“火”厨师各显神通(“The two commas in front of the colon are used to indicate display, and function as Chinese slight-pause; the last comma then is equal to ‘and’." [6]P67)
3.2. colon (:)
In the English news title, the most eye-catching information is always put in front, and then some supplement information is drawn out to make up the subject after colon. The similarities in Chinese and English expression provide a series of parallelisms of content in translation.
Look at the examples:
(1)The＄2 billion Makeover: Australia’s Olympic City Gets Ready for the Games
---二十亿美元的大改造：澳大利亚的奥林匹克城准备迎接奥运会
(2) War Plan: the West’s Military Options
---战争计划：西方的军事选择
“colon is also used to take place of relation verbs, and it is always translated to be ‘说’、 ‘宣称’、 ‘是’ in Chinese.”[7]P29
For example:
(1) Renminbi to Remain Reliable, Strong: Li
---李鹏说人民币保持可靠和坚挺
When colon is used to show the source of a quotation, that is, equal to the Chinese word“说”, in English it can be put in head of or after the speaker, while in Chinese it can only be placed after the speaker.
(2) Health Survey: New Yorkers Fitter, Slimmer
---健康调查称纽约人更加
健康和苗条
(3) Poll on Trial: Why Weren’t the Victim Cries Heeded?
---笼罩着审讯的疑云是为什么受害者的呼救没人理睬
3.3. Quotation mark (‘’)
Generally speaking, single quotation mark is used in English news headline instead of double quotation marks. To be accordant with Chinese natural expression, it is better for translator to change it into double quotation marks in Chinese.
Look at the following examples:
(1) Abadan Oil Refinery ‘Destroyed’
---阿巴丹炼油厂“被毁”
(2) Arafat to Reagan: ‘We Are Still Here’
---阿拉法特告诫里根：“我们仍然存在”
3.4. Dash(—)
Dash is used to separate each independent clause in the title, and also frequently used to draw out the speaker before or after the subscript without the quotation mark. It is often translated to be “说” in Chinese in order to draw out the speaker, and to be “再”in order to emphasize something.
For example:
(1) Labor Council Face Bankruptcy — Officials
---官员们说劳动党委员会面临崩溃
(2) Our Differences Can Be Overcome — Rockefeller
---我们的分歧是能够克服的— 洛克菲勒(说)
(3) Yeltsin in Hospital — Again
---叶利钦再次住院
(4) World Unity against Terrorism Needed — Blair
---英国首相布莱尔说：世界各国在反恐问题上需要加强联合
4. The translation of rhetorical devices
Headline implies its meaning and is made to produce more striking effect by means of figure of speech such as alliteration, rhyme, metaphor, pun, allusion, exaggeration and so on. It becomes more difficult for translation because of the different culture backgrounds and the gap between the writer’s range of knowledge and experience and the readers. In order not to confuse Chinese readers, the translation of English news titles can “retain the rhetoric characteristics of the original text to achieve the same dissemination effect”[8]P95. The translator also should pay attention to making the translation “conform to Chinese title’s features and cater to Chinese readers’ reading habits”[9]P95.
4.1. Alliteration and rhyme
Alliteration and rhyme are often used in English news headline to create the demeanor effect, exaggerate the atmosphere, and bring to readers’ attention and interest. It is hard to get accordance with the original alliteration and rhyme in translation, so certain figure patterns must often be substituted for the proper expressions of Chinese.
For instance:
(1) Protestants Protest (alliteration)
---新教教徒示威抗议
(2) Soldiers Salaries Soar (alliteration)
---士兵薪水剧增
(3) Young Wheelers, Big Dealers (rhyme)
---驾驶摩托小青年，保险公司大主顾
(4) Who’s Near to Reagan’ ear? (rhyme)
---里根耳朵，谁愿听说？
(5) Jazzy in Jeans, Sassy in Sweater (alliteration)
---穿上牛仔裤,活泼利索;套上毛线衫,潇洒俊俏
(6) After the Boom, Everything Is Gloom (rhyme)
---繁荣好景不在, 萧条接踵而来
Further examples:
(1) Desperate Need, Desperate Deed
. ---燃眉之机,十万火急
This translation shows the good understanding of original text, and Chinese words “机”and “急” get up to the rhyme effect.
(2) The Sister Vs. World Taunts! Tautrums! Talents!
---姐妹对垒全世界 辱骂! 奚落! 天才!
“This title with three harmonics is uneasy to understand. On the one hand, it expresses the intensively competitive rhythm of sports; on the other, it indicates the highlight of the subject. It is well known that U.S. is a society with strong compatibility, but as for the black sisters who may draw little attention in the tennis world almost ruled by the white, this rhyme title in Times actually shows the strong effect caused by the black sisters.”[10]P67
4.2. metaphor
“A metaphor always makes a comparison betweens two unlike elements, and this comparison is implied rather than stated.”[11]P166 The proper use of metaphor in news headline can produce vivid, striking effect and attract more readers.
For example:
(1) Middle East:：A Cradle of Terror
中东---恐怖主义的摇篮
(2) Russian Reform:：Old Wine in New Bottle
俄罗斯改革---新瓶装陈酒
(3) An Afghan Joan of Arc
---阿富汗的贞德(“Comparing 17 year-old Afghan female soldier to 15 century French nationality heritress Arc”[12]P29)
