John Benjamins Publishing Company
Institutional power in and behind discourse
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Abstract
This article takes a critical approach to the study of the SARS notices and their translations from the perspective of discourse analysis. Drawing upon the insights of systemic functional linguistics (SFL) and critical discourse analysis (CDA), this study explores how language is used by different governmental institutions in shaping their social power and hierarchy. By conducting a comparative study of the SARS notices and their translations, focusing on speech roles, speech functions, modality types and modality orientation, the authors argue that choices made in producing the texts reflect the institutions’ social roles and their relationship with each other and with the audience. They also argue that the application of concepts from SFL in detailed text analysis and from CDA in the overall discussion may better reveal how different models of discourse analysis can supplement each other and be applied to translation studies.
Abstract
This article takes a critical approach to the study of the SARS notices and their translations from the perspective of discourse analysis. Drawing upon the insights of systemic functional linguistics (SFL) and critical discourse analysis (CDA), this study explores how language is used by different governmental institutions in shaping their social power and hierarchy. By conducting a comparative study of the SARS notices and their translations, focusing on speech roles, speech functions, modality types and modality orientation, the authors argue that choices made in producing the texts reflect the institutions’ social roles and their relationship with each other and with the audience. They also argue that the application of concepts from SFL in detailed text analysis and from CDA in the overall discussion may better reveal how different models of discourse analysis can supplement each other and be applied to translation studies.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Introduction 1
- Ways to move forward in translation studies 11
- Contrastive studies of cohesion and their impact on our knowledge of translation (English-German) 27
- Global English, discourse and translation 47
- Institutional power in and behind discourse 63
- Engagement and graduation resources as markers of translator/interpreter positioning 83
- Speaker positioning in interpreter-mediated press conferences 99
- (Un)stable sources, translation and news production 117
- Conflicting discourses of translation assessment and the discursive construction of the ‘assessor’ role in cyberspace 131
- Index 149
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Introduction 1
- Ways to move forward in translation studies 11
- Contrastive studies of cohesion and their impact on our knowledge of translation (English-German) 27
- Global English, discourse and translation 47
- Institutional power in and behind discourse 63
- Engagement and graduation resources as markers of translator/interpreter positioning 83
- Speaker positioning in interpreter-mediated press conferences 99
- (Un)stable sources, translation and news production 117
- Conflicting discourses of translation assessment and the discursive construction of the ‘assessor’ role in cyberspace 131
- Index 149
