Lecture 13The English of Public Speech.docx
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Lecture 13The English of Public Speech.docx
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Lecture13TheEnglishofPublicSpeech
Lecture13TheEnglishofPublicSpeech
1ScopeofPublicSpeech
Publicspeechcoversafairlylargerange.Sofarasthefieldisconcerned,l)therearespeecheslikethebusinessmanagerexplainingnextyear'sbudget,themilitaryofficerbriefingsubordinates,theteacherlecturinginaclassroom,theunionleaderinformingmembersaboutdetailsinthenewcontract;2)therearespeechesonquestionsoffact,onquestionsofvalue,andonquestionsofpolicy;3)andalsotherearespeechesonspecialoccasions:
speechesofintroduction,ofpresentation,ofacceptance,andcommemorativespeeches,etc.Sofarasthefunctionaltenorisconcerned,thereareinformativespeecheslike1);therearepersuasivespeecheslike2);andemotivekindslike3)-Sofarasthepersonaltenorisconcerned,the1)kindofspeechescanbeformalorlessformalorinformal;the2)kindismostlyformal,andthe3)kindvariesindegreeofformality.Sofarasthemodeisconcerned,thereareimpromptuspeeches(speechesmadeonthespot),extemporaneousspeeches(speecheswithasetofbriefnotesoranoutlinetojogthememory),speechesfromreciting,andspeechesfromamanuscript;butmanyofthespeechesarewrittentobespokenbeforeanaudience.
Ofallaspectsofpublicspeaking,persuasionisthemostcomplexanddifficult.Itsjobistochangetheaudience'sminds--togetthemtoagreeandperhapstoact.Itsgoalmaybetodefendanidea,torefuteanopponent,tosellaprogram,ortoinspirepeopletoaction.Soundertheheadingofpublicspeech,weshallmainlydiscusspersuasivespeeches.
2ASampleTextforAnalysis
ThefollowingisthemainpartofaspeechmadebyWinstonChurchillonMay13,1940,torequesttheHouseofCommonstodeclareitsconfidenceintheWarCabinetthathehadjustformed.Theimmediatesuccessofthespeechwastheadmirationofallwhoheardorreadit.
Nowpleasereadthethetextcarefullyandtrytofindthefollowinglinguisticfeaturesforanalysis:
1.GrammaticalFeatures
1.1Variationinsentencelength
1.2Varioussentencetypes
1.3Morecomplex-lookinggroupstructures
2.LexicalFeatures
2.1Usingaccurateanddearwords
2.2Adaptationofwordingtoparticularaudience
2.3Lessuseofphrasalverbs
3.PhonologicalFeatures
3.1Appropriatevolumeandpitchvariation
3.2Varyingtempoandrightlytimedpause
3.3Rhythmiceffect
3.4Distinctarticulation
3.5Fulluseofnon-verbalcommunication
4SemanticFeatures
4.1Effectivewaysoforganization(catchingformat)
4.2Effectivewaysofdelivery(rhetoricaldevices)
IconsidereditinthepublicinteresttosuggestthattheHouseshouldbesummonedtomeettoday./MrSpeakeragreed,andtookthenecessarysteps,inaccordancewiththepowersconferreduponhimbytheResolutionoftheHouse./Attheendoftheproceedingstoday,theadjournment休会oftheHousewillbeproposeduntilTuesday,May21,with,ofcourse,provision预备工作forearliermeetingifneedbe./ThebusinesstobeconsideredduringthatweekwillbenotifiedtoMembersattheearliestopportunity./InowinvitetheHouse,bytheResolutionwhichstandsinmyname,torecorditsapprovalofthestepstakenandtodeclareitsconfidenceinthenewGovernment./
Toformanadministrationofthisscaleandcomplexityisaseriousundertakinginitself,butitmustberememberedthatweareinthepreliminarystageofoneofthegreatestbattlesinhistory,thatweareinactionatmanypointsinNorwayandinHolland,thatwehavetobepreparedintheMediterranean,thattheairbaffleiscontinuousandthatmanypreparationshavetobemadehereathome./InthiscrisisIhopeImaybepardonedifIdonotaddresstheHouseatanylengthtoday./Ihopethatanyofmyfriendsandcolleagues,orformercolleagues,whoareaffectedbythepoliticalreconstruction,willmakeallallowanceforanylackofceremonywithwhichithasbeennecessarytoact./IwouldsaytotheHouse,asIsaidtothosewhohavejoinedthisGovernment:
'Ihavenothingtoofferbutblood,toil,tearsandsweat.'/
Wehavebeforeusanordealofthemostgrievouskind./Wehavebeforeusmany,manylongmonthsofstruggleandofsuffering./Youask:
Whatisourpolicy?
/Iwillsay:
Itistowagewar,bysea,landandair,withallourmightandwithallthestrengththatGodcangiveus:
towagewaragainstamonstroustyranny,neversurpassedinthedark,lamentablecatalogueofhumancrime./Thatisourpolicy./Youask:
Whatisouraim?
/Icananswerinoneword:
Victory--victoryatallcosts,victoryinspiteofallterror,victory,howeverlongandhardtheroadmaybe;forwithoutvictory,thereisnosurvival./Letthatberealized;nosurvivalfortheBritishEmpire,nosurvivalforallthattheBritishEmpirehasstoodfor,nosurvivalfortheurgeandimpulseoftheages,thatmankindwillmoveforwardtowardsitsgoal./ButItakeupmytaskwithbuoyancy轻快andhope./Ifeelsurethatourcausewillnotbesufferedtofailamongmen./AtthistimeIfeelentitledtoclaimtheaidofall,andIsay,'Come,then,letusgoforwardtogetherwithourunitedstrength.'/
3GeneralFeaturesofPublicSpeech
Mostpersuasivespeechesarethespeakingofwhatiswrittentobespokentoanaudience,usuallyonaformaloccasion.Sotheypresentfeaturesofformalwrittenlanguagewhileexhibitingcharacteristicsofthespoken.
Inmanywayspublicspeechesaresimilartodailyconversation.Inboth,theaddresserhastotailorhis/hermessagetotheaddresseeandadapttotheaddressee'sfeedback,andbothpublicspeechesanddailyconversationmakefulluseofprosodicandparalinguisticfeaturesforexpression.Butpublicspeakingisalsodifferentfromdailyconversationinthatitconcentratesononetopicwithhighlystructuredformatandmoreformallanguage,andmakesamoreeffectivewayofdelivery.
Publicspeakingshowsthecharacteristicsofthewrittenmodewithitshighlylogicalorganizationofthoughts,closely-knitstructureandformallanguage.Itdiffersfromthewrittenmodeinthatthelatterdoesnothavetoandcannotadapttoreaders'immediatefeedbackorrelyonskilfulvocaldelivery.
Onemoreexampleforanalysis:
TheDeclarationofIndependence
4StylisticFeaturesofPublicSpeech
4.1GrammaticalFeatures
4.1.1Variationinsentencelength
Weknowthatcasualspeechtendstouseshortsentences.ButaglanceatChurchill'sspeechrevealsthatitssentencesvarymuchinlength.
Inthesampletext,thereareinall20sentences,thelongestofwhichhas74wordsandtheshortest4words.Suchsharpvariationinlengthreflectstheemotionalstateofmindofthespeakerandhis/herefforttoevokeanactiveresponsefromtheaudience.Theaveragelengthis24wordspersentence,whichismuchlongerthanthat(8wordspersentence)ofcasualconversation.Sentencesinpublicspeaking,aremostlyoftheSP(O)(C)(A)structure(whichissimilartoconversation),withoccasionalASPOC(A)form.Thoughtherecanbeseveralclausesinalongersentence,theymainlycomeafterthemainclause,whichpresentsnogreatdifficultyfortheaudiencetocomprehend.Therearenosentencesthatareincompleteorelliptical.Thesecharacteristicsshowthedoubletraitsofpublicspeaking:
itisformalasisrequiredofwrittenlanguage,anditisyetnotdifficulttounderstandatthetimeofitsdeliveryasisrequiredofthespokenmode.
4.1.2Varioussentencetypes
Aspublicspeechesareintendedtoinform,topersuade,andtoappeal,mostsentencesarestatements;occasionalquestionsareused.AtthewelcomingbanquetheldinhonorofPresidentNixononFeb21,1972,whenhemadehishistoricvisittoChina,Nixonsaidinhisspeech:
Whatlegacyshallweleaveourchildren?
Aretheydestinedtodieforthehatredswhichhaveplaguedtheoldworld,oraretheydestinedtolivebecausewehadthevisiontobuildanewworld?
Suchquestionsareusedtogivetheaudiencefoodforthoughtandtoimpressthem,whichdonotusuallyexpectanansweronthepartoftheaudience,thoughfeedbackbywayofapplauseorlaughteretciswelcomed.Commandscanbemany,oftenintroducedbylet,asisshowninMartinLutherKingJr's'IHaveaDream'speechAugust28,1963:
GobacktoMississippi,gobacktoAlabama,gobacktoSouthCarolina,gobacktoGeorgia,gobacktoLouisiana,gobacktotheslumsandghettosofournortherncities,knowingthatsomehowthissituationcanandwillbechanged.Letusnotwallowinthevalleyofdespair.
Vocativesofageneraltypesuchas'myfellowcitizens','myfriends',areusedtoaddatouchofintimacytotheaddresser-addresseerelationship.
4.1.3Morecomplex-lookinggroupstructures
Nominalgroupsinthisvarietycansometimesbecomplex-looking,butmorewithpost-modificationthanwithpre-modification.Thisisnecessaryformoreandaccurateinformation,andatthesametimeisnotlikelytoposemuchdifficultyontheaudience'sreceivingprocess.Sincethereferenthasalreadybeenstated,itissimpleforahearerwithnotextbeforehim/hertoattachmodifierstoit.'Ofphrase'isoftenusedaspost-modification,andsoistherelativeclauseandsomeotherstructures.Thisisinkeepingwiththeformalnatureofpublicspeech.Itaddstothesolemnityoftheoration.Forinstance,inthesampletext,wehave:
thepowersconferreduponhimbytheResolutionoftheHouse
anadministrationofthisscaleandcomplexity
thepreliminarystageofoneofthegreatestbattlesinhistory
anyofmyfriendsandcolleagues,orformercolleagues,whoareaffectedbythepoliticalreconstruction
anylackofceremonywithwhichithasbeennecessarytoact
andmanyothers.Therelativep
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