由于新闻报道需要经常直率或含蓄地转述、援引新闻人物或其他有关人士的谈话,因此,英语报刊频频出现表示“某某人说的”的“说”(say)。但是,事实上,新闻报道所涉及到的说话人的神态和语气在不同场合或氛围中不尽相同,这是“say”这个中性词所无法确切体现的。为此,英语记者有时酌情选用一些表达“说话”之意的近义词,以弥补“say”这个中性词在涵义、修辞色彩方面的缺憾。这样,不仅可避免say一词的重复出现,又能使报道文笔增色不少。
如下面一篇新闻报道就撷选了多种有关“说”的近义词,请留意划线部分:
Chinese Ambassador on Sino-U.S. Tie.
The new Chinese ambassador to the United states has urged Americans to consider the British aGREement to return Hong Kong to China as an example for Taiwan, warning that U.S.-Taiwan ties could lead to serious friction with Beijing.
In an interview with a news agency, Han Xu, the third Chinese ambassador to U.S. since China-U.S. ties were restored in l979, noted other problems in relations, including the deadlock over nuclear cooperation caused largely by Beijing's refusal to accept U.S. controls. He also mentioned points of discord on trade.
But he emphasized the Taiwan question, which he called a crucial issue. Mr. Han warned that the United States must carry out its pledge to stop supplying weapons to Taiwan, and voiced reGREt at the slowness with which the sales were being reduced.
Mr. Han noted that this year, the United States was selling 760 million dollars worth of arms to Taiwan, "a cut of 20 million dollars per year."
"By this speed, "he continued, "it would take 38 years more. I have no chance to see the solution in my life. The speed is too slow. We expected it not to be so slow."
Mr. Han also denounced the use of a nominally unofficial body, the coordination council for North America, to retain U.S.-Taiwan ties. The U.S. granting of diplomatic privileges to Taiwanese members of this body, he added, constituted a violation of Chinese sovereignty.
中国大使谈中美关系
中国新任驻美国大使力劝美国以英国将香港主权归还给中国的协定为榜样,来解决台湾问题,并警告说美国同台湾的关系可能导致它同北京的严重不和。
韩叙是1979年中美关系恢复以来的第三任驻美大使,他在接受一家通讯社的采访中提到了两国关系中的其他问题,其中包括主要因北京拒绝接受美国的控制而出现的核合作上的僵局。他还提到了两国贸易上存在的一些分歧。
但是,他特别强调台湾问题,说这是一个“关键性问题”。他告诫美国应履行诺言,停止向台湾出售武器,并对美国在减少出售武器上的缓慢速度表示遗憾。
韩先生说,今年美国向台湾出售了价值为7.6亿美元的武器,“每年只减少2000万美元。”
“照这样的速度,”他说,“还要38年的时间,我在有生之年是看不到它的结局了。这种速度太慢了,我们不希望如此缓慢。”
韩先生还谴责了美国利用北美协调委员会这一名义上非官方的机构来维持同台湾的关系。他说美国允许台湾人员在这一机构中享有外交特权,这构成了对中国主权的侵犯。
这类同义词在英语新闻报道中屡见不鲜,值得读者在学习、辨析英语同义词时加以注意和收集。现再列出一些经常见诸报端表示“说”的近义动词,供参考:
acknowlege 承认
add 接着说,又说
admit 承认
affirm 肯定,确认
allege 宣称
analyze 分析道
announce 宣布
argue 争辩,主张
assert 断言
boast 夸口说
caution 告诫说
claim 声称
complain 抱怨说
concede 承认
conclude 断定,下结论
confess 供认,承认
contend 争辩
continue 接着说
contradict 反驳,否定
declare 声明声称
deny 否认
disclose 透露
elaborate 详细述说
emphasize 详述,阐明
exclaim 大声说,呼喊
explain 解释说
go on 继续说,接着说
imply 暗示
insist 坚持说,主张
maintain 主张,认为
note 谈及,表明
object 提出异议,反对,反驳
observe 评述
pledge 保证
proclaim 宣告,声明
protest 抗议
reaffirm 重申
reiterate 重申
remark 议论
reply 回答
refute 反驳
reveal 透露
state 声明,声称
stress 着重说,强调
suggest 建议
tell 告诉,告知
urge 敦促,力劝
warn 警告说,告诫