??英语新闻标题一贯注重结构精练,并不使用所有的标点符号。即便使用某个标点符号,其主要目的不外乎两种,一是区分表示各句子成分意群之间的关系;二是旨在进一步节省标题字数。现简要介绍一下标题中常见的几种标点符号的用法:
1)逗号常被用来代替连词"and"例如:
BELGIUM SUPPORTS FRANCS,DENIES IT WILL QUIT ''SNAKE''(=BELGIUM SUPPORTS THE FRANCS AND DENIES IT WILL QUIT THE ''SNAKE'')比利时支持法郎并否认将退出“蛇形浮动”
GUANGZHOU FAIR CLOSES, TRADE BOOMS(=THE GUANGZHOU FAIR CLOSES AND THE TRADE BOOMS)广交会闭幕交易兴旺
2)冒号除了用在引语之前表示“说”外,还经常被用来代替联系动词“be”。例如:
YELTSIN:MUSLIM NATI0NS CALL FOR END TO TENSI0N IN BOSNIA HERGEZERVENA(=YELTSIN SAYS THAT MUSLIM NATIONS CALL FOR AN END TO THE TENSI0N IN BOSNIA HERGEZERVENA)叶利钦说:穆斯林国家呼吁尽早结束波黑紧张局势
SHANGHAI:RESPLENDENT PEARL OF NEW CHINA(=SHANGHA IS A RESPLENDENT PEARL OF NEW CHINA)上海:新中国的璀璨明珠
3)破折号常被放置在不用引号的引言前后,以引出说话者。例如:
ECONOMY GROWS SLOWLY AS UNEMPLOYMENT, INFLATION RISE―ECONOMISTS(=ECONOMISTS SAY THAT THE ECONOMY GROWS SLOWLY AS THE UNEMPLOYMENT AND INFLATION RISE)经济学家认为:失业率及通货膨胀加剧使得经济增长缓慢。
MALARIA STILL MENACES QUARTER OF HUMANITY-FRENCH PROFESSOR(=A FRENCH PROFESSOR SAYS THAT MALARIA STILL MENACES A QUARTER OF THE HUMANITY)法国一教授称:疟疾仍威胁着四分之一的人类。