墨西哥湾漏油事件相关文本的叙事修辞批评

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ABSTRACT

The event of oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico was an incident of big influence in the

world in the year of 2010. It has great and long-term impacts on the natural environment

of the Gulf region, the life of local residents and the whole American economy. Federal

Government, BP and local residents are three parties which have the most direct

connections with the incident. During the whole event, many important remarks on this

issue were released by the three parties. No sooner had these remarks been released than

related comments were published in newspapers or on Internet. The present study

mainly analyzes three discourses under related theories of rhetorical situation and

narrative rhetoric. The purpose is to see how narrative rhetoric is practiced in the three

discourses to achieve narrative functions.

According to Lloyd Bitzer, rhetorical situation is the necessary condition of the

existence of rhetorical discourses. Rhetorical discourses are invited by a situation, and

the situation determines what the fitting discourses are like. By looking into rhetorical

situation, the author tries to explain the rationale of narrative rhetoric. On the other hand,

Walter Fisher won his significance in the development of narrative rhetoric by

proposing the concept of Narrative Paradigm. This theory insists that narration is a basic

form of human communication. The definition of narration provided by Fisher indicates

three points: firstly, narration is a theory of symbolic actions; secondly, these actions are

systematically arranged; thirdly, narration has meaning for those who live, create or

interpret it. The first two points in the definition relate to narrative forms, while the last

one is about narrative functions. On the basis of Fisher’s theory, some scholars like Foss

and Rowland figure out some approaches to analyzing narrative discourses.

Each narrator—Kindra Arnesen, US President Obama and BP’s former executive

Tony Hayward—represents one party involved in this event. The analyses mainly base

on theories of narrative rhetoric, and in addition consult former studies on rhetorical

situation and the audience. Beginning with situational analysis, the thesis discusses both

narrative forms and functions of the three discourses and the latter are the focuses. In

the analyses, the discussion of the audience serves to test the realization of narrative

functions. The separate analyses of the three cases are followed by a collective one, in

which narrative functions and the audience’s reactions of the discourses are compared.

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The purpose is to find out the most influential factor that can induce the different

rhetoric effects.

At the end of analyses, it is discovered that all the three narrative discourses have

both epistemic functions and persuasive functions; however, not all of them have

achieved expected effects. The public occupies the major part of the audience in the

three cases. Arnesen’s narration of her own experience has won sympathy and supports

from general public. Obama tries to regain the trust and supports of American people by

reporting the government’s work and efforts, while the distrust remains among some

groups of people. Hayward’s effort to convert the enmity of the public seems to be in

vain. One of the most important factors leading to this result is the audience’s

self-interests, beliefs and attitudes. Thus, it is important and necessary for a rhetor to

take the audience into consideration while conducting narrative rhetorical practices.

Key words: narratives, narrative rhetoric criticism, rhetorical

situation, narrative functions, audience

摘要

2010 年4月20 日，由 BP 公司经营管理的位于墨西哥湾的麦孔多油井发生海

底井喷事件，引发了大规模、长时间的石油泄露，对墨西哥湾自然环境、周边地

区居民的生活以及美国社会经济造成了重大的深远的影响。在整个事件的发展过

程中，以奥巴马总统为代表的美国政府，墨西哥湾当地居民以及事故的主要责任

方BP 公司就此事件发表了许多申明或演讲。美国民众对这些发言反应不一，相关

评论性文章也相继出现。本文以修辞情境论以及叙事修辞的相关理论为基础，主

要以各方发表的一篇演讲为文本，着重分析说话者是如何进行叙事修辞活动的以

及叙事修辞的功能和效果如何。其中修辞情境的理论主要来源于该理论的提出者

Lloyd Bitzer，而叙事修辞理论则主要参考叙事范式的提出者 Walter Fisher 的相关

研究。

Bitzer 认为修辞情境是修辞语篇产生的必要条件。修辞语篇是对情境的反应，

而情境对反应具有制约性。往往什么样的情境就决定了应该引入什么样的修辞反

应。而叙事修辞语篇产生的原因也与特定的修辞情境有关。本文即从分析情境入

手考察叙事修辞语篇产生的背景。在叙事修辞的发展历程中，Fisher 的叙事范式

理论有着不可忽视的作用。该理论认为叙事是人类交流的基本形式。叙事的定义

包含三方面的内容：一、叙事是一系列的象征行为；二、叙事内部的各个要素有

序排列；三、对叙述者和受众来说，叙事是有意义的象征行为。其中一、二两方

面与叙事的形式有关，而第三个方面与叙事的参与者和叙事的功能有关。在叙事

范式理论的基础上，以 Foss 和Rowland 为代表的一批学者从叙事的形式、功能等

方面入手提出了一些具体的叙事修辞批评的方法。

本文的三篇文本分别为当地居民 Kindra Arnesen，美国总统 Obama，以及 BP

前任首席执行官 Tony Hayward 发表的讲话。三位发言人分别代表与该事件紧密相

关的三方，因此演讲具有较强的针对性。在进行文本分析的过程中，作者主要遵

循以叙事修辞批评理论为主线，同时以修辞情境，受众的相关理论为辅助支撑的

思路。本文首先通过分析各个文本的修辞情境说明修辞者运用叙事修辞的背景。

在进行叙事修辞批评的时候，先从叙事的形式入手，再着重分析叙事的功能，其

中对修辞过程中听众的分析是为了检验叙事功能是否实现。在逐一分析各个文本

之后，作者又对三篇文本进行了总体分析，对比三篇文本的叙事修辞功能及其实

现情况，通过考察产生不同结果的原因找出其中关键性的影响因素。

通过对墨西哥湾漏油事件的相关文本进行叙事修辞批评之后，本文发现叙事

修辞功能中的认知功能和劝说功能在三篇文本中都有体现，然而并不是每篇文本

都有达到理想的修辞效果。Arnesen 以个人经历的陈述为演讲的主要内容，引起了

大多数民众的同情和共鸣；Obama 在讲话中主要陈述了政府部门自事故发生以来

所作出的努力，目的是为了取得民众的信任与支持，然而仍有部分民众对政府抱

有不满和不信任的态度；而 Hayward 的陈词主要为了消除受众对公司及他本人的

敌意，然而收效甚微。这样的结果与以美国民众为主体的受众的自身利益、观点

和态度等因素有着直接的关系。因此说受众是修辞者在进行叙事修辞活动中必须

要考虑的重要因素之一。

关键词：叙事叙事修辞批评修辞情境叙事功能受众

List of Tables and Diagrams

Table 4.1…………………………………………………………………………...

Table 4.2(1)...............................................................................................................

Table 4.2(2)....………………………………….......................................................

Table 4.3……………………………………….......................................................

Figure 4.1……………………………………..........................................................

Figure 4.2………………………………………………………………………….

Figure 4.3…………………………………………………………………………..

Table 4.4……………………………………………………………………………

Table 4.5……………………………………………………………………………

Table 4.6 (1)……………………………………......................................................

Table 4.6 (2)………………………………………………………………………..

Table 4.7……………………………………………………………………………

Table 4.8……………………………………………………………………………

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Contents

Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................................i

ABSTRACT .......................................................................................................................................... ii

摘要 ................................................................................................................................................... iv

Chapter One Introduction ........................................................................................................1

1.1 Research Background ............................................................................................................ 1

1.2 Aim ...........................................................................................................................................1

1.3 Primary Material and Research Method .............................................................................2

1.4 Organization of the Thesis .....................................................................................................2

Chapter Two Literature Review .............................................................................................. 4

2.1 Previous Studies on Public Speaking ................................................................................... 4

2.2 Previous Studies on Narrative Rhetorical Criticism .......................................................... 5

2.3 Application of Narrative Rhetorical Criticism ....................................................................5

Chapter Three Theoretical Framework ......................................................................................7

3.1 The Rationale of Narrative Rhetoric ....................................................................................7

3.2 Narrative Rhetorical Criticism ........................................................................................... 10

3.2.1 The Form of Narratives........................................................................................... 13

3.2.2 The Rhetorical Functions of Narratives.................................................................15

3.2.3 The Audience’s Participation in Narratives ........................................................... 16

Chapter Four Critical Analyses on Oil Spill Discourses ........................................................... 20

4.1 General Situation ..................................................................................................................20

4.2 Critiquing Arnesen’s Speech ............................................................................................... 21

4.2.1 Situational Analysis of Arnesen’s Speech .......................................................... 21

4.2.2 Narrative Perspective on Arnesen’s Speech ...................................................... 25

4.2.2.1 The Forms of Arnesen’s Narratives .......................................................... 25

4.2.2.2 The Functions of Arnesen’s Narratives .................................................... 28

4.2.2.3 The Audience of Arnesen’s Narratives ......................................................28

4.3 Critiquing the President’s Remarks………………………………………………...........31

4.3.1 The Rhetorical Situation of Obama’s remarks.................................................31

4.3.2 Narrative Perspective on the President’s Remarks..........................................35

4.3.2.1 The Forms of Obama’s Narratives............................................................35

4.3.2.2 The Functions of Narrative Rhetoric in Obama’s speech.......................37

4.3.2.3 The Audience in the President’s Narratives..............................................40

4.4 Critiquing Tony Hayward’s Remarks................................................................................41

4.4.1 Rhetorical Situation of Tony Hayward..................................................................42

4.4.2 Narrative Perspective on Tony Hayward’s Remarks..........................................44

4.4.2.1 The Forms of Tony Hayward’s Narratives.............................................. 44

4.4.2.2 The Functions of Tony Hayward’s Narratives.........................................48

4.4.2.3 The Audience of Tony Hayward’s Remarks.............................................49

4.5 Overall Analysis of the Three Cases...................................................................................50

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摘要：

iiABSTRACTTheeventofoilspillintheGulfofMexicowasanincidentofbiginfluenceintheworldintheyearof2010.Ithasgreatandlong-termimpactsonthenaturalenvironmentoftheGulfregion,thelifeoflocalresidentsandthewholeAmericaneconomy.FederalGovernment,BPandlocalresidentsarethreepartieswhichhavethemostdirectconnection...

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