Abstract：Since the concept of context has been brought out, linguists at home and abroad have attached great importance to the studies of context. Functional grammar is an exercisable, practical theory to analyze discourse. Being one part of functional grammar, contextual theory can analyze discourse, too. However, that operation is still vague. Therefore, this study attempts to explore the operation of using context theory to analyze a special, practical, context effected style----inaugural address----Barack Obama’s inaugural address.
This article first reviews the theory of context, the relation between context and discourse, and then analyzes Obama's inaugural address. Through this study, features of Obama’s inaugural address could be recognized: religious feature has widely used the first, the second personal pronoun and long solemn sentences. This study proves that contextual theory, one of functional grammar, is a feasible and practical discourse analysis theory. English learner could use the theory of context to analyze discourse.
Key Words: context; culture; situation; inaugural address; discourse analysis
中文摘要：自从语境这一概念被明确提出以来，国内外语言学家进行了系统、深入的研究。系统功能语法是一种可操作性强、实用性强的语篇分析理论。作为系统功能语法内容之一的语境理论，同样具有分析语篇的功能。然而，以语境理论分析语篇的操作还不够具体。因此，本文将以语境理论为框架，以具有很强语境效应的实用文体——就职演说词（美国奥巴马总统就职演说词）为语料，进行语境理论分析语篇的具体操作。
在本次研究中，首先介绍语境的基本理论和语篇与语境的关系；然后以美国总统奥巴马就职演说词中的具体语言为例子，应用语境理论分析该语篇特点。通过对文献研究和语料研究，了解就职演说词具有宗教色彩，充分利用人称代词使演说具有鼓动性，选择长句式表现庄重效果等特色；证明系统功能语法是一种可操作性强、实用性强的语篇分析理论。英语学习者可从文化语境、情景语境的理论角度对语篇进行分析。
关键词：语境；文化；情景；就职演说；语篇分析
We usually study a discourse with the help of our English teachers. However, the time of English courses is limited, so teachers always focus on the grammar, vocabulary, sentence structure of a discourse. Do students really understand the discourse well? It is hard to draw a conclusion. Using theory of context to analyze discourse is an easy operation which is easy to operate. This study still has some limitations, which the future studies should take into consideration. The number of subjects selected in this study is still inadequate, so future studies targeting a larger number of samples are still needed.
