Abstract：As an important part of fuzzy language, hedges were first put forward by George Lakoff in 1972. Along with the development of fuzzy linguists, there has been an increasing interest in hedges; a growing interest among hedges has emerged to explore the field of lexicology, pragmatics, discourses analysis translation and second acquisition, and other fields. The Pragmatic Function of Hedges in News has also been one of the research interests in the studies of hedges. However, the study on this aspect of hedges is very limited.
News language is different from general texts, it needs to express briefly and accurately. However, on some special occasions, the application of hedges can play a vital role in news language. This dissertation aims to conduct a study on the application of hedges in English news and its pragmatic functions, in the hope to help readers know better about English news and the necessity of hedges in news language. The first part of this paper is an introduction, giving a brief introduction to the writing background and purpose. Then, the author introduces about the definition and classification of hedges as well as the theoretical basis of this paper: cooperative principle; politeness principle as well as face theory. Then, the author discusses on the language features of English news. Next, the author focuses on the application of hedges in English news as well as its pragmatic functions. The last part is a conclusion, in which the whole paper will be summarized.
Key words：English news; Hedges; Pragmatic function
摘要：模糊限制语作为模糊语言重要的一部分，由George Lakoff 于1972年首次提出。随着模糊语言学的发展，模糊限制语得到越来越多的关注，对模糊限制的探索延伸到词汇学、语用学、语篇翻译分析、二语习得等领域。模糊限制语在新闻中的语用功能已成为研究对象之一，然而，有关模糊限制语在这方面的研究非常有限。
新闻语言不同于一般的文体，它要求精确简洁地表达。但在一些特殊情况下，模糊语言的运用反而可以起到很好的作用。本文旨在探讨模糊语在新闻英语中的运用及其语用功能，力求帮助读者更好地理解英语新闻和揭示模糊限制语在新闻语言中存在的必要性。本文首先是一个引言，简单介绍了论文写作背景及意义。进而介绍了模糊语概念分类以及本文写作的相关理论知识：合作原则、礼貌原则以及面子理论。并在分析新闻英语的语言特点的基础上，着重阐述了模糊语言在新闻英语中的英语及其语用功能。第五章是论文的结论部分，总结了全文。
关键词: 英语新闻；模糊限制语；语用功能
