本文是一篇语言学论文，本研究主要有以下发现：（1）《纽约时报》有关新冠肺炎病毒溯源新闻报道的言说主体主要分为两大范畴：外国言说主体和中国言说主体。每一范畴又包括六类：政府部门和官员、专家学者、组织机构、媒体、模糊身份者和普通大众；（2）言说内容方面，《纽约时报》中有对溯源过程和困难的客观描述，也有对中国污蔑性质的报道；话语策略的分析主要涉及新闻标题和新闻主体，包括标题中的词汇选择和疑问句、新闻主体中的引语和模糊用语；
Chapter One Introduction
1.1 Background of the Study
Since Dec. 2019, the outbreak of COVID-19 epidemic has caused heavy loss in people’s life and property. With the trend of globalization deepening, COVID-19 influences countries all over the world. During the process of anti-epidemic, finding the origin of COVID-19 virus is also very important. From 14th Jan.2021 to 10th Feb.2021, the WHO carried out a virus origin investigation in China and testified the impossibility of “Chinese Virus.” After that, America is still unwilling to illustrate the fact of virus origin in Fort Detrick and University of North Carolina, the two are in cooperation in the field of virus research, and America rejects international collaboration on virus origin all the way. Besides, some American media stigmatize China by using some slander vocabulary in news reports, claiming COVID-19 virus is most likely produced by China. The New York Times is one of the most authoritative newspapers in America, whose standpoint represents perspective of the government. Therefore, it’s necessary to analyze virus origin news reports in the New York Times in order to help readers to understand news reports itself exactly, find out the truth of virus origin, and eliminate prejudice and misunderstanding to the image of China.
1.2 Purpose of the Study
During the process of anti-epidemic, finding the virus origin of COVID-19 is getting increasingly important at home and abroad. Since the beginning of the epidemic, America has been claiming that China is most likely the culprit in the worldwide public hygiene emergency and the virus is produced in Wuhan. This thesis through analyzing the news reports about virus origin issued on the New York Times, under the guidance of Shi Xu’s Cultural Discourse Study (CDS), aims to get answers to the following four questions. (1) Who are the subjects in the news reports on virus origin of COVID-19 in the New York Times? (2) What are the intents/forms and discursive strategies in the news reports? (3) What are the purposes/effects of the news reports? (4) What are the cultural and historical factors hidden behind the news reports? Through the discussion of the above questions, we can find out the stigmatized description in these reports, which helps readers to understand the truth hidden behind the news. By analyzing the cultural and historical factors hidden behind the news reports, we can know the characteristics of American culture, which can promote better communication between the two countries in the future.
Chapter Two Literature Review
2.1 An Overview of Cultural Discourse Studies
Since Shi Xu put forward the theory of Cultural Discourse Studies (CDS) in the book A Cultural Approach to Discourse in 2002, the theory has been applied frequently in the academic field, especially in the scope of discourse analysis.
This part is a review of Cultural Discourse Studies, focusing on the research in the past ten years, namely from 2012 to 2021. In this decade, the number of relevant literatures is large and relatively stable, which can better identify the research direction and trend of CDS. When the keyword “Cultural Discourse Studies” is entered into CNKI, periodical literature from CSSCI, masters’ theses and doctoral dissertations are selected, and finally 712 articles are presented.
2.2 Previous Researches on “COVID-19 Virus Origin” at Home and Abroad
Scholars at home and abroad have made many studies about COVID-19 since its outbreak at the end of the year 2019, and virus origin accounts for a part of these studies.
Firstly, there are some domestic studies about virus origin. When the keyword “COVID-19 virus origin” was entered into CNKI, four papers and a master’s thesis were got. Zhao Yanso
