A positive discourse analysis of China daily' s coverage on China' s space station from the perspective of appraisal theory
评价理论视角下《中国日报》中国空间站报道的积极话语分析

摘要

在全球化语境下，科技传播已成为国家形象建构的核心场域。本研究旨在揭示《中国日报》（英文版）对中国空间站的报道如何通过语言策略塑造“负责任科技大国”形象，为发展中国家参与全球科技话语权竞争提供策略参考。本研究基于评价理论态度系统，采用语料库与话语分析结合方法，以2021-2024年间《中国日报》英文版105篇空间站报道（共计超6万词）为研究对象，过量化统计与质性文本细读的双重验证，发现报道运用三重策略：技术维度构建自主创新叙事；文化维度激活传统宇宙观；合作维度凸显全球共享。研究揭示航天话语通过“技术自主-文化自信-社会共情”三位一体的国家形象叙事，将空间站转化为制度优势验证与文明互鉴载体，为科技传播提供硬实力软表达的话语范式。

Abstract

In the context of globalization, science and technology communication has become a pivotal arena for national image construction. This study aims to show how the English edition of China Daily employs linguistic strategies in its coverage of Chinese space station to shape the image of a "responsible technological power", thereby providing strategic references for developing countries engaging in the competition for global scientific discourse power. Grounded in the attitude system of Appraisal Theory, this research adopts a hybrid methodology integrating corpus linguistics and discourse analysis. Focusing on 105 articles (over 60,000 words) related to the space station published in China Daily (English Edition) between 2021 and 2024, the study employs quantitative statistical analysis and qualitative textual close reading to validate three strategic dimensions: constructing narratives of autonomous innovation in the technological sphere, activating traditional cosmological perspectives in the cultural domain, and emphasizing global collaboration in the cooperative dimension. The findings reveal that aerospace discourse utilizes a trinity of national image narratives—"technological autonomy, cultural confidence, and social empathy"—to transform the space station into both empirical validation of institutional advantages and a medium for cross-civilizational dialogue. By systematically deploying judgmental resources, cultural-semiotic reactivation, and inclusive collaborative frameworks, the reporting crafts a discursive paradigm of "soft articulation of hard power" for science communication. This paradigm demonstrates how linguistic strategies reconcile technical achievements with socio-cultural legitimacy, offering a replicable model for developing countries to navigate global techno-political narratives while asserting their discursive agency.