话语在语言学中原指超出句子以上的一段连续的语言单位。各派语言学家都从各自的角度进行话语分析，例如结构主义从语法、音位、语义三个层面来进行分析；而功能主义则强调话语的交际功能，因而特别重视对主题、情景、和说话人行为的研究；翻译学则强调综合性研究。在此，不妨综合各家之长，对话语分析和翻译的关系作初步探索。

话语分析家们，无论从哪个角度出发，都在摸索话语中句子 与句子之间存在的语言规律，特别是主述位的布局。由于语言是线性的；因此，“每个分句，每个句子，每个语段，每个情节，每 个话语，都要围绕一个特定的要素作为表述的出发点，然后对语言材料进行组织和安排。”那么在翻译中，我们首先要找到线性话语的这个特定要素。为了说明这一点，我们先来听一段足球赛的实况解说：

And the ball goes out of play for a goal-kick to Arsenal. Gould，the goalkeeper, places the ball, runs up and boots it well upfield to Smart，the outside-left.... Smart to Hunt. Hunt takes the ball forward quickly, cutting inside towards the Wolverhampton goal. The center-half comes across and tries to intercept him, but Hunt slips past and quickly pushes the ball out to Smart again, who's still making up the left-wing. . . . Wolves' right-back is with him now. Tackle；but Smart beats him, brings the ball clear，and now he's looking for the center-forward. He's still holding on to it. What's he going to do ? He'll lose it if he's not careful. No ! He swings it across the goalmouth, hard and high —a beautiful center! And Johnson's right there；the center- forward's there；and he's unmarked ；and he jumps ；he gets his head to it and oh! What a goal ! What a beautiful goal ! The Wolves' goalie just didn't stand a chance with that one. Johnson took it beautifully. Headed it like a bullet into the top left-hand corner of the net....

这段话语的出发点是ball，因此置于语段首句的主位之上。以 后各句都围绕ball这个要素而展开，发展，起伏，一直到ball踢入网中这个高潮为止。话语有这种结构布局是很有些道理的。因为对于收听广播的球迷来说，现实中的ball始终是他们全神贯注的焦点，因此解说员抓住听众的心理，用简洁的话语，直截了当地陈述球每时每刻在场内的具体方位。每句话都像是一一按听众心里的疑问顺序而排列的答案，及时满足了听众的心理要求。对上述话语进行口译，恐怕最能胜任的翻译是现场解说员。而如果将这样的文字记录翻译成中文，译者恐怕也得屈尊求教，学习解 说员的话语风格，才能翻译得生动有趣。