外刊听读 | 表情符号能让语言更丰富吗？

It's nice to see you, Neil, (smiley face), (high five), (fist bump)!

很高兴见到你，尼尔，（笑脸）， （击掌），（碰拳）！

What's this, Sam?

这是什么，萨姆？

Are you saying hello with… emojis?

你是在用表情符号打招呼吗？

Yes, I am!

是的，我在用表情符号打招呼！

In this programme, we're entering the world of emojis - the small characters people use to show emotions in texts and emails.

在本期节目中，我们将进入表情符号的世界——表情符号是人们在短信和电子邮件中用来表达情绪的小字符。

Do you have a favourite emoji, Neil?

你有最喜欢的表情符号吗，尼尔？

Mine's the (crying tears of laughter) emoji.

我最喜欢的表情符号是（笑哭表情）。

I like the (smiling face with hearts) one, and with over three thousand emojis to choose from, there's one for every occasion.

我喜欢（带爱心的笑脸）这个表情符号，而且有三千多个表情符号可供选择，每种场合都有合适的表情符号使用。

It's one of the reasons why emojis have become so popular over the last 20 years

这也是表情符号在过去20年如此流行的原因之一

they let people put back some of the human emotion that's missing in written texts and emails.

它们让人们重新找回了书面文本和电子邮件中缺失的一些人类情感。

We'll be finding out more about emojis, and learning some related vocabulary, soon… but first I have a question for you, Neil.

我们很快会了解更多关于表情符号的内容，并将学习一些相关的词汇，但首先我有一个问题要问你，尼尔。

It's about the word 'emoji' itself, which was invented in 1999 in Japan for the first internet-enabled mobile phones.

这个问题和“emoji”这个词本身有关，“emoji”这个词是1999年于日本针对第一台能上网的手机被创造出来的。

The name, 'emoji', comes from the combination two Japanese words, but which words?

“emoji”这个名字由两个日语单词组合而成，但到底是哪两个单词呢？

Is the word 'emoji' a combination of: a) face and emotion, b) picture and character, or c) message and image?

“emoji”这个词是组合：a）面部表情和情绪，b）图片和字符，还是c）信息和图像？

I'll say it's a) face and emotion.

我会选a）面部表情和情绪。

OK, Neil.

好的，尼尔。

We'll find out if your answer gets a (thumbs up) at the end of the programme.

我们将在节目的最后揭晓你的回答是否能让我（竖大拇指）。

When we talk with someone face to face, we use physical gestures like smiling, laughing or nodding to show the other person how we feel.

当我们与某人面对面交谈时，我们会用微笑、大笑或点头等肢体动作向对方表达我们的感受。

But these gestures get lost in written communication.

但是书面交流中这些肢体动作没有了。

That's where emojis come in - they add feeling and emotion to online messages.

那就是表情符号发挥作用之处——它们让在线信息带上了情感和情绪。

But not everyone is an emoji fan.

但并不是每个人都喜欢表情符号。

Some people believe that carefully chosen words are the best way of expressing yourself,

有些人认为，仔细斟酌过的词汇是表达自己的最佳方式，

and that emojis are affecting our ability to put feelings into words.

而且表情符号正在影响我们用语言表达情感的能力。

Here's cognitive linguist, Professor Vyv Evans, author of a book about the language of emojis,

认知语言学家维维·埃文斯教授写了一本关于表情符号这种语言的书，

explaining more to BBC Radio 4s, Word of Mouth.

他向BBC广播4频道的《口口相传》做了更多解释。

A lot of people, you know, language-mavens, the grammar police and so on,

很多人，你知道的，语言专家，语法警察等等，

or say… have this sort of jaundiced, prejudiced view about emoji - that it's taking us back to the dark ages of illiteracy

对表情符号有这种带着偏见，偏颇的看法——它将我们带回了文盲的黑暗时代

bring back Shakespeare, and stick to the language of Shakespeare and all the rest of it.

使我们回想起莎士比亚，坚持使用莎士比亚的语言和其他关于莎士比亚的一切。

But that fundamentally misunderstands the nature of communication.

但那从根本上误解了沟通的本质。

Emoji is important.

表情符号很重要。

In fact, it makes us more effective communicators in the digital age.

事实上，它使我们成为数字时代更有效的沟通者。

Vyv Evans describes people who don't approve of emojis as the grammar police

维维·埃文斯形容那些不赞成表情符号的人是语法警察，

a slang term referring to people who want to see formal language and grammar - what they call 'correct' English - written online.

这是一个俚语，指的是那些希望在网上看到正式语言和语法的人，他们称正式的语言和语法才是“正确的”英语。

The grammar police criticise modern styles of English and like to correct other people's mistakes in spelling and grammar.

语法警察批评现代风格的英语，而且喜欢纠正别人在拼写和语法上的错误。

According to Professor Evans, the grammar police have a jaundiced view of emojis

埃文斯教授表示，语法警察对表情符号持有偏见

they only see the negative side of them because of their own ideas and experiences.

他们因为自己的想法和经历只会看到表情符号消极的一面。

What's more, they think emojis are taking us back to the dark ages of illiteracy, when most people couldn't read or write.

更重要的是，他们认为表情符号将我们带回了目不识丁的黑暗时代，当时大多数人不会读写。

If someone refers to the dark ages, they mean a past time in history considered uncivilised, and characterised by ignorance.

如果有人提到黑暗时代，他们指的是过去被认为是不文明的，以无知为特征的历史时期。

But luckily for emoji fans, the grammar police are in the minority.

但对喜欢表情符号的人来说，幸运的是，语法警察占少数。

Over 6 billion emoji messages are sent around the world every day,

每天有超过60亿条表情符号信息被发送到世界各地，

with about 70 percent containing emotion-based characters like (smiley face) and (blowing kisses).

其中约70%包含于情感的字符，例如（笑脸）和（飞吻）。

According to Professor Evans, emoji users are more expressive, more effective communicators.

根据埃文斯教授的说法，使用表情符号的人更善于表达，能更有效地进行沟通交流。

So, could that be an advantage for someone looking for love online?

所以，这对那些在网上寻找爱情的人来说是一种优势吗？

That's what Michael Rosen, presenter of BBC Radio 4s, Word of Mouth, wanted to find out.

那正是BBC广播4频道《口口相传》节目主持人迈克尔·罗森想知道的。

Is it possible to start a relationship using emoji?

有可能用表情符号开启一段关系吗？

Well, there is research that's been conducted by Match.com, the American-based dating site,

美国约会网站Match.com进行了一项研究，

and what they've found, based on their research, is that the people that use more emojis tend to be lucky in love,

根据他们的研究，他们发现，使用更多表情符号的人往往更走桃花运，

they have more success in terms of dating.

他们在约会方面更成功。

In the digital age, using emoji makes us more effective communicators…

在数字时代，使用表情符号让我们更有效地沟通……

more expressive …

更善于表达……

more expressive, we're better able to express our emotional selves,

更善于表达，我们能更好地表达自己的情感，

and people therefore it stands to reason, if you use more emojis you're gonna get more dates!

因此，人们理所当然地认为，如果你使用更多的表情符号，你就会有更多的约会！

For people who are dating, or starting a romantic relationship with someone,

对于正在约会或开始恋爱关系的人来说，

it seems that using emojis helps them be lucky in love, an expression meaning lucky in finding a romantic partner.

使用表情符号似乎能让他们走桃花运，意思为幸运地找到恋人的一个表达。

Emojis let us show our true personality,

表情符号让我们展现出自己真实的个性，

so, Professor Evans says, it stands to reason - in other words, it seems likely to be true - that emoji users get more dates.

所以，埃文斯教授说，使用表情符号的人有更多约会是理所当然的——换句话说，那似乎可能是真的。

And that's a big (thumbs up) from me!

我真的要对此（竖大拇指）了。

What about our question, Sam?

那我们的问题呢，萨姆？

Did my answer get a (thumbs up) too?

我的回答也让人（竖大拇指）吗？

In my question, I asked you which words combine to make up the Japanese word, 'emoji'.

在我的问题中，我问你哪些单词组合起来构成日语中的“emoji”。

And I guessed it was a) face and emotion.

我猜答案是a）面部表情和情绪。

Which was (sad face) the wrong answer, I'm afraid.

恐怕那是（悲伤脸）——错误的答案。

In fact, 'emoji' combines the words for 'picture' and 'character' in Japanese.

事实上，“emoji”在日语中是“图片”和“字符”的组合。

OK, let's recap the vocabulary we've learnt about emojis, starting with the grammar police,

好的，让我们回顾一下我们学到的关于表情符号的词汇，从语法警察开始，

people who want correct spelling and grammar online, and criticise those who don't.

语法警察是指网上那些追求拼写及语法都正确的人，他们批评那些在拼写及语法上不正确的人。

If you have a jaundiced view of something, you only see the negative side because of your own bad experience with it.

如果你对某事有偏见，你就是因为你自己的糟糕经历只看到其消极的一面。

'The dark ages' describes a period in history characterised by ignorance and a lack of progress.

“黑暗时代”描述的是以无知和缺乏进步为特征的一段历史时期。

If you are dating someone, you are spending time with them romantically,

如果你和某人约会，你就是在和其浪漫地相处，

which means you are lucky in love, an expression meaning lucky in finding a romantic partner.

那是指你走桃花运，意思为幸运地找到恋人的一个表达。

And finally, the phrase it stands to reason means that something seems likely to be true, or it makes sense.

最后，“理所当然”这个短语的意思是某事看起来可能是真的，或者说它是有道理的。

Once again, our six minutes are up.

我们6分钟的节目又要结束了。

Bye for now!

暂时说再见了！

Bye!

拜！

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