用语言学的方法分析短信

Abstract：This paper begins with an introduction to mobile-based short massage, or SM for short. Although the arrival of SM brings convenience and happiness to people’s life, the characteristics of SM language result in its vulnerability to misunderstanding. From a linguistic perspective, factors responsible for the misunderstanding of SM are analyzed. Firstly, SM language violates the co-operative principle. People adopt a cooperative principle when they communicate with each other: they try to get along with each other by following certain conversational “maxims”. The violation of these maxims makes the functions of SM indefinite and SM users have to interpret SM based on their own experience. Secondly, in contrast with face-to-face conversations and telephone calls, SM lacks body language, facial expressions, proper stress and intonation. Thirdly, SM language is more casual than written language. In conclusion, this paper suggests some solutions to the related problem.
Key words: short massage or SM, misunderstanding, cooperative principle, body language, facial expression, intonation, stress, written language

摘要：本文的开头对移动电话的短消息（又称短信）作了简要的介绍。尽管短消息的出现给人们带来了方便，短消息自身语言的特点导致了它容易被人们误解。从语言学的角度，本文分析了导致短信被误解的几个因素。第一，短消息语言违背了合作原则。人们在交际过程中，常常会采用一种准则。为了很好的交流，人们回遵守“会话准则”。而短信语言对准则的违背，导致了短信的作用不明确。并且，人们在解释短信内容时，往往只根据自己的经验。第二，与面对面的谈话和电话通讯相比，短信缺少肢体语言、表情、适当的重音和语调。第三，短信语言与书面语言相比，具有随意性。文章的结尾对相关的问题提出了解决的办法。
关键词：短消息或短信、误解、合作原则、肢体语言、表情、重音、语调、书面语言

An Analysis of Short Message Language and Behaviors with a Linguistic Approach

Thesis statement: Short message is vulnerable to misunderstanding, which can be explained by the violation of the cooperative principle, and in contrast with traditional conversation and written language, the deficiency of short message is analyzed.

Outline

I     Introduction
 
II    The vulnerability of SM to misunderstanding from the perspective of the cooperative principle
A.  Introduction of cooperative and the violation of maxims
B.  Three kinds of misunderstanding
⑴ The indefinite nature of the sender’s message
⑵ A number of factors affecting the interpretation of SM
⑶ The query concerning the end of SM conversation

III  The deficiency of SM in contrast with face-to-face conversation and TEL call
    A. The lack of body language and expression
    B. The lack of stress and intonation

IV   The casualness of SM in contrast with written language
    A. SM processed at random
    B. The differences between SM language and written language

V  Conclusion

I  Introduction
Short Message Service (SMS) is a new communicational tool that combines the functions of mobile phone and pager. According to the statistics from Global GPS Association, the total number of SMs has reached 510 billion in 2003, and China accounts for one third of them, soaring to 170 billion. SM is regarded as a convenient, highly democratic, informational medium for conveying messages that conforms well to human needs. As a modern communication tool, SM has many advantages which are absent in other communication medias. For example, SM enables dumb people to communicate freely with healthy people; SM makes no noise which may bother others; SM protects privacy, because no third party knows the content of SM conversation.
However, the characteristics of SM language also bring negative effects to people’s life. People find that SM is not so powerful and pleasant, and it can be easily misunderstood. With the help of linguistic approaches, factors that are responsible for the misunderstanding of SM are analyzed: 1). the violation of the cooperative principle. 2) SM can not take the place of face-to-face conversation. 3) SM is more casual than written language.