2. 外语
  3. Texting has long been bemoaned (哀叹) as the downfall of the written word, "penmanship for illiterates," as one critic called it.

Texting has long been bemoaned (哀叹) as the downfall of the written word, "penmanship for illiterates," as one critic called it.

admin2017-03-06  25
问题     Texting has long been bemoaned (哀叹) as the downfall of the written word, "penmanship for illiterates," as one critic called it. To which the proper response is LOL. Texting properly isn’t writing at all. It’s a " spoken" language that is getting richer and more complex by the year.
    First, some historical perspective. Writing was only invented 5,500 years ago, whereas language probably traces back at least 80,000 years. Thus talking came first; writing is just a craft that came along later. As such, the first writing was based on the way people talk, with short sentences. However, while talking is largely subconscious and rapid, writing is deliberate and slow. Over time, writers took advantage of this and started crafting long-winded sentences such as this one: "The whole engagement lasted above 12 hours, till the gradual retreat of the Persians was changed into a disorderly flight, of which the shameful example was given by the principal leaders and..."
    No one talks like that casually—or should. But it is natural to desire to do so for special occasions. In the old days, we didn’t much write like talking because there was no mechanism to reproduce the speed of conversation. But texting and instant messaging do—and a revolution has begun. It involves the crude mechanics of writing, but in its economy, spontaneity and even vulgarity, texting is actually a new kind of talking, with its own kind of grammar and conventions.
    Take LOL. It doesn’t actually mean "laughing out loud" in a literal sense anymore. LOL has evolved into something much subtler and sophisticated and is used even when nothing is remotely amusing. Jocelyn texts "Where have you been?" and Annabelle texts back "LOL at the library studying for two hours." LOL signals basic empathy (同感) between texters, easing tension and creating a sense of equality. Instead of having a literal meaning, it does something—conveying an attitude—just like the-ed ending conveys past tense rather than "meaning" anything. LOL, of all things, is grammar.
    Of course no one thinks about that consciously. But then most of communication operates without being noticed. Over time, the meaning of a word or an expression drifts—meat used to mean any kind of food, silly used to mean, believe it or not, blessed.
    Civilization, then, is fine—people banging away on their smartphones are fluently using a code separate from the one they use in actual writing, and there is no evidence that texting is ruining composition skills. Worldwide people speak differently from the way they write, and texting—quick, casual and only intended to be read once—is actually a way of talking with your fingers.
Why is LOL much used in texting?
选项 A、It brings texters closer to each other.
B、It shows the texter’s sophistication.
C、It is a trendy way to communicate.
D、It adds to the humor of the text.
答案A
解析 细节题。根据题干中的 LOL 我们定位到文章中第四段第五句话：“LOL signal basic empathy between texters， easing tension and creating a sense of equality. “这句话的意思是：LOL 代表了发信息人之间基本的同感，缓和紧张气氛并创造公平的感觉。A选项中的“closer to each other”与“empathy”意义相同，所以正确答案为A。
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