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TikTok改变了年轻人的说话方式
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TikTok改变了年轻人的说话方式
“端庄”是一个很古老的词，描述的是维多利亚时代的人很敬重的那种谦逊庄重的女士，但这个词又重新流行起来了。 
双语精读
Why do you Tok like that?
你怎么这么讲话？
The word "demure" is old-it describes the sort of modest lady Victorians esteemed-but it is freshly fashionable. There are some 800,000 posts on TikTok with the tag #demure.
“端庄”是一个很古老的词，描述的是维多利亚时代的人很敬重的那种谦逊庄重的女士，但这个词又重新流行起来了。在TikTok上，约有80万个带#端庄标签的帖子。
Youngsters today are using the word with lashings of irony, invoking it to describe everything from Saturn to sunset to New York City's bin service.
如今的年轻人使用这个词时带有很强的讽刺意味，用它来描述从土星到日落，再到纽约垃圾清理服务的一切事物。
TikTok is changing how young people talk. Other fusty words, such as "coquette", are fashionable again. Colloquialisms are on the rise: members of Gen Z say "yapping" instead of "talking" and trim "delusional" to "delulu".
TikTok正在改变年轻人的说话方式。其他一些古老过时的词，比如“卖弄风情的女子”，又流行起来了。口语化表达越来越流行：Z世代说“闲扯”而不是“聊天”，把“有错觉的”简化为“想多了”。
The platform's versatility encourages experimentation. Users can combine audio, text and video in a single post. That means words that sound especially satisfying can go viral, as well as those that are memorable in written form.
该平台的多功能性鼓励了语言实验。用户可以在单个帖子中把音频、文本和视频结合起来。这意味着不仅书写形式令人难忘的词，而且发音特别让人喜欢的词都可以迅速传播开来。
Linguistic code has emerged, dubbed "algospeak", to dodge content-moderation algorithms. It includes euphemisms (sex workers are called "accountants"), and misspellings ("seggs" instead of sex).
语言代码已经出现，这种代码被称为“算法黑话”，以躲避算法进行的内容审核。其中包括委婉语（性工作者被称为“会计”）和拼写错误（seggs而不是sex）。
The mutation of language on TikTok is also due, in large part, to the age of its users. Most are 18-34 years old. That matters because "Young people are language innovators," says Christian Ilbury, a sociolinguist at the University of Edinburgh.
TikTok上语言的演变在很大程度上也是因为其用户年龄。大多数用户是18至34岁。这很重要，因为“年轻人是语言创新者”，引自爱丁堡大学社会语言学家克里斯蒂安·伊尔伯里。
For decades youngsters have created words to distinguish themselves from adults. On social media such neologisms find a big audience. Mr Ilbury describes this as "linguistic identity work"; parents have long called it attention-seeking.
数十年来，年轻人创造新词，将自己与成年人区分开来。在社交媒体上，这样的新词会找到大量的受众。伊尔伯里将此描述为“语言身份工作”，父母们则称之为寻求关注。
The platform brings together fan groups and communities, from #kpopfans (people who like Korean pop music) to #booktokers (people who love reading).
TikTok汇集了各种粉丝群体和社群，从#kpopfans（喜欢韩国流行音乐的人）到#booktokers（热爱阅读的人）。
These groups create their own slang, says Adam Aleksic, a linguist and influencer. Some of it leaks into the mainstream.
语言学家兼网络博主亚当·阿列克西奇说，这些群体创造了自己的俚语。其中一些会渗入主流。
All this speeds up the evolution of language. That delights logophiles but befuddles dictionary-makers, who must keep a record of the ever-expanding lexicon.
所有这一切都加速了语言的演变。这让词汇爱好者感到高兴，但却让词典编纂者感到困惑，他们必须记录不断扩大的词汇表。
The Oxford English Dictionary (OED), Britain's most illustrious chronicler of language, adds a word only after it has been used for about five years. That is too slow to keep up with modern parlance.
《牛津英语词典》（OED）是英国最负盛誉的语言编年者，只有当一个单词被使用了大约五年后OED才会收录这个词。这太慢了，完全跟不上现代用语的节奏。
The OED is just now adding words such as "binge-worthy", which already feels tired; its own "word of the year" for 2023, "rizz" (charm), which originated and was popularised online, has not yet made the cut.
OED最近才收录了binge-worthy（值得一口气看完的）之类的词，这些词已经很老套了。OED评选的2023“年度词汇”rizz（即魅力）起源于网络并在网上流行，但还没有被收录进词典。
TikTok has just the phrase to describe such a modest approach: very demure.
TikTok刚好有一个词可以用来形容这种谦逊审慎的态度：非常端庄。
词汇预习
code [高考]
美[koʊd] | 英[kəʊd]
n. 密码；法规；准则 v. 制成法典；把 ... 编码
Oxford [高考]
美[ˈɑːksfərd] | 英[ˈɒksfəd]
n. 牛津城；牛津大学；牛津布；牛津鞋
charm [高考]
美[tʃɑːrm] | 英[tʃɑːm]
n. 魅力；吸引力；迷人；美貌 v. （使）着迷；施魔法
fashionable [高考]
美[ˈfæʃnəbl] | 英[ˈfæʃnəbl]
adj. 流行的；时髦的
memorable [高考]
美[ˈmemərəbl] | 英[ˈmemərəbl]
adj. 值得纪念的；难忘的
audio [高考]
美[ˈɔːdioʊ] | 英[ˈɔːdiəʊ]
adj. 声音的；成音频率的 n. 音频；音响设备
sunset [高考]
美[ˈsʌnset] | 英[ˈsʌnset]
n. 日落；衰落时期（尤指人的晚年）
approach [高考]
美[əˈproʊtʃ] | 英[əˈprəʊtʃ]
v. 接近；建议；接洽；着手处理 n. 方法；接近；路径；道路
due [高考]
美[duː] | 英[djuː]
adj. 应有的；到期的；预定的；应付的 n. 应得物；会费
media [高考]
美[ˈmiːdiə] | 英[ˈmiːdiə]
n. 传播媒介；(medium的复数)媒体；新闻媒介
identity [高考]
美[aɪˈdentəti] | 英[aɪˈdentəti]
n. 一致；身份；特征
distinguish [高考]
美[dɪˈstɪŋɡwɪʃ] | 英[dɪˈstɪŋɡwɪʃ]
vt. 区别；辨认；使显著
evolution [高考]
美[ˌevəˈluːʃn] | 英[ˌiːvəˈluːʃn , ˌevəˈluːʃn]
n. 进化；发展；演变
platform [高考]
美[ˈplætfɔːrm] | 英[ˈplætfɔːm]
n. 平台，站台，月台，讲台，(政党的)政纲 v. 把…放在台上；起草政纲；站在讲台上演说
worthy [高考]
美[ˈwɜːrði] | 英[ˈwɜːði]
adj. 有价值的；可尊敬的；值得的；配得上的 n. 知名人士；杰出人物
sex [高考]
美[seks] | 英[seks]
n. 性别；性欲；性 vt. 区别 ... 性别；引起 ... 性欲
keep up [高考]
美[kiːp ʌp] | 英[kiːp ʌp]
保持 继续 维持 跟上(时代)
keep up with [高考]
美[kiːp ʌp wɪð] | 英[kiːp ʌp wɪð]
跟上，保持同步
on the rise [高考]
美[ɑn ði raɪz] | 英[ɔn ðə raiz]
在上涨； 在增长
means [高考]
美[miːnz] | 英[miːnz]
n. 方法；手段；收入；财产 v. 意思是，意味（动词mean的第三人称单数）
linguist [高考]
美[ˈlɪŋɡwɪst] | 英[ˈlɪŋɡwɪst]
n. 语言学家
mainstream [高考]
美[ˈmeɪnstriːm] | 英[ˈmeɪnstriːm]
n. 主流 adj. 主流的 v. 把 ... 编入学校正规班级；把 ... 纳入主流
trim [四级]
美[trɪm] | 英[trɪm]
v. 修剪，修整；削减；装饰，点缀（尤指某物的边缘） adj. 苗条的；修长的；整洁美观的；整齐的 n.（尤指毛发的）修剪；（衣服、家具、汽车等的）装饰物；健康状态 【名】（Trim）（美）特里姆（人名）
experimentation [四级]
美[ɪkˌsperɪmenˈteɪʃn] | 英[ɪkˌsperɪmenˈteɪʃn]
n. 实验；试验
linguistic [六级]
美[lɪŋˈɡwɪstɪk] | 英[lɪŋˈɡwɪstɪk]
adj. 语言的；语言学的
irony [六级]
美[ˈaɪrəni] | 英[ˈaɪrəni]
n. 反讽；讽剌之事
slang [六级]
美[slæŋ] | 英[slæŋ]
n. 俚语；行话 vt. 使用俚语；辱骂 vi. 辱骂
Saturn [六级]
美[ˈsætɜːrn] | 英[ˈsætɜːn]
n. [天] 土星；农业之神（罗马神话中的一个形象）
dodge [专四]
美[dɑːdʒ] | 英[dɒdʒ]
v. 避开；躲避 n. 躲避；诡计
viral [专八]
美[ˈvaɪrəl] | 英[ˈvaɪrəl]
adj. 病毒的 n. 病毒式传播；【经】病毒式营销
binge [专八]
美[bɪndʒ] | 英[bɪndʒ]
n. 狂欢作乐；放纵 vi. 狂欢作乐
illustrious [专八]
美[ɪˈlʌstriəs] | 英[ɪˈlʌstriəs]
adj. 著名的；杰出的
versatility [专八]
美[ˌvɜsə'tɪlətɪ] | 英[ˌvɜ:sə'tɪlətɪ]
n. 多才多艺；多样性；多功能
freshly [考研]
美[ˈfrɛʃlɪ] | 英[ˈfreʃli]
adv. 新近；刚才
bin [考研]
美[bɪn] | 英[bɪn]
n. 箱柜；仓；垃圾箱 vt. 放入箱内
moderation [雅思]
美[ˌmɑdəˈreɪʃn] | 英[ˌmɒdəˈreɪʃn]
n. 缓和；适度；节制；计分审核制
重点讲解
Why do you Tok like that?
你怎么这么讲话？
demure adj. 端庄的；娴静的
【例】a demure smile 矜持的微笑
【近义词】modest adj. 庄重的；朴素的
dignified adj. 有尊严的；庄严的
refined/genteel adj. 有教养的；文雅的
The word “demure” is old—it describes the sort of modest lady Victorians esteemed—but it is freshly fashionable. There are some 800,000 posts on TikTok with the tag #demure.
“端庄”是一个很古老的词，描述的是维多利亚时代的人很敬重的那种谦逊庄重的女士，但这个词又重新流行起来了。在TikTok上，约有80万个带#端庄标签的帖子。
demure adj. 端庄的；娴静的
【例】a demure smile 矜持的微笑
【近义词】modest adj. 庄重的；朴素的
dignified adj. 有尊严的；庄严的
refined/genteel adj. 有教养的；文雅的
Youngsters today are using the word with lashings of irony, invoking it to describe everything from Saturn to sunset to New York City’s bin service.
如今的年轻人使用这个词时带有很强的讽刺意味，用它来描述从土星到日落，再到纽约垃圾清理服务的一切事物。
invoke v.
1. 援引；援用（作为理由或支持）
【例】to invoke the law to defend himself
援引法律为自己辩护
to invoke Plato to back up his argument
援引柏拉图的话来证明自己的观点
【辨析】cite/quote v. 引用原话
2. 提到（以激发某种感觉或行动）
【例】His name was invoked as a symbol of the revolution.
他的名字作为革命的象征而被提及。
【辨析】evoke v. 引起，唤起（感情、记忆或形象）
【例】to evoke memories/sympathy 勾起回忆/引起同情
TikTok is changing how young people talk. Other fusty words, such as “coquette”, are fashionable again. Colloquialisms are on the rise: members of Gen Z say “yapping” instead of “talking” and trim “delusional” to “delulu”.
TikTok正在改变年轻人的说话方式。其他一些古老过时的词，比如“卖弄风情的女子”，又流行起来了。口语化表达越来越流行：Z世代说“闲扯”而不是“聊天”，把“有错觉的”简化为“想多了”。
colloquialism n. 口语用词
【例】“Going nuts” is a colloquialism.
“发疯”是一种口语表达。
【形容词】colloquial adj. 口语的
【近义词】spoken adj. 口语的；口头的
oral adj. 口头的（非书面的）
trim v. 修剪；缩减
【例】to trim his beard 修剪胡须
to trim the budget 削减预算
【近义词】cut/clip v. 修剪；剪短
The platform’s versatility encourages experimentation. Users can combine audio, text and video in a single post. That means words that sound especially satisfying can go viral, as well as those that are memorable in written form.
该平台的多功能性鼓励了语言实验。用户可以在单个帖子中把音频、文本和视频结合起来。这意味着不仅书写形式令人难忘的词，而且发音特别让人喜欢的词都可以迅速传播开来。
versatility n. 多用途；多功能；多才艺
【例】the versatility of plastics 塑料的广泛用途
【拓展】versatile adj. 多用途的；多才艺的
【例】Eggs are an versatile food.
鸡蛋的做法很多。
He is a versatile actor.
他可以演各种角色。
dodge v. 闪避；躲开
【例】to dodge a question 回避问题
to dodge a bullet 躲开子弹/逃过一劫
to dodge responsibility 逃避责任
Linguistic code has emerged, dubbed “algospeak”, to dodge content-moderation algorithms. It includes euphemisms (sex workers are called “accountants”), and misspellings (“seggs” instead of sex).
语言代码已经出现，这种代码被称为“算法黑话”，以躲避算法进行的内容审核。其中包括委婉语（性工作者被称为“会计”）和拼写错误（seggs而不是sex）。
versatility n. 多用途；多功能；多才艺
【例】the versatility of plastics 塑料的广泛用途
【拓展】versatile adj. 多用途的；多才艺的
【例】Eggs are an versatile food.
鸡蛋的做法很多。
He is a versatile actor.
他可以演各种角色。
dodge v. 闪避；躲开
【例】to dodge a question 回避问题
to dodge a bullet 躲开子弹/逃过一劫
to dodge responsibility 逃避责任
The mutation of language on TikTok is also due, in large part, to the age of its users. Most are 18-34 years old. That matters because “Young people are language innovators,” says Christian Ilbury, a sociolinguist at the University of Edinburgh.
TikTok上语言的演变在很大程度上也是因为其用户年龄。大多数用户是18至34岁。这很重要，因为“年轻人是语言创新者”，引自爱丁堡大学社会语言学家克里斯蒂安·伊尔伯里。
distinguish A from B 把A和B区分开
【例】to distinguish right from wrong
分清是非
【近义词】differentiate/discriminate A from B
把A和B区分开
For decades youngsters have created words to distinguish themselves from adults. On social media such neologisms find a big audience. Mr Ilbury describes this as “linguistic identity work”; parents have long called it attention-seeking.
数十年来，年轻人创造新词，将自己与成年人区分开来。在社交媒体上，这样的新词会找到大量的受众。伊尔伯里将此描述为“语言身份工作”，父母们则称之为寻求关注。
distinguish A from B 把A和B区分开
【例】to distinguish right from wrong
分清是非
【近义词】differentiate/discriminate A from B
把A和B区分开
The platform brings together fan groups and communities, from #kpopfans (people who like Korean pop music) to #booktokers (people who love reading).
TikTok汇集了各种粉丝群体和社群，从#kpopfans（喜欢韩国流行音乐的人）到#booktokers（热爱阅读的人）。
leak into 渗入；泄露
【例】Water has leaked into the house.
水已经渗进房子里了。
The information has leaked to the press.
消息已经泄露到媒体里了。
keep a record of 记录；记下
【例】You should keep a record of your expenses.
你应该记下你的各项开支。
【搭配】have a good/bad record of sth 某方面一向表现良好/糟糕
【例】The airline has a good record on safety.
这家航空公司的安全工作一向做得很好。
These groups create their own slang, says Adam Aleksic, a linguist and influencer. Some of it leaks into the mainstream.
语言学家兼网络博主亚当·阿列克西奇说，这些群体创造了自己的俚语。其中一些会渗入主流。
leak into 渗入；泄露
【例】Water has leaked into the house.
水已经渗进房子里了。
The information has leaked to the press.
消息已经泄露到媒体里了。
keep a record of 记录；记下
【例】You should keep a record of your expenses.
你应该记下你的各项开支。
【搭配】have a good/bad record of sth 某方面一向表现良好/糟糕
【例】The airline has a good record on safety.
这家航空公司的安全工作一向做得很好。
All this speeds up the evolution of language. That delights logophiles but befuddles dictionary-makers, who must keep a record of the ever-expanding lexicon.
所有这一切都加速了语言的演变。这让词汇爱好者感到高兴，但却让词典编纂者感到困惑，他们必须记录不断扩大的词汇表。
leak into 渗入；泄露
【例】Water has leaked into the house.
水已经渗进房子里了。
The information has leaked to the press.
消息已经泄露到媒体里了。
keep a record of 记录；记下
【例】You should keep a record of your expenses.
你应该记下你的各项开支。
【搭配】have a good/bad record of sth 某方面一向表现良好/糟糕
【例】The airline has a good record on safety.
这家航空公司的安全工作一向做得很好。
The Oxford English Dictionary (OED), Britain’s most illustrious chronicler of language, adds a word only after it has been used for about five years. That is too slow to keep up with modern parlance.
《牛津英语词典》（OED）是英国最负盛誉的语言编年者，只有当一个单词被使用了大约五年后OED才会收录这个词。这太慢了，完全跟不上现代用语的节奏。
illustrious adj. 著名的；卓越的
【例】an illustrious TV producer 著名的电视制片人
【拓展】illustrate v. （用图表、例子）说明
illuminate v. 点亮；说明
make the cut 得分达标而不被淘汰
【例】She trained hard for months and finally made the cut for the swimming team.
她刻苦训练了几个月，最终成功入选游泳队。
The restaurant must pass a health review to make the cut, Yelp said on its website.
餐厅点评网站Yelp在官网表示，餐厅必须通过健康评审才能在网站入驻
The OED is just now adding words such as “binge-worthy”, which already feels tired; its own “word of the year” for 2023, “rizz” (charm), which originated and was popularised online, has not yet made the cut.
OED最近才收录了binge-worthy（值得一口气看完的）之类的词，这些词已经很老套了。OED评选的2023“年度词汇”rizz（即魅力）起源于网络并在网上流行，但还没有被收录进词典。
illustrious adj. 著名的；卓越的
【例】an illustrious TV producer 著名的电视制片人
【拓展】illustrate v. （用图表、例子）说明
illuminate v. 点亮；说明
make the cut 得分达标而不被淘汰
【例】She trained hard for months and finally made the cut for the swimming team.
她刻苦训练了几个月，最终成功入选游泳队。
The restaurant must pass a health review to make the cut, Yelp said on its website.
餐厅点评网站Yelp在官网表示，餐厅必须通过健康评审才能在网站入驻
TikTok has just the phrase to describe such a modest approach: very demure.
TikTok刚好有一个词可以用来形容这种谦逊审慎的态度：非常端庄。
illustrious adj. 著名的；卓越的
【例】an illustrious TV producer 著名的电视制片人
【拓展】illustrate v. （用图表、例子）说明
illuminate v. 点亮；说明
make the cut 得分达标而不被淘汰
【例】She trained hard for months and finally made the cut for the swimming team.
她刻苦训练了几个月，最终成功入选游泳队。
The restaurant must pass a health review to make the cut, Yelp said on its website.
餐厅点评网站Yelp在官网表示，餐厅必须通过健康评审才能在网站入驻
课后练习
What does the popularising of "demure" show?
A. TikTok is changing the usage of words.
B. Youngsters today have a traditional attitude.
C. Victorian language has become fashionable.
D. Old words are always more accurate than new words.
What contributes to the language innovation on TikTok?
A. The users’ desire to attract attention through unique language.
B. The diverse forms of content that help spread interesting words.
C. The platform's strict censorship of traditional language.
D. The platform's focus on promoting standard language.
What does "linguistic identity work" refer to?
A. Youngsters use innovative words as a marker of their identity.
B. Linguists study how language shows the identity of fan groups.
C. Parents are puzzled by the new language used by their children.
D. Influencers use unusual words to attract attention on the platform.
The OED is described as “very demure” because ____.
A. it encourages people to invent new words
B. it has become less reliable in the internet era
C. it has added many words that are popular on TikTok
D. it takes a cautious attitude towards online expressions
