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The Rise of Chinese Internet Language: Product and Agent of Globalization from Below

中国网络语言的兴起:大众全球化的产物和推手
  • Yun Xiao

    Yun Xiao is Professor of Chinese language and linguistics at Bryant University, Rhode Island, U.S.A. She has a Ph.D. degree in Linguistics. Her research interests are in Chinese syntax and discourse. Her publications include over 20 journal articles and book chapters, three co-edited/co-authored research monographs and a four-volume Chinese Literature Reading Series.

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From the journal Global Chinese

Abstract

As globalization presses on in China a market economy and democracy have been developed, and ordinary people obtained opportunities at many levels. One of them is their tangible access to media networks, computer facilities, online technologies, and global information exchange, which leads to the rise and expansion of Chinese Internet Language (CIL). Drawing on theoretical perspectives from globalization research, such as globalization and transformation (Steger 2009), as well as globalization and language (Fairclough 2006, 2009), this study intends to examine the emerging CIL and its role in social change. Taking a globalization and language approach, this study seeks to answer questions such as: What characterizes the CIL? How does the CIL reflect the changing social conditions in contemporary China? And how does the cyber community generate new public discourse that drives the changing China?

Data used for this study are from three major sources: (1) The corpus-based annual national reports entitled The Language Situation in China《中国语言生活状况报告》Zhongguo Yuyan Shenghuo Zhuangkuang Baogao from 2005 to 2013 (English version in Volumes 1 and 2 of Language Policies and Practices in China, Yuming Li and Wei Li, 2013, 2014), (2) the Semi-Annual Report on International Development in China by CNNIC (China Internet Network Information Center), and (3) recent Chinese publications, online or printed. Collectively, the data indicate that, with globalization rapidly changing and seriously challenging China, its social conditions and people’s life chances are radically changing, which are measured, evaluated, and reflected on by the language use of grassroots people that is marked with innovations, catch words, and novel forms. Officially branded as low standard and crude, CIL binds together a Chinese-speaking cyber community that generates new public discourse as the pushing hand and uncompromising challenger of the social change “from below.”

摘要

随着全球化在中国的持续深入,市场经济和社会民主不断得以发展,普通老百姓因此获得了各种机会,诸如社交媒体,计算机设备,网络技术,全球信息交换等等。中国的互联网也因之而兴起,并得以迅猛发展。借鉴全球化研究的理论观点,如全球化与转型(2009 年斯蒂格),全球化与语言使用(费尔克拉夫 2006 年,2009 年),本研究旨在探讨新兴中国互联网语言的发展及其它在社会变化中的作用,并力图回答以下问题:中国网络语言有什么特点?中国网络语言如何反映当代中国的社会变化?中国网络社区如何催生新的公共话语来促进社会发展变化?本研究采用的数据来自三个主要来源:(1)以语料库为基础的中国语言生活状况的年度报告 《中国语言生活状况报告》2005 至 2013 年(《中国语言政策和实践在英文版》卷 1 和卷 2,李宇明和李 巍,2013,2014)(2)由CNNIC 发布的《 中国互联网络信息中心在中国的国际发展》半年度报告 (2011-2014);(3)近期中文网络和《人民日报》海外版。数据表明,随着全球化迅速改变并挑战中国,其社会状况和人民生活正在发生根本性的变化,这些变化正在普通老百姓的网络流行语中得到体现,衡量与评估。这些流行语新颖,生动,接地气,被传统媒体称为“平民化,低门槛。”总之,中国的网络用语和网络社区,正成为“自下而上”的新型公共话语的推手和社会变革的坚定挑战者。

About the authors

Yun Xiao

Yun Xiao is Professor of Chinese language and linguistics at Bryant University, Rhode Island, U.S.A. She has a Ph.D. degree in Linguistics. Her research interests are in Chinese syntax and discourse. Her publications include over 20 journal articles and book chapters, three co-edited/co-authored research monographs and a four-volume Chinese Literature Reading Series.

萧云是美国罗德岛布莱恩特大学中国语言和语言学教授。学历为语言学博士。她的研究兴趣为汉语句法和话语。她的著作包括期刊论文与书籍章节20余篇,参与编辑和撰写的学术专著3本,及4卷中国文学阅读系列。

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Note

Part of this paper was presented at 2012 CLTA Annual Meeting, November 16-18, 2012, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and the other was at the 3rd International Symposium on Chinese Language and Discourse, June 11 to 13, 2014 at Birkbeck College, University of London, UK. I am thankful to the audience for their insightful feedback. I am also thankful to Ms. Stephanie K. Carter, Assistance Director of the Bryant University Writing Center, for reading this paper and making valuable comments.


Chinese Synopsis (中文简介)

中国网络语言的兴起:大众全球化的产物和推手

自20世纪末以来,全球化全面冲击国际社会,并从根本上改变了世界的各个层面(斯蒂格,2009 年)。 按照斯蒂格的理论,全球化是一种潜在的变革力量,它推动创新,加速全球性的相互依赖和相互联系。在此期间,信息技术迅速发展,网络语言即时产生,跨越地域和文化的全球性网络社区随之崛起,语言作为全球化的一个组成部分迅速传播,并对社会和文化的发展变化作出反应与评估。费尔克拉夫(2006 年,2009 年)也提出了类似理论,他的“话语分析法(Critical Discourse Analysis)”主张语言一方面是全球化社会变革的产物,另一方面又是创造和推动全球化的媒介。同时,全球化也是一把双刃剑,它喜忧参半,给一些人带来机遇,也使很多人落入困境。通过大量求证,费尔克拉夫(2006)认为全球化既可由上而下,由权贵们掌控;也可由下而上,由草根平民来推动势导。

近三十年来的渐进而稳定的经济改革使中国成功融入了全球化市场,成为世界第二大经济体,积极参与全球治理。在国内,8 亿人摆脱了贫困,信息技术和设备迅速发展,人权话语迅速提高。同时,中国也面临着全球化带来的严峻的社会问题和挑战,如官员腐败、贫富悬殊、环境恶化、地域差异扩大。与国际化接轨使普通中国人得到了许多机会,比如计算机设备、网络技术、全球信息交流、互联网迅猛发展。至 2013 年 6 月,中国共有 14.70 万个域名,294 万个网站,覆盖范围 44.1%,注册网民达 5.91亿 (CNNIC, 2013)。CNNIC第32号半年度报告(2013年7月)显示,大多数中国网民是城市居民,以手机为主要上网工具。同时,网民的主体是中青年(总数的 78.8%),文化程度为初高中或更低(总数的 80%),拥有低端职业或无业(总数的 89%)。由此可以看出,网民中的绝大多数为社会低端的草根平民。“网 民 们” 在 网上这个虚拟空间 (cyber space)聊天辩论博文,不受传统“监督”,但往往受限于时间与条件,因而催生了一种特定文化背景下的中国网络语言,它跨越边界行业联结亿万网民。中国网络语言有些什么主要特点?中国网络语言是如何反映这些社会变化与条件的?中国网络语言如何创造出崭新的公共话语并以此推动全球化的进程?借鉴于全球化理论观点,(斯蒂格,2009;费尔克拉夫 2006,2009),本研究旨在探讨这些问题以引起国际社会对当代中国语言使用新趋势的兴趣与关注。

本研究采用的数据主要有三个来源:(1)中国国家语言文字工作委员会发布的年度报告《中国语言生活状况报告》2005 年至 2013年(英文版,李宇明和李嵬,2013,2014);(2)中国互联网络信息中心(CNNIC)发布的半年度报告;(3)近期网络或印刷出版物,如北美华人网站 《文学城》,中国网站 《百度》《新浪》,以及《人民日报》海外版等。所用数据显示,随着中国互联网的兴起,新字、新词在网络上快速产生传播,其中互联网用字(54.17%),超过其他媒体的总和,如报纸(40.9%)和电视/广播(5.71%)(《中国语言生活状况报告》2006B:15)。此外,互联网用语含大量的即时反映社会生活的“热词热语”,以及其他很多新词语、新语体,有一些是旧义翻新,并突破语法常规,此外还大量使用非规范字词和各种符号,因而被传统媒体认定为“平民化、低门槛” (《中国语言生活状况报告》2012:205–201),其主要特点如下:

1 词长增加,3-词素用语快速增长

汉语中典型的结构是 2-词素,3-词素结构则属口语和非正式的的用语(杨文全,2011;曹炜,2010)。《中国语言生活状况》(2012:245)的数据显示,在 2011年对所有媒体(报纸,电视/广播和互联网)进行的全国性调查的新词语中,3-词素用语最多(51.77%),其次是 4-词素(21.08%),而 2-词素最少(15.21%)。这种趋势并非偶然,而是连续三年(2009–2011)稳定增长。

2 贴切上口, 反映社会热点

  1. 嘲笑权贵:如,官二代, 红二代,富二代,嫖娼门,手表哥;

  2. 同情下层民众的苦难:如,乘车难,喝水难,用电难,购房难,看病难,入学难,蚁族,鼠族;

  3. 表达苦闷压抑无奈,被强大、无形、不可预测的力量所迫使:如,被死亡,被失踪被旅游 ,被喝茶,被小康,被和谐,被幸福,被捐款,被自愿。

3 大量使用非标准语言形式

  1. 标记和符号: 如 :-),:-D,: >,:<,:-(,:-* ;

  2. 英语或汉语拼音字母词:如,NG, ONS, OA, OIC, LP, LG, GG, DD, PMP;

  3. 语音或语义双关语:如,886,885,520,56,520314,杯具,恐龙,拍砖,窝居;

  4. 构成反义的缩略词:如,天才 (天上掉下来的蠢才),白骨精(白领–骨干-精英), 蛋白质 (苯蛋–白痴-神经质);

  5. 多种语言混杂:如,Hold住,Call机,BP族,IT业,哥哥控,零食控,八卦新闻,杀很大。

4 由语言接触而产生的用语

  1. 以方言词语组成的普通话句子:如,“你真生猛!” “你真是个大鸡婆!” “你干活悠着点”。

  2. 以术语或行话作比喻:如,子弹(金钱),曝光(披露),软件(能人),下课(解雇),下海(辞职经商),放电(释放情感),炸药包(贿赂物),手榴弹(用作礼品的酒)

  3. 通过翻译或音译而衍生的词语:如,巴士,吧台,吧女,猎头,血拼,热狗,晒工资

  4. 中英转换:如,

    1. 帮我fax 一下 file。

    2. 你来order 菜

    3. 今天真是太high了!

    4. 这件衣服已经out了

    5. 别理我,我今天很down。

    6. Hello啊! 饭ok了。

    7. Windows XP 退役波澜不惊。

    8. …令网友“echo”感叹。

综上所述,中国网络语言大量使用了跨越语言地域和社团的新用语、新手法、外来词,方言和外语混合,不仅对全球化中国的社会发展作出了反应与评估,而且创造出了崭新的公共话语并以此推动了全球化的进程。

Published Online: 2015-4-14
Published in Print: 2015-4-1

©2015 by De Gruyter Mouton

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