汉生:乐乐,最近忙什么呢? 乐乐:我忙着"织围脖"呢! 汉生:织围脖?这春天眼看就要到了,都暖和起来了,你还织什么围脖呀? 乐乐:哎呀,你怎么什么都不懂啊!此"围脖"非彼"围脖"!"织围脖"是网络用语,就是在微博上写东西。我最近刚开通了微博。 汉生:你说的是这个"微博"啊。你怎么突然想起写微博了? 乐乐:前段时间我不是生病了吗?每天待在家里也没什么事,就想用微博来打发时间。没想到微博这么有意思,就越玩越上瘾了。你也赶紧去开通一个,这样咱们就可以一起"织围脖"了。 汉生:开通它做什么?有事没事发发感慨、晒晒心情?或者看别人发感慨、晒心情?我才没那么无聊呢! 乐乐:你对微博的理解太狭隘了!往小了说,它是一个信息分享、传播和获取的平台,往大了说,通过它不仅可以维护人际关系,而且使个人的言论自由权利得到了极大的实现,不管你是总统还是平民百姓,都可以在上面发表自己的看法,记录自己的思想,并且拥有自己的听众。 汉生:可是我觉得大部分人都是在消磨时间、发泄情绪,甚至是无病呻吟。而且这种分享方式让私人空间变得越来越小,个人隐私很容易被侵犯。你看现在很多八卦、谣言甚至假新闻都是通过微博传起来的。 乐乐:你这是典型的'因噎废食'。微博是产生了一些负面影响,但任何东西不都是有利有弊吗?不能因为它有缺点,就看不到它的优点,就不让它发展了。 汉生:你别那么激动啊!我没说不让它发展,我只是说要看到它存在的问题。我虽然没有微博,但也用"人人"啊,我并不排斥这些东西。 乐乐:你用"人人"吗?我怎么从来没见你更新过啊? 汉生:我只是偶尔上一下,很少更新,太麻烦了。 乐乐:微博不开,"人人"不上,连飞信你都不用,那你是怎么和外界保持联系的? 汉生:邮件和电话。我觉得它们是最好的通讯工具,既能有效地进行联系和沟通,又能比较好地保护自己的私人空间。 乐乐:我不得不说,你真是一个"奥特曼"! 汉生:"奥特曼"?什么意思? 乐乐:你连"奥特曼"都不知道是什么意思?看来你真是落伍了! HS: Le Le, What have you been up to lately?
LL: I've been busy
knitting a scarf!
HS: Knitting a scarf? Spring is almost here and it's getting warm,why are you
knitting a scarf?
LL: Sigh, don't you know anything? The scarf I'm talking about is not the scarf you're thinking about. "Knitting a scarf" is internet talk, it means microblogging. I just set up a microblog recently.
HS: About this microblog you just mentioned, why are you suddenly interested in microblogging?
LL: Remember when I was ill some time back? I was coup up in the house
everyday and microblogging was just to pass time. I never imagined that it's so interesting,
eventually I got addicted. You should quickly set up a microblog too, then we can "knit a scarf" together.
HS: Why should I set up a microblog? To
ramble on and on about anything and everything, or to read other people's ramblings? What nonsense!
LL: Your understanding of microblogging is too narrow. From a micro perspective, it's about sharing of information; it's a
platform to disseminate and to
acquire information. From a macro perspective, not only does it
facilitate networking; it also brings about an
enormous power for freedom of speech. Irregardless of whether you are the president or a common citizen, you can express your opinions, record your thoughts, and what's more, you have a dedicated audience.
HS: But I think that people are just
wasting their time, venting their emotions, making a fuss over nothing. Moreover, such method of sharing (of information) invades a person's personal space, it's easy to encroach on a person's privacy. I've witnessed too many gossips, rumors and false news sparked off by microblogging.
LL: You're a
classic case of "refusing to do something necessary just because of a slight risk" (lit. not eating for fear of choking). Obviously microblogging has its
negative impacts, but doesn't everything has its own set of pros and cons? We shouldn't
ignore its benefits and deny it from developing just because it has some flaws.
HS: Cool down, I never said it should not be developed (further). I just said that we should be aware of the problems (that come with it). Although I don't have a microblog, I do have "Renren". It's not that I
totallyreject these things.
LL: You use "Renren"? How come I never see you update it?
HS: I just log on once in a while, I
rarely update it. It's too troublesome.
LL: You don't want to set up a microblog, and you don't log on to "Ren Ren". You don't even have Fetion, how do you
communicate with the outside world?
HS: Mail and telephone. I think they're the best means of communication. It is an
effective means of keeping in touch and communicating with people, and it can also protect your
privacy and personal space.
LL: I only have this to say: You're truly an "Ultraman" (out man, i.e. out of date).
HS: "Ultraman?" What's that?
LL: You don't even know what "Ultraman" is? Looks like you're really behind time!
-- atchooo@
Lesson Summary:
Following the
popularity of Facebook and Twitter, China is hit by the "microblog" craze. In Chinese, "microblog" and "scarf" sound similar, i.e. "wei bo". As a result, some internet users use the word "scarf" when referring to "microblog". Lesson Content: HS: Le Le, What have you been up to lately?
LL: I've been busy
knitting a scarf!
HS: Knitting a scarf? Spring is almost here and it's getting warm,why are you
knitting a scarf?
LL: Sigh, don't you know anything? The scarf I'm talking about is not the scarf you're thinking about. "Knitting a scarf" is internet talk, it means microblogging. I just set up a microblog recently.
HS: About this microblog you just mentioned, why are you suddenly interested in microblogging?
LL: Remember when I was ill some time back? I was coup up in the house
everyday and microblogging was just to pass time. I never imagined that it's so interesting,
eventually I got addicted. You should quickly set up a microblog too, then we can "knit a scarf" together.
HS: Why should I set up a microblog? To
ramble on and on about anything and everything, or to read other people's ramblings? What nonsense!
LL: Your understanding of microblogging is too narrow. From a micro perspective, it's about sharing of information; it's a
platform to disseminate and to
acquire information. From a macro perspective, not only does it
facilitate networking; it also brings about an
enormous power for freedom of speech. Irregardless of whether you are the president or a common citizen, you can express your opinions, record your thoughts, and what's more, you have a dedicated audience.
HS: But I think that people are just
wasting their time, venting their emotions, making a fuss over nothing. Moreover, such method of sharing (of information) invades a person's personal space, it's easy to encroach on a person's privacy. I've witnessed too many gossips, rumors and false news sparked off by microblogging.
LL: You're a
classic case of "refusing to do something necessary just because of a slight risk" (lit. not eating for fear of choking). Obviously microblogging has its
negative impacts, but doesn't everything has its own set of pros and cons? We shouldn't
ignore its benefits and deny it from developing just because it has some flaws.
HS: Cool down, I never said it should not be developed (further). I just said that we should be aware of the problems (that come with it). Although I don't have a microblog, I do have "Renren". It's not that I
totallyreject these things.
LL: You use "Renren"? How come I never see you update it?
HS: I just log on once in a while, I
rarely update it. It's too troublesome.
LL: You don't want to set up a microblog, and you don't log on to "Ren Ren". You don't even have Fetion, how do you
communicate with the outside world?
HS: Mail and telephone. I think they're the best means of communication. It is an
effective means of keeping in touch and communicating with people, and it can also protect your
privacy and personal space.
LL: I only have this to say: You're truly an "Ultraman" (out man, i.e. out of date).
HS: "Ultraman?" What's that?
LL: You don't even know what "Ultraman" is? Looks like you're really behind time!