在與家人和朋友交流時，你喜歡發短信還是喜歡打電話？近些年來，隨著手機的普及，通過短信交流變得越來越流行。有些人甚至因為忙著發短信，而沒空接電話。本文探討發短信和打電話的利與弊。

詞匯：communication 交流

The telephone was an amazing invention. People could finally speak to each other instantly from one home to another. The mobile phone took this technology further, meaning we could make contact with people to and from almost anywhere in the world. But despite having the instant ability to talk to one another, it seems many of us prefer to communicate by text.

I don’t mean we have taken up letter writing again. Although a handwritten letter has a personal touch, sending it by snail mail is too slow to satisfy our desire to keep in touch immediately. But what our smartphones now allow us to do is enable us to communicate in any number of quick, cheap but silent ways. A study in the UK a few years ago found 49 per cent of teenagers preferred to send a text rather than speak to someone.

Certainly sending an SMS, text or message via a chat app means we can compose what we want to say, and we can be more efficient in saying it – especially if we express ourselves by using emojis. It can also be quicker than having to chat with someone, although I feel you can still end up wasting time by having a full discussion by text! Text messaging also allows privacy – other people can’t overhear your text if you’re in a public place such as on a train.

But texting instead of talking can seem antisocial; we may even forget the art of pleasantries. A text can be misinterpreted too because you miss out on a speaker’s intonation. Neuroscientist Professor Sophie Scott told the BBC: “We always speak with melody and intonation to our voice… you take that channel of information out of communication, you lose another way that sense is being conveyed.”

Of course texting and talking is the worst thing to do. Who deserves your attention when two people are communicating with you? It’s then we have to decide who has the most interesting thing to say!

詞匯表

instantly 立即地，馬上地
mobile phone 手機
make contact with 與（人）取得聯系
text 短信
personal touch 人情味，人性化色彩
snail mail 傳統信件，平信
keep in touch 保持聯系
smartphone 智能手機
SMS (short message service) 手機短信服務
chat app 聊天軟件
compose 撰寫（信息，信函等）
express ourselves 表達我們的想法或感受
emoji 表情符號
text messaging 發短信
privacy 隱私
antisocial 不愛社交的，不合群的
pleasantry 客套話
intonation 語調，腔調
convey 表達，傳達

測驗與練習

1.  閱讀課文并回答問題。

1. What is the problem with communicating via ‘snail mail’?

2. According to a survey, what did teenagers in the UK prefer, text or talk?

3. Why does texting allow privacy when you are in a public place?

4. What can we use to show our feelings when writing a text message?

5. True or false? Texting does not show the intonation in your voice.

2.  選擇意思恰當的單詞或詞組來完成下列句子。

1. The hotel adds a _______ by putting a chocolate on your pillow before bedtime.

personal touch               privacy                            pleasantries                      emoji

2. I need to _______ an email to the company to tell them about their terrible customer service.

communicate                 express                           compose                           convey

3. He wasn’t very good at _______ himself, so I wasn’t sure what he was trying to say.

expressed                      expressing                      expression                         express

4. I need to _______ with my old university friends to try and organise a reunion.

messaging                     make contact                  intonation                           convey

5. After all the _______, we finally got down to business and discussed the contract.

pleasants                       pleasantries                    pleasanting                        pleasant

答案

1.  閱讀課文并回答問題。  

1. What is the problem with communicating via ‘snail mail’?
Sending a letter via snail mail is too slow to satisfy our desire to keep in touch immediately. 

2. According to a survey, what did teenagers in the UK prefer, text or talk?
A study in the UK a few years ago found 49 per cent of teenagers preferred to send a text rather than speak to someone – so it’s about the same for both texting and talking.

3. Why does texting allow privacy when you are in a public place?
Because other people can’t overhear you talking on the phone.

4. What can we use to show our feelings when texting?
We can use emojis to express ourselves when texting.   

5. True or false? Texting does not show the intonation in your voice.
True. A text can be misinterpreted because you miss out on a speaker’s intonation.

2.  選擇意思恰當的單詞或詞組來完成下列句子。

1. The hotel adds a personal touch by putting a chocolate on your pillow before bedtime.

2. I need to compose an email to the company to tell them about their terrible customer service.

3. He wasn’t very good at expressing himself, so I wasn’t sure what he was trying to say.

4. I need to make contact with my old university friends to try and organise a reunion.

5. After all the pleasantries, we finally got down to business and discussed the contract.