美国俚语的产生及其社会功能探析

The Origins and Social Functions of American Slang

俚语是相当特殊的言语形式,它既有别于语法不规范的用语,又不同于乡下用语,更不是亵渎言语。尽管传统的观念认为俚语与正式场合下使用“体面”标准方言形式相去甚远,但在日常生活的交际中爱用俚语不乏其人,现代美国俚语得到了很好的发展。各种亚文化群体的存在是它产生的主要条件,它反映美国社会生活的方方面面。而今俚语的“创造和消费”日益风行,其社会功能愈来愈重要。

Though it is conventionally believed that slang expressions are far away from decent social dialects used on formal occasions, they are, in fact, neither ungrammatical nor uncouth, let alone not pollution to a language. They abound in the democratic and highly developed American society, which originate mainly from various subcultural groups and their social functions are becoming increasingly important.