And now we have it : 'Stay the course' is tops for 2006(28504)-英语教育-(66)-21英语网

本文作者： 21ST

　　全球语言监测机构近日公布了2006年度流行英语词汇排行榜。“sustainable”（可持续的）和美国总统布什在思索伊拉克新政策时的口头禅“Stay the course”（坚持到底）分别被评选为年度最流行单词和最流行名言。

　　THE Global Language Monitor (GLM) has named "sustainable" the top word of the year 2006 and "stay the course," the top phrase in its annual global survey.

　　"In 2006 the English language grew ever more global with some 1.3 billion speakers using it as their first, second, business, or technical tongue. Additionally, for the first time, we've included emoticons (emotion+icons) and SMS (or text messages) in our lists which signify yet another fascinating trend in the rise of Global English," said Paul JJ Payack, President of GLM, headquartered in San Diego, California. The 2006 lists include words chosen from around the English-speaking world including India, Singapore, China, Australia, and the US and UK.

　　GLM said "sustainable" was used frequently over the course of the year to describe "populations, marriages, agriculture, economies" and other subjects. Other words making the list include: "infonaut", a word referring to those who travel the "Infobahn (information+autobahn);" "Hiki Komori", a term referring to young Japanese men who spend most of their time alone in their rooms; "planemo", referring to objects in space that fall short of the planet distinction; and "netroots," which refers to activists who focus fundraising and get-out-the-vote efforts on the Internet.

　　"Stay the course", the phrase used by the Bush administration as it searched for a new policy in Iraq, was named the top catchphrase of the year. GLM notes there's more than just a little irony in the choice of the words, which were used to describe the ongoing US policy in Iraq. "It makes number one because it was declared inoperative," explains Payack.

　　In second place was the title of the O.J. Simpson book. It was swiftly cancelled by its publisher when nearly 10,000 news stories reported on the plan. The idea of Simpson telling how he would have killed his ex-wife and her friend if he had actually murdered them outraged so many people that it was withdrawn. But the phrase was an immediate winner in the language. Simpson was found not guilty of the murders in a criminal trial but held liable for the deaths in a civil proceeding.

　　The organization's annual list also cited "Darfur," the war-torn region of Sudan, as the top name of the year and "Yoof Speak," a pan-Asian term for youth speak, as the top youth speak phrase. 21ST

　　Top Ten Words of 2006

　　1. Sustainable: Originally a "green" term that has moved into the mainstream, meaning "self-generating" as in "wind is a sustainable power supply". It can be applied to populations, marriages, agriculture, economies, and the like. Its opposite is "disposable".

　　2. Infonaut:Those who blithely travel along the "infobahn(information+autobahn)".

　　3. Hiki Komori: One million young Japanese men who avoid intense societal pressures by withdrawing into their own rooms (and worlds) rarely venturing outside.

　　4. Planemo: Planets that didn't make the cut in 2006 as sustainable planets. Pluto was demoted to a planemo.

　　5. Netroots: The activists who have transformed the practice of fundraising and getting out the vote - through cyberspace.

　　Top Catchphrases of 2006

　　1. Stay the Course: No longer useful as the situation in Iraq slides into the abyss.

　　2. If I Did it: GLM traced nearly 10,000 news stories about Simpson's new book within 36 hours of its announcement. The book was almost immediately withdrawn by its publisher.

　　3. # - ): The "emoticon"(emotion+icon) used in e-mail and text messages which means "wasted(drunk)".

　　4. Airline Pulp: The Chinglish way of describing food served aboard an airliner.

　　5. Serial Texter: Texting has become one of the predominant methods of communication among the world's youth. You can even subscribe to serialized SMS (short message service) "novels". It's word play on "serial killer".

　　