A new trend has been popping up all over the world--on mobile phones! SMS messages are becoming as common as telephone calls because they're fast, cheap and fun. Here are some tips on using SMS, or Short Message Service, to get your message across in English.
一种新趋势正在全世界流行——那就是使用手机！而手机短信迅捷、便宜又有趣，它正变得像打电话一样普遍。这里有一些书写SMS的方法，它可以帮你用英文来发送短信。
Text me! 短我！
English has a very difficult spelling system, and it can take a long time to spell out one word. So, many people now shorten words to speed up the process. This saves time, but it can also confuse people if they are not familiar with the current trends. Also, mastering the language of text messages first requires mastering English.
用英文写短信的困难在于拼写，拼一个单词就可能花费你很长的一段时间。因此，现在许多人都通过缩短单词来加快拼写的速度。这样做节省了时间，但是如果不熟悉这些常用的缩写规则，你就会感到很困惑。另外，书写简练短信的第一步就是掌握英文。
SMS slang can be broken up into two basic categories: acronyms and contractions.
短信可分为两个基本部分：首字母缩写和缩略。
Acronyms 首字母缩写
Acronyms are words formed from the first letter of several words (such as UN for United Nations). In text messaging, acronyms are used for common phrases. Additionally, single letters may replace words that they sound like. Check out these examples:
首字母缩写是由每个单词的第一个字母组合而成的，比如UN就是指United Nations。短信里，首字母缩写常常被用在习惯用语中。另外，发声相似的词会被字母取代。请看一些例子：
OIC- Oh I see.
BRB - Be right back
BFN - Bye for now
LOL - Laughing out loud
ASAP - As soon as possible
BTW - By the way
FYI - For your information
JK - Just kidding
TTYL - Talk to you later
Contractions 缩略
SMS contractions aren't the same as regular ones like "don't" or "they're", but the purpose is the same: to remove unnecessary parts of words while keeping the meaning clear. Vowels are often eliminated, but you can still make out the general sound of the word. The number 8 sometimes represents the sound of eight, so later becomes l8r. The number 4 is also common as a replacement for the for sound as is 2 for to. Take a look at these SMS contractions:
短信的缩略词不是指一些约定俗成的"don't" 或 "they're"之类的缩略，但两者的目的是一样的：即当意思很清楚的时候可将一些不需要的词省略。元音常常会被省略，但是你仍然可以保留这个词的大概发言。数字8有时候会发eight，所以later就写成l8r。数字4通常也被取代成for，就像2这个音就替代了to。请看一些短信缩略词的例子：
Plz - Please
Thx - Thanks
Cya - See you
L8r - Later
K - OK
U - You
R - Are
B4 - Before
2morro - Tomorrow
As you can see, writing this way can be complicated, and you should have a good grasp of English before trying to shorten your messages. Using too many abbreviations will make your SMS confusing to the reader or look unprofessional with your business contacts.
你可以看出来，用缩写的方式写短信会比较复杂，当你试着想缩短你的短信时，你应该先浏览一遍英文。太多的缩写会给阅读者带来困惑，或者让你的商业交往显得不那么专业。
Can you keep a secret? 你可以替我保守秘密吗？
SMS is definitely convenient, but it should be used for casual conversations while keeping your audience in mind. You shouldn't be sending text messages to your boss! Additionally, remember that messages sent can easily be saved and retrieved, or even sent to the wrong person, so you may find yourself in an embarrassing situation if you are not cautious! The next time you want to send a very personal message think carefully before you press the "Send" button or you might end up sending your boss a message meant for your sweetheart!
发短信绝对很方便，但它应该限于比较随意的场合，且要让阅读者能看明白。你不要给你的老板发短信！另外，你要知道，短信很容易被保存并发给其他人，甚至是发给不该发的人。如果你不小心的话，就有可能将自己陷入非常尴尬的境地！所以下次在按下“发送”键发出非常隐私的短信的时候，一定要小心再小心，不然你可能会把发给情人的短信传给老板喔！