The Year in Emojis-The New York Times
The pandemic has affected nearly all aspects of modern life, from the clothes we wear to the food we eat to how we spend our time. There is one thing, however, that has remained almost unchanged: the emojis we send.
According to data from the Unicode Consortium, the organization that maintains the standards for digital text, nine of the 10 most used emojis from 2019 (which was the last time they released data) also ranked among the top 10 this year. The red heart emoji held the No. 2 spot, and the tears of joy emoji ranked No. 1, despite members of Gen Z deeming it uncool (along with side parts and skinny jeans).
To the people who create and study emojis, the persistence of tears of joy, also known as the laughing-crying emoji, comes as no surprise. “It speaks to how many people use emoji. If emoji were a purely Gen Z thing, then you wouldn't see it so highly ranked,” said Alexander Robertson, an emoji researcher at Google. “Because of the sheer number of people using emoji, even if one group thinks something is lame, they have to be a really big group to affect these statistics.”
And it makes sense that Gen Z would think that certain emojis aren't hip, said Jennifer Daniel, an emoji subcommittee chair for Unicode and a creative director at Google. It's part of the “teenage experience of creating a sense of subculture where there's a right way and a wrong way of behaving.”
Plus, Ms. Daniel noted, there is a “spectrum” of laughter that can be expressed through text: “There's light chuckling. There's acknowledgment laughter, which is just a marker of empathy.” Using emojis, such as the skull face (“I'm dead”) or crying face (uncontrollable tears of laughter), can help to illustrate that range.
Looking at a singular platform, however, might tell a slightly different story. According to data obtained from Twitter, tears of joy was the most tweeted emoji in 2020, but got bumped down to No. 2 this year, with the crying face taking its place. Tears of joy saw a 23 percent decline in usage from 2020 to 2021.
But the fact that most of the rest of the top 10 in Unicode's data set, which covers multiple platforms and apps, stayed fairly consistent also signifies just how flexible the current set of emojis are.
“It basically indicates that we have what we need to communicate a broad range of expression, or even very specific concepts,” Ms. Daniel said. “You don't necessarily need a Covid emoji or a vaccination emoji because you have biceps, syringe, Band-Aid, which conveys semantically the same thing.” Ms. Daniel added that at the start of the pandemic, people used the microbe, or virus, emoji and the crown emoji to refer to Covid (in Spanish, “corona” translates to “crown”).
The syringe emoji jumped to 193rd place this year in terms of overall usage, compared to 282nd in 2019. The microbe also rose, from 1,086th in 2019 to 477th.
Though the past two years have been like none before, the range of emotions we expressed through emoji while living through them were still largely familiar.
“We did see a rise in the use of the virus emoji, but not in a way that even made it remotely into the most-commonly used emojis because we still had plenty to laugh about and plenty to cry about, whether it was because of the pandemic or not,” said Lauren Gawne, co-host of the podcast “Lingthusiasm” and a senior lecturer in linguistics at La Trobe University in Melbourne, Australia.
“Even in the midst of this massive global pandemic that preoccupied so much of our time,” Ms. Gawne added, “we still spent a lot of time wishing each other happy birthday or checking in or laughing about some new and unexpected element of this slow-burning weirdness.”
难点注释：
Pandemic: n, adj
1）作名词，表示“（全国或全球性）流行病；大流行病”，means “a disease that spreads over a whole country or the whole world”；韦氏词典官方给出的释义为：an outbreak of a disease that occurs over a wide geographic area (such as multiple countries or continents) and typically affects a significant proportion of the population. 指的是疾病的爆发，所发生的地域广阔（如多个国家或大洲），通常影响很大一部分人口。如：The flu was arrested before it became a pandemic. 流感在变成流行病之前被控制住了。
2）作形容词，表示“（疾病）大规模流行的，广泛蔓延的”，means “(of a disease) existing in almost all of an area or in almost all of a group of people, animals, or plants”.如：Vaccines effective against a pandemic virus are not yet available. 目前仍没有可有效预防流感大流行的疫苗。
同义词对比：
epidemic表示“某地区流行病”，means “a large number of cases of a particular disease happening at the same time in a particular community”，如：the outbreak of a flu epidemic 流感的爆发。
Emoji: n
表示“表情符号”，最初是日本在无线通信中所使用的视觉情感符号（图画文字）.means “ a pictogram, logogram, ideogram or smiley embedded in text and used in electronic messages and web pages.” 如：The small town was suddenly struck by an epidemic. 小镇突然遭到传染病的袭击。
The corruption has become epidemic in the society. 这种腐化已成为社会上的一种歪风。
Consortium：n
表示“（数家公司或银行联合组成的）联营企业；财团，银团；联盟”，means “A consortium is a group of people or firms who have agreed to cooperate with each other.” 如：The new aircraft was developed by a European consortium. 这种新飞机是一家欧洲财团出资研制的。
Gen Z
表示：“Z代（Generation Z），美国及欧洲的流行用语，意指在1990年代中叶至2000年后出生的人。一般来说，他们主要是X代的小孩，但也有较年轻的婴儿潮世代或是较年长的Y代的小孩。他们又被称为M代（多工代，multitasking）、C代（连结世代，Connected Generation）、网络代（Net Generation），或是互联网代（the Internet Generation）。”
Generation Z (or Gen Z) is the demographic cohort after the Millennials. Demographers and researchers typically use the mid-1990s to early-2000s as starting birth years. There is little consensus regarding ending birth years. Most of Generation Z have used the Internet since a young age and are comfortable with technology and social media.如：Later on, in the new millennium, we further established a casual and unisex line, so as to fill the niche market of the new Generation Z.
后来，在新千年中，我们进一步发现一种随意不分性别的生产线。以便满足Z代（新一代）的市场定位。
The Gen Xers are often referred to as slackers. “X代人”经常被称为懒鬼。
Nearly 37% of Spain's Gen Yers can't find work. 将近37%25的西班牙Y代找不到工作。
Deem：v
表示“认为; 相信”，means “If something is deemed to have a particular quality or to do a particular thing, it is considered to have that quality or do that thing.”.如：
They were deemed to be illegal immigrants. 他们被认为是不法移民。
side parts
表示“偏分（发型）”，means “A parting in the hair on one side of a person's head.” Middle Part是中分。如：去年TikTok上热议的一个话题，现在的孩子认为偏分显老，中分才年轻。The Side Part vs. Middle Part Debate is a viral debate primarily found on TikTok which stems from the belief that side part hairstyles are only worn by "old people," typically referring to Millennials, and middle parts by "young people," typically meaning Gen Z.
Persistence，n
表示“持续存在；坚持不懈，执意”，means “the fact that someone or something persists”.如：
Persistence is one of your greatest assets in life. 努力不懈、坚持到底，是人生最大的资产。
Sheer, adj；V
1）作形容词可以表示“陡峭的；近乎垂直的”，means “extremely steep; almost vertical”，如：The mountain was too sheer to climb. 这山太陡峭了,无法攀登。
2）作形容词表示“（某物）之重/之大等”，means ：used to emphasize that something is very heavy, large etc. 如：the sheer scope就是用于强调scope，范围之大，.如：The sheer size of the country makes communications difficult.该国幅员辽阔，造成了通信的困难。
3）作形容词表示“完全的，纯粹的(pure)，彻底的”，英文释义：used to emphasize how very great, important, or powerful a quality or feeling is; nothing except. 如：She played a trick on him out of sheer devilment. 她捉弄他完全是为了寻开心。
4）作形容词表示“"极薄的,轻的,透明的"， means" thin, light and almost transparent". 如：She wears a pair of sheer stockings. 她穿着一双透明的丝袜。That dress is too sheer to wear without a slip. 那条连衣裙太透明了,没有衬裙不能穿。
5）做动词表示“避开；转向”, means “ turn (as if) to avoid hitting sth; change direction quickly“。 如：When he saw me coming he sheered off in the opposite direction. 他一看到我过来，掉头就走了。
Lame， adj；v
1）形容词表示“（尤指借口或论据）站不住脚的，无说服力的”，means “(especially of an excuse or argument) weak and unsatisfactory”如：He gave a lame excuse for being late. 他说了个站不住脚的理由解释他迟到的原因。
2）动词，表示“使 ... 成残废, means "deprive of the use of a limb, especially a leg". 形容词表示“ 瘸的“，means not able to walk easily or properly as a result of some weakness"。如：The accident made him lame in the left leg. 出事后他的左腿瘸了。The work was hard for the lame old man. 这工作对他这个跛脚的老先生来说是很辛苦的。
Hip, adj；n
表示“时髦的，时尚的”，相当于fashionable，.如：I remember her (ie picture her in my mind) as a hip young girl. 我想起她那时还是个时髦的少女。
形容词表示“通晓的，熟悉内情的，内行的”,means “informed about the latest trends“.如：The designer is hip to the latest fashion. 设计师对时装的最新款式了如指掌。
Spectrum, n
1）表示“范围；各层次；系列；幅度”，means “a complete or wide range of related qualities, ideas, etc.”如：There's a wide spectrum of opinions on this problem. 对这个问题的说法众说纷纭，莫衷一是。There are tense competition in the whole spectrum of the industry. 整个工业领域竞争很激烈。
2）表示“光谱，谱”，means “The spectrum is the range of different colours which is produced when light passes through a glass prism or through a drop of water. 如：In the spectrum, distinct colours shade into each other. 在光谱中，截然不同的颜色相互融合起来。
Chuckle, v
表示“哧哧地笑；轻声笑；暗自笑”，means “to laugh quietly”.如：
Cynics chuckle, and even Mr Paul sounds unenthusiastic about the Paulville project, in which he had no hand.好挖苦的人轻声笑了，甚至保罗对这个保罗村项目听起来也不热心，因为他不参与这个项目。
He chuckled in response to her question. 他轻轻一笑作为对她的问题的回答。
同义词辨析：
laugh指一般地“笑”或“出声大笑”;
smile指“不出声微笑”; chuckle指“吃吃笑”或“暗自发笑”;
giggle指“咯咯地笑”“傻笑”; grin指“咧嘴笑”“露齿笑”;
beam指“面带笑容”; sneer指“冷笑”“嘲笑”。
长句解析
The fact [ that most of the rest of the top 10 in Unicode's data set, （which covers multiple platforms and apps）, stayed fairly consistent ] also signifies just how flexible the current set of emojis are.
主句：The fact [同位语从句]signifies just how flexible the current set of emojis are.
同位语从句：most of the rest of the top 10 in Unicode's data set [定语从句], stayed fairly consistent.
Signify, v
1）表示“表示；意味着”，means “If an event, a sign, or a symbol signifies something, it is a sign of that thing or represents that thing.”.如：
A fever usually signifies that there is something wrong with the body. 发烧通常意味着身体有点毛病。
2）表示“（用符号或手势）表达”，means “If you signify something, you make a sign or gesture in order to communicate a particular meaning.”如：He didn't signify why he did that, how and when. 他并没有说明他为什么做那事,怎么做以及什么时候做。
3）表示“有关系”，means “ be of importance”. 如：It doesn't signify, so you needn't worry about it. 这无所谓，你不必担心。Well, just come. It signifies much to me. 只要来就行,这对我很重要。
Biceps, n
表示“耾二头肌”，means “Your biceps are the large muscles at the front of the upper part of your arms.”
如：He showed off his bulging biceps. 他向人炫耀他发达的二头肌。
Syringe ,n
表示“注射器，注射筒”，means “a hollow, cylinder-shaped piece of equipment used for sucking liquid out of something or pushing liquid into something, especially one with a needle that can be put under the skin and used to inject drugs, remove small amounts of blood, etc.” 如：The child started to wail when the nurse come over with a syringe. 当护士拿著针筒走过来时，孩子便嚎啕大哭起来。
Band-Aid
表示“邦迪牌创可贴”，means “a brand name for a small piece of sticky cloth or plastic that you use to cover and protect a cut in the skin”；
bandage表示“绷带”，means “A bandage is a long strip of cloth that is wrapped around a wounded part of someone's body to protect or support it.”
plaster表示“橡皮膏，创可贴”，means “a small piece of sticky cloth or plastic that you use to cover and protect a cut in the skin”；
sticking plaster表示“护创胶布，创可贴”，means “a piece of material that you can put over a small cut in the skin in order to protect it and keep it clean”；
microbe，n
表示“微生物；（尤指致病的）细菌”，means “a very small living thing, especially one that causes disease, that can only be seen with a microscope”。如：he probe is sensitive enough to detect the presence of a single microbe. 这个探针的灵敏度很高，足以测出任何微生物的存在。
Linguistics, n
表示“语言学”，means “the scientific study of the structure and development of language in general or of particular languages”。如：He is engaged in studies in linguistics. 他从事于语言学的研究。
in the midst of
表示“正当…的时候；在…之中；当某事发生时；在某人做某事时”，means “while sth is happening or being done; while you are doing sth”.如：In his escape, he walked six days in the midst of howling wilderness. 在逃亡期间，他在人迹罕至的旷野中走了6天。They were in the midst of a crisis. 他们处于危急存亡之际。The trucking industry is in the midst of upheaval—and hype 卡车运输业正在经历剧变，以及炒作。
Preoccupy, v
表示“使全神贯注，使入神；使关注；占据（某人的思绪）”，means “If something is preoccupying you, you are thinking about it a lot. To be the main thought in someone's mind, causing other things to be forgotten”.如：She seemed preoccupied all the time I was talking to her. 我跟她讲话时她始终显得心事重重。But at the moment he had other things to preoccupy him. 不过当时有另外的事情分了他的心。