風靡全球的中國表情符號
"Funny", a made-in-China emoji, inclusively used on Tieba, the largest Chinese communication platform provided by the search engine giant Baidu, seems to have recently moved beyond just China.
“貼吧”是中國最大的交流平臺，由搜索引擎巨頭“百度”推出。同時，它也是中國製造的表情符號“滑稽”的原生地。近來，“滑稽”似乎已走出了中國的大門。
Now, it is more than an emoji, but a cultural derivation.
如今，它已不僅僅只是一個表情符號，更是一種文化派生物。
Reaching global markets
進入國際市場
A series of "funny" emoji-based bolsters have attracted the attention of Japanese customers through Amazon Japan, an online shopping center.
一系列“滑稽”的主題抱枕在日本的網上購物中心“亞馬遜日本站”上吸引了日本消費者的注意。
Even if one bolster costs about 1,750 yen ($16.73), more than three times the price in China, it doesn't dampen their desires to buy it.
即使一個抱枕的價格高達1750日元（16.73美元），超過在中國價格的三倍，人們的購買熱情仍舊十分強勁。
One Japanese customer Miki said:
一位日本消費者Miki表示：
"They are just so cute and I bought three bolsters at one time for my family.
“這些抱枕實在太可愛了，我一次買了三個回家。
And every time I see them, my mood just brightens suddenly."
而且每次看到它們，我的心情就立刻轉晴。“
"I think the emoji implies very complicated meanings.
“我覺得這個表情包含着非常複雜的意味。
Different people can read different things from it.
不同的人能從中讀出不同的意思。
For example, my dad will send it on the occasion when he did not agree with someone but he has to say something and behave politely.
比如我父親，每當他不同意別人的觀點，但非得說點兒什麼以示禮貌的時候，他就會發送這個表情。
But one of my friends think it is nothing but an expression of fun," said one Japanese netizen Kiro Kara.
但我的一個朋友就覺得它不過是一個好玩的表情，沒什麼其他含義，”一位日本網民Kiro Kara如是說。
Addition to Domestic Social Media
“滑稽”在國內社交媒體中的其他用意
Compared with Japanese people's impressions of the "funny" emoji, Chinese netizens prefer to use the emoji to tease one another on social media.
不同於日本人對“滑稽”表情的理解，中國網民常常在社交網站上用它調侃別人。
One commonly seen comment on the emoji in Zhihu, the Chinese version of Quora, is:
知乎（中國版Quora）上有一種很常見的論調：
"We strongly require Tieba to stop the usage of the emoji.
“我們強烈建議貼吧停止‘滑稽’的使用。
Because every time other people send me the emoji, I feel very uncomfortable and consider myself as a fool."
因爲每次別人發送給我這個表情時，我都很不爽，還以爲自己是個白癡。”
Reputed as the most popular emoji on Tieba, the "funny" emoji has received much attention since its release in 2013. As a matter of fact, the "funny" emoji is the updated version of the "drool" emoji.
作爲貼吧上最流行的表情符號，“滑稽”自2013年出現後受到了很多關注。其實，“滑稽”是“流口水”的升級版。
Compared with the original, "funny" has a slightly opened mouth, a dull red flush and two eyebrows.
與“流口水”比起來，“滑稽”的嘴微微張開，臉上多了兩團紅暈和兩根眉毛。
And all these characteristics render users a sense of satire, according to one insider.
據一位國人說，“滑稽”的種種臉部特徵都給人一種諷刺的感覺。
If you think the emotion is the only cause for the "funny" emoji to go viral online, then you are wrong.
如果你覺得“滑稽”表現出來的情緒是唯一使其爆紅網絡的原因，那麼你就錯了。
In the next several years, the "funny" emoji has undergone many transformations and gradually engulfed the internet.
在其發佈後的幾年中，“滑稽”經過很多次改版，才最終攻佔網絡。
For example, the emoji is the first one on Tieba to have multi-color variations in red, orange, green, blue, bluish green, and purple。
例如，“滑稽”是第一個擁有多種色彩版本的貼吧表情，包括紅色的，橘色的，綠色的，藍色的，藍綠的，還有紫色的。
When users utilize the shortcut key to send them together, its exaggerated effect is amplified.
當用戶按下快捷鍵將它們一同發送出去時，這個表情的誇張效果就進一步放大了。
If you do not know this rule, you should check here.
如果你還不知道這個規則的話，看看這篇文章吧。
Meanwhile, the "funny" emoji is well-adopted in many settings and successfully gains attention outside Tibeba.
而且，“滑稽”適用於不同的聊天場景，在貼吧之外的平臺上也大受歡迎。
For instance, the Quilt-Covering, the Police-Acting and Smoking versions are causing a stir everywhere in Chinese social life.
比如“蓋被子”、“扮警察”和“抽菸”的版本，它們風靡中國社交生活的各個角落。
In Everyday Use Abroad
出沒在國外的日常生活裏
This is not the first time the Chinese emoji takes the world stage.
“滑稽”不是第一個登上國際舞臺的中國表情。
Earlier this year, one emoji from the Chinese basketball celebrity Yao Ming has been spread through the Middle East region.
今年早些時候，中國著名籃球運動員姚明的一款表情在中東地區廣爲流傳。
In Luxor, a city in southern Egypt, Yao's smiling emoji has emerged frequently in local traffic signs to remind people the road ahead is one-way.
在埃及南部的一座城市盧克索，姚明大笑的表情經常被用作當地交通指示牌，提醒人們前方是單行道。
And you may be surprised to find that many locals do not know Yao Ming but are familiar with his emoji and nickname "Chinese Funny Face".
也許你會覺得震驚，其實當地人並不認識姚明，但他們卻對他的表情和“中國搞笑臉”的暱稱很熟悉。
What's more, the emoji has been picked up by the Egyptian English-language daily newspaper Egyptian Gazette as the title picture for its humorous column Serious but Funny.
這個表情還被埃及的英語日報《埃及人報》選作其幽默專欄《嚴肅而搞笑》的標題圖片。
What's more, due to the huge influences of Chinese Sina Weibo, the Chinese version of Twitter, many renowned western celebrities like Leonardo DiCaprio and Madonna have opened their personal accounts on the platform.
此外，被新浪微博（中國版推特）的巨大影響力吸引，不少西方名人，比如萊昂納多.迪卡普里奧和麥當娜都註冊了個人微博賬號。
Many Chinese fans are excited about this and now choose to greet them with their own funny pictures, a behavior arousing the attention of foreign media.
很多中國粉絲因此十分激動，還用這些明星的搞笑表情對他們表示歡迎，這個行爲吸引了外媒的注意力。
American private Internet media company BuzzFeed reported on the cultural phenomenon.
美國私人網絡媒體公司Buzzfeed對這個文化現象做了報道。
As a newly emerging online language, emojis have risen to become an integral part of people's daily life.
作爲一種網絡新興語言，表情符號已經升級成爲人們日常生活必不可少的一部分。
Emojis are able to help people express their views in a more vivid and precise fashion.
表情符號的出現，使得人們能夠用更生動、簡潔而時尚的方式表達自己的觀點。
Also, it can help foreigners learn about Chinese culture and learn the language.
而且它還能幫助外國人學習中國文化和漢語。
As Chinese emojis have slowly entered the world stage, how to properly use "the fifth innovation in China", a humorous name for emojis, without hurting others and how to turn them into commercial advantages still need answers.
隨着中國表情符號登上國際舞臺，有人幽默地稱它爲“中國第五大發明”，但是如何在不傷害他人的前提下恰當地運用它、如何將它轉化成一種商業優勢，仍然有待研究。
