Is there more to internet memes than meets the eye？ The science of these viral mash-ups reveals why they are so effective at spreading ideas and beliefs.

網(wǎng)絡(luò)模因背后是否暗藏玄機(jī)？模因病毒式傳播所蘊(yùn)含的科學(xué)揭示了它們?yōu)楹文苋绱烁咝У貍鞑ニ枷肜砟睢?/p>

On the surface， internet memes are a ubiquitous1 source of light entertainment2—a way for people to express themselves through cleverly remixed templates of text， images and videos. They are arguably the wallpaper of our social media feeds and often provide us with a few minutes of idle， amusing fodder3 for procrastination during our day.

從表面上看，網(wǎng)絡(luò)模因是一種無(wú)處不在的輕松娛樂(lè)方式——大眾以文字、圖片和視頻模板的創(chuàng)意混搭來(lái)表達(dá)自我?？梢哉f(shuō)，網(wǎng)絡(luò)模因是社交媒體信息流的背景裝飾，時(shí)常提供輕松有趣的素材讓我們?cè)谝惶熘邢追昼姇r(shí)間。

But memes also have a serious side， according to researchers looking at modern forms of communication. They are a language in themselves， with a capacity to transcend cultures and construct collective identities between people. These sharable visual jokes can also be powerful tools for self-expression， connection， social influence and even political subversion4.

然而，在研究現(xiàn)代交流形式的人眼中，模因還有嚴(yán)肅的一面。它們本身就是一種語(yǔ)言，具有跨越文化界限、構(gòu)建集體身份認(rèn)同的能力。這些易于傳播的視覺(jué)幽默也是表達(dá)自我、建立聯(lián)系、影響社會(huì)乃至顛覆政治的有力手段。

Internet memes “are one of the clearest manifestations of the fact there is such a thing as digital culture”， says Paolo Gerbaudo， a reader5 in digital politics and director of the Centre for Digital Culture at Kings College London.

倫敦國(guó)王學(xué)院數(shù)字政治學(xué)準(zhǔn)教授兼數(shù)字文化研究中心主任保羅·杰爾包多認(rèn)為，網(wǎng)絡(luò)模因“堪稱展現(xiàn)數(shù)字文化真實(shí)存在的最鮮活的例證之一”。

Gerbaudo describes memes as a “sort of a ready-made language with many kinds of stereotypes， symbols， situations. A palette that people can use， much like emojis， in a way， to convey a certain content”.

杰爾包多將模因描述為“一種現(xiàn)成的語(yǔ)言，包含豐富多樣的刻板印象、象征符號(hào)和情景設(shè)定。網(wǎng)絡(luò)模因猶如調(diào)色板，讓人們?cè)谀撤N程度上能像使用表情符號(hào)那樣傳達(dá)特定的內(nèi)容”。

According to the social media site Instagram， at least one million posts mentioning “meme” were shared every day in 2020. But what is it that makes the internet meme so popular and why is it such an effective way of conveying ideas？

據(jù)社交媒體平臺(tái)“照片墻”統(tǒng)計(jì)，2020年人們每天至少分享100萬(wàn)條含“模因”字眼的帖子。那么，網(wǎng)絡(luò)模因究竟為何備受歡迎，又為何能高效傳播思想呢？

Of course， memes have been around long before the rise and reproduction of familiar internet memes like the Distracted Boyfriend or the many wise faces of “Doge”.

實(shí)際上，早在諸如“分心男友”或各種滿臉智慧的“神煩狗”等大家耳熟能詳?shù)木W(wǎng)絡(luò)模因興起并廣泛傳播之前，“模因”這一概念就已經(jīng)存在了。

“We see the replication of mundane reality in many forms of art，” says Idil Galip， a doctoral researcher at the University of Edinburgh， and founder of the Meme Studies Research Network. “Even going back to， let’s say， Hellenic times6， you’ve got something like tragic theatre， that takes things that happen to you that are upsetting and real-life and makes them into comedic things， which is what memes do.”

愛(ài)丁堡大學(xué)博士研究員、“模因研究網(wǎng)絡(luò)”創(chuàng)始人伊迪爾·加利普指出：“我們發(fā)現(xiàn)許多藝術(shù)形式都再現(xiàn)了日常生活。即使追溯到古希臘時(shí)期，也有悲劇這樣的藝術(shù)形式，將人們現(xiàn)實(shí)生活中的煩惱轉(zhuǎn)化成幽默詼諧的事物，而這一點(diǎn)正與模因不謀而合。”

With the arrival of the internet， however， memes have become a more tangible phenomenon that can be observed as they grow， spread and mutate. “In a way， it’s like internet users paving the way for academics to look at memes more scientifically，” says Limor Shifman， a professor of communication at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

隨著互聯(lián)網(wǎng)的普及，我們可以愈加清楚地看到模因在不斷滋生、擴(kuò)散和演變。對(duì)此，耶路撒冷希伯來(lái)大學(xué)傳播學(xué)教授利莫爾·希夫曼指出：“從某個(gè)角度來(lái)看，似乎是互聯(lián)網(wǎng)用戶在為學(xué)術(shù)界鋪墊道路，好讓學(xué)者們能夠更科學(xué)地研究模因?！?/p>

Shifman’s definition of memes， now widely used in the field， describes them as “a group of texts with shared characteristics， with a shared core of content， form， and stance”. Broadly， “content” refers to ideas and ideologies， while “form” to our sensory experiences such as audio or visual， and “stance” to the tone or style， structures for participation， and communicative functions of the meme.

希夫曼提出的模因定義現(xiàn)已在該領(lǐng)域廣泛應(yīng)用，他將模因解釋為“一組擁有共性特征的文本，它們核心的內(nèi)容、形式和立場(chǎng)一致”。大體而言，“內(nèi)容”涵蓋各類觀點(diǎn)和意識(shí)形態(tài)；“形式”涉及視聽等感觀體驗(yàn)；而“立場(chǎng)”則指代模因的風(fēng)格基調(diào)、參與模式及傳播功能。

Fundamentally， no meme is an island. “A text that just spreads well， and a lot of people see it， isc7e80d0097b0711ce1bf70550a8b38a6 not a meme，” says Shifman. “It’s viral. But if a lot of people create their own versions then it becomes a group of texts and then it’s a meme.”

從根本上講，任何模因都不是一座孤島。希夫曼表示：“如果某個(gè)文本只是傳播廣泛、被很多人看到，那么它并不能算作模因，只能說(shuō)具有病毒式傳播力。當(dāng)許多人自主創(chuàng)作各自的版本，那便會(huì)形成一組文本，這時(shí)才能稱其為模因?！?/p>

Memes tap into collective consciousness online and have been referred to as digital folklore—or “Netlore”. “We can see not just the new ways people do things or the new ways people express themselves in public but also some of the themes， some of the anxieties or desires people have. All of these complex issues are reflected in things like memes，” says Gerbaudo.

模因深深扎根于網(wǎng)絡(luò)集體意識(shí)，被譽(yù)為數(shù)字民俗或“網(wǎng)絡(luò)民俗”。杰爾包多指出：“我們不僅能看到人們行事的全新方式、公開表達(dá)自我的新穎手段，更能洞察到人們探討的一些核心主題以及心中的一些焦慮與渴望。所有這些復(fù)雜的問(wèn)題都呈現(xiàn)在模因這樣的載體之中。”

“Usually the most viral， most loved memes are memes that are about things that are very recent in public memory，” says Galip. But often they are also “something that was important to many people”， she says. “Viral memes usually appeal to the most common denomin-ator7. So you don’t have to necessarily be embedded in internet subculture to understand what it’s saying.”

加利普指出：“最能瘋傳、最受歡迎的模因通常關(guān)乎公眾記憶中最近發(fā)生的事情。”但她補(bǔ)充說(shuō)，這些模因往往也是“對(duì)許多人而言至關(guān)重要的東西”。她強(qiáng)調(diào)：“病毒式傳播的模因往往能引發(fā)最為廣泛的共鳴，所以你并不一定非要深諳網(wǎng)絡(luò)亞文化才能明白它們所要表達(dá)的內(nèi)容?！?/p>

Memes also have an uncanny way of capturing a feeling， experience， or state of mind which resonates with people， depending on the “niche-ness” of the meme. One small study found that people with depression rated depression-related memes as more humorous， relatable and shareable. The researchers suggest memes elegantly portray the experience of depression which some may find hard to vocalise. And because they are highly relatable among people with depression， they could offer the perception of social support and emotional connection.

模因還能夠巧妙地捕捉到觸動(dòng)人心的情感、經(jīng)歷，或者心理狀態(tài)，就看這個(gè)模因面向哪個(gè)特定群體。一個(gè)小規(guī)模的研究發(fā)現(xiàn)，抑郁癥患者認(rèn)為與抑郁癥相關(guān)的模因更為幽默，更能引起他們共鳴，他們也更樂(lè)意分享。研究者認(rèn)為，模因?qū)⒛承┤穗y以訴諸言語(yǔ)的抑郁體驗(yàn)生動(dòng)地表達(dá)了出來(lái)。鑒于這類模因能讓抑郁癥患者高度共鳴，它們能夠讓患者感受到社會(huì)支持和情感聯(lián)系。

“Niche memes are not meant to go viral，” says Galip. “They’re meant usually to create things like in-group belonging， something that kind of strengthens a sense of identity.” In her work exploring digital subcultures， she has found “memes facilitate community not only on the internet but it also kind of bleeds out into， let’s say， the real world or the offline world”.

加利普指出：“小眾模因并不旨在追求病毒式傳播，它們通常是為了構(gòu)建群體內(nèi)部歸屬感，也就是能在某種程度上強(qiáng)化身份認(rèn)同感的東西?！痹谔剿鲾?shù)字亞文化的過(guò)程中，她發(fā)現(xiàn)“模因不僅能在網(wǎng)絡(luò)上促進(jìn)社群的形成，這種影響力還多少滲透到了現(xiàn)實(shí)世界或者說(shuō)線下世界”。

For those with mental health issues， conspiracy memes may be more problematic， warns co-researcher and forensic psychiatrist8， Reena Panchal. “If you’re a vulnerable person， and you find someone or a group of people who share your views， you immediately feel a sense of belonging， and that kind of adds strength to your beliefs，” she says.

上述研究的聯(lián)合研究者、法醫(yī)精神病學(xué)家里娜·潘查爾提醒，對(duì)存在心理健康問(wèn)題的人來(lái)說(shuō)，與陰謀論相關(guān)的模因可能帶來(lái)風(fēng)險(xiǎn)。她表示：“若你是個(gè)易受影響的人，一旦遇到與自己持有相同觀點(diǎn)的人或者群體，會(huì)立即覺(jué)得找到了歸屬，這在某種程度上會(huì)進(jìn)一步強(qiáng)化你自身的理念?！?/p>

But while memes spread and shapeshift9 at a lightning rate， can we expect them to hang around as a form of expression in the future？

雖然模因在快速地傳播、演變，未來(lái)它們是否仍會(huì)作為一種表達(dá)方式持續(xù)存在呢？

“This form of communication is here to stay because it’s a very stable way of expressing your individuality and your communality，” says Shifman. Gerbaudo notes that memes are already evolving—branching out more into video sharing. “TikTok videos are memetic in character，” he says. “They respond to challenges， which have a certain format， where people need to kind of play with a given， pre-established set of interactions.”

希夫曼表示：“模因這種交流形式會(huì)長(zhǎng)期存在，因?yàn)樗潜磉_(dá)個(gè)體性和群體性的一種非常穩(wěn)定的方式?！苯軤柊嘧⒁獾剑Ｒ蛞呀?jīng)在不斷演變，逐漸深入視頻分享領(lǐng)域。他認(rèn)為：“TikTok視頻本身就具有模因特質(zhì)，它們是用戶對(duì)各類挑戰(zhàn)的回應(yīng)——這些挑戰(zhàn)有一定的模式，人們要做的大致就是在視頻中按照預(yù)設(shè)的既定互動(dòng)方式完成挑戰(zhàn)。”

But whether memes are a force for “good” or “bad”， is largely down to howiPIXXj6shYeG7ihhRPjmxqB6kxlsaN9C85fyEnd897E= we choose to use them. “They’re neutral modes of communication，” says Galip. “You can make meaning out of memes depending on what you want to express.”

然而，模因究竟能夠帶來(lái)“正面”還是“負(fù)面”影響，在很大程度上取決于我們?nèi)绾问褂盟鼈?。加利普指出：“模因是一種中性的溝通方式，你可以依據(jù)自己想要傳達(dá)的內(nèi)容賦予模因相應(yīng)的含義?！?/p>

What’s clear is that the modest meme should not be underestimated. They conceal complexity and culture beneath their simple exterior. Online， memes are important facilitators of communication， belonging， and digital activism10， that can both unite and divide us， depending on who we are and how we participate with them.

毋庸置疑的是，我們不可小覷不起眼的模因。它們簡(jiǎn)單的外在形式之下蘊(yùn)含錯(cuò)綜復(fù)雜的內(nèi)容和文化。在互聯(lián)網(wǎng)上，模因成為進(jìn)行人際溝通、建立歸屬感和開展數(shù)字行動(dòng)主義活動(dòng)的關(guān)鍵推手。根據(jù)我們各自的身份定位以及與模因互動(dòng)的方式，模因既能讓我們團(tuán)結(jié)一致，也能讓我們分崩離析。

（譯者為“《英語(yǔ)世界》杯”翻譯大賽獲獎(jiǎng)?wù)撸?/p>

1 ubiquitous無(wú)處不在的。 2 light entertainment輕娛樂(lè)，指輕松愉快、不需要太多思考的娛樂(lè)活動(dòng)。 3 fodder飼料；素材。

4 subversion顛覆。 5 reader準(zhǔn)教授（英國(guó)大學(xué)教師，僅次于教授）。

6 Hellenic times古希臘時(shí)期。

7 common denominator共同之處。

8 forensic psychiatrist法醫(yī)精神病學(xué)家。法醫(yī)精神病學(xué)是精神病學(xué)應(yīng)用于法醫(yī)學(xué)領(lǐng)域的一項(xiàng)專科，主要研究犯罪者的心理狀態(tài)、思維模式、人格特征以及與犯罪行為之間的關(guān)系。 9 shapeshift變形；演變。

10此處指使用數(shù)字技術(shù)和社交媒體等工具進(jìn)行政治或社會(huì)變革的行動(dòng)和活動(dòng)。