SOS

英语自学网

　　S.O.S. was chosen as the universal distress signal by the International Radio Telegraph Convention of July 1908 because this combination of letters, three dots followed by three dashes followed by three dots , was easy to send and easily recognized. The letters themselves are meaningless.
        　　The first recorded mention of the false acronymic origin is in reference to the Titanic sinking of 1912, which may account for its wide spread and endurance.
        　　Prior to 1908, the high seas distress signal consisted of the letters C.Q.D., another nonsense string, although many took it to mean Come Quickly, Danger. Use of C.Q.D. continued past 1908, and the Titanic's initial distress calls used this older signal. It was not until that ship was near sinking did the radiomen send out the new signal.
        　　呼救信号
        　　国际通用的莫尔斯电码遇险信号SOS。如果作为下面这些字的假设的首字母缩写的话，就成了另外一个词。其实S.O.S.并不代表Save Our Souls，Save Our Ship，Stop Other Signals，Sure Of Sinking，或其他任何短语。
        　　S.O.S之所以被1908年7年国际无线电公寓选作国际通用的遇险信号，是因为这几个字母的组合，三点、三划、再三点很容易发出且易于辨认。
        　　认为S.O.S是首字母缩写的这种不正确起源的最早记载与1912年泰坦尼克号游轮的沉没有关，这可以解释S.O.S作为首字母缩写这一说法广泛流传并源远流长的原因。
        　　1908年以前，公海上遇险信号由C.Q.D三个字母组成，同样这三个字母本身毫无意义。虽然许多人用它来代表“Come Ouickly, Danger” C.Q.D的用法持续到1908年，泰坦尼克号最初的遇险信号就是用这种古老的方式发出的。直到该船快要沉没时，报务员才发出了这个新的呼救信号S.O.S。