本論文研究兩種電話答錄機訊息，即對外留言和進入留言。語料包含40通
對外留言和300通進入留言。基本上對外留言有三項功能：回覆來電；表
示受話者目前無法接電話；指示或誘導打電話者留言。為達上述功能，有
些語言成分於是應運而生。在審視過所有語料之後，我們分析歸納出十二
類不同的語言成分，其中有些與對外留言的清楚程度有關，有些與其禮貌
程度有關。前者被視為功能性的語言成分，後者則視為情感性的語言成分
。就結構上而言，對外留言由三部份組成：開頭、主體和結尾。三者中最
顯著的語言成分分別為自我辨識、請求打電話者留言及結語。本文發現越
有禮貌、越清楚的對外留言所包含的語言成分越多，而且中文對外留言的
風格通常較正式且不具個人色彩，其結構及所用的語彙大多較固定且缺乏
變化。至於進入留言，其結構亦由三部份組成：開頭、主要訊息和結尾。
開頭包含五類語言成分，其最重要的成分為稱呼與自我辨識。結尾可再劃
分成先前結語和結語兩階段。本文發現進入留言的禮貌程度和清楚程度與
其開頭和結尾所使用的語言成分多寡成正比。且其亦與主要訊息所欲傳遞
的非表情達意功能有所相關。開頭和結尾中語言成分的省略可歸之於下列
四個因素：(1)打電話者與受話者的熟悉度；(2)打電話者對答錄機所抱持
的態度；(3)打電話者與受話者的相對社會地位 (4)留言的目的。最後本
文進一步比較對外留言和進入留言，發現兩者有兩項基本的差異及互動關
係，同時也根據統計結果，提出兩個大部分中國人在使用電話答錄機時所
遵循的規範。

This study examines two types of telephone answering machine
messages (TAMM), i.e. outgoing message (OGM) & incoming message
(ICM). The database is composed of 40 OGMs & 300 ICMs. It is
found that an OGM has 3 basic functions: to answer the summons;
to reveal the unavailability of the intended addressee; & to
instruct or elicit the caller to leave a message. To fulfill
these functions, some verbal components should be included into
the OGM. After examining the data, we come up with 12 distinc-
tive components. Some of them are related to the clarity of the
OGM, & the others to the degree of politeness. Structurally, an
OGM consists of 3 parts: opening, main body & closing. The most
significant component in each part is self-identification (SI),
asking CAs to leave messages, & closing respectively. It seems
that the more polite & clear the OGM is, the more components
will be included. In general, the style of the Chinese OGMs is
found to be formal & impersonal. The structural pattern and
verbal expressions used are quite fixed and without variation.
Regarding the ICM, it is also structurally analyzed into 3
parts: opening, main message, & closing. Opening consists of 5
components, & the most important components are addressing &
SI. Closing is further divided into pre-closing & closing
stages. The degree of politeness & clarity of the ICM is in
proportion to the number of the opening & closing components.
The illocu- tionary functions conveyed in the main message are
found to bear correlation with the opening & closing sequences.
Ellipsis of both sequences could be attributed to: familiarity
between the interactants; the CA's attitude toward the TAM; the
inter- actants' relative social status; and the communicative
purpose. Based on the statistics, this study proposed the
preferred norms of the Chinese TAMM.
This study examines two types of telephone answering machine