In the USA, the Amish--a Christian group--are famous because they drive carriages instead of cars, do not use TVs or refrigerators, and do not have personal telephones. 在美國，一個基督教組織——阿曼門諾派很出名，由於他們坐馬車而不用汽車，不使用電視或者冰箱，同時也沒有個人電話。
Many people assume the Amish must have religious reasons for their many rules, but this is not true. 許多人認為阿曼門諾派教徒一定遵循著許多宗教規則，但事實不是這樣的。
In truth, whenever a new technology is introduced, the Amish meet and discuss its advantages and disadvantages. 事實上，無論何時一項新技術的發明，阿曼門諾派教徒將聚集並討論這項技術的利弊。
They then vote on whether they will accept it. 然後他們投票決定是否接受它。
The Amish reject cars because they like having tight communities where everyone lives close together. 阿曼門諾派教徒拒絕汽車因為他們喜歡緊密地居住在一起。
They have no TVs or refrigerators because their homes do not have electricity--they do not think it is necessary and dislike dealing with strangers, such as the people who work at the electric company. 由於他們家裡沒有電，所以他們沒有電視和冰箱——他們並不認為這些東西是必需的，也不喜歡面對陌生人，如在電力公司工作的人。
Since the Amish value seeing each other face to face, they oppose having telephones in their houses. 因為阿曼門諾派教徒重視彼此面對面交流，所以他們反對在住宅裡裝電話。
However, in each community there is often a small building that has a telephone for emergencies. 但是，在每個社群都有一個小建築，裡面有緊急情況用的電話。
The telephone is very convenient for communication, and most people in the world today cannot live without it. 電話便於交流，而且世界上大多數人離了電話無法生活。
However, maybe the Amish have a valid point. 但是，也許阿曼門諾派教徒有一個有效的觀點。
Which is more of a friend, someone you often talk to over the phone or someone you often talk to face to face? 你經常聊電話和經常面對面聊天的人，哪個更像是朋友？
And, if you need help, who can help you better, someone far away or some in the room with you? 而且，假如你需要幫助，誰能更好地幫你，是遠在他處的朋友還是和你在一個地方的人？
There is something important about being together and sharing life that cannot be found over a telephone wire. 在一起並分享生活，其中蘊藏著某種重要的東西，而這種東西是無法透過電話線獲得的。
There are other disadvantages to the telephone, as well. For example, no matter what the circumstances, when the phone rings, everything stops so that the call can be answered. 電話同時也有一些其他的缺點。例如，無論在什麼情況下，當電話鈴聲響起時，為了接電話，一切都得停下來。
Your family could be eating dinner or chatting together, yet this will be interrupted. 你的家人可能正在吃晚餐或一起聊天，但會被打斷。
However, most phone calls are not really that important; certainly, they could not be more important than family time. 但是，許多電話並不是真的那麼重要；當然，他們不會比家庭時間重要。
Then, when you are absorbed in a book or simply trying to rest, the phone always seems to be ringing, destroying whatever peace you might have. 此外，電話總是在你專心讀書或要休息的時候響起，打破你本該有的寧靜。
However, the person calling is often merely a salesman or someone who has dialled the wrong number. 但是，個人電話經常是來自於撥錯號碼的銷售人員或其他人。
With mobile phones, these problems increase. 有了行動電話之後，這些問題增加了。
How many times have you been talking with a friend, only for your friend to interrupt the conversation to answer a call? 有多少次你正和一個朋友聊天，你朋友中斷談話只是為了接一個電話。
For some reason, a typical mobile phone call is nearly always given greater importance than a face-to-face conversation. 因為一些原因，電話幾乎總是比面對面的交談來得重要。
Yet, once again, most mobile phone calls are about rather small matters. 但是，再次的，大多數電話都是有關一些小事。
When asked later what the call was about, you friend always answers, "oh, nothing really." 當問為什麼打電話時，你的朋友經常說，“哦，沒什麼事。”
If the call was really about "nothing", then why was it so important as to interrupt your conversation and waste your precious time? 假如這個電話真的“沒什麼事”，那麼為什麼它那麼重要以至於打斷你們的聊天並浪費你們寶貴的時間呢？
Of course, using the mobile phone for text messages is the worst. 當然，使用電話發簡訊是最糟糕的。
In one study, girls average 80 text messages a day, and boys average 30. 在一項研究中，女孩平均每天發80條簡訊，男孩平均每天發30條簡訊。
What do people talk about in text messages? 人們用簡訊講什麼？
While these messages always seem important at the time, most people cannot really remember them the next day. 這些簡訊總是看起來在當時很重要，但大多數人隔天都記不起它們的內容。
Phones and text messages focus on building relationships with many people. 手機和簡訊聚焦於與許多人建立關係。
However, these relationships are often quite shallow. 但是，這些聯絡經常很膚淺。
Many teenagers say that while they have a lot of friends, they really have no best friend. 許多人說他們雖然有很多朋友，但真的沒有最好的朋友。
The use of technology for communication rather than talking face to face is one reason why this is true. 使用科技溝通而不是面對面地交流上是導致這些的原因之一。
Meanwhile, real relationships are often sacrificed, and whatever personal peace one has is destroyed whenever the phone rings. 同時，真正的關係往往被犧牲了，每當電話鈴聲響起時，個人擁有的任何寧靜都會被打破。
The Amish in general have a higher degree of mental health than most people. 阿曼門諾派教徒比大多數人有較高的心理素質。
They have very calm and stable lives because they value community and living in peace above all else, especially new technology. 他們有非常平靜和穩定的生活因為他們重視社群生活，生活平靜比其他事情，尤其是新技術要受重視。
Maybe they are right. 也許他們是對的。
Maybe we should throw all of our phones into the dustbin, along with our cars and TVs for good measure. 也許我們應該將所有的手機，以及汽車和電視扔進垃圾箱。
Maybe we should rid ourselves of modern technology and return to simpler times. 也許我們應該擺脫現代技術，迴歸更為簡單的時代。
What"s that?...Sorry, I have to go. 那是什麼？……對不起，我得走了。
To phone or not to phone? 打電話還是不打電話
In the USA, the Amish--a Christian group--are famous because they drive carriages instead of cars, do not use TVs or refrigerators, and do not have personal telephones. 在美國，一個基督教組織——阿曼門諾派很出名，由於他們坐馬車而不用汽車，不使用電視或者冰箱，同時也沒有個人電話。
Many people assume the Amish must have religious reasons for their many rules, but this is not true. 許多人認為阿曼門諾派教徒一定遵循著許多宗教規則，但事實不是這樣的。
In truth, whenever a new technology is introduced, the Amish meet and discuss its advantages and disadvantages. 事實上，無論何時一項新技術的發明，阿曼門諾派教徒將聚集並討論這項技術的利弊。
They then vote on whether they will accept it. 然後他們投票決定是否接受它。
The Amish reject cars because they like having tight communities where everyone lives close together. 阿曼門諾派教徒拒絕汽車因為他們喜歡緊密地居住在一起。
They have no TVs or refrigerators because their homes do not have electricity--they do not think it is necessary and dislike dealing with strangers, such as the people who work at the electric company. 由於他們家裡沒有電，所以他們沒有電視和冰箱——他們並不認為這些東西是必需的，也不喜歡面對陌生人，如在電力公司工作的人。
Since the Amish value seeing each other face to face, they oppose having telephones in their houses. 因為阿曼門諾派教徒重視彼此面對面交流，所以他們反對在住宅裡裝電話。
However, in each community there is often a small building that has a telephone for emergencies. 但是，在每個社群都有一個小建築，裡面有緊急情況用的電話。
The telephone is very convenient for communication, and most people in the world today cannot live without it. 電話便於交流，而且世界上大多數人離了電話無法生活。
However, maybe the Amish have a valid point. 但是，也許阿曼門諾派教徒有一個有效的觀點。
Which is more of a friend, someone you often talk to over the phone or someone you often talk to face to face? 你經常聊電話和經常面對面聊天的人，哪個更像是朋友？
And, if you need help, who can help you better, someone far away or some in the room with you? 而且，假如你需要幫助，誰能更好地幫你，是遠在他處的朋友還是和你在一個地方的人？
There is something important about being together and sharing life that cannot be found over a telephone wire. 在一起並分享生活，其中蘊藏著某種重要的東西，而這種東西是無法透過電話線獲得的。
There are other disadvantages to the telephone, as well. For example, no matter what the circumstances, when the phone rings, everything stops so that the call can be answered. 電話同時也有一些其他的缺點。例如，無論在什麼情況下，當電話鈴聲響起時，為了接電話，一切都得停下來。
Your family could be eating dinner or chatting together, yet this will be interrupted. 你的家人可能正在吃晚餐或一起聊天，但會被打斷。
However, most phone calls are not really that important; certainly, they could not be more important than family time. 但是，許多電話並不是真的那麼重要；當然，他們不會比家庭時間重要。
Then, when you are absorbed in a book or simply trying to rest, the phone always seems to be ringing, destroying whatever peace you might have. 此外，電話總是在你專心讀書或要休息的時候響起，打破你本該有的寧靜。
However, the person calling is often merely a salesman or someone who has dialled the wrong number. 但是，個人電話經常是來自於撥錯號碼的銷售人員或其他人。
With mobile phones, these problems increase. 有了行動電話之後，這些問題增加了。
How many times have you been talking with a friend, only for your friend to interrupt the conversation to answer a call? 有多少次你正和一個朋友聊天，你朋友中斷談話只是為了接一個電話。
For some reason, a typical mobile phone call is nearly always given greater importance than a face-to-face conversation. 因為一些原因，電話幾乎總是比面對面的交談來得重要。
Yet, once again, most mobile phone calls are about rather small matters. 但是，再次的，大多數電話都是有關一些小事。
When asked later what the call was about, you friend always answers, "oh, nothing really." 當問為什麼打電話時，你的朋友經常說，“哦，沒什麼事。”
If the call was really about "nothing", then why was it so important as to interrupt your conversation and waste your precious time? 假如這個電話真的“沒什麼事”，那麼為什麼它那麼重要以至於打斷你們的聊天並浪費你們寶貴的時間呢？
Of course, using the mobile phone for text messages is the worst. 當然，使用電話發簡訊是最糟糕的。
In one study, girls average 80 text messages a day, and boys average 30. 在一項研究中，女孩平均每天發80條簡訊，男孩平均每天發30條簡訊。
What do people talk about in text messages? 人們用簡訊講什麼？
While these messages always seem important at the time, most people cannot really remember them the next day. 這些簡訊總是看起來在當時很重要，但大多數人隔天都記不起它們的內容。
Phones and text messages focus on building relationships with many people. 手機和簡訊聚焦於與許多人建立關係。
However, these relationships are often quite shallow. 但是，這些聯絡經常很膚淺。
Many teenagers say that while they have a lot of friends, they really have no best friend. 許多人說他們雖然有很多朋友，但真的沒有最好的朋友。
The use of technology for communication rather than talking face to face is one reason why this is true. 使用科技溝通而不是面對面地交流上是導致這些的原因之一。
Meanwhile, real relationships are often sacrificed, and whatever personal peace one has is destroyed whenever the phone rings. 同時，真正的關係往往被犧牲了，每當電話鈴聲響起時，個人擁有的任何寧靜都會被打破。
The Amish in general have a higher degree of mental health than most people. 阿曼門諾派教徒比大多數人有較高的心理素質。
They have very calm and stable lives because they value community and living in peace above all else, especially new technology. 他們有非常平靜和穩定的生活因為他們重視社群生活，生活平靜比其他事情，尤其是新技術要受重視。
Maybe they are right. 也許他們是對的。
Maybe we should throw all of our phones into the dustbin, along with our cars and TVs for good measure. 也許我們應該將所有的手機，以及汽車和電視扔進垃圾箱。
Maybe we should rid ourselves of modern technology and return to simpler times. 也許我們應該擺脫現代技術，迴歸更為簡單的時代。
What"s that?...Sorry, I have to go. 那是什麼？……對不起，我得走了。
The phone"s ringing... 電話響了……