时候摆脱这些软件了

文Bella Mackie译JeanBee 绘迷失嘟嘟

时候摆脱这些软件了

I Need to Escape from the Plenty of the Apps

文Bella Mackie译JeanBee 绘迷失嘟嘟

My phone buzzes①buzz 英 ［bʌz］ 美 ［bʌz］ vt. 使嗡嗡叫；暗中散布 vi. 作嗡嗡声；东奔西忙 n. 嗡嗡声a lot. It lights up and grabs my attention during meetings， when I'm falling asleep and when I'm walking the dog.

For the most part， I emphatically declined their pleas②plea英 ［pliː］ 美 ［pli］ n. 恳求，请求；辩解，辩护；借口，托辞to send me push notifications③notification 英 ［，nəʊtɪfɪ'keɪʃn］ 美 ［'notəfə'keʃən］ n. 通知；通告；［法］ 告示， or know my location. I was smart， I wouldn't let these apps be the boss of me. And yet， the alerts come，day and night. In the past week，I received a passive-aggressive message from the language app telling me that it would no longer bother telling me I haven't been practising my Italian， since it obviously wasn't working. Then there was a mournful④mournful 英 ［'mɔːnfʊl； -f（ə）l］ 美 ［'mɔrnfl］ adj. 悲哀的；令人惋惜的message that arrived during a meeting

from the running one， which genuinely said： "If you're working out with someone else， it's OK，just log it with us too"， which made me feel like I was being unfaithful， instead of just running in the gym most days.

Even the programmes already installed⑤install 美 ［ɪn'stɔl］ vt. 安装；任命；安顿on your phone don't let you be. If you have an iPhone，you'll have a health app. It tells you how many steps you've walked a day. I am now locked in a competitive walking ritual with myself. Under 10，000？ My muscles will atrophy⑥atrophy 英 ［'ætrəfɪ］ 美 ［'ætrəfi］ n. 萎缩，萎缩症；发育停止 vi. 萎缩；虚脱!

The problem with these programs， （and， yes， I'm aware that I use the word "problem" lightly — world news is over there） is that they rarely make you feel fantastic about yourself. For every run that your fitness app gives you a virtual high five for， there will be many other occasions when you haven't worked out and you'll see that little widget⑦widget 英 ［'wɪdʒɪt］ 美 ［'wɪdʒɪt］ n. 装饰物；小机械；小部件；未定名的主要新产品glinting at you， reminding you of your failure. You might've been ill， or depressed， or busy working on a brilliant new project — the app doesn't care.

Modern technology helps us in so many incredible ways that it would be churlish⑧churlish 英 ［'tʃɜːlɪʃ］ adj. 没有礼貌的；脾气暴躁的to complain too severely about apps that can enhance or simplify our lives. But perhaps the companies that design them should have a think about how they want to make us feel. Nagging guilt trips and passive-aggressive notifications are not conventional sales techniques. From now on， I'll be more cautious when I download these little widgets. My success or failure in finding true love，or finally learning how to do a handstand might well be helped along by my smartphone， but none of us should measure our progress in life by it. If I really want to feel guilty， I can always phone my mother.

我的手机经常在响。无论我是在开会，还是躺在床上，或是正在遛狗，手机只要一闪，就吸引了我的注意力。

更多时候，我断然拒绝了应用程序“推送消息”和“获得位置”的请求。聪明如我，我才不会让这些应用程序对我指手画脚呢。然而，手机消息还是没日没夜地飞来了。就在上周，我的语言应用发送了一条消极激进的信息，说它以后不会再费心提醒我，我还没有练习意大利语了，反正说了也没用。在我开会的时候，我的跑步应用也发了一条悲伤的消息，它诚挚地告诉我：“如果你找到锻炼的伙伴了，不用担心这会伤害到我。但是记得让你的伙伴加入我们哦。”这条消息并没有刺激我花时间去健身房跑步，但让我感觉自己是个叛徒。

手机配套应用也不会放过你的。如果你买了个iphone，你就会有一个健康应用程序。这个应用会告诉你一天走了多少步。我如今在一个自我步行竞赛中困住了，如果每天走路少于1万步？我的肌肉可是会萎缩的！

这些应用的问题在于，它们很难让你对自己产生良好评价（我意识到我很少使用“问题”这个词，毕竟世界新闻摆在那里）。……