西部落：家庭高科技，拉近彼此距离

Hi-tech Family Time

With new technology like cell phones, instant messaging and e-mail, families are able to multi-task and stay closely connected at the same time. Daniel Sieberg reports.

We are liveing in a hi-tech world, cellphones, the Internet video games, the list of gadgets¹ that keep invading our lives keeps growing. You’d think that all those distractions² would pull families apart but that may not be the case. Here’s CBS News Science and Technology Correspondent Daniel Sieberg

Maybe the best example of Ozzie and Harriet living in the digital age is the Romoser family from Seattle

Ha…my grandma just texted me. My dad, my grandma, my friend Katie …That was in like two minutes

Whether it’s 15-year-old Katie who defines multi-tasker, to a 13-year-old David in grows and in video games

Don’t…Don’t take it

To mom Tracy and dad Michael trying to keep track at the door .

I will text them or else I ‘ll ..

…get turners started and practice who trump³ on, so we know where they are at all times, which it’s really great.

Cellphones, e-mail, instant messaging, it’s part of nearly every busy family's life on the go. But those have technology actually bring them closer together.

It’s just different. I think we are just as close uh, but, but it’s in a different way

According to a new study, 25% said their family is closer today than when they were growing up

Thanks to all the new tech-gadgets that connect us, the Web and cellphones; just 11% said their families weren’t as close and 60% said the technologies made no difference

Maybe parents uh, need, need to feel like they can reach their kids more, you know, than our parents did.

The study also found that some families gather around the computer together, much like / ball games of the past

Experts like Jeffery Core who was not part of the study says while hi-tech communication lacks face-to-face time, it can still be meaningful

As far as it’s affecting family relationships in almost every meaningful way, it makes people feel better connected.

The Romosers who set limits for their kids worry about a larger impact

Here we are raising a generation of people that are you know texting on their phones and on line with chatting and all that and I wonder about the suicidal impact of their communication skills

In the meantime it’s back to being crawled in.

For The Early Show Daniel Sieberg CBS news, Los Angeles

1 gadgets   

n.小机械，小器具（ gadget的名词复数 ）

参考例句：

• Certainly. The idea is not to have a house full of gadgets. 当然。设想是房屋不再充满小配件。 来自超越目标英语 第4册
• This meant more gadgets and more experiments. 这意味着要设计出更多的装置，做更多的实验。 来自英汉非文学 - 科学史

2 distractions   

n.使人分心的事[人]( distraction的名词复数 )；娱乐，消遣；心烦意乱；精神错乱

参考例句：

• I find it hard to work at home because there are too many distractions. 我发觉在家里工作很难，因为使人分心的事太多。
• There are too many distractions here to work properly. 这里叫人分心的事太多，使人无法好好工作。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。