新奇事件簿 纽约公用电话时代即将结束

The end is coming for New York's public pay phones. New York City officials say workers are currently removing all public pay phones from the city's streets. Pay phones used to be everywhere in the city - on every street corner and in every park and public place. Engineers have started the removal work by taking away 30 pay phones from the Hell's Kitchen area of the city. In the coming months, the remaining phones will go. New York City spokesman Corey Johnson told the CNN news agency that: "The antiquated¹ and outdated² pay phone booths take up much-needed sidewalk space. Removing these booths is a win for pedestrians³ who navigate⁴ these crowded blocks."

纽约的公用电话时代就要结束了。纽约市官员表示，工人们目前正在拆除纽约市街道上所有的公用电话。这个城市过去到处都有公用电话——每个街角、每个公园和每个公共场所。工程师们已经开始拆除工作，从城市的地狱厨房区拿拆走了30个公用电话。在接下的几个月里，剩下的公用电话也将被拆走。纽约市发言人约翰逊·克里告诉CNN新闻：“陈旧过时的电话亭占据了人行道上的急需空间。对于在这些拥挤的街区穿行的行人来说，拆除这些电话亭是一种胜利。”

Many New Yorkers probably won't even notice the phones are going. Most younger people have never used one. They may have to read the instructions to use a phone, and scramble⁵ for coins to feed it. Modern technology means the public phone is no longer needed. Over 95 per cent of Americans have a mobile phone. Mr Corey said New Yorkers no longer want the phones. He said: "My office has received numerous community complaints from local residents about these antiquated pay phones, which present public safety and quality of life issues. Additionally, they take up sorely needed sidewalk space that could better serve people with disabilities and families with strollers."

很多纽约人甚至都没有注意到这些电话不见了。大多数年轻人都没用过公用电话。他们可能需要阅读使用说明书，或许都找不到硬币来投币使用电话。现代科技意味着公用电话不再被需要。超过95%的美国人都有移动电话。克里表示，纽约人不再需要这些公用电话了。他说到：“我的办公室已经收到了许多当地居民关于这些过时的付费电话的投诉，这些投诉反映了公共安全和生活质量问题。此外，它们还占用了人们迫切需要的人行道空间，这些空间本可以更好地为残疾人和有婴儿车的家庭服务。”

1 antiquated   

adj.陈旧的，过时的

参考例句：

• Many factories are so antiquated they are not worth saving.很多工厂过于陈旧落后，已不值得挽救。
• A train of antiquated coaches was waiting for us at the siding.一列陈旧的火车在侧线上等着我们。

2 outdated   

adj.旧式的，落伍的，过时的；v.使过时

参考例句：

• That list of addresses is outdated,many have changed.那个通讯录已经没用了，许多地址已经改了。
• Many of us conform to the outdated customs laid down by our forebears.我们许多人都遵循祖先立下的过时习俗。

3 pedestrians   

n.步行者( pedestrian的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Several pedestrians had come to grief on the icy pavement. 几个行人在结冰的人行道上滑倒了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Pedestrians keep to the sidewalk [footpath]! 行人走便道。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

4 navigate   

v.航行，飞行；导航，领航

参考例句：

• He was the first man to navigate the Atlantic by air.他是第一个飞越大西洋的人。
• Such boats can navigate on the Nile.这种船可以在尼罗河上航行。

5 scramble   

v.爬行，攀爬，杂乱蔓延，碎片，片段，废料

参考例句：

• He broke his leg in his scramble down the wall.他爬墙摔断了腿。
• It was a long scramble to the top of the hill.到山顶须要爬登一段长路。