When A. G. Bell first invented the telephone, it was a communication tool. Little did he know that he had created an object of emotional significance.
You know those cute toy telephones with colorful push buttons that make happy noises. Those plastic imitations are supposed to let little Junior copy parental behavior, but little Junior wants the real thing. He wants to hold, bang, push, chew on and talk into the real telephone. You cannot simply buy him off with a little baby toy.
Then little Junior grows up. He is busy, successful and important. Or at least he hopes to appear so. What better way to feel like a top man than to close a business deal over his cell phone while grabbing his morning cup of Espresso at Starbucks.
There is also that fashionable lady at the cafe. her little cell phone in its designer jacket has beeped at least three times, signaling her popularity.
Each time, she seemed to enjoy an intimate conversation spiced with little private jokes while you waited in vain for that cellular beep to announce to the world your importance.
Admittedly, not everyone declares social status or personal popularity through the telephone. For many, telephones are practical tools for accessing family, friends and business associates. There are also a few like me who dread the phone.
In my youth, I had believed that the more calls I received, the more important and popular I was. Now older, busier and hopefully wiser, there is nothing I detest more than telephone calls. I had beautiful dreams shattered by the shrill summons of the phone, hard-earned coffee breaks dissolved by friendly but unwanted interruptionsand even urgent bathroom runs painfully delayed. Having been haunted and hounded by the telephone for many years, I can now ignore its insistent jangle.
In fact, I can even with a clear conscience flick the receiver off its hook and slip into blissful dreamland.
中文翻译
当贝尔发明电话的时候，是为了当作交流工具，却未料到他创造的是一个具有相当情感意义的东西。
你知道那些可爱的玩具电话，其颜色鲜艳的按钮可发出快乐的声音。那些塑料的模仿品是要让小孩模仿父母的动作，但是小家伙要的是真东西。他要真正的电话来握、敲、推、咬和讲，你实在无法用一个小小的婴儿玩具来打发他。
而后，小孩长大了。他成为忙碌、成功和重要的人物，至少他希望看上去如此。为了显示自己的出类拔萃，除了一边在手机里完成交易，一边在星巴克赶着喝早晨那杯意式浓缩咖啡之 外，还有更好的方式吗？
此外，坐在咖啡厅里那位走在时代前端的女孩，午餐时，她放在名牌外套里的手机至少已经响了三回，显示她的受欢迎度。每一次，她似乎总带着掺和情趣的笑话小声地亲密交谈，而你却 徒然地等待着手机信号来向世界宣扬你的成就。
但无可否认，并不是每个人都通过电话来显耀身份地位或者名望。对于很多人来讲，电话只是用来联系亲朋好友以及商业伙伴的实用工具。也有一些人跟我一样对电话抱有恐惧感。在我年轻的时候，我是认为接到的电话越多，就表示我越重要和越受欢迎。而现在变得更成熟些、忙碌些和有智慧些，我最为讨厌的就是听到电话铃响了。我的美梦曾经被电话尖锐刺耳的召 唤声破坏殆尽.辛辛苦苦获得的休息时间因为友好但不受欢迎 的打岔而化为泡影；甚至要急着上厕所而强忍着痛楚而被扣留。多年以来被电话所缠绕和穷追不舍，现在我已经可以不理会它 无休的刺耳响声。事实上，我甚至可以坦然的把话筒拿开，溜进幸福美妙的梦乡。