美国国家公共电台 NPR Saying Goodbye To Old Technology — And A Legendary NYC Repair Shop

Saying Goodbye To Old Technology — And A Legendary¹ NYC Repair Shop

ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:

We are gathered here today on All Tech Considered to note the passing of two dear friends.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:

Let us lay to rest the VCR. This month the Japanese company that's considered to be the last VCR maker² in the world is ceasing production.

SHAPIRO: And BlackBerry is discontinuing the classic model with a physical keyboard that made it famous. It was once called the CrackBerry because its users were such addicts³.

CORNISH: We've read lots of odes and eulogies⁴ to them in recent weeks.

SHAPIRO: And this one is ours. Rest in peace, dear friends.

CORNISH: Harvard professor Calestous Juma has a theory about why it's so hard to say goodbye to technology that's past its prime. Professor Juma, welcome to the program.

CALESTOUS JUMA: Thank you so much for having me.

CORNISH: Why do people resist new technologies?

JUMA: People tend to resist new technologies if they perceive that they might lose something that they value, whether it's power or whether it's income or, in some cases, whether it's just identity where they associate themselves with a particular technology. And if it's - there's a threat that it might disappear, the feeling is that they might in fact lose something that they value.

CORNISH: Do you have an example?

JUMA: One example is we constantly adopt or buy new iPhones because they add something to what we do, but when you introduce, say, robots in the workplace, you get anxiety because of people being concerned that it might to displace what they already have or their jobs or their sources of income.

CORNISH: I heard that you had trouble letting go of your BlackBerry.

JUMA: I didn't want to give it up partly because I was so emotionally attached to the device. But upon reflection, I was thinking about all the device for me represented the global networks that I had, contained all of my addresses. So the idea that I was switching to something else created a certain level of anxiety in me to a point where I stalled for quite a while until it just broke. When it broke, then I was ready to switch to a smartphone.

CORNISH: But up until then, it was a symbol of something, something that you had accomplished⁵.

JUMA: Yeah. To me it symbolized⁶ my efforts to collect addresses (laughter).

CORNISH: Most of the time, do these technologies fade away? Are they unceremoniously dumped? What happens?

JUMA: Technologies historically have been eliminated a lot more slowly because of the pace of change. This is not going to be the case in the future because the technologies are now advancing extremely fast, so we are going to be starting to see technological⁷ displacement⁸ occurring much faster than we've done in the past.

CORNISH: Now, what technology do you think we've held on to for too long?

JUMA: I think the typewriter keyboard for me is the one that is most amazing. The typewriter keyboard is actually quite inefficient⁹. The keys were designed specifically to slow down the speed of typing because the early typewriters are not that efficient. But it has become very difficult to change the keyboard and adopt a different setup.

CORNISH: And with this, you're referring to the QWERTY system, where it's not in alphabetical¹¹ order or anything like that.

JUMA: Exactly because there are more efficient ways of arranging the letters. It should have died long time ago. It should have died in the '40s. I think that's really symbolic¹² of the staying power in some cases of bad ideas.

CORNISH: Harvard professor Calestous Juma, thank you so much for speaking with us.

JUMA: Thank you for having me.

CORNISH: Calestous Juma is the author of "Innovation And Its Enemies: Why People Resist New Technologies."

SHAPIRO: We went on Facebook to ask you about the technology that you think should be put to rest. Your overwhelming response...

(SOUNDBITE OF INCOMING FAX)

SHAPIRO: The fax machine.

CORNISH: The fax machine.

SHAPIRO: One listener, Stephen Harvey, says the fax machine, quote, "might as well be a screeching¹³, dial-up carrier pigeon."

CORNISH: And here's Erica Lacher, a veterinarian in Gainesville, Fla.

ERICA LACHER: I think the fax machine should stop being made. I ask myself every day, why must I still have one? I simply can't get some companies to communicate with me any other way. It drives me crazy because I have to pay for an extra phone line. I have to pay for the faxes. I have to pay for my staff to get us off junk fax lists. It's just ridiculous. I hate that stupid thing.

CORNISH: Other things that you'd like to say goodbye to - the dot matrix printer, the multi-disc CD changer and voicemail.

SHAPIRO: Here's something that is disappearing - independent computer repair shops. Manhattan is saying goodbye to one that has something of a cult¹⁰ following. Tekserve has rescued Apple device owners for nearly 30 years well before the first official Apple store opened in New York City. Today the shop closes its doors for good, a victim of high rents and retail¹⁴ competition. Here's reporter Jon Kalish.

JON KALISH, BYLINE¹⁵: Step into Tekserve and marvel¹⁶ at the antique radios, microphones and electrical meters lining¹⁷ the walls. In the back of the spacious¹⁸ store, every model of the Mac that was made is displayed, and you can still buy a bottle of coke for a nickel from a 1950s vending¹⁹ machine. Tekserve was started by two radio engineers in 1987. That's 14 years before the first Apple store opened. David Lerner is one of the co-founders.

DAVID LERNER: For a long time, we were a Mac destination in New York, and as Apple started opening their stores, which - they're temples really. You know, there are six within - what? - 2 miles of us now. It's more convenient to go closer.

KALISH: The Apple stores may be more convenient, but Tekserve co-founder Dick Demenus is no fan of their uncluttered, spotless decor.

DICK DEMENUS: Everything is forward looking. It's all new. It's all clean. There's no hint of history. I want to respect those who came before.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Blue ticket 53...

KALISH: Customers take a decidedly analog²⁰ deli-counter ticket and wait for their number to be displayed on old Macs kept alive from the 1980s. One of the owners once hacked²¹ an iMac installing a second monitor on its base. Asher Rapkin worked at the store when the two-headed iMac was put on display.

ASHER RAPKIN: It was just awesome²². And this is so much of why I think people would come in because while you were sitting there, stressed out, waiting to find out if your term paper was going to get saved, you could play with a two-headed iMac.

KALISH: Tekserve was so well-known in New York that it had a cameo on the hit TV show "Sex And The City." When Carrie Bradshaw's PowerBook crashed, she brought it here.

(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "SEX AND THE CITY")

SARAH JESSICA PARKER: (As Carrie Bradshaw) I was just typing, and then there was a mean, little man who popped up. And he had Xs where his eyes should be.

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: (As character) That's a sad Mac. You should've told me that before.

KALISH: The techs here have been known to discover problems and fixes for Macs before Apple does. The store's diverse workforce²³ includes white-haired baby boomers, tattooed²⁴ millennials, women techs. Deb Travis has worked here for 20 years. She says many of her co-workers were touring musicians.

DEB TRAVIS: People who would go off for two or three months and then come back. That was one of the big perks²⁵ of working here. Most of the people who worked here had other things they were doing.

KALISH: Other perks include health insurance and free lunch for the store's hundred or so employees. Many say it's the best place they ever worked. For NPR News, I'm Jon Kalish in New York.

1 legendary   

adj.传奇（中）的，闻名遐迩的；n.传奇（文学）

参考例句：

• Legendary stories are passed down from parents to children.传奇故事是由父母传给孩子们的。
• Odysseus was a legendary Greek hero.奥狄修斯是传说中的希腊英雄。

2 maker   

n.制造者，制造商

参考例句：

• He is a trouble maker，You must be distant with him.他是个捣蛋鬼，你不要跟他在一起。
• A cabinet maker must be a master craftsman.家具木工必须是技艺高超的手艺人。

3 addicts   

有…瘾的人( addict的名词复数 )； 入迷的人

参考例句：

• a unit for rehabilitating drug addicts 帮助吸毒者恢复正常生活的机构
• There is counseling to help Internet addicts?even online. 有咨询机构帮助网络沉迷者。 来自超越目标英语 第3册

4 eulogies   

n.颂词，颂文( eulogy的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Her latest film has brought eulogies from the critics. 她最近的这部电影获得影评界的好评。 来自互联网

5 accomplished   

adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的

参考例句：

• Thanks to your help,we accomplished the task ahead of schedule.亏得你们帮忙,我们才提前完成了任务。
• Removal of excess heat is accomplished by means of a radiator.通过散热器完成多余热量的排出。

6 symbolized   

v.象征，作为…的象征( symbolize的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• For Tigress, Joy symbolized the best a woman could expect from life. 在她看，小福子就足代表女人所应有的享受。 来自汉英文学 - 骆驼祥子
• A car symbolized distinction and achievement, and he was proud. 汽车象征着荣誉和成功，所以他很自豪。 来自辞典例句

7 technological   

adj.技术的；工艺的

参考例句：

• A successful company must keep up with the pace of technological change.一家成功的公司必须得跟上技术变革的步伐。
• Today,the pace of life is increasing with technological advancements.当今， 随着科技进步，生活节奏不断增快。

8 displacement   

n.移置，取代，位移，排水量

参考例句：

• They said that time is the feeling of spatial displacement.他们说时间是空间位移的感觉。
• The displacement of all my energy into caring for the baby.我所有精力都放在了照顾宝宝上。

9 inefficient   

adj.效率低的，无效的

参考例句：

• The inefficient operation cost the firm a lot of money.低效率的运作使该公司损失了许多钱。
• Their communication systems are inefficient in the extreme.他们的通讯系统效率非常差。

10 cult   

n.异教，邪教；时尚，狂热的崇拜

参考例句：

• Her books aren't bestsellers,but they have a certain cult following.她的书算不上畅销书，但有一定的崇拜者。
• The cult of sun worship is probably the most primitive one.太阳崇拜仪式或许是最为原始的一种。

11 alphabetical   

adj.字母（表）的，依字母顺序的

参考例句：

• Please arrange these books in alphabetical order.请把这些书按字母顺序整理一下。
• There is no need to maintain a strict alphabetical sequence.不必保持严格的字顺。

12 symbolic   

adj.象征性的，符号的，象征主义的

参考例句：

• It is symbolic of the fighting spirit of modern womanhood.它象征着现代妇女的战斗精神。
• The Christian ceremony of baptism is a symbolic act.基督教的洗礼仪式是一种象征性的做法。

13 screeching   

v.发出尖叫声( screech的现在分词 )；发出粗而刺耳的声音；高叫

参考例句：

• Monkeys were screeching in the trees. 猴子在树上吱吱地叫着。
• the unedifying sight of the two party leaders screeching at each other 两党党魁狺狺对吠的讨厌情景

14 retail   

v./n.零售；adv.以零售价格

参考例句：

• In this shop they retail tobacco and sweets.这家铺子零售香烟和糖果。
• These shoes retail at 10 yuan a pair.这些鞋子零卖10元一双。

15 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

16 marvel   

vi.(at)惊叹vt.感到惊异；n.令人惊异的事

参考例句：

• The robot is a marvel of modern engineering.机器人是现代工程技术的奇迹。
• The operation was a marvel of medical skill.这次手术是医术上的一个奇迹。

17 lining   

n.衬里，衬料

参考例句：

• The lining of my coat is torn.我的外套衬里破了。
• Moss makes an attractive lining to wire baskets.用苔藓垫在铁丝篮里很漂亮。

18 spacious   

adj.广阔的，宽敞的

参考例句：

• Our yard is spacious enough for a swimming pool.我们的院子很宽敞，足够建一座游泳池。
• The room is bright and spacious.这房间很豁亮。

19 vending   

v.出售（尤指土地等财产）( vend的现在分词 )；（尤指在公共场所）贩卖；发表（意见，言论）；声明

参考例句：

• Why Are You Banging on the Vending Machine? 你为什么敲打这台自动售货机？ 来自朗文快捷英语教程 2
• Coca-Cola had to adapt almost 300,000 vending machines to accept the new coins. 可口可乐公司必须使将近三十万台自动贩卖机接受新货币。 来自超越目标英语 第5册

20 analog   

n.类似物，模拟

参考例句：

• The analog signal contains high-frequency video information,which helps make up the picture.模拟信号包括有助于构成图像的高频视频信息。
• The analog computer measures continuously,without proceeding step by step.模拟计算机不是一步一步地进行，而是连续地进行量度。

21 hacked   

生气

参考例句：

• I hacked the dead branches off. 我把枯树枝砍掉了。
• I'm really hacked off. 我真是很恼火。

22 awesome   

adj.令人惊叹的，难得吓人的，很好的

参考例句：

• The church in Ireland has always exercised an awesome power.爱尔兰的教堂一直掌握着令人敬畏的权力。
• That new white convertible is totally awesome.那辆新的白色折篷汽车简直棒极了.

23 workforce   

n.劳动大军，劳动力

参考例句：

• A large part of the workforce is employed in agriculture.劳动人口中一大部分受雇于农业。
• A quarter of the local workforce is unemployed.本地劳动力中有四分之一失业。

24 tattooed   

v.刺青，文身( tattoo的过去式和过去分词 )；连续有节奏地敲击；作连续有节奏的敲击

参考例句：

• He had tattooed his wife's name on his upper arm. 他把妻子的名字刺在上臂上。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The sailor had a heart tattooed on his arm. 那水兵在手臂上刺上一颗心。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

25 perks   

额外津贴，附带福利，外快( perk的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Perks offered by the firm include a car and free health insurance. 公司给予的额外待遇包括一辆汽车和免费健康保险。
• Are there any perks that go with your job? 你的工作有什么津贴吗？