马路上的“行走短信族”

边看手机边走路，结果撞到电线杆上了，或者踩空了楼梯，或者撞上了对面来的行人......这样的情况，每天都在发生。可是，人们似乎并没有意识到这种行为的危险性，依然在走路时低头看手机，不看路。

There's a new creature roaming the streets: the petextrian, or texting pedestrian.
大街上游荡着一个新的群族：行走短信族，也就是边走边发短信的行人。

You know him by his hunched-over posture, staring at a blazing screen while weaving down the street. Sometimes his gait slows, sometimes speeds up. He almost runs into a street sign here or trips on a curb there.
颈背前弓，一边在街道穿行，一边紧盯着屏幕。凡是这样姿势的人，都是行走短信族。他们的步伐偶尔会减缓，有时又会加快。有时会差点撞到路牌，有时又会撞到旁边的马路牙子。

He doesn't look scary, but he might present a danger – both to himself and others.
他们自己并不觉得有什么可怕，但其实，他们的行为对自己和他人都有潜在危险。

A study conducted at the University of Buffalo last year found that distracted walking now accounts for more injuries per mile than distracted driving.
纽约州立大学布法罗分校去年的一项研究显示，走路时分神导致的伤者平均数量高于开车分神导致的伤者。

To help combat this dangerous trend, the AAOS suggests walking and using the phone only when absolutely necessary. If you do have headphones in, keep the volume low enough so you can still hear ambient noise around you. Also, if you need to make a call or send a text, move out of the flow of pedestrian traffic.
为了抵制这种危险的行为，美国骨科医师学会建议，除非必要，不要在走路时使用手机。如果走路用手机时戴着耳机，将音量调低，让自己能够听到周遭的声音。另外，如果你需要打电话或发送短信，请躲开人流。

（中国日报网英语点津 Helen）