公用電話：行動科技時代已滅絕的文物

由於手機的興起，曾經無所不在的公用電話正迅速消失。 1997年，美國公用電話數量超過200萬支；到 2016 年，這一數字已驟降至 99,000 多一點。俄亥俄州也經歷了類似的下降，公用電話數量從 2008 年的 19,335 部下降到 2016 年的 2,540 部。的手機也起了一定作用。

The Era of Pay Phones: A Relic of the Past

公用電話時代：過去的遺跡

In the annals of modern communication, the once-ubiquitous pay phone has faded into obscurity, a vestige of a bygone era. Once a lifeline in moments of need or convenience, these public telephones have succumbed to the relentless march of technological advancement.

在現代通訊的編年史中，曾經無所不在的公用電話已經逐漸消失，成為過去時代的遺跡。這些公用電話曾經是需要或方便時的生命線，但現在已經屈服於技術進步的無情進步。

The rise of mobile phones, with their unparalleled portability and affordability, has rendered pay phones obsolete. The advent of smartphones further accelerated their decline, as these devices not only offered the convenience of voice communication but also a plethora of other capabilities, from internet access to app-based services.

行動電話的興起，以其無與倫比的便攜性和經濟性，使得公用電話變得過時。智慧型手機的出現進一步加速了它們的衰落，因為這些設備不僅提供了語音通訊的便利，還提供了大量其他功能，從網路存取到基於應用程式的服務。

The impact of this technological shift has been profound. According to data from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the number of pay phones in the United States plummeted from approximately 2 million in 1997 to a mere 99,832 by 2016. Ohio has mirrored this national trend, with a decline from 19,335 pay phones in 2008 to just 2,540 in 2016.

這項技術轉變的影響是深遠的。根據美國聯邦通訊委員會(FCC) 的數據，美國公用電話數量從1997 年的約200 萬部銳減至2016 年的僅99,832 部。 19,335 部下降。

This decline has not been uniform across all segments of society. While pay phones have largely vanished from public spaces, they have found a niche in prisons and similar institutions where inmates are restricted from using personal communication devices. Ronald Jacobs, former secretary of the now-dissolved Payphone Association of Ohio, estimates that less than 1,000 pay phones remain in the state today.

這種下降在社會各階層並不統一。雖然公用電話基本上已經從公共場所消失，但它們在監獄和類似機構中找到了一個利基市場，在這些機構中，囚犯被限制使用個人通訊設備。現已解散的俄亥俄州公用電話協會前秘書長羅納德·雅各布斯 (Ronald Jacobs) 估計，如今該州只剩下不到 1,000 部公用電話。

While the emergence of mobile phones is undoubtedly the primary factor behind the decline of pay phones, other factors have also played a role. In 1992, when Jacobs entered the pay phone business, he faced a significant setback when the city of Cleveland banned pay phones within its limits. The ban was motivated by concerns about the devices' potential contribution to drug-related crime.

雖然手機的出現無疑是公用電話衰落的首要因素，但其他因素也發揮了作用。 1992年，當雅各布斯進入公用電話業務時，他遇到了重大挫折，因為克利夫蘭市禁止在其範圍內使用公用電話。該禁令的動機是擔心這些設備可能助長毒品相關犯罪。

Over the years, pay phone companies have gradually eliminated unprofitable locations, further reducing their presence in public spaces. Today, the few remaining pay phones serve a limited purpose, primarily as a means of communication for individuals who lack access to personal phones or who find themselves in situations where their own devices are unavailable.

多年來，付費電話公司逐漸消除了無利可圖的地點，進一步減少了它們在公共場所的存在。如今，僅存的少數公用電話的用途有限，主要是作為無法使用個人電話或發現自己的設備無法使用的個人的通訊手段。

The disappearance of pay phones is a testament to the transformative power of technology. Once an indispensable part of public infrastructure, these devices have become relics of a bygone era. The convenience and affordability of mobile phones have rendered pay phones obsolete, relegating them to the realm of historical curiosities.

公用電話的消失證明了科技的改變力量。這些設備曾經是公共基礎設施不可或缺的一部分，但現在已經成為過去時代的遺物。行動電話的便利性和價格實惠使得公用電話變得過時，使其成為歷史珍品。