公用电话：移动技术时代已灭绝的文物

由于手机的兴起，曾经无处不在的公用电话正在迅速消失。 1997年，美国公用电话数量超过200万部；到 2016 年，这一数字已骤降至 99,000 多一点。俄亥俄州也经历了类似的下降，公用电话数量从 2008 年的 19,335 部下降到 2016 年的 2,540 部。虽然手机是造成这种下降的主要原因，但其他因素，例如克利夫兰禁止公用电话以及淘汰无法盈利的手机也起到了一定作用。

The Era of Pay Phones: A Relic of the Past

公用电话时代：过去的遗迹

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.

在现代通信的编年史中，曾经无处不在的公用电话已经逐渐消失，成为过去时代的遗迹。这些公用电话曾经是需要或方便时的生命线，但现在已经屈服于技术进步的无情进步。

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.

移动电话的兴起，以其无与伦比的便携性和经济性，使得公用电话变得过时。智能手机的出现进一步加速了它们的衰落，因为这些设备不仅提供了语音通信的便利，还提供了大量其他功能，从互联网访问到基于应用程序的服务。

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.

这一技术转变的影响是深远的。根据美国联邦通信委员会 (FCC) 的数据，美国公用电话数量从 1997 年的约 200 万部锐减至 2016 年的仅 99,832 部。俄亥俄州也反映了这一全国趋势，公用电话数量从 2016 年的 19,335 部下降。 2008 年到 2016 年仅为 2,540 人。

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.

这种下降在社会各阶层并不统一。虽然公用电话基本上已经从公共场所消失，但它们在监狱和类似机构中找到了一个利基市场，在这些机构中，囚犯被限制使用个人通信设备。现已解散的俄亥俄州公用电话协会前秘书长罗纳德·雅各布斯 (Ronald Jacobs) 估计，如今该州只剩下不到 1,000 部公用电话。

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.

虽然手机的出现无疑是公用电话衰落的首要因素，但其他因素也发挥了作用。 1992年，当雅各布斯进入公用电话业务时，他遇到了重大挫折，因为克利夫兰市禁止在其范围内使用公用电话。该禁令的动机是担心这些设备可能助长毒品相关犯罪。

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.

多年来，付费电话公司逐渐消除了无利可图的地点，进一步减少了它们在公共场所的存在。如今，仅存的少数公用电话的用途有限，主要是作为无法使用个人电话或发现自己的设备无法使用的个人的通信手段。

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.

公用电话的消失证明了技术的变革力量。这些设备曾经是公共基础设施不可或缺的一部分，但现在已经成为过去时代的遗物。移动电话的便利性和价格实惠使得公用电话变得过时，使其成为历史珍品。