我不再能控制我的手机，现在一定是它控制我 I don't own my phone anymore

I didn't snap photos in the toilet stall. I didn't call my boss around 4 am. And I didn't blast music at top volume in our office.

我不会在洗手间里拍照，不会在凌晨4点左右给老板打电话，也不会在办公室把音乐音量调到最大。

My phone did. More precisely, Siri did.

我的手机却这么做了。更准确点说，Siri这么做了（注：Siri，iPhone手机上的语音控制功能）。

Over half a decade ago, my cat knocked a water glass over, splashing my phone — not enough to turn it into a brick but just enough to turn it into a lunatic.

五年前，我的猫打翻了水杯，水滴飞溅到我的手机上——虽然没有让手机变成板砖，却把它变成了一个疯子。

Siri began giving herself commands. The volume, home and off buttons were unusable, although certain functions remained controllable.

Siri开始给自己发号施令。音量、home键和off键无法使用，但某些功能依旧可控。

So, I used voice command to ask Siri to turn herself off.

因此，我用语音命令Siri把自己关掉。

Her answer was chillingly similar to that of HAL 9000, the sentient computer in 2001: A Space Odyssey — something like, "I'm afraid I can't do that."

它的回复与2001年《太空漫游》中的智能电脑HAL9000惊人地相似——类似于“恐怕我做不到。”

So, I made an Apple-store appointment.

因此，我预约了一家苹果手机店。

In the meantime, Siri would randomly command herself to play songs at full volume in my cubicle or during an interview.

在此期间，当我在办公室小隔间工作或外出采访时，Siri会时不时地随意指挥自己，以最大的音量播放歌曲。

The phone would take photos sporadically, including while in my pocket when I was in the restroom stall.

偶尔这部手机还会躺在我的兜里自动拍照，包括在洗手间时。

I can only imagine what people at the urinals thought when they heard "Click! Click! Click!" … perhaps followed by my favorite song.

我能够想象到有人站立在小便器前，听到手机“咔哒！咔哒！咔哒！”拍照声时的情景……也许还伴随着我最喜欢的歌曲。

The day before my appointment, my phone starting blaring music at a restaurant just as the dishes arrived. My wife buried it in pillows. We scarfed our meal, and she took it home while I went back to work.

在预约去苹果手机店的前一天，我们在一家餐馆里。就在上菜的时候，手机开始播放音乐。我妻子把手机塞在坐垫下，我们草草吃完饭，我返回办公室工作，妻子则把手机带回家。

Several years ago, a malfunctioning phone was a problem.

几年前，手机故障是一件麻烦事。

In 2019, it's a disaster, I realized when my splintered screen started coming off and the machine's guts started spilling out last week.

2019年，当我的手机屏幕碎裂，内部零件散脱时，我意识到这是一场灾难。

China's mobile-internet development is so vast that phones are now crucial to every facet of life, from commerce to career.

中国移动互联网的发展如此迅猛，以至于手机对现代生活的方方面面都至关重要，无论商业还是个人职业。

My wife and I often count how many couples or friends are staring at their phones rather than each other at restaurants.

我和妻子在餐馆吃饭时，经常会数数有多少对夫妇或朋友的注意力在手机上，而不是在对方。

Four out of 12 people, including the two of us, were not on their phones at the last place we tallied.

最终统计结果是12个人中有4个人没有使用手机，包括我们夫妻俩。

It's easy to imagine they're ignoring each other for something more amusing.

不难想象，他们为着更有趣的事，而忽略了对方。

Seemingly, many mostly are, often.

许多人似乎都经常如此。

But today, it's impossible to know whether they're whimsically surfing the web between games or taking care of business — WeChatting clients, colleagues and bosses, paying bills, checking calendars and making appointments.

但如今，我们无法知道他们是在上网玩游戏，还是在处理事务——与客户、同事和老板聊天，支付账单，查看日历或者预约会面。

I recently cut out almost all entertainment usage of my phone since it started sending me screen-time updates.

自从最近手机开始发送在屏时间更新时，我删除了手机上几乎所有的娱乐消遣项目。

My screen time is down roughly 20 percent — to about six hours a day.

我的在屏时间减少了大约20%—现在每天使用手机大约6个小时。

In other words, I'm using my phone for productivity or necessity for a quarter of every 24-hour cycle.

换句话说，我一天24个小时中有四分之一时间必须使用手机。

I spend my annual vacation in a tree house in the forest in my hometown — a place without electricity, running water or reception.

我每年都会在我家乡森林里的一个小木屋里度假——这是个没有电，没有自来水，也没有手机信号的地方。

It's a great break from the rat race, including its digital conduits.

相对外面兔跑似的生活节奏而言，这是很好放松，包括逃离数码。

But even a few days away from the machine while in the United States can cause problems with life in Beijing. I've emerged from the woods to find scores of sometimes-urgent messages when I intermittently access Wi-Fi in town.

但是即使只是在美国几天不用手机，也会给北京的生活带来问题。当我偶尔离开林间小屋来到镇上使用WiFi上网时，有时会收到大量紧急信息。

I thought about this as I rode my e-bike to the fix-it shop last Wednesday.

我上周三骑着电动自行车去维修店时，就在思考这个问题。

I probably could have found a closer repair store — if my phone was working.

如果我的手机还能用的话，我没准能找到更近一点的维修店。

Along the way, "phone zombies", staring at screens instead of watching where they were going, ambled, forcing me to slalom around them.

一路上，那些低头看手机过马路的“手机僵尸”们盯着手机，而不是看着要去的地方。没办法，我只能绕过他们继续前进。

It turned out several parts needed repair. The store didn't have the screen I needed.

结果是有几个配件需要修理。店里没有我需要的屏幕。

"Oh, no!" I thought.

“哦！不！”我想。

"No problem!" the vender said.

店主说：“没问题！”

He whipped out his phone and ordered it delivered with a few finger taps.

他迅速掏出他的手机，点了几下，让人把屏幕送来。

"It'll be about 20 minutes."

“大约20分钟。”

Eventually, my phone was fixed.

我的手机终于修好了。

I paid the 1,500 yuan ($220) bill — using WeChat on my mobile.

我用手机微信支付了1500元（220美元）的账单。