【英语科技】来自梭罗的科技生活简化之道

You may never have read 'Walden,' but you're probably familiar with the premise: a guy with an ax builds a cabin in the woods and lives there for two years to tune out the inessential and discover himself. When Henry David Thoreau began his grand experiment, in 1845, he was about to turn 28 -- the age of a typical Instagram user today. Thoreau lived with his parents right before his move. During his sojourn, he returned home to do laundry.

Thoreau's circumstances, in other words, weren't so different from those of today's 20-somethings -- which is why seeking tech advice from a 19th-century transcendentalist isn't as far-fetched as it may sound. 'We do not ride on the railroad; it rides upon us,' he wrote in 'Walden.' That statement still rings true for those of us who have lived with the latest high-tech wonders long enough to realize how much concentration they end up zapping. 'We do not use the Facebook; it uses us,' we might say.

But even the average social-media curmudgeon's views on gadgetry aren't as extreme as those of Thoreau. Whereas he saw inventions 'as improved means to an unimproved end,' most of us genuinely love our iPhones, Instagram feeds and on-demand video. We just don't want them to take over our lives, lest we forget the joy of reading without the tempting interruption of email notifications, or the pleasure of watching just one good episode of a television show per sitting.

Thankfully, we don't have to go off the grid to achieve more balance. We can arrive at a saner modern existence simply by tweaking a few settings on our gadgets and the services we rely on. Why renounce civilization when technology makes it so easy to duck out for short stretches?

Inspired by the writings of Thoreau, we looked for simple tools -- the equivalent of Thoreau's knife, ax, spade and wheelbarrow -- to create the modern-day equivalent of a secluded cabin in the woods. Don't worry: There's still Wi-Fi.

1. MANAGE YOUR FACEBOOK 'FRIENDSHIPS'

As your Facebook connections grow to include all 437 of the people you sort of knew in high school, it's easy to get to the point where the site's News Feed becomes a hub of oversharing much of it accidental. (Your co-worker probably had no idea the site would post his results of the 'Which Glee Character Are You?' quiz.) Adjusting a few settings will bring your feed back to a more Thoreauvian state.

Facebook tries to figure out which posts will be most interesting to you, but nothing beats getting in there yourself and decluttering by hand. The process is like playing Whac-A-Mole, with your hammer aimed at the irrelevant posts that pop up in your News Feed.

Start by removing serial offenders: On the website, hover your cursor over the person's name as it appears above a post, hit the 'Friends' button that pops up and then uncheck 'Show in News Feed' to block future posts. If that feels too drastic, click 'Acquaintances' from the pop-up screen instead. This relegates the person to a special 'friends list' whose updates will appear lower in the News Feed. (Fear not, the person won't be notified about either of the above demotions.)

You can go a step further and scale back the types of updates you receive from those you've added to Acquaintances (as well as any other friends lists you create). Hover your cursor over the News Feed's 'Friends' heading then click 'More' and select the list name. Then click the 'Manage Lists' button and, finally, 'Choose Update Types.'

Unless you're in the middle of a fierce match of Bejeweled Blitz, you can safely deselect 'Games' and most likely 'Music and Videos,' too. Go out on a limb and untick 'Comments and Likes' to put the kibosh on musings and shout-outs about other people's posts. You'll probably want to leave the mysteriously named 'Other Activity' checked, though; while it includes some yawn-inducing updates, the category also encompasses announcements of major life events, like engagements and births.

2. STAY JUST OUT OF TOUCH

While it would be liberating to dodge emails, text messages and Farmville invites by simply turning off your phone, being an upstanding member of society often requires staying just-reachable-enough.

If Thoreau had tried an iPhone, he likely would have appreciated the iOS's Do Not Disturb feature (accessible from the settings screen). It silently sends all calls to voice mail and keeps the screen dark, no matter how many text or direct Twitter messages you receive, and it can be scheduled to turn on and off at a certain time every day. If you're concerned about missing an emergency phone call, you can set your phone to ring whenever someone calls you twice within three minutes. For Android users, the No Disturb app ($4 for ad-free version) offers similar functionality.

If your Android smartphone supports Near-Field Communication (also known as NFC) -- a feature that lets two devices communicate if you touch them together briefly -- download the free NFC Task Launcher app (launcher.tagstand.com) and purchase a few NFC stickers. These let you tell your smartphone to automatically change sound settings whenever you tap it on one of the stickers. Put one near your front door to turn off text notifications when you get home, and another next to your bed to shut off the ringer completely.

3. READ SOMETHING LONGER THAN 140 CHARACTERS

Computers, smartphones and tablets are perfect for skimming TMZ, but for hunkering down with the sort of thoughtful text Thoreau would endorse, a dedicated ereader is the tech equivalent of a wood-paneled reading room. Although there are fancier models out there, the classicKindle ($89, amazon.com) and Kindle Paperwhite ($139) are still tough to beat. Because their screens aren't backlit, they don't cause eye strain the way a tablet or color ereader can. While Amazon sells discounted models that display advertisements (each costs $20 less), don't fall for the trap: The ads undermine the tranquility of the device. (If you already own an ad-supported Kindle, remove the ads for $20 using the settings page.) Also be sure to install the Send to Kindle plug-in for the Chrome and Firefox Web browers. It lets you beam long articles that you stumble upon online to the device, magically stripping away banner ads and other Web detritus in the process.

4. DITCH YOUR SMARTPHONE, DRIVER

Perhaps one day scientists will figure out what it is about the ding of a text-message alert that makes it impossible for otherwise intelligent and life-loving drivers to ignore it. Meanwhile, a few tools can help you keep your eyes on the road.

One of the most rigorous is Cellcontrol ($89, cellcontrol.com), a small monitoring device that taps into your car's onboard computer via a port often found in the glove compartment. After you install an app for Android, BlackBerry or Windows Mobile smartphones, Cellcontrol lets you automatically block the phone's access to messaging, email, phone calls and apps of your choice whenever the car is moving.

Some stand-alone apps attempt to tackle the same problem by using your smartphone's GPS or its connection to cell towers to figure out if you're moving -- but the apps can't tell if you're driving a car or riding the crosstown bus. A simpler alternative is Safely Go (free, safely.com) for Android, which turns off your ringer and alert tones and sends an auto-reply to people who call or text you while you're on the road. It also gives you quick access to three of your apps, so you don't have to swipe through multiple screens looking for Google Maps or Spotify. The only drawback is that, unlike with Cellcontrol, you have to launch the app every single time you get in the car.

Because Apple doesn't allow iOS apps to block access to other apps, there are no similar solutions for iPhone users. The best bet: Enable 'Do Not Disturb' mode to silence incoming calls and messages.

5. PROACTIVELY PREVENT PROCRASTINATION

Even the most disciplined among us find it hard to resist the lure of unlimited, high-speed Internet access. But you can fight technology with technology designed to kick your late-night Netflix habit.

Free Web browser plug-ins -- like LeechBlock for Firefox and WasteNoTime for Safari and Chrome -- let you block specific sites on a set schedule each day. The Mac and PC program Freedom ($10, macfreedom.com) goes a step further and disables your computer's Internet access entirely for as long as you tell it to.

Quarantining a smartphone is trickier. You can use the kid-safe browser Net Nanny ($5 for iOS, $13 for Android; netnanny.com) to restrict access to specific sites. The Android version also lets you block apps, like Facebook or Twitter -- or even games.

At home, where you probably use Wi-Fi to connect your smartphone to the Internet, you do have one additional tool: your network router. By diving into its advanced settings, you can tweak it to bar an app or Web browser from accessing time-sucking sites. The steps to enable this differ for each model, but connect to your router's configuration page via a Web browser and look for a setting such as 'website filter' or 'access restriction.'

6. TAKE A WALK FOR THE HECK OF IT

Leave your fitness tracker and earbuds behind. 'You must walk sometimes perfectly free,' Thoreau wrote, 'not prying nor inquisitive -- not bent upon seeing things. Throw away a whole day for a single expansion.'

To find the perfect path, download the free Oh, Ranger! ParkFinder app (ohranger.com) and search for nearby national and state parks with hiking trails. No doubt Thoreau would pick the Walden Pond State Reservation, which, according to the app, has '462 acres of protected open space so that visitors from near and far may come to experience the pond that inspired Thoreau.'

Modern-Day Thoreaus

LeBron James, forward for the Miami Heat, stopped using social media and his cellphone during the 2012 and 2013 NBA playoffs. The Heat won the title both years. His final Tweet before the 2013 playoffs: 'Zero Dark Thirty-6 Activated! I'm gone.' (The '6' is a reference to his jersey number.)

Padmasree Warrior, chief technology and strategy officer at Cisco, sets aside Saturday as her 'digital detox' day. She turns off her cellphone and doesn't check email. Instead, she takes time for creative endeavors, like painting and writing poetry, mostly haiku.

Susan Maushart, author of 'The Winter of Our Disconnect,' and her three teenagers banned the use of smartphones, laptops and televisions in their home for six months. 'It's not like we sat around reading Proust together,' she said. 'But the kids were spending time in each other's bedrooms which they hadn't done since they were almost toddlers.'

你也许从没读过《瓦尔登湖》(Walden)，但你大概会熟悉这个故事：一位年轻人用斧子在树林中建造了一座木屋，为了隔绝无关紧要的事情并发现自我，他在小屋里生活了两年。1845年，亨利•戴维•梭罗(Henry David Thoreau)开始了他的这个伟大实验，那时他还不到28岁，这个年纪刚好和如今Instagram应用程序的典型用户相仿。在隐居之前，梭罗和他的父母一起居住。在隐居期间，他的衣服是拿回家去洗的。

梭罗的状况，换句话说，和当今20来岁的年轻人没什么太大区别──这也就是为什么，从这位19世纪的超验主义者那里寻求科技方面的建议并不像乍听上去那么不着边际。梭罗在《瓦尔登湖》中写道：“我们没有来坐铁路；铁路倒乘坐了我们。”对于我们中间那些使用最新高科技神器的时间已经长到足以使其无法集中精力的人来说，这句话仍然适用。我们可以说：“我们没有使用Facebook；Facebook倒是消费了我们。”

但是，即使典型的社交媒体憎恨者对电子小玩意儿的抨击都不如梭罗那般激烈。梭罗将发明视作“对毫无改进的目标提供的一些改进过的方法”，然而，我们中的大多数人却发自内心地爱着iPhone、Instagram照片推送和视频点播。我们只是不想让它们占据我们的生活，以免我们会忘记不受电子邮件通知所打扰的阅读之趣，或者踏实地坐着欣赏一期好看的电视节目的快乐。

幸好，我们并不需要为了达到更加平衡的状态而隐匿山林。只需要调整一下我们所依赖的电子设备及服务的设置，我们就能获得一种更有益于身心的现代生活方式。当科技能使暂时的隐遁变得简单时，为什么要抛弃文明呢？

受到梭罗文字的启迪，我们用简单的办法──类似于梭罗的刀斧、铁铲和手推车──创造出了现代版本的与世隔绝的林间小屋。别担心：这个小屋里还有Wi-Fi可以用。


1. 管理Facebook上的“友谊”

当你Facebook上的联系人已经逐渐囊括了你在高中时算得上认识的全部437个人时，那么极有可能Facebook上的动态消息已经变成了过度分享的中心──很多都是用户无意的行为。（你的同事可能对Facebook会发布他的“你是《欢乐合唱团》(Glee)中的哪个角色？”的测试结果毫不知情。）进行一些设置调整能够将你收到的动态消息恢复到梭罗式的状态。

Facebook会尽力甄别哪些内容是你最感兴趣的，但是什么也比不上你自己进行手动筛选那么有效。这个过程就像是在玩打地鼠的游戏，你要用锤子对付那些跳进你动态消息中的不相关的内容。

从解除经常打扰你的消息发布者开始：在Facebook的页面上，把光标置于消息发布者的名字上，点击弹出对话框上的“朋友”(Friends)按键，并反选“在动态消息中显示”(Show in News Feed)以屏蔽他/她未来将发布的消息。如果你觉得这么做过于极端，那么你可以点击弹出对话框上的“点头之交”(Acquaintances)。这样做可以将此人降级至一个特别的“朋友列表”，该列表中朋友的更新会出现在动态消息中较为靠后的位置。（不用担心，此人不会发觉你进行的上述操作。）

你可以采取进一步行动，针对那些你已经加入“点头之交”列表（以及其他你创建的朋友列表）内的朋友，缩小你期望收到的他们/她们所发布的更新的类别。将光标移向动态消息的“朋友”标题，点击“更多”(More)并选择列表名称。然后点击“管理朋友列表”(Manage Lists)的按键，最后“选择更新类型”(Choose Update Types)。

除非你正在狂热地迷恋”宝石迷阵闪电战”(Bejeweled Blitz)，那么你大可反选“游戏”(Games)，甚至“音乐和视频”(Music and Videos)。你还可以特立独行地反选“留言和赞”(Comments and Likes)，这样你就再也不必受到评论和转发消息的打扰。不过，你或许应该勾选上一个名称含义模糊的选项──“其他动态”(Other Activity)；尽管“其他动态”包含一些无聊的更新，但是这个动态类别也包含重大人生事件的发布，比如订婚和新生儿出生的消息等。

2. 非急勿扰

采用把手机关掉的办法来逃避邮件、短信和“农场乡村”(Farmville)的邀请可能会让人如释重负，但是，作为一名活跃的社会分子，通常你都需要能够被及时联系得到。

假设梭罗曾经用过iPhone的话，他很有可能会青睐iOS操作系统的“勿扰模式”(Do Not Disturb)，这一功能可以在设置页面中开启。该功能可以悄无声息地把所有来电转接至语音信箱，并且，不管你收到多少短信或来自推特(Twitter)的消息，这项功能都可以保持手机的黑屏状态，这项功能可以每天定时开启或关闭。如果你担心错过紧急来电的话，你可以将手机设置为：一旦某人在三分钟内连续两次致电就开启响铃。对安卓(Android)用户来说，一款名为“勿扰”(No Disturb)的应用程序（无广告版本售价四美元）能够提供相似的功能。

如果你的安卓智能手机支持近场通信(Near-Field Communication, 简称NFC) ──一种只要让两个设备触碰一下就能使它们进行数据传输的功能──你可以去下载一款名为NFC Task Launcher的免费应用程序(launcher.tagstand.com)，再买几个NFC标签。无论何时你用你的智能手机轻触某个NFC标签，你的手机就可以很快地自动改变声音设置。你可以将其中一个标签放置在靠近家门口的位置，这样当你到家时，你的手机就能关闭短信通知，而放置在床边的那个标签则可以让你的手机切换成静音模式。

3. 读点长于140字的内容

电脑、智能手机和平板电脑对于浏览TMZ的娱乐新闻来讲堪称完美，但是对于专心阅读类似梭罗笔下的那种有深度的文字来讲，只有专门的电子阅读器才能与装有木镶板的阅览室相媲美。尽管市面上有很多花哨的电子阅读器，但是classicKindle（在amazon.com上售价89美元）和Kindle Paperwhite（售价139美元）仍然独占鳌头。因为Kindle阅读器的屏幕不是背光式的，所以用来阅读不会像平板电脑或彩色电子阅读器那样引起眼部不适。亚马逊(Amazon)出售有折扣的广告版Kindle（较原价低20美元），不过你可千万不要掉进陷阱里：内置广告会打乱阅读的平静。（如果你已经拥有了一款内置广告的Kindle，你可以在设置页面上花费20美元去除掉广告。）请一定要为Chrome和Firefox网页浏览器安装Send to Kindle插件。这个插件可以让你把在网络上偶然发现的长文章发送到Kindle上，与此同时，它还能神奇般地过滤掉网页广告条和网络上的其他干扰因素。

4. 司机，别碰手机

未来某天，科学家们可能会找出短信的提示音让司机难于置之不理的原因，要知道，这些司机平时可都是理智并且热爱生命的人士。就目前而言，一些工具可以帮助你集中精力开车。

在这些工具中，Cellcontrol（在cellcontrol.com上售价89美元）当属最为严密的。Cellcontrol是一款小巧的车载监控硬件设备，它是通过插入通常位于汽车手套箱内的一个接口来实现与汽车电脑的连接的。当你安装好分别适用于安卓、黑莓(BlackBerry)和Windows Mobile智能手机的应用程序后，Cellcontrol可以帮你在汽车行驶时自动阻隔手机的短信、电子邮件、通话和你选择的其他应用程序。

一些不依赖硬件的应用程序试图通过其他方法来解决同样的问题，比如利用你手机上的GPS或手机信号塔的信号来判断你是否正在移动──但是，这些应用程序不能分辨出你是在驾车还是在乘坐公交车。对安卓手机来说，一个简单的选择是Safely Go（在safely.com上可免费下载），这款应用程序会在你驾车时关闭你手机的铃声和提示音，并向给你打电话和发短信的人发送自动回复。这款应用程序还能让你快捷地登陆三款其他的应用程序，所以你就不需要一页一页地滑动手机屏幕寻找谷歌地图(Google Maps)或Spotify了。Safely Go唯一的不足就是，和Cellcontrol不同，你必须在每次驾车前启动这个程序。

因为苹果公司(Apple)不允许iOS系统的应用程序干扰其他应用程序的运行，所以对于iPhone用户来说没有类似的解决方案。最佳办法：启动“勿扰模式”使来电和短信静音。

5. 主动阻止拖延

即使我们中间最为自律的人都很难抵御无限制高速网络的诱惑。但是，你可以用科技来战胜科技，从而改变自己深夜里看Netflix电影的习惯。

免费的网络浏览器插件──比如适用于Firefox的LeechBlock以及适用于Safari 和Chrome的WasteNoTime──可以让你在每天的固定时段屏蔽一些特定的网站。适用于Mac和PC的程序Freedom（在macfreedom.com上售价10美元）则更严格，该程序能够按照你的要求完全取消你的电脑的上网权限。

限制智能手机的上网权限则更为复杂。你可以使用Net Nanny儿童安全浏览器（iOS版售价五美元，安卓版售价13美元；netnanny.com）来限制对特定网站的访问。安卓版的Net Nanny还可以帮你限制应用程序的运行，比如Facebook 或推特，甚至游戏。

当你在家里使用Wi-Fi将智能手机连接到网络上的时候，你还有另一个律己工具：你的网络路由器。在路由器的高级设置中，你可以把某个应用程序或某个网络浏览器加入黑名单，以屏蔽那些耗费时间的网站。路由器的型号不同，设置的步骤也不尽相同，但是通常你都可以通过网络浏览器登陆路由器的设置页面，并找到“网站过滤”或“访问限制”的设置选项进行操作。

6. 漫无目的地散步

把你的健身记录仪和耳机放在家里吧。梭罗写道：“你一定要找个时间完全自由地散步，不要去打听什么事，也不要过于好奇──别刻意地去寻找什么东西。只是花上一整天的时间出去走走而已。”

要想找到完美的散步路径，请下载免费的公园定位应用程序“Oh, Ranger! ParkFinder”（网址ohranger.com），通过这个应用程序你可以查找到附近的州立和国家公园以及公园的远足路径。毫无疑问，梭罗会选择瓦尔登湖州立保护区(Walden Pond State Reservation)，据该应用程序称，瓦尔登湖州立保护区“拥有462英亩受到保护的开放空间，因此来自四面八方的游客可以到此体验曾经启迪了梭罗的风景。”


当代的梭罗式人物

勒布朗•詹姆斯(LeBron James)，这位迈阿密热火队(Miami Heat)的前锋在2012年和2013年NBA总决赛期间都没有使用社交媒体和手机。迈阿密热火队在这两年也连续赢得了NBA总冠军。在2013年NBA总决赛前他在推特上的最后留言是：“蓄势待发──6号就位！我走了。”（数字“6”是他球衣的号码。）


帕德马里•沃里尔(Padmasree Warrior)是思科(Cisco)的首席技术长兼首席策略长,她将周六设成了自己的“戒除数字瘾”日。在这一天，她会关掉手机，并且不去查看电子邮件。她会把这天的时间花在创造性的活动上，比如画画和写诗，她的诗作大多都是俳句。


苏珊•莫沙特(Susan Maushart) 是《离线的冬季》(The Winter of Our Disconnect)一书的作者,她和她三个十几岁的孩子在六个月的时间里没有在家里使用智能手机、笔记本电脑和电视。莫沙特说：“我们并不是围坐在一起读普鲁斯特(Proust)，但是，孩子们开始去彼此的卧室里玩耍，而他们几乎从蹒跚学步起就没有这样做过了。”