2. Landline service
2. 固定電話
Fewer households are holding on to their landlines. Two in every five U.S. homes had wireless phones only during the first half of the year, up slightly from the first half of 2012, according to data released this month by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The number has been rising over the past decade: Roughly 90 million adults, or 38% of the population, are now wireless-only, versus 21% during the first half of 2009 - and fewer than 3% during the first half of 2003.
還在繼續(xù)使用固定電話的家庭比以前少了。美國疾病控制與預防中心(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)上月發(fā)布的數(shù)據(jù)顯示，2013年上半年有五分之二的美國家庭僅使用手機，比例較2012年上半年小幅上升。在過去十年里，這一比例一直在上升：約有9,000萬成年人（占美國人口的38%）目前僅使用無線通訊，而2009年上半年為21%――2003年上半年更是還不到3%。
Ditching the landline allows households to shed a monthly bill - but it doesn't mean they're restricted to their cellphones. There's also Skype, which is free and allows video chatting via smartphones and other devices with friends and family anywhere in the world at no cost. FaceTime video can also be free with a Wi-Fi connection. Separately, magicJack Plus provides phone service when it's connected to a USB port, computer, or regular phone router; it costs $49.95 in total for the device and for the first six months, after which service costs range from about $1.67 to $2.50 per month. (In contrast, most traditional telephone providers charge at least $10 a month.)
放棄固定電話讓美國家庭甩掉了一項月度賬單――但這并不意味著他們只有手機可用。可供選擇的還有Skype，這項免費服務允許人們通過智能手機和其他設備與世界各地的親朋好友進行視頻聊天。如有無線網(wǎng)絡連接，還可以免費使用FaceTime進行視頻聊天。另外還有magicJack Plus，這款設備在連接USB接口、電腦或普通電話路由器時可提供電話服務；購買該設備外加前六個月的服務費用總計49.95美元，之后的服務費用在每月1.67美元至2.50美元之間。（而多數(shù)傳統(tǒng)電話運營商收費至少為每月10美元。）
To be sure, these services require an Internet connection. Consumers who want the security of a landline - many Americans were without phone service after Hurricane Sandy disrupted cellphone and Internet service in some areas - may want to consider holding on to their home phone.
當然，這些服務需要有互聯(lián)網(wǎng)連接。對固定電話的安全性有需要的消費者（由于颶風桑迪(Hurricane Sandy)導致一些地區(qū)的手機和互聯(lián)網(wǎng)服務中斷，許多美國人都無法進行電話通訊）也許應該考慮在家中保留固定電話。