2. Landline service
2. 固定电话
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.
还在继续使用固定电话的家庭比以前少了。美国疾病控制与预防中心(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)上月发布的数据显示，2013年上半年有五分之二的美国家庭仅使用手机，比例较2012年上半年小幅上升。在过去十年里，这一比例一直在上升：约有9,000万成年人（占美国人口的38%）目前仅使用无线通讯，而2009年上半年为21%――2003年上半年更是还不到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.)
放弃固定电话让美国家庭甩掉了一项月度账单――但这并不意味着他们只有手机可用。可供选择的还有Skype，这项免费服务允许人们通过智能手机和其他设备与世界各地的亲朋好友进行视频聊天。如有无线网络连接，还可以免费使用FaceTime进行视频聊天。另外还有magicJack Plus，这款设备在连接USB接口、电脑或普通电话路由器时可提供电话服务；购买该设备外加前六个月的服务费用总计49.95美元，之后的服务费用在每月1.67美元至2.50美元之间。（而多数传统电话运营商收费至少为每月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.
当然，这些服务需要有互联网连接。对固定电话的安全性有需要的消费者（由于飓风桑迪(Hurricane Sandy)导致一些地区的手机和互联网服务中断，许多美国人都无法进行电话通讯）也许应该考虑在家中保留固定电话。