Opinion: Why the selfie stick must die 看法:為什麼自拍棒必須消失

By Zoe Li, for CNN

Updated 0253 GMT (1053 HKT) February 19, 2015

(CNN)-Some of the world's most important museums are confirming what we'vesuspected all along but didn't dare say: selfie sticks are stupid.If ever there was a product that preyed so heavily on our fear of insignificance, it's the selfie stick, or as I like to call it, the narcisstick.

某些世界上最重要的博物館正在證實我們一直以來懷疑的事但不敢說: 自拍棒很愚蠢。很少有過一個產品如此嚴重的折磨我們毫無意義的恐懼，那就是自拍棒，或者是我喜歡這樣叫它，自我陶醉的棒子(narcisstick=narcissistic+stick)。

But wait, there's already a selfie stick company called exactly that, because it's witty and ironic, right?And not painfully honest.More and more museums in New York are announcing bans on the selfie stick.The Museum of Modern of Art (MoMA) has long removed the sticks from their exhibition halls to prevent damage to the artwork.

但是等一下，已經有一個自拍棒公司確實是這個名稱，因為這很詼諧且諷刺，對吧?而且還是不會讓人們感到痛苦的坦誠，越來越多紐約的博物館公告禁止自拍棒，現代藝術博物館已經將自拍棒排除在展覽館外很久了，為了要防止破壞藝術品。

Stop before someone gets hurt

在別人受傷之前停止

If you've ever set foot in MoMA you'll know what a difficult experience it can be.Not because it isn't an exceptional art institution that's given the world some of its most mind-expanding exhibitions.But because of other people.The MoMA is one of the world's busiest museums -- add selfie sticks among the crowds and you've got a recipe for disaster.

如果你曾經去過現代藝術博物館，你會知道這是多困難的經驗，不是因為它不是個提供世界許多它最讓人神魂顛倒的展覽的優秀藝術機構，而是因為其他人，現代藝術博物館是世界上最忙碌的博物館之一，如果在人群中使用自拍棒，就會得到釀成災難的原因。

The same situation can be found at many famous tourist landmarks.The Forbidden City in Beijing received 15 million visitors last year, more than any other museum in the world.I used to enjoy walking the palace grounds every time I passed through the capital city -- now that everyone's got a selfie stick, I fear for my life.Am I being melodramatic?

同樣的情況也發生在許多有名的觀光地標，在北京的紫禁城在去年有150萬名觀光客，比世界上任何其他博物館還要多，我過去時常在每次經過京城時享受在皇宮周圍散步，現在每個人都拿著自拍棒，我對我的生命感到恐懼，是我太誇張了嗎?

Let's just say, like seat belts and extramarital affairs, the selfie stick problem doesn't hit home until someone gets hurt.An increasing number of sites have seen the potential hazard and put a stop to things before a "tragedy" occurs.

這麼說吧，像是安全帶和外遇，自拍棒的問題不會傷害到家庭，直到有人受傷，越來越多的地點發現這個潛在的危險，而在悲劇發生之前阻止。

The Australian Open has banned selfie sticks, outside of designated selfie zones.Use of unauthorized selfie sticks in South Korea could get you fined.Sports and music stadiums around London have banned the stick, as well.

澳大利亞網球公開賽在特定的自拍區域之外禁止自拍棒，在南韓使用未經授權的自拍棒會被罰款，在倫敦的體育場和音樂館也禁止自拍棒。

We need to talk about selfie

我們需要討論關於自拍

Yet the real issue behind the selfie stick is the selfie itself.It's somehow become socially acceptable for us to take the narcissism of adolescence and extend it thorough adulthood, manifested in selfies.I know I sound like a tired curmudgeon who probably doesn't even know what Instagram is and hates Facebook.I'm none of those things and, yes, I do enjoy the occasional guilty pleasure of a selfie, so I can't and won't be a hypocrite about it.

然而自拍棒背後真正的問題是自拍本身，不知怎麼地，自拍照中證實了將青春期的自戀延伸到大人時期變成社會上可接受的事情，我知道我聽起來很像是個不耐煩又脾氣暴躁的人，甚至不知道Instagram是什麼，且痛恨Facebook，我沒有在用那些東西而且，對，我享受偶爾對自拍感到開心的內疚，所以我不能也不會當偽君子。

When it comes to traveling, though, when it comes to once-in-a-lifetime visits to sacred landmarks and world-class museums or wandering side streets in strange cities, I'd hope that we could all turn the lens away from ourselves.

當要去旅遊的時候，雖然，當到達千載難逢的神聖地標和世界級的博物館或漫步在陌生城市的小路上，我希望我們可以將鏡頭離開我們自己。

A fresh perspective

一個新的觀點

Or simply put the camera away.Travel writer Paul Theroux once told his readers: "I never bring a camera -- because taking pictures, I've found, makes me less observant and interferes with my memory."

或是就將相機移開，旅行作家Paul Theroux曾經告訴過他的讀者:我從來沒有帶過相機，因為拍照，我發現，讓我沒辦法好好觀察且會干涉我的回憶。

How much do we rely on photographs to remember our vacations?Does it really matter that we have a formal permanent documentation of every moment of our travels?What if we entirely let go of documenting and just simply experienced?I tried it for a day.

我們有多依賴用照片來記住我們的假期?我們旅行的每一刻擁有正式的永久紀錄真的很重要嗎?要是我們完全不在乎記錄，只是單純的去體驗?我嘗試過一次。

It is what I imagine skydiving would be like: terrifying at first, then exhilarating and finally, when I got my mind to stop subconsciously framing every street scene, I became more present than I've ever been on a trip.

這是我想像跳傘會像這樣:一開始很害怕，接著很興奮而且最後，當我把我的注意力放在停止潛意識的去框架所有街道景象，讓我感受到在旅行中前所未有的真實感。

In any case, selfies are a cliche that have always reminded me of Rowan Atkinson as that sad old buffoon, Mr. Bean, taking self-portraits with his teddy bear in front of Buckingham Palace.Instead of waving a glorified tree branch to take a slightly better version of a cliched shot, let's just move on.

無論如何，自拍是個陳腔濫調，總是讓我想到扮演那個又老又傷心的小丑的羅溫・艾金森，豆豆先生和他的泰迪熊要在英國白金漢宮前畫自畫像，不要為了拍一張好看一點點的老掉牙照片而揮舞被美化的樹枝，讓我們繼續前進吧。

The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Zoe Li.

Hong Kong-based freelancer Zoe Li writes regularly on Chinese art, culture, food and travel.