A Proposal to My Family: Phone-Free Dinners

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1. 01A Proposal: Phone-Free Dinners

   Good evening, everyone. Yes, I know this is our living room, not a conference hall, but I have a proposal for our family, and I've prepared slides. I'd like us to try phone-free dinners.

   大家晚安。是的，我知道這是我們家的客廳，不是會議廳，但我有一個給我們家的提議，而且我還準備了投影片。我希望我們試試吃晚飯時不用手機。

2. 02What I've Noticed

   Here's what I've noticed lately. At most dinners, at least one of us is looking at a phone. Our meals have become shorter and quieter, and we rarely hear about each other's day.

   這是我最近注意到的情況。大多數晚飯時，我們中至少有一個人在看手機。我們吃飯的時間變短了，也變安靜了，很少聽到彼此聊這一天過得怎麼樣。

3. 03The Proposal

   My proposal is simple. Before dinner, we put our phones in a basket in the kitchen. They stay there until everyone has finished eating. To keep it realistic, it's only on weekdays.

   我的提議很簡單。吃晚飯前，我們把手機放進廚房的一個籃子裡。手機一直放在那裡，直到所有人都吃完。為了切實可行，只在工作日這樣做。

4. 04Why It's Worth Trying

   I believe it's worth trying for three reasons. We'd have real conversations, we'd actually taste the food that took time to cook, and we'd all get a short break from our screens.

   我認為這值得一試，原因有三個。我們會有真正的交談，我們會真正品嚐那些花時間做出來的飯菜，而且我們都能從螢幕前短暫地休息一下。

5. 05"But What If It's Urgent?"

   I can already hear the first objection: what if something urgent happens? That's a fair concern. The basket is only a few steps away, so if a phone rings for something important, of course we can answer it.

   我已經能聽到第一個反對意見了：要是有急事怎麼辦？這個擔心很合理。籃子就在幾步之外，所以如果手機因為重要的事響了，我們當然可以接。

6. 06"Won't It Feel Awkward?"

   Another worry is that dinner might feel awkward at first. To help, I've made a small box of question cards, like "What was the best part of your day?" We can pick one if the table gets too quiet.

   另一個擔心是，一開始吃飯可能會有點尷尬。為此，我做了一小盒問題卡片，比如「你今天最開心的是什麼？」如果飯桌上太安靜了，我們可以抽一張。

7. 07A Fair Trial

   I'm not asking for a forever rule. Let's try it for two weeks, and then vote as a family. If most of us don't like it, we'll stop. That seems fair, doesn't it?

   我不是要定一個永遠的規矩。我們先試兩個星期，然後全家投票。如果大多數人不喜歡，我們就停下來。這樣很公平，對吧？

8. 08Conclusion

   To sum up, all I'm asking for is one basket and two weeks. Our phones will still be there after dinner, but these family dinners won't last forever. Thank you, and let's eat.

   總結一下，我只要求一個籃子和兩個星期。吃完飯後手機還在那兒，但這樣的家庭晚餐不會永遠都有。謝謝大家，我們開飯吧。