我們身邊總有那么幾個(gè)朋友，一年里每隔幾個(gè)月就發(fā)個(gè)信息，問(wèn)問(wèn)“你在忙什么？過(guò)得怎么樣？”然后就無(wú)聲無(wú)息了。據(jù)說(shuō)，發(fā)送這樣短信的人只是為了與你保持聯(lián)絡(luò)，讓你知道他們還在，萬(wàn)一哪天有事兒要你幫忙，也好開(kāi)口。當(dāng)然，也有一部分是用這種方式來(lái)維護(hù)“備胎”關(guān)系的。

Maintenance texts are text messages sent to those people you'd like to date "someday" or "eventually" to remind them that you exist and to stay in touch with them without really meeting them. It's a low effort way to maintain a connection without having to really commit to anything serious.
“維護(hù)短信”是你給那些可能“改天”或者“找時(shí)間”見(jiàn)面的人（其實(shí)就是備胎啦）發(fā)的短信，這樣既能讓他們知道你這個(gè)人還在、與他們保持聯(lián)絡(luò)，也不用真的去跟他們見(jiàn)面。這是一種保持聯(lián)系，又不用做出任何承諾的低成本維護(hù)方式。

來(lái)看個(gè)例子：

Q: "Have you heard from that guy you met in that bar last week?"
上周在酒吧遇到的那個(gè)男的跟你聯(lián)系了嗎？

A: "Yeah, he's sent me a few maintenance texts tonight, asking where we were but not wanting to meet up. LAME!"
嗯，他今晚給我發(fā)了幾條維護(hù)短信，問(wèn)我們?cè)谀膬海珱](méi)說(shuō)要見(jiàn)面。真沒(méi)勁！

說(shuō)到發(fā)短信，就不得不再次提醒大家，千萬(wàn)不要做texting pedestrian（行走短信族）。

You know him by his hunched-over posture, staring at a blazing screen while weaving down the street. Sometimes his gait slows, sometimes speeds up. He almost runs into a street sign here or trips on a curb there.
頸背前弓，一邊在街道穿行，一邊緊盯著屏幕。凡是這樣姿勢(shì)的人，都是行走短信族。他們的步伐偶爾會(huì)減緩，有時(shí)又會(huì)加快。有時(shí)會(huì)差點(diǎn)撞到路牌，有時(shí)又會(huì)撞到旁邊的馬路牙子。

看手機(jī)發(fā)短信的時(shí)候，一定要停在路邊相對(duì)安全的區(qū)域。再緊急的短信，也沒(méi)有自己的生命重要。

（中國(guó)日?qǐng)?bào)網(wǎng)英語(yǔ)點(diǎn)津 Helen）