Guidebooks lose way to Internet

旅行指南遭遇网络化冲击

随着智能手机等电子设备的普及，传统图书正逐渐失去其优势。很多旅行者不再需要纸质的旅行指南，而是转投智能软件以及电子书的怀抱。旅行指南图书是否真的就此没落了呢？

随着便携电子设备的普及，传统图书的阵营正在沦陷。很多旅行者抛弃传统旅行图书，转投电子书的怀抱。旅行图书是否真的魅力不再？

For many well-educated, affluent Chinese travelers, buying a copy of Lonely Planet is the first task before taking a vacation abroad. Founded in 1973, Lonely Planet is the biggest guidebook series in the US, UK and Australia. It’s published in 11 languages including Chinese.

对于许多受过良好教育、生活富足的中国驴友来说，买本《孤独星球》是出国旅行前的首要功课。诞生于1973年的《孤独星球》成为英美以及澳洲最具影响力的旅行指南丛书。它已被译为包括中文在内的11种语言出版。

But when the BBC confirmed on March 19 that it had sold the entire Lonely Planet series to a US billionaire at a significant financial loss, many commented that the deal signified the swan song for the printed guidebook.

但3月19日，英国广播公司证实其已重重亏本将《孤独星球》丛书转让给一位美国亿万富翁。不少人认为这笔交易标志着纸质旅行指南的绝唱。

The rise of the Internet and the prevalence of smartphones and tablets has become a burden on the print media. Why would travelers bring a heavy guidebook when they can download its digital content to their smartphone in an instant? Furthermore, alternative and free travel content is readily available on the Internet, from Wikivoyage to TripAdvisor to blogs written by amateur travel writers.

互联网的崛起，以及智能手机与平板电脑的普及使得纸质媒体压力重重。有了可以即时下载到智能手机中的电子版，旅行者又何须背着厚重的旅行指南呢？此外，从维基旅行、到到网，再到驴友作家的博客，现成的免费旅行信息在网上随处可见，为旅行者们提供了另一种选择。

“If you’re in your 20s or 30s, the first place you’re going to go for travel information is a social network,” said Howard Blumenthal, who writes the Digital Insider blog. “With so many people contributing content, you don’t have to go to Fodor’s to get hotel information because there’s TripAdvisor and its competitors.”

“如果你二三十岁，你搜寻旅游信息的第一站一定是社交网络，”Digital Insider博客的写手霍华德•布鲁曼索说。“因为有了到到网以及众多同行竞争对手，再加上那么多人来贡献内容，你不必非得去求助于Fodor’s系列旅游图书来获取住宿信息。”

Even for those who still want a guidebook in their hand, once they download an app to their electronic device, they’re more than likely to kiss goodbye to their physical guidebooks.

即便对于那些仍想求得一本旅行指南的人来说，一旦在电子设备上下载了一项应用，他们很可能就会将这些纸质旅行指南抛到脑后了。

But the Internet is not the only reason that guidebooks are in decline. Kevin Rushby, author of four acclaimed travel books and travel writer for The Guardian, said that the problem with the guidebook is that “it has a comprehensiveness that can kill any sense of personal exploration.”

但互联网并非旅行指南书没落的唯一原因。英国《卫报》的旅行作家、曾出版过四本知名旅行手册的凯文•罗施毕指出，旅行指南的症结在于“它太过详尽，从而扼杀了个人的探索意识。”

Several times on recent trips Rushby found he hadn’t opened his guidebook at all. The maps in the guidebooks have been bettered by Google Maps. And the top sights are often lists of overcrowded, overpriced attractions besieged by tour groups, he said.

在近期的数次旅行中，罗施毕发现自己根本就没翻开过自己的旅行指南。书中的地图已被更完善的谷歌地图所代替。他说，书中推荐的景点往往是些被旅游团占领、人满为患且门票昂贵的地方。

He also pointed out that the guidebook is not exactly good for tourism. Often the locals who thrived on a recommendation in the guidebook relaxed, lost their edge and discovered that it doesn’t matter: the legions of eager travelers keep on coming anyway.

他也指出旅行指南对于旅游业而言并不见得是件好事。那些靠旅行指南推荐做生意的当地人不再那么紧张了，虽然失去了优势但他们发现这并不要紧：因为不论怎样，还是会有大批热切的游客光顾。

“All those backpacker feet ended up creating modern trade routes, and in those routes was little room for innovation and initiative,” Rushby said.

“背包客们最终都选择了时下的商业化旅行线路，，而这些路线却缺乏创新与主动。”罗施毕说。

And yet, despite the rise of new media, some experts believe there is still a place for printed books.

但尽管新媒体快速崛起，一些专家认为纸质书仍拥有一席之地。

“Books still offer a different experience, more of a compelling, thoughtful experience,” Mark Henshall, a former editor of the guidebook series Frommer’s told NBC News.

“书籍仍能给予一种不同的体验，更令人信服并引人深思。”Frommer’s旅行丛书的前任编辑马克•汉舍尔在接受美国全国广播公司新闻节目的采访时说。

Or, as Blumenthal puts it: “Books are great for context and history — that’s a book you might take with you when you travel. The walking tour book? That one you’ll probably have on your device.”

或者，正如布鲁曼索所言：“想要了解背景资料以及历史介绍，图书可谓上上之选，这可能是你旅行时会带上的书籍。至于随身的旅行书，，大概你会安装在电子设备里了。”