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. 互聯(lián)網(wǎng)的崛起，以及智能手機(jī)與平板電腦的普及使得紙質(zhì)媒體壓力重重。有了可以即時(shí)下載到智能手機(jī)中的電子版，旅行者又何須背著厚重的旅行指南呢？此外，從維基旅行、到到網(wǎng)，再到驢友作家的博客，現(xiàn)成的免費(fèi)旅行信息在網(wǎng)上隨處可見，為旅行者們提供了另一種選擇。
“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.” “如果你二三十歲，你搜尋旅游信息的第一站一定是社交網(wǎng)絡(luò)，”Digital Insider博客的寫手霍華德•布魯曼索說�！耙�?yàn)橛辛说降骄W(wǎng)以及眾多同行競(jìng)爭(zhēng)對(duì)手，再加上那么多人來貢獻(xiàn)內(nèi)容，你不必非得去求助于Fodor’s系列旅游圖書來獲取住宿信息。”
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. 即便對(duì)于那些仍想求得一本旅行指南的人來說，一旦在電子設(shè)備上下載了一項(xiàng)應(yīng)用，他們很可能就會(huì)將這些紙質(zhì)旅行指南拋到腦后了。
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.” 但互聯(lián)網(wǎng)并非旅行指南書沒落的原因。英國《衛(wèi)報(bào)》的旅行作家、曾出版過四本知名旅行手冊(cè)的凱文•羅施畢指出，旅行指南的癥結(jié)在于“它太過詳盡，從而扼殺了個(gè)人的探索意識(shí)�！�
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. 在近期的數(shù)次旅行中，羅施畢發(fā)現(xiàn)自己根本就沒翻開過自己的旅行指南。書中的地圖已被更完善的谷歌地圖所代替。他說，書中推薦的景點(diǎn)往往是些被旅游團(tuán)占領(lǐng)、人滿為患且門票昂貴的地方。
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. 他也指出旅行指南對(duì)于旅游業(yè)而言并不見得是件好事。那些靠旅行指南推薦做生意的當(dāng)?shù)厝瞬辉倌敲淳o張了，雖然失去了優(yōu)勢(shì)但他們發(fā)現(xiàn)這并不要緊：因?yàn)椴徽撛鯓�，還是會(huì)有大批熱切的游客光顧。
“All those backpacker feet ended up creating modern trade routes, and in those routes was little room for innovation and initiative,” Rushby said. “背包客們終都選擇了時(shí)下的商業(yè)化旅行線路，，而這些路線卻缺乏創(chuàng)新與主動(dòng)�！绷_施畢說。
And yet, despite the rise of new media, some experts believe there is still a place for printed books. 但盡管新媒體快速崛起，一些專家認(rèn)為紙質(zhì)書仍擁有一席之地。
“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. “書籍仍能給予一種不同的體驗(yàn)，更令人信服并引人深思�！盕rommer’s旅行叢書的前任編輯馬克•漢舍爾在接受美國全國廣播公司新聞節(jié)目的采訪時(shí)說。
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，正如布魯曼索所言：“想要了解背景資料以及歷史介紹，圖書可謂上上之選，這可能是你旅行時(shí)會(huì)帶上的書籍。至于隨身的旅行書，，大概你會(huì)安裝在電子設(shè)備里了�！�
