Something that
stands out from
its surroundings is said to stick out like a
sore
thumb,
because a throbbing thumb is often vividly red. And more and more Americans'
thumbs are quite literally sticking out in just this way. So many that in their
medical journals,
orthopedic specialists are describing an
epidemic of
sore thumbs.
stands out:
sobresale; is said to stick out: se dice que
salta a la vista;
sore thumb: pulgar inflamado; throbbing thumb:
pulgar dolorido; medical journals: publicaciones médicas;
epidemic: epidemia.
It's all because of pocket-sized personal
computers such as BlackBerries, Palm-brand
handhelds, and certain cellphones.
Barely
bigger
than a credit card, these little devices have
itsy-bitsy keyboards. The most
popular way to type a message while
holding onto
them
is to use one's thumbs. And by the millions,
over and over again, day and night, Americans are doing just that – checking and
sending their e-mails.
pocket-sized:
(tamaño) de bolsillo; handhelds: portátiles;
barely: apenas, poco más; devices: dispositivos;
itsy-bitsy: diminutos (coloquial); holding onto them: se
los sostiene.
The result can be a painful,
tingling,
or numbing mini-version
of carpal tunnel syndrome and
tendinitis that used to affect only those who repeatedly
manipulate larger
machines.
painful:
dolorosa; tingling: hormigueo;
numbing: entumecimiento; tendinitis: tendonitis
(inflamación de los tendones).
The Washington Post newspaper, which recently wrote about thumb
pain, illustrated the story with a photograph of three White House staff members
standing side by side at one of President Bush's speaking
engagements.
All three where thumbing away on their BlackBerries. A similar photo of ordinary
folks could
have been taken in cafes and waiting rooms across America.
side by side:
codo a codo, uno al lado del otro; engagements: encuentros;
thumbing away: digitando; folks: personas, parroquianos (coloquial).
As with a drinking
problem, abstinence is
the only proven remedy. And
by all accounts, texting on one's palm-size personal
device can be just as hard a habit to kick.
So while delightfully convenient, handheld communications can exact an
excruciating
toll.
But things could be worse. As the Post article
points out, in Japan,
teenagers are now referred to as the
thumb generation.
abstinence:
abstinencia; proven remedy: remedio o solución
comprobada;
by all accounts: sin lugar a dudas; excruciating
toll: consecuencias muy dolorosas, alto precio; points out: señala,
destaca;
thumb generation: generación del pulgar. |