Here in the Northeast, winter means coats and sweaters1. And that means plenty of pockets for our growing stock2 of digital gadgets3.
Summer, by contrast4, is virtually5 a pocket-free zone. No pockets in T-shirts. No pockets in gym shorts6. Those few pockets that are available7 quickly become crammed8 with gadgets.
Mobile phone9, pager10, personal digital assistant11, MP3 player or CD player, digital camera: It's enough to rip12 your pants13 as you walk down the hallway14 or through the parking lot15.
Attempts have been made to help redistribute16 this load17, but with meagre18 success.
One approach19 involves clipping20 the devices to a belt. Cell phones and pagers often go this way. A belt offers handy21 access22 when the phone rings or the pager goes off23. But gadgets gathered to a belt can become uncomfortable when you sit.
A variation24 on the belt-carrier approach is the “fanny25 pack.” This often involves zippers26 or clasps27 that can make it difficult to reach for a ringing telephone.
An even bulkier28 option29 is the common backpack30. Vulnerable31 to theft, it's able to hold quite a pile of electronic gear32. Fashion alert33: Backpack users look like they're still in college.
Designers have been puzzling over this problem for a while and at least one company has come up with34 a possible solution35.
Called the “Scott eVest,” it's a lightweight vest36 with more than a dozen pockets. Wearers have plenty of room for mobile phones, PDAs, CD players and much more. Better yet, a built-in37 wiring system—called a PAN, for “personal area network”—allows wearers to use their gadgets in addition to38 carrying them about.
Connect the mobile phone to the PAN, for example, and you can answer a phone call by putting in your ear piece and pressing a button through the vest's fabric39. Similarly, the wiring system keeps the headphones for your CD player in place and ready for instant40 use.
Beyond gadgets, the vest has pockets for keys, a pen and even a “cup holder” pocket for beverages41.
At about US$160, the Scott eVest is not cheap. Ultimately42, our growing pile of gadgets will get smaller and fewer as they merge43 and converge44. Until then, a vest-like garment45 that keeps our gadgets accessible22 might be the perfect carrying case.
这里是美国东北部，冬天又是毛衣又是大衣的，也就是说口袋多多，我们那些越来越多的数码玩意儿不愁没地方装了。
只是夏天就不行了，简直就是无“袋”之地。T恤没口袋，运动短裤也没口袋。本来就少的几个口袋立马就被那些小玩意儿塞得满满当当的了。
手机、呼机、掌上电脑、MP3播放器或便携CD机、数码相机，小心这些家伙在你穿过走廊或者停车场的时候撑破你的裤子。
许多人都试着帮这些累赘安排一个“新居”，但收效甚微。
方法之一是把这些玩意儿卡到皮带上，比如手机和呼机，只要它们一响就可随手接听。但是你坐下来时，皮带上的这些玩意儿会让你不舒服。
另一种变通方案是用一个置于臀后的小包来取代皮带，但这样就需要用拉链或扣子，接电话就不方便。
还有更笨的办法就是用普通的双肩包，很能装东西，但也容易被偷。时尚在这儿给你提个醒儿：背双肩包的人看上去总像还没毕业的大学生。
设计师们为这个小问题头疼不已，总算有一家公司想出了新招。
这款叫“苏格特e装”的轻马甲，口袋不下10个，放手机、掌上电脑、便携CD机之类的东西绰绰有余。更棒的是马甲内置的网线系统PAN（个人局域网）不仅可以让使用者随身携带那些宝贝，而且用起来也非常地方便。
比如，把手机和PAN连起来，带上耳塞，隔着衣服把开关一按就可以接电话了。同样，你的便携CD机的耳机也可事先与之接好，随时都可享用。
除了那些小玩意儿，这款马甲还可以放钥匙、钢笔，甚至给喝饮料的口杯也准备了地方。
售价160美元的“苏格特e装”不算便宜。不过最终我们的数码小玩意由于功能合并会越来越小越来越少。到那时，一件像这样便于我们使用所有小玩意儿的马甲就不失为最理想的行囊了。
1． sweater n．厚运动衫, 套头毛线衫
2． stock n． 库存
3． gadget n．小器具,小玩意
4． by contrast 与……对比, 与……对照
5． virtually adv．事实上, 实质上
6． gym shorts n． 运动短裤
7． available adj．可以用的, 有用的 8． cram [kr?覸m] v．填满
9． mobile phone, cell phone n．移动电话，俗称手机
10． pager n．寻呼机，俗称Call机
11． PDA＝Personal Digital Assistant n．个人数字助手,掌上电脑
12． rip [rip] v． 撕开,撕裂
13． pants n． 裤子, 短裤
14． hallway n． 走廊
15． parking lot n． 停车场
16． redistribute v． 重新分配
17． load ] n． 负担, 负载
18． meagre adj． 微弱的
19． approach n． 方法,途径
20． clip [klip] v． 夹住
21． handy adj． 便利的, 便捷的
22． access n． 可以得到
23． go off 响起
24． variation n． 变通
25． fanny n． ＜美俚＞ 屁股
26． zipper n． 拉链
27． clasp n． 扣子
28． bulky adj． 体积大的, 笨重的, 占地方的
29． option n． 选项, 选择
30． backpack n． 背包
31． vulnerable adj． 易受攻击的
32． gear n． 设备, 装置
33． alert n． 警报
34． come up with 提出, 拿出（主意）
35． solution n． 解决方案
36． vest [vest] n． 汗衫, 背心
37． built－in 内置的
38． in addition to 除……之外
39． fabric n． 纺织品
40． instant adj． 方便的, 即时的
41． beverage n． 饮料
42． ultimately adv． 最后, 基本上
43． merge v． 合并,融合
44． converge v． 聚合, 集中于一点
45． garment n． 衣服, 外衣