Fifty years ago, British inventors made and marketed the first electronic “breathalyzer”. The alcohol gauge has become standard issue for U.S. law enforcement cracking down on drunk driving.

　　50年前，英国发明家创造并出售了第一台电子“体内酒量测定器”。这种酒精测量器已成为美国执法部门打击酒驾的标准配置。

　　In a sign of the times, U.S. police are now hoping to enlist the so-called “Textalyzer.” The device, in development by a company called Cellebrite, plugs into a driver’s smartphone and can tell police whether that person sent a text, e-mail or some other type of electronic message. Much of this information could be found by checking the device’s call log and messaging apps, but the Textalyzer aggregates all of that information in one place.

　　在当今时代背景下，美国警方希望能用“文本分析仪”帮助执法。该设备由一家名为Cellebrite的公司研发，它可以接入司机的智能手机，然后告知警方这名司机是否发过短信、电邮或是其他类型的电子信息。通过查看呼叫记录和信息应用程序就能获得大部分相关信息，但是文本分析仪将所有通讯信息汇集到一起。

　　Sending or reading a text typically takes a driver’s eyes off the road for about five seconds. At 55 miles per hour, that’s like driving the length of an entire football field with your eyes closed, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The NHTSA reports that in 2015 nearly 3,500 people were killed, and 391,000 were injured in motor vehicle crashes involving drivers who were talking on the phone or texting.

　　发送或浏览一条短信会使司机的目光离开道路约5秒钟。据美国国家公路交通安全管理局(NHTSA)的数据显示，假设车速为每小时55英里，那这种情况就像是闭着眼睛开车穿过整个足球场。美国国家公路交通安全管理局的报告称，2015年因驾车时打电话或发短信导致的机动车事故中，有近3500人死亡，39.1万人受伤。

　　But several open questions remain related to the Textalyzer. For one, it’s not clear how officers will access a device if it’s password protected. Textalyzer’s legality is also up for debate. In 2014 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that police officers cannot legally search a mobile phone for content created within the past 180 days without a warrant. Regardless, several states plan to test the device.

　　但关于文本分析仪仍有几个问题需要解决。首先，如果受到密码保护，目前尚不清楚警察如何获取该设备的信息。另外，文本分析仪的合法性也有待讨论。2014年，美国最高法院裁定，在没有搜查令时，从法律上来说警察不能检查公民手机内近180天的内容。尽管如此，美国仍有多个州计划对该设备进行测试。

　　Over the years all sorts of bad advice has been given to help people “beat” Breathalyzer tests. Let’s hope the only way people beat the Textalyzer is by keeping their hands on the wheel and their eyes on the road.

　　多年来，帮助人们逃过酒精测试的各种坏主意不断涌现。我们希望，人们“击败”文本分析仪的唯一方法是把手放在方向盘上，眼睛一直注视道路。