Caught in the Web of the Internet
沉湎因特网

IN THIS ARTICLE: Getting hooked on the Internet isn't confined to a few computer nerds. It's on the rise everywhere--and women are the most likely addicts. Ingrid Parker, once a slave to Internet chatrooms, found her experiences so devastating that she wrote a book to help other addicts break the habit. --Editor

本文简介：沉醉于因特网而难以自拔的人已不再局限于少数计算机迷了。对因特网痴迷的人越来越多，到处都是--妇女最可能成为对因特网着迷的人。英格丽德·帕克一度沉溺于网上聊天，后来发现那段经历使她损失不小，因而写了一本书以帮助其他网上君子们改掉上网成瘾的毛病。。

It's the equivalent of inviting sex addicts to a brothel or holding an Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meeting at the pub. Internet addicts tired of their square-eyed, keyboard tapping ways need look no further than the Web for counselling. There is now an online counselling service at www.relate.org.nz for Internet obsessives. Just e-mail the details of your Internet-induced crisis and help comes direct to your inbox. The new breed of cybertherapists see nothing strange about offering help through the very medium that is swallowing their clients' free time and splitting their marriages.

上网成瘾如同邀约好色的人逛妓院，或者在小酒馆里举行"嗜酒者互诫协会"(AA)会员集会。网迷们疲劳地盯着显示屏，敲击着键盘，只想通过万维网寻求咨询。现在有一种为网迷开设的网上咨询服务，其网址是： www.relate.org.nz。你只需把上网引发的“危机”详情用电子邮件发出去，就会从你的邮箱中直接收到帮助信息。新式的计算机治疗专家认为，通过网络寻求帮助并不奇怪，正是它吞噬着网迷们的自由时间，而且危及到他们的婚姻。

Sue Hine, of Relationship Services, says: "Internet obsession has become a more noticeable problem over the last 18 months. At least this is an area addicts are familiar with and they'll be able to use it as a tool to overcome their obsession." Nor do experts worry that the Relate Website might become a favourite--a place to spend hours online in the name of Internet therapy. Dependency is always a risk with any form of counselling. There are various strategies we can adopt to keep that in perspective, says Hine.

“关系服务网站”的苏·海英说：“在最近的18个月中，上网成瘾已经成为一个非常突出的问题。服务网站至少是网迷熟悉的地方，他们将能够把它作为戒掉网瘾的工具来使用。”专家们也并不担心服务网站会成为上网者最爱光顾的地方--一个网迷们花费在线时间进行网上诊疗的地方。依赖于任何形式的咨询服务总是靠不住的。海英说，我们可以采取各种措施使服务网站发挥有效作用。

Though some may regard Internet addiction as another dubious ailment dreamed up to keep therapists in work, Relationship Services says the problem is real.

有些人认为，沉醉于因特网的人是患有某种假想的精神失调症，这只是使得精神治疗专家有事可做。然而，关系服务网站却认为这个问题确实存在。

Internet usage is up to four-and-a-half hours on the Web each week, compared to three-and-a-half hours a year ago. Therapist Robin Paul says there tend to be two scenarios. Some people meet through chatrooms and fall in love. It's like having an affair, then they meet and it's like a whirlwind honeymoon. It's devastating for the person left behind and quite often it has no real foundation.

一年前，万维网的使用率为每周3.5小时，而现在达到了4．5小时。诊疗专家罗宾·保罗说，痴迷于因特网往往表现为两种情形。有的人在聊天室相识并坠人爱河。这就像有了不正当关系，然后约会，像蜜月一般慌慌张张的。被抛弃的一方在感情上会受到极大的打击，而这种网上恋爱通常全然没有现实的基础。

I saw one couple who were still together but it was very rocky. He met someone on the Net and went overseas to meet the woman. Then he left his wife and children to be with her. In another case I saw recently, a man left his three children to be with a woman (who was) leaving her four children. It's terribly hard on the kids when this happens.

“我曾目睹一对夫妇，他们仍在一起，但彼此之间的感情已经摇摇欲坠。男方在网上有了外遇，就飘洋过海去与网上恋人见面，之后，他为了和她在一起而抛妻弃子。在我最近看到的另一个例子中，男方为了跟某个女人在一起，抛下了自己的三个孩子，而那个女人也准备离开她的四个孩子。这种事情可害苦了那些孩子们。”