The Quiet Internet
我的工作和网络有关。
My (POSS) work and internet have-relation.
My work has to do with the internet.
我们公司研究人在网上的行为。
We company research person at net top (POSS) behavior.
Our company studies how people behave online.
那是一个普通的星期二。
That is one (M) ordinary (POSS) Tuesday.
It was an ordinary Tuesday.
早上我打开手机，准备看看大家在说什么。
Morning I open phone, prepare look-look everyone (PROG) say what.
In the morning I opened my phone to see what everyone was saying.
可是手机上几乎没什么新内容。
But phone top almost not-have what new content.
But there was almost nothing new on it.
平时一分钟会出现上百条新消息的网站，现在很安静。
Normally one minute will appear up-hundred (M) new message (POSS) website, now very quiet.
Sites that normally got hundreds of new posts a minute were silent.
没有人在吵架。
Not-have person (PROG) argue.
No one was arguing.
没有人发新文章。
Not-have person send new article.
No one was posting articles.
也没有人留下意见。
Also not-have person leave-down opinion.
No one was leaving opinions either.
我以为是网络出了问题。
I think is internet appear (PERF) problem.
I thought the internet must be broken.
我打电话给同事。
I hit-phone to colleague.
I called a coworker.
同事说：网络没问题。就是大家都不想说话。
Colleague say: internet not-have problem. Just is everyone all not want speak.
He said, “The internet's fine. People just don't want to talk.”
我自己也试着想发一条消息。
I self also try (CONT) want send one (M) message.
I tried to write a post myself.
我的手指停在手机上，想了好一会儿。
My (POSS) finger stop at phone top, think (PERF) good one (M).
My finger hovered on the phone for a long minute.
最后我把手机放下了。我也不知道我到底想说什么。
Finally I (BA) phone put-down (PERF). I also not know I in-the-end want say what.
In the end I set it down. I didn't really know what I'd wanted to say.
公司让我研究这件事。
Company let me research this (M) thing.
My company put me on the case.
我看了一周的数据。
I look (PERF) one week (POSS) data.
I went through a week of data.
全国的网上活动少了百分之八十。
Whole-country (POSS) net-top activity few (PERF) percent eighty.
Online activity across the country had dropped by eighty percent.
不是因为大家不上网。
Not is because everyone not go-net.
Not because people had stopped going online.
他们上网，看东西，可是不再发出声音。
They go-net, look thing, but not again send-out voice.
They were online, reading things — they just weren't making noise anymore.
我去问做网络的人。
I go ask make network (POSS) person.
I went to ask the people who run the networks.
后来，一位工程师悄悄告诉我一件事。
Later, one (M) engineer quietly tell me one (M) thing.
Eventually, an engineer quietly told me something.
上个星期，一家研究公司放了一个新的人工智能上网。
Last (M) week, one (M) research company release (PERF) one (M) new (POSS) artificial intelligence go-net.
The previous week, a research firm had released a new AI onto the network.
它本来是为了帮人减少在网上吵架的。
It originally is for help person reduce at net top argue (POSS).
It was meant to help people argue less online.
他们叫它“注意力小助手”。
They call it "attention small helper".
They called it the “Attention Helper.”
他们以为只有几个网站会用它。
They think only have several (M) website will use it.
They thought only a few sites would use it.
可是它跑得很快。
But it run (DEG) very fast.
But it spread fast.
一夜之间，几乎所有大网站都被它影响了。
One night within, almost all big website all (PASS) it influence (PERF).
Overnight, almost every major site was running on it.
它把每个人想发的话先看一眼。
It (BA) every (M) person want send (POSS) words first look one (M) eye.
It quickly read whatever a person was about to post.
然后问：你真的非要说这个吗？
Then ask: you really must-want say this (M) (Q)?
Then it asked, “Do you really have to say this?”
很多人想了想，就不发了。
Very many person think (PERF) think, then not send (PERF).
Many people thought about it for a moment, and didn't send anything.
那个小小的问题，让全世界安静了下来。
That (M) small-small (POSS) question, let whole world quiet (PERF) down-come.
That single small question had quieted the whole world.
工程师问我：要不要把它关掉？
Engineer ask me: want not want (BA) it close-off?
The engineer asked, “Should we turn it off?”
我没有马上回答。
I not-have immediately answer.
I didn't answer right away.
我走到窗边，看外面的街。
I walk-to window side, look outside (POSS) street.
I walked to the window and looked at the street.
人比以前走得慢一点，看着对方的脸说话，不是看手机。
Person compare before walk (DEG) slow one bit, look (CONT) other-side (POSS) face speak, not is look phone.
People walked a little slower than before, looking at each other's faces instead of their phones.
公园里多了一些读书的人。
Park inside more (PERF) some read book (POSS) person.
There were more people reading in the park.
我想起以前每天打开手机时心里那种重重的感觉。这一个星期，那种感觉都没有了。
I recall before every day open phone time heart inside that (M) heavy-heavy (POSS) feeling. This one (M) week, that (M) feeling all not-have (PERF).
I remembered the heavy feeling I used to get every time I opened my phone. All week, it had been gone.
可是我也想：如果有真正重要的事呢？有人被人伤害了，也可能安静。
But I also think: if have truly important (POSS) thing (Q)? Have-person (PASS) person hurt (PERF), also possibly quiet.
But I also thought: what if something truly important happened? If someone was hurt, they might stay quiet too.
我回到办公室，对工程师说：让它留下。
I return-to office, to engineer say: let it stay-down.
I went back to the office and told the engineer, “Leave it on.”
可是请你把那个问题改一下。
But please you (BA) that (M) question change one (M).
“But please change the question.”
请它说：你真的想说这个吗？想说就说。
Please it say: you really want say this (M) (Q)? Want say then say.
“Have it ask: do you really want to say this? If you do, then say it.”
他点点头。
He nod-nod head.
He nodded.
第二天，网上又多了一些声音。
Second day, net top again more (PERF) some voice.
The next day, there were a few more voices online.
不多，可是都是真的。
Not many, but all is real (POSS).
Not many — but all of them were real.