German 20-somethings would ditch their spouses¹ and do without a car in a heartbeat if they had to choose between having them or Internet access or a mobile phone, according to an industry study.

In a survey by German broadband association Bitkom around 84 percent of respondents aged² 19-29 said they would rather do without their current partner or an automobile⁴ than forego their connection to the Web.

Living without a mobile phone was also unthinkable for 97 percent of those questioned in that age range.

Nevertheless, Bitkom president August-Wilhelm Scheer said on Monday in Hanover that did not mean that "the Web is an anonymous⁵ medium that leads to social indifference⁶".

One of the main themes at this year's annual tech trade fair CeBit in Hanover is what the organizers have dubbed⁷ "Webciety", short for World Wide Web society.

Bitkom said 1,000 people had taken part in the survey, and one in two people said they had made new friends thanks to chat forums⁸ and Internet communities. Around 8 percent said they had found a new partner thanks to online relations.

"The Web creates real relationships and does not result in autism and dehumanization," said Scheer, who admitted he gets nervous when he does not have Internet access while on vacation.

Still, Scheer said, there was a digital divide in Germany that needed to be bridged. "There's a gap and it's not with 30-year-olds or 40-year-olds it's with those 50 years of age and above," Scheer said.

The way people in their 40s and those in their 20s used the Web did not differ much, Scheer said, but the difference to someone in their mid-fifties was significant. "One of the main challenges in society today is to ensure that all age groups are up to par³ when it comes to the Internet."

一项行业调查发现，如果非要在情侣、车和上网或手机之间做出选择，德国20多岁的年轻人会毫不犹豫地放弃前者。

这项由德国宽带协会Bitkom开展的调查发现，在19岁至29岁的受访者中，有84%的人称他们宁愿放弃现在的情侣或车，也不愿舍弃网络。

同时，在这一年龄段中97%的受访者表示无法想象没有手机的生活。

尽管如此，Bitkom总裁奥古斯特-威廉•施尔于本周一在汉诺威称，这并不能说明“网络是一种造成社会人情淡漠的匿名媒介。”

今年在汉诺威召开的Cebit科技商品交易会的一大主题就是主办方所称的“互联网社会（Webciety: World Wide Web society）”。

Bitkom称，在参加调查的一千人中，有一半的人称他们通过网络聊天室和交友社区结识了新朋友。约8%的受访者称他们通过网络找到了新伴侣。

施尔说：“网络能缔造真实的人际关系，并不会导致孤僻和人情淡漠。”施尔坦称自己在休假时如果不能上网，就会感到紧张焦虑。

他还说，目前德国社会存在一个需要弥合的数码代沟。“这一代沟并非存在于20多岁的人和三四十岁的人之间，而是和五十多岁的人之间。”

他说，40多岁的人和20多岁的人在使用互联网方面差别并不大，但若与50多岁的人相比，这一差别就很显著。“目前存在的一个主要挑战就是，保证社会各个年龄层次的人在互联网使用方面都能达标。”

Vocabulary:

ditch:to get rid of; discard（丢弃；舍弃 ditched the old yard furniture）

in a heartbeat:马上，立刻（ I' d leave in a heartbeat if I had any money. 要是有钱我马上就离开。）

unthinkable:impossible to imagine; inconceivable （无法想象的：不可想象的；无法设想的）

up to par:达到标准