函数的返回类型是静态数组的话,安全吗?解决办法

函数的返回类型是静态数组的话,安全吗?
wget源中看到如下代码:

/*   N,   a   byte   quantity,   is   converted   to   a   human-readable   abberviated
      form   a   la   sizes   printed   by   `ls   -lh '.     The   result   is   written   to   a
      static   buffer,   a   pointer   to   which   is   returned.

      Unlike   `with_thousand_seps ',   this   approximates   to   the   nearest   unit.
      Quoting   GNU   libit:   "Most   people   visually   process   strings   of   3-4
      digits   effectively,   but   longer   strings   of   digits   are   more   prone   to
      misinterpretation.     Hence,   converting   to   an   abbreviated   form
      usually   improves   readability. "

      This   intentionally   uses   kilobyte   (KB),   megabyte   (MB),   etc.   in   their
      original   computer   science   meaning   of   "powers   of   1024 ".     Powers   of
      1000   would   be   useless   since   Wget   already   displays   sizes   with
      thousand   separators.     We   don 't   use   the   "*bibyte "   names   invented   in
      1998,   and   seldom   used   in   practice.     Wikipedia 's   entry   on   kilobyte
      discusses   this   in   some   detail.     */

char   *
human_readable   (int   n)
{
    /*   These   suffixes   are   compatible   with   those   of   GNU   `ls   -lh '.   */
    static   char   powers[]   =
        {
            'K ', /*   kilobyte,   2^10   bytes   */
            'M ', /*   megabyte,   2^20   bytes   */
            'G ', /*   gigabyte,   2^30   bytes   */
            'T ', /*   terabyte,   2^40   bytes   */
            'P ', /*   petabyte,   2^50   bytes   */
            'E ', /*   exabyte,     2^60   bytes   */
        };
    static   char   buf[8];
    int   i;

    /*   If   the   quantity   is   smaller   than   1K,   just   print   it.   */
    if   (n   <   1024)
        {
            snprintf   (buf,   sizeof   (buf),   "%d ",   (int)   n);
            return   buf;   /*可以这样返回静态数组?*/
        }

    /*   Loop   over   powers,   dividing   N   with   1024   in   each   iteration.     This