It has soft lights, gleaming red and blue surfaces and a relaxing video of bubbles swirling underwater that plays on the wall.
This isn't a fancy hotel; it's Europe's most expensive public restroom.
The super-restroom, which opened earlier this month in Berlin, is the latest word in modern architecture. It has an elevator and a 24-hour reception, and it costs .50 euros (about NT$20) to use.
PHOTO: AFP
There are five bathrooms for men and five for women. Each has air-conditioning and relaxing music.
Hans Wall, the German businessman who built the bathroom, said it cost him 750,000 euros to build, but it was worth it. "I'm very pleased with it. It's been done with love, intelligence and the best of German design. ... It's an oasis from the outside world. Everything is clean and hygienic. You feel refreshed after using it. The mayor of London should pay us a visit and see how it can be done."
The area where the restroom is located used to be run down, but new stores are improving it. "This place used to be full of drug addicts. It was very dark. I didn't fancy using it much. I was worried about being robbed," said Wolfgang Gellesch, 62, who works near there. "Now the facilities are excellent. It's a symbol of the new Germany."
The underground restroom opened just weeks before Germany hosts the World Cup, with thousands of visitors expected to visit the capital.
Berlin's government has thanked Mr Wall for his work by offering him free advertising space. (Guardian)
燈光柔和;外觀閃爍著紅藍光點;牆上播放泡泡在水裡打轉的輕鬆影片。
這不是高級旅館,它是歐洲最昂貴的公共廁所。
這間「頂級公廁」本月稍早在柏林啟用,是現代建築的最新產物,有升降設備和二十四小時服務處,使用費零點五歐元(約新台幣二十元)。
內設男女廁各五間,有冷氣和輕鬆的音樂。
德國建商漢斯*華爾表示公廁造價七十五萬歐元,不過很值得。他說:「我感到非常開心,它融合了愛、智慧和德國最頂級的設計,是戶外的綠洲。所有設備乾淨衛生,如廁後神清氣爽,倫敦市長應該來拜訪觀摩。」
公廁所在區域曾經破敗髒亂,不過新商店進駐後情況有改善。今年六十二歲,在附近工作的沃夫甘*蓋勒奇說:「這裡以前很陰暗,到處都是毒蟲,因為怕被搶我根本不敢上公廁,現在的設備很棒,是新德國的象徵。」
今年世界盃足球賽由德國主辦,這間地下公廁於開賽前幾週啟用,預計將有成千上萬名觀光客遊訪首都柏林。
柏林市府提供華爾先生免費廣告空間以表感謝之意。
(衛報/翻譯:鄭湘儀)
The strongest earthquake to hit Taiwan in 25 years killed at least 16 people and damaged dozens of buildings, but the destruction was largely contained thanks to decades of preparedness work. Taiwan sits on the “Ring of Fire,” an arc of intense seismic activity along the Pacific Rim, and — much like neighboring Japan — has a long history of catastrophic quakes. How does April 3 compare with other recent quakes? The April 3 earthquake, which measured 7.4 on the moment magnitude scale, was felt across Taiwan. It was the most severe since a 7.6 magnitude quake in 1999 killed
Around the time of the Dragon Boat Festival in June, the streets of Taiwan are filled with the delightful aroma of zongzi, a traditional snack made of sticky rice wrapped in leaves. The leaves are folded into a cone and then filled with sticky rice and other ingredients such as braised pork belly, peanuts and salted duck egg yolks. The filled leaves are then tightly tied with kitchen twine and ready for cooking. 每到六月端午時節,街頭巷尾就會飄出粽子的香氣。粽子是將糯米包進粽葉的傳統美食,先將粽葉折成圓錐狀塞入糯米,以及紅燒肉、花生、鹹鴨蛋黃等配料,用棉線綁緊後即可烹煮。 Dragon Boat Festival (n. phr.) 端午節 aroma
Everyone has seen a piece of fruit turn brown after being cut. Have you ever wondered why that happens? It is a common phenomenon that occurs due to a chemical reaction called enzymatic browning. The appearance, flavor and nutritional value of the fruit are all affected by this reaction. Some fruits, such as apples, pears, bananas, avocados and peaches, are more prone to enzymatic browning than others. These fruits contain high levels of an enzyme called polyphenol oxidase, or PPO for short. __1__ This causes a chain of chemical reactions that ultimately transforms the phenolic compounds into
There are several methods to prevent or slow down enzymatic browning in fruit. __3__ This lowers the pH level of the fruit tissue, causing the PPO to be far less active. Another method is to store the fruit in an airtight container or to wrap it tightly with plastic wrap. Doing this will reduce its exposure to oxygen. __4__ Although fruit that has undergone enzymatic browning may look less appealing, it is still safe to eat. However, by using one of these simple methods, you can enjoy fresh-looking fruit for a longer period. 有一些方法能避免或減緩水果的酶促褐變。其中一個有效的方式就是在切片水果的表面塗上酸性物質,像是檸檬汁或醋。這樣做能降低水果組織的酸鹼值,讓 PPO 更不為活躍。另一個方式是將水果存放在密封的容器內,或用保鮮膜將其緊緊包住。這樣做會減少水果與氧氣的接觸。快速蒸一下切片水果或將其短暫浸泡在滾水中也能使PPO失去活性,並終止 PPO 與空氣的作用。 雖然經歷酶促褐變的水果可能看起來較不吸引人,但仍然可以安全食用。然而,藉由採用這些簡單方法中的其中一個,你就能在更長的一段時間享用看起來新鮮的水果。 What Did You