Two designers have come up with an unusual way of escaping a flood: a dining table that can quickly be converted into a life raft.
The table, called Either Oar, has removable legs that convert into paddles. It is part of a series of designs created “as a response to climate change and natural disasters of recent times.” The new raft comes on the heels of crises such as Asia’s tsunami in 2004 and last year’s Hurricane Katrina in the United States.
David Cameron and Toby Hadden designed the table/raft, along with a whole series of products like it, called Climatized Objects.
Other dual-purpose devices of theirs include a vase that switches to an emergency flashlight if it gets knocked down, and a series of picture frames that turn into flashing lights that help people find where they are and where they should go in case of an emergency.
The designers say that they have always wanted to work on products that focus on “the way people in emergency situations use everyday objects in innovative ways in order to stay alive.’’
“The effects of climate change can leave us facing dangerous situations in our own homes, where we are affected by destructive elements such as flooding and earthquakes. Rather than shy away from these negative processes, our ideal was to offer functional solutions in these increasing times of crisis.’’
The table/raft is on display as part of the Design Museum’s Design Mart exhibition, which opened in London on Sept. 20 and celebrates new talent.(AP)
兩位設計師想出洪水來襲時的獨特逃生之道︰使用可迅速改裝成救生筏的餐桌。
這張名為「用餐划船兩相宜（Either Oar）」的桌子，有可卸式桌腳能做船槳使用，是「因應近來氣候變遷與自然災害」所設計的一系列作品之一。亞洲二○○四年遭海嘯襲擊，以及卡崔那颱風在去年狂掃美國後，這張桌子旋即問世。
大衛．卡麥隆和陶比．海登設計了這張餐桌木筏兩用桌，以及全系列類似的產品，名為「氣候變遷物件」。
1. convert v.i. /v.t.
轉變 (zhuan3 bian4)
例: I have a couch that can be converted into a bed if I have guests stay overnight at my house.
(如果有客人在我家過夜，我有一張能攤開成床的沙發可用。)
2. dual adj.
雙重的 (shuang1 chong2 de5)
例: I have dual citizenship; I’m a citizen of both Laos and the US.
(我有雙重國籍，我同時是寮國和美國的公民。)
3. innovative adj.
創新的 (chuang4 xin1 de5)
例: Our company would rather hire creative people than people with lots of experience. We’re looking for innovative thinkers.
(我們公司寧願雇用有創意的員工，而非資歷豐富的員工。我們在尋找創意發想者。)
4. functional adj.
實用的 (shi2 yong4 de5)
例: My bag may not be pretty, but it’s highly functional.
(我的包包也許不美觀，但是功能極佳。)
他們其他的兩用裝置，包括被擊中時可當緊急手電筒的花瓶，以及一系列可轉為閃光燈用的相框，能在緊急狀況中幫助民眾辨識所在位置和出口方向。
兩位設計師表示一直想製作著重在讓「身處緊急狀況的民眾，能以創新方式利用日常生活用品來逃生」的產品。
「氣候變遷，使我們的家園受到毀滅性因素，如洪水和地震的衝擊，面臨危險的處境，與其避之唯恐不及，我們的理想是在危機攀升之際，提供功能性的解決之道」。
餐桌木筏兩用桌是倫敦設計博物館展覽中的部分展出品。這場慶祝設計新秀誕生的展覽，已於九月二十日在倫敦開幕。（美聯社╱翻譯︰鄭湘儀）
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