離開
進入《中英對照讀新聞》Britain’s iconic red phone boxes ring the changes－英國標誌性紅色電話亭大變身
倫敦一座傳統電話亭被改造成智慧型手機修理站。（法新社檔案照）
◎孫宇青
Facing extinction due to ubiquitous mobile phones, Britain’s classic red telephone boxes are being saved from death row by ingenious conversions into all sorts of new uses.
受到行動電話普及影響，英國經典款紅色電話亭瀕臨消失，但在被巧妙地改造成其他用途後，已擺脫存亡危機。
"It smells nice," a passer-by said while sniffing the waft of hot stew steaming out of one phone box in the heart of London.
從倫敦市中心一座電話亭裡飄出一陣陣燉菜的香氣，一名路人聞到氣味後說：「好香。」
Every day, dozens of office workers come down to Bloomsbury Square to get their lunch at a phone box that has been converted to hold a tiny refrigerator and shelves to put the dishes on.
每天，數十名上班族都會來到布魯姆斯伯里廣場的一座電話亭買午餐，其內部空間經過改裝後，可容納一台小冰箱和放置菜餚的架子。
Often abandoned, vandalized or reeking of urine, some have been transformed into libraries, art galleries and information hubs; others into cafes, hat shops or even heart defibrillator points.
這些經常被丟棄、蓄意破壞或散發尿臭味的電話亭，有些已被改造成圖書館、畫廊和資訊站；有些則成為咖啡店、帽子店，甚至是心臟電擊器放置處。
Comparing to 90,000 in 2002, there are only 40,000 phone boxes left in Britain. Overall, 33,000 calls are made daily from phone boxes, a drop of 90 percent in 10 years.
與2002年的9萬座電話亭相比，英國現存僅4萬座電話亭。整體來說，每天有3萬3000通電話從電話亭撥出，比10年前少了90％。
BT says most of its phone booths lose money, while maintaining them costs 5.7 million euros a year. They plan to remove 20,000 more by 2022.
「英國電信公司」表示，多數電話亭都在賠錢，且維持服務每年要花掉570萬歐元（逾2億台幣）。他們計畫在2022年前移除逾2萬座電話亭。
《新聞辭典》
ingenious：形容詞，巧妙的。例句：Jimmy thought of an ingenious excuse for his absence.（吉米為了缺席想了一個巧妙的藉口。）
vandalize：動詞，蓄意破壞。例句：Jimmy was fined for vandalizing public property.（吉米因為破壞公物被罰款。）
reek：動詞，發臭。例句：Jimmy’s breath reeks of garlic.（吉米嘴裡散發出大蒜臭味。）
