万花筒 2009-07-10&07-11 蓬勃发展的日本情人旅馆

They say you can't put a price on love, but that doesn't mean you can't try. Despite Japan's deepest recession since World War II, the country's love hotel industry has hardly missed a beat. Don't be fooled by the showy facades¹. Love hotels are serious business, an estimated 40-billion-dollar-a-year industry. Just off the highway near the town of Bussola lies the Bonita Hotel, which boasts 250% occupancy. That's right, each room is rented 2.5 times a day.

 

"I would hate to use the term “recession-proof”, but it certainly had proven very resilient over the last 6 months."

 

Yeah, Steve Mansfiled operates 6 love or leisure hotels, as he prefers to call them. Generally, they share certain features. First, privacy.

 

"You just choose a room and you go to room 307."

 

"So you checked in without ever having spoken with anyone."

 

"Yep."

 

So it's your turn. Rooms may offer Karaoke, video games, custom souvenirs and often a bit of luxury.

 

"We have a television there, so our guests can enjoy a loge Jacuzzi jet bath and television at the same time, just to..."

 

Business is good enough and Mansfield is looking to expand. That's not even in the big cities.

 

Now prices in Tokyo are a little bit higher. This room, for example, will run you about 190 dollars for the night. What do you get for that? Well, your king-sized bed, your big screen, flat screen TV. Here’s your minibar. You see, just in there. And a few things you don't see in every other hotel room, you got over here, a gigantic Jacuzzi, and on this side, your own personal sauna.

 

Why have love hotels done so well despite the recession?

 

"It's a natural human desire." She says. Her boyfriend adds," even these days on the weekend, every love hotel is full. You can't stop sexual desire."

 

But it's not all about sex.

 

According to this very candid² man, "I go to a love hotel when I'm drunk, don't feel like going home."

 

Whatever the reasons, when it comes to love hotels, it will take more than dim prospects³ to break the moods.

 

Morgan Neil, CNN Tokyo.

 

1 facades   

n.（房屋的）正面( facade的名词复数 )；假象，外观

参考例句：

• Terraces of asphalt are placed by the building's south and west facades. 沥青露台位于建筑的南面和西面。 来自互联网
• Preserving historic buildings or keeping only their facades (or fronts) grew common. 保存历史建筑或是保持它们普通的正面增长。 来自互联网

2 candid   

adj.公正的，正直的；坦率的

参考例句：

• I cannot but hope the candid reader will give some allowance for it.我只有希望公正的读者多少包涵一些。
• He is quite candid with his friends.他对朋友相当坦诚。

3 prospects   

n.希望，前途(恒为复数)

参考例句：

• There is a mood of pessimism in the company about future job prospects. 公司中有一种对工作前景悲观的情绪。
• They are less sanguine about the company's long-term prospects. 他们对公司的远景不那么乐观。