VOA慢速英语2020 各国餐厅"出奇招"保持社交距离（在线收听）

Operators of one of the country's most famous restaurants say mannequins can add some fun and help with social distancing in public places. The Inn at Little Washington has placed several throughout its eating area, or dining room. The restaurant in Virginia plans to reopen its dining room May 29, as the state is expected to ease restrictions on gatherings inside restaurants.

作为美国最著名的餐馆之一，“小华盛顿餐厅”的经营者表示，人体模型可以增加一些乐趣，而且有助于在公共场所保持社交距离。“小华盛顿餐厅”在整个餐厅都安置了几个假人模型。这家位于弗吉尼亚州的餐厅计划于5月29日重新营业，因为该州预计将放松对餐厅内聚会的限制。

The mannequins wear 1940s-style clothing and sit at several tables. The Inn is in the low hills of the Blue Ridge Mountains about 90 minutes by car from Washington, D.C.

假人模特身穿40年代风格的服装，坐在几张桌子前。这家餐厅位于蓝岭山脉的低山丘上，距华盛顿特区大约90分钟的车程。

"When we needed to solve the problem of social distancing and reducing our restaurant's occupancy by half, the solution seemed obvious," Patrick O'Connell said in a statement. He is chef and owner of the restaurant. He said the mannequins create the required space between guests. But, he said they also bring smiles to faces and might be used to make some fun photos.

帕特里克·奥康奈尔（Patrick O'Connell）在一份声明中说：“为了解决保持社交距离的问题，并且将餐厅的上座率降低一半，解决方案似乎显而易见。”他是这家餐馆的厨师和老板。他表示，人体模型可以让顾客之间保持足够的空间。而且，他指出，人体模型也能给顾客带来乐趣，还可以拍摄一些有趣的照片。

O'Connell's restaurant is not the only one trying out unusual ideas to ease the practice of social distancing.

奥康奈尔的餐厅并不是唯一一家尝试用新奇的思路来解决社交距离的餐厅。

In Maryland, for example, a coastal restaurant is using "bumper tables" to welcome back dine-in guests. The round, one-person tables have an air-filled tube around them and wheels at the bottom. Guests can move them around and bump into other tables for fun while keeping a 2-meter distance between people.

例如，在马里兰州，一家沿海餐馆正在使用“反弹桌”来欢迎就餐的客人。圆形的单人桌周围有一根充气管，底部有轮子。客人们可以随意移动桌子，与其他桌子的客人碰撞，同时双方保持2米的社交距离。

And in Germany, a restaurant is trying to keep guests at a cafe at a safe distance by providing them hats to wear. The hats have two pool noodles attached to the top. The hats look funny but also help guests quickly realize if they get too close to others. The restaurant also has limited its dine-in service by more than 50 percent.

在德国，一家餐馆正试图通过向顾客提供帽子，来保持安全的社交距离。帽子顶部有两个游泳专用的圆形浮条。这些帽子看起来十分逗趣，而且可以帮助客人立刻意识到是否离其他人过近。这家餐厅还将店内的上座率限制在50%以上。

What funny or unusual things are restaurants or stores in your area doing to keep visitors at a safe distance? Tell us in the comments.

你所在地区的餐馆或商店有什么逗趣或反常的奇招来让顾客保持安全距离的吗？请在评论中告诉我们。

I'm Alice Bryant.

Words in This Story

mannequin - n. a figure shaped like a human body that is used for making or displaying clothes

obvious - adj. easy to see or notice

chef - n. a professional cook who usually is in charge of a kitchen in a restaurant

photo - n. a picture made by a camera

pool noodle - n. a cylinder-shaped piece of foam that is used by people when swimming