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The Laid-Back History of Couches 躺椅的千年风华

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They’re good for lounging and resting. They adorn the living rooms of families from Australia to Zimbabwe. They’re couches – a house just isn’t a home until you have one, or even several. A room with a couch is just so much more inviting. And they’ve been welcoming many a weary soul for a quite some time.

可供懒洋洋地躺卧休息，还可以装饰全球家庭中起居室的门面──它就是躺椅。有了它，房子开始有了家的味道，房间也变得舒适宜人许多。它欢迎倦累的灵魂回来休憩片刻。

Originally, in pre-Roman Empire times, couches served as thrones for Arab rulers. The Romans, however, took this idea and brought it from the king’s court to the dining room. Three couches would be arranged around a low table, thus eliminating the annoying need to sit up while people ate. The men would sit and relax as they feasted upon a sumptuous meal, while the women were forced to sit in normal chairs.

在罗马帝国统治之前的时期，躺椅本来是阿拉伯统治者的御座王位。罗马人则把这个概念从王宫带入了饭厅。三把躺椅围排在低矮的饭桌周围，吃饭时就不必麻烦还要起身坐挺。男人可以慵懒地斜躺，享用着丰盛的大餐，女人则被迫只能坐在普通的椅子上。

It was not until industrialization that the couch became common household furniture. Before this time they were considered an unnecessary luxury, not to mention that they were not widely produced, and thus not easy to come by.

躺椅一直到工业化之后才变成普及的家具。在这之前，躺椅被认为是奢侈品，也因此更遑论说要普遍制造，或是随处可见了。

But in modern times, couches have become inseparably linked to family life. Nowadays, they are often placed in front of the television for maximum relaxation. As a result, they have given rise to the social phenomenon of the couch potatoes– people who spend the entire day on the couch, surfing TV channels. So where will couches take us next? All we have to do is lie back and enjoy the ride!

但是，躺椅在现代已经是家庭生活中密不可分的一部份。它常被放置于电视前，提供了最舒适的角落。因此，它引发了所谓「懒骨头」的社会现象──整天赖在躺椅上选择电视频道的人。所以，躺椅将带领我们到另一个什么样的世界呢？我们只消放松好好享受那份慵懒即可。

−by Joe Henley

Vocabulary

lounge [laʊndʒ] v. （懒洋洋地）倚，靠，躺

weary [ˋwɪrɪ] adj. 疲倦的，疲劳的

throne [θron] n. 王座，御座；宝座

eliminate [ɪˋlɪmə͵net] v. 排除

More Information

laid-back [ˋled͵bæk] adj.【俚】悠闲的；懒散的；闲散的

adorn [əˋdɔrn] v. 装饰；使生色

inviting [ɪnˋvaɪtɪŋ] adj. 吸引人的；诱人的

sit up: 坐直, 坐正, 端坐 to sit with the spine erect

feast [fist] v. 享受; 尽情地吃

sumptuous [ˋsʌmptʃʊəs] adj. 奢侈的；豪华的

industrialization [ɪn͵dʌstrɪələˋzeʃən] n. 工业化

luxury [ˋlʌkʃərɪ] n. 奢侈，奢华

not to mention 更不必说

come by:  得到, 获得. 接近 to gain possession of; acquire

inseparably [ɪnˋsɛpərəb!ɪ] adv. 不可分地；不能分离地

maximum [ˋmæksəməm] adj. 最大的

give rise to:  引起 to cause something; to instigate something

surf [sɝf] v. 在计算机网络上、或在有趣的电视节目上随意地搜索数据，迅速地连续观察一系列对象（尤其在计算机或电视的屏幕上）

lie back: 休息; 放松; 松弛 to relax; to lean back in a chair and relax

Reading Questions

1.   When did the couch become common in people’s households?

A.  During the rise of industrialization.

B.  During the Roman Empire.

C.  After the fall of the Roman Empire.

D.  After people realized they could eat on them.

2.   Which of the following statements about modern couches is NOT true?

A.  They are closely associated with family life.

B.  It is common for people to place them in front of the TV.

C.  It has started a new social phenomenon known as the couch potato.

D.  They are not as popular as they once were.

3.   Which of the following statements can be inferred from the article?

A.  The use for couches has remained the same throughout history.

B.  Couches were extremely common household furniture in pre-Roman times.

C.  The role of couches has changed depending on where and when they were used.

D.  In modern times, couches are considered an unnecessary luxury.

Answer