Benjamin David used to be one of the thousands of Munchners trying to make their way to work on busy roads and cycling paths, but two years ago he decided that he needed to find a simpler alternative and the Isar River seemed like the obvious answer. It flows right past his apartment in Baldeplatz, and, even though no one has been using it for traveling purposes in decades, it used to be the best ways to get around. People traveled up and down the Isar using rafts, and, at one point, it was one of the most popular routes between Rome and Vienna. But instead of paddling on a raft, David decided to swim to work instead, and that’s been his main commute for the past two years.

Every morning, David, the founder and spokesman of a small think tank for culture and commerce in public places, leaves his apartment in Baldeplatz, crosses the street and jumps into the Isar River. He has to swim 2 kilometers to his office in Kulturstrand, which usually takes him about half an hour. Once there, he dries himself with a towel, puts on a T-shirt and waits for his colleagues to get through the heavy traffic, by enjoying a cappuccino at a cafe.

The swimming commuter found the perfect way to keep his things dry while he is in the water — a special bag that is not only waterproof, but also fills up with air when you roll it shut, acting as a buoy. It’s called a “Wickelfisch,” designed by a startup in Basel, Switzerland, where swimming to work has actually become a trend. It holds David’s laptop, paperwork and clothes dry, and allows him to simply float down the river if his arms get tired.

Depending on the season and temperature of the water, David will put on a simple pair of shorts or a wet suit, but he always wears rubber sandals to protect his feet.

But, even so, swimming in a river can be dangerous. David is a family man and he doesn’t want to risk his life just to save some time, so, every morning, before leaving for work, he goes online and checks the water level, temperature and the strength of the currents. If everything is within safe limits, he heads for the river, but if not, he opts for one of the conventional means of transportation.

Words to Learn 相关词汇

【筏子】fázi raft a flat structure, typically made of planks, logs, or barrels, that floats on water and is used for transport or as a platform for swimmers

【救生圈】jìushēngquān buoy a buoyant device, such as a cork or polystyrene ring, for keeping a person afloat in water

德国男子游泳上班

本杰明•戴维以前也和其他千千万万慕尼黑人一样，每天经由交通繁忙的车道和自行车道去上班。不过两年前，他决定要换一个更简单的方式。他一下子就想到了伊萨尔河。这条河从他在巴尔德广场的公寓前流

过，虽然近几十年没有人将这条河用作水

道，但是这条河曾经是抄近道的一个最佳方式。人们过去曾坐筏子顺着河流漂下，有一段时间这条河还是罗马和维也纳两地间最受欢迎的水道之一。不过戴维不打算坐筏

子，他决定游泳去上班，这一游就是两年。

戴维是一家小型公共文化商业智库的创始人和发言人。每天早晨，他从巴尔德广场的公寓出发，穿过街道，跳进伊萨尔河里。他得游上2千米才能到文化海滩，通常半个小时就能游到。上岸后，他就用毛巾把身体擦干，穿上T恤，到咖啡厅里喝一杯卡布奇诺，慢悠悠地等着那些堵在路上的同事们。

戴维还找到了一个绝妙的办法不让他的东西在水里湿掉。他把东西都装在一个特制防水袋子里。这种袋子卷起来以后里面充满的空气会让它浮起来，就像一个救生圈。这玩意叫Wickelfisch，是瑞士巴塞尔的一家创业公司设计的，在巴塞尔，游泳上班很流行。防水袋能让本杰明的笔记本电脑、纸质文件和衣服保持干燥，如果他的胳膊游累了，可以抱着袋子往下游漂。

天热水暖的话，戴维就穿条短裤；要是天冷水寒，他就穿上潜水衣。不过他一定会穿橡胶凉鞋来保护双脚。

可是就算穿成这样，在河里游泳也可能有危险。戴维是个顾家的男人，他可不会为了节约几分钟就赌上自己的安全，所以每天早晨出门前，他都会上网查水位、水温和流速。如果所有指标都在安全范围内，他就准备收拾去游泳；如果不是，他就乘坐传统的交通工具上班。

(Chinadaily.com.cn)