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在线翻译:
szdaily -> Speak Shenzhen -> 
Smart device covers up embarrassing toilet noises
    2018-02-13  08:53    Shenzhen Daily

如厕声音太尴尬?日本用森林之声来掩盖

Japan is known as the most polite nation on Earth, and that extreme politeness extends to all aspects of life, including bathroom etiquette. Many public toilets feature a wall-mounted device that, when pressed, creates a sound that masks that of urination. However, electronics company Roland has come up with an improved version that drowns out embarrassing bathroom noises completely.

Before the technology boom of the 1980s, toilet users would either flush the toilet or turn on a sink to mask the sounds they made when relieving themselves. However, as this was a needless waste of water, a more eco-friendly solution was sought, and thus the concept of the toilet sound generator was born. The most famous of the resulting devices, developed and manufactured by toilet brand Toto, is the Otohime (literal translation — “sound princess”). These devices are only partially efficient in making people comfortable in the toilet, because the sound they generated didn’t do a perfect job of masking the embarassing noises. Luckily, a better solution is now available.

Japanese homeware brand Lixil has partnered with instrument maker Roland to address the sensitive issue of bathroom noises. They’ve created a new device called the “Sound Decorator,” which, unlike current solutions that only try to mask noises by emitting another sound, generates a pattern that makes the original sound less audible altogether. They achieved this by engineering a sound with a similar but stronger wavelength to that of urination, and, through what is known as the “auditory masking” effect, they were able to neutralize the weaker wavelengths and thus cancel out the unwanted noise.

When the device is activated, it evokes a serene forest, with a babbling brook and the chirping of songbirds.

Lixil began selling their Sound Decorator systems from Feb. 1, but the devices are only available in Japan. There are two versions available, one that is activated by a motion sensor when the user waves their hand close to the panel, and the other which automatically generates the sound when someone approaches the toilet.

Words to Learn

相关词汇

【令人尴尬的】lìngrén gāngà de

embarrassing making someone uncomfortably self-conscious, disconcerting

【宁静的】

níngjìng de

serene calm, peaceful, tranquil

日本号称是全球最有礼貌的国家,这种极度的礼貌渗透到日本人生活的方方面面,如厕礼仪也不例外。日本许多公厕的墙上都有一种装置,按下按钮就可以发出一种声音来掩盖小便声。电子乐器制造商罗兰公司日前研发出了一种改良版马桶,可以完全盖过令人尴尬的如厕声音。

在20世纪80年代技术蓬勃发展之前,如厕的人会用冲马桶的水声或打开水龙头来盖过小便的声音。然而,由于这种做法是无谓的浪费水资源,人们开始寻找更为环保的方法,于是厕所发声器应运而生。最著名的厕所发声器名为“音姬”(直译是“声音公

主”),由马桶品牌Toto研发和生产。这种设备只是稍微让人在厕所里感到舒服一些,因为这种发声器产生的声音并不能完美地掩盖令人尴尬的声音。幸运的是,现在已经有了更好的解决方案。

日本家居用品品牌骊住集团和乐器制造商罗兰公司合作,共同解决如厕声音的敏感问题。他们联手研发了一款名为“声音装饰家”的新设备,与目前的通过发出另一个声音来掩盖如厕声音不同,这种设备发出的声音会让如厕声音几乎听不见。他们通过编辑出一种和小便声音波长相近但更强的声音,利用“听觉掩盖”效应,就能削弱波长较弱的小便声,从而消除不想要的声音。

当设备被激活时,就会发出宁静的森林之声,包括小溪的潺潺流水声和黄莺的啁啾声。

骊住集团从2月1日开始出售“声音装饰家”系统,但是这种设备只在日本有售。目前有两种版本,一种是通过用户在控制面板附近挥手,触发运动传感器来激活,另一种是在用户接近马桶时自动发出声音。

(Chinadaily.com.cn)

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