日本人非常喜欢自动售货机，其人均拥有量为世界第一。即使在偏僻的乡村，照样有它们的身影。可以说自动售货机是日本文化中非常重要的一部分。
The country of vending machines
by Jacopo Prisco
Vending machines are a mainstay of Japanese culture. There are over 5.5 million in the country – one for every 23 people, the highest ratio in the world. They're ubiquitous（无处不在的） and almost always outdoors, making them immediately stand out to anyone visiting Japan. Most of them are stocked with hot and cold drinks. At night, rather than switching off, the machines come to life with vibrant（鲜艳的） colors and bright lights.
vend /vend/ v. 售卖
mainstay /ˈmeɪnsteɪ/ n. 支柱、中流砥柱
ratio /ˈreɪʃiəʊ/ n. 比例、比率
stand out 显眼、醒目
stock /stɒk/ v. 存货、备货
Photographer Eiji Ohashi has spent years photographing them across Japan in the dead of night, and now he has brought the images together in a book titled "Roadside Lights."
photographer /fəˈtɒɡrəfə(r)/ n. 摄影师（由photograph加上表示人的后缀-er）
photograph /ˈfəʊtəɡrɑːf/ v. 拍照
in the dead of night 在深更半夜
image /ˈɪmɪdʒ/ n. 照片、图像
title /ˈtaɪt(ə)l/ v. 给予标题
roadside /ˈrəʊdsaɪd/ n. 路边（由road和side组成）
Japanese culture has an appreciation for process. Signs explaining how to queue, how to get a haircut or how to use the toilet are posted everywhere. Vending machines fit in neatly as they offer certainty. Their mechanism only allows one possible course of action.
appreciation /əˌpriːʃiˈeɪʃ(ə)n/ n. 赏识、重视
process /ˈprəʊses/ n. 过程
queue /kjuː/ v. 排队
toilet /ˈtɔɪlət/ n. 马桶、厕所
post /pəʊst/ v. 张贴
fit in 融入、适应
neatly /ˈniːtli/ adv. 整齐地、灵巧地（由neat加后缀-ly变成副词）
certainty /ˈsɜːt(ə)nti/ n. 确定、必然
mechanism /ˈmekənɪz(ə)m/ n. 机械装置
course /kɔːs/ n. 发展过程
action /ˈækʃ(ə)n/ n. 行为
They are also ingrained（根深蒂固的） in tradition: In rural areas, at the side of the road, it's still possible to find unmanned wooden stalls where farmers place fruit, vegetables and other goods which can be purchased by leaving the correct amount of cash.
tradition /trəˈdɪʃ(ə)n/ n. 传统
rural /ˈrʊərəl/ adj. 农村的、乡村的
unmanned /ʌnˈmænd/ adj. 无人值守的
stall /stɔːl/ n. 售货亭
place /pleɪs/ v. 放置
purchase /ˈpɜːtʃəs/ v. 购买
Perhaps this could only work in a country with a crime rate among the lowest in the world. Vending machines in Japan are rarely robbed or vandalized（故意破坏）. In fact, they are well taken care of, meaning that they always work – which further contributes to customer satisfaction.
rate /reɪt/ n. 率、比率
contribute /kənˈtrɪbjuːt/ v. 做贡献
satisfaction /ˌsætɪsˈfækʃ(ə)n/ n. 满意、满意度
For Ohashi, this is one of the reasons behind their popularity. "You can put them anywhere and they won't be stolen or harmed," he said. "Furthermore, they work even when they're buried in snow as they are maintained regularly – something which shows how methodical（有条理的） Japanese people are."
popularity /ˌpɒpjuˈlærəti/ n. 流行、流行度（由popular加后缀-ity变成名词）
harm /hɑːm/ v. 伤害、损害
furthermore /ˌfɜːðəˈmɔː(r)/ adv. 此外、更重要的是
maintain /meɪnˈteɪn/ v. 维修保养
regularly /ˈreɡjələli/ adv. 定期地、经常地
Another reason for their popularity, Ohashi says, is that Japanese people love convenience: "I don't think anyone in Japan would think that a vending machine could disturb a town's scenery. We're always thinking of ways to make life more convenient. I think that the vending machine is a symbol of that."
convenience /kənˈviːniəns/ n. 方便、便利
disturb /dɪˈstɜːb/ v. 干扰、扰乱
scenery /ˈsiːn(ə)ri/ n. 风景、景色
convenient /kənˈviːniənt/ adj. 方便的
symbol /ˈsɪmb(ə)l/ n. 标志、象征
Interestingly, the photographer claims that many of the machines look the same: "The shape of the machine and the products it sells are quite similar throughout Japan." This is unusual in a country that proudly highlights its regional differences, and where even snacks and candy are produced in local varieties.
interestingly /ˈɪntrəstɪŋli/ adv. 有趣的是（由interesting加后缀-ly变成副词）
claim /kleɪm/ v. 声称
throughout /θruːˈaʊt/ prep. 遍及
proudly /ˈpraʊdli/ adv. 自豪地（由proud加后缀-ly变成副词）
highlight /ˈhaɪlaɪt/ v. 强调
regional /ˈriːdʒ(ə)n(ə)l/ adj. 地区的（由region加后缀-al变成形容词）
variety /vəˈraɪəti/ n. 变种、变体
Identical everywhere, the vending machines may bring some sense of comfort to those who travel to different parts of the country, Ohashi suggests. "I wanted to capture the standardized form of the vending machines. I thought you could see the differences between the regions through the scenery around them."
identical /aɪˈdentɪk(ə)l/ adj. 一模一样的
suggest /səˈdʒest/ v. 提出
capture /ˈkæptʃə(r)/ v. 拍照、拍摄
standardize /ˈstændədaɪz/ v. 标准化（由standard加后缀-ize变成动词）
form /fɔːm/ n. 形式
"I think in some ways I'm comparing modern-day people to vending machines. In our daily lives, we are also like vending machines that can withstand blizzards（暴风雪） but ultimately go unrewarded."
in some ways 在一定程度上
modern-day 现代的、今天的
withstand /wɪðˈstænd/ v. 承受
ultimately /ˈʌltɪmətli/ adv. 最终
unrewarded /ˌʌnrɪˈwɔːdɪd/ adj. 未被奖赏的、没有回报的
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