頭條日報 頭條網 - One small step forward, one big step for civilization. by Michael Chugani

2013-04-25

Source: http://news.hkheadline.com/dailynews/headline_news_detail_columnist.asp?id=235310§ion_name=wtt&kw=126

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Readers have sent me some interesting e-mails about my recent column on the lousy aim of men when they pee (urinate) in public toilets. Some of the e-mails were very creative (adjective). The word creative used this way means to have very good or original ideas. A similar word is imaginative (adjective). For example, you have to be very creative or imaginative to be a good writer. You also have to be creative (imaginative) to be a good architect. An architect is a person who designs buildings. Hong Kong's architects have no imagination (noun) or creativity (noun) at all. Most buildings in Hong Kong look very similar and unimaginative (opposite of creative).

        S ome readers said there are several reasons why there is always urine on the floor under urinals in public toilets. One reason is that elderly men have a weak urine flow. This means the urine comes out slowly and not in a strong way. That is why a lot of the urine falls to the floor instead of into the urinal. But the biggest reason is that most men stand too far away from the urinal. So even if their urine flow is strong the urine will not reach the urinal. One reader e-mailed me a very imaginative idea to make men stand closer to the urinals. He said public toilets should have a sign that says: "Stand nearer. It's not as long as you think!" It is a very creative idea. I think most of you, especially men, will understand what that means!

        Another reader told me about a sign he saw in some mainland China toilets. The sign in Chinese is: "向前一小步，文明一大步". It translates into something like: "One small step forward, one big step for civilization". It is copied from the first words spoken on the moon by the first man who landed on the moon, the American astronaut Neil Armstrong. His first words were: "One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." I think public toilets in Hong Kong should put up similar creative signs to advise men to stand closer to the urinals when they pee.

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        早前我在專欄中提及，許多男人在公廁小便（pee）時都瞄不準目標，引來讀者有趣的電郵回應。不少電郵都甚有創意（creative），Creative解作富想像力，有好的點子，類近的形容詞是imaginative。例如，你要成為作家，必須具備創意（creative）或想像力（imaginative），做個出色的建築師（architect）亦如是。Architect就是建築師。香港的建築師（architect）就創意（creativity，名詞）欠缺了，毫無想像力（imagination，名詞）可言。香港大部份的樓宇都很相似，都是索然無味（unimaginative，creative的反義詞）。

        有些讀者說，有好幾個原因導致公廁尿兜下的地板長期尿跡處處，其一是老人的排尿（urine flow）能力較弱，因此尿液都是撒到地上而非尿兜裏。但最大的原因還是因為男人站得離尿兜太遠，即使他們尿流（urine flow）洶湧，還是射不進尿兜裏；有位讀者的電郵提了一個饒富想像力（imaginative）的建議，令男人站近尿兜。他說，公廁應該貼上告示：「站近些，它可沒有你想像般長！」這個點子實在很有創意（creative）。相信你們大多數人，尤其是男人，都會明白這句話的含意。

        另一位讀者跟我談及他在內地廁所見過的一則告示。告示上寫道：「向前一小步，文明一大步。」這句說話抄自第一位登上月球的人，美國太空人杭斯朗在月球上的第一句話：「個人一小步，人類一大步。」我認為香港的公廁亦應張貼富創意（creative）的標示，勸告男人小解（pee）時要站近尿兜。mickchug@gmail.com

        中譯:七刻

        Michael Chugani 褚簡寧