VOA慢速英语--纽约博物馆展示黄金马桶
时间：2019-01-12 作者：英语课 分类：2016年VOA慢速英语(九)月
AS IT IS 2016-09-17 Gold Toilet Revealed at NYC Museum 纽约博物馆展示黄金马桶
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If you have ever wanted to use a toilet made of pure gold, now is your chance.
New York’s famous Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum has set up a working, 18-carat gold toilet in one of its washrooms. The device, like a piece of art, even has a name. It is called “America."
Museum visitors are invited to use the golden toilet, when the need arises. The toilet is the creation of Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan. He reportedly stated that his artwork is about economic inequality.
The Guggenheim museum said the toilet is a "a bold, irreverent work ... ultimately reminding us of the inescapable physical realities of our shared humanity.” It added that the point of the bright, shiny object is to make “available to the public an extravagant 1 luxury product seemingly intended for the 1 percent," or the wealthiest people.
A reporter for The New York Times was able to try out the golden toilet before it was opened to the public on Friday. The reporter said it “looks best when in use, sparkling so much it’s almost too bright to look at.”
The newspaper reported that the arrival of the golden toilet was delayed because it was difficult to set up in the Guggenheim. Private donors 2 provided money for the project. The toilet’s value has yet to be made public.
This is not the first time a washroom fixture 3 has been used as a work of art.
In 1917, French-American artist Marcel Duchamp called a urinal connected to the wall a “Fountain.” The work led to protests in the art community.
Words in This Story
irreverent - adj. having or showing a lack of respect for someone or something that is usually treated with respect
extravagant - adj. more than is usual, necessary, or proper; very expensive and not necessary
urinal - n. a toilet that is attached to a wall especially in a public bathroom for men to use
- They tried to please him with fulsome compliments and extravagant gifts.他们想用溢美之词和奢华的礼品来取悦他。
- He is extravagant in behaviour.他行为放肆。
- Please email us to be removed from our active list of blood donors. 假如你想把自己的名字从献血联系人名单中删去，请给我们发电子邮件。
- About half this amount comes from individual donors and bequests. 这笔钱大约有一半来自个人捐赠及遗赠。 来自《简明英汉词典》