A pedestrian walks past a sex shop. A sex toy shop in the US state of Alabama on Tuesday launched a Valentine's Day offer it hopes will trigger a large response in a limp economy: customers can swap their guns for sex toys. (Agencies) |
A shop in the US state of Alabama on Tuesday launched a Valentine's Day offer it hopes will trigger a large response in a limp economy: customers can swap their guns for sex toys. "In today's economy, this is a way of helping people who may feel they can't afford something for Valentine's Day," said Sherri Williams, the owner of the "Pleasures" sex toy shop, where assorted erotica during the next week can be obtained in exchange for cast-off firearms. "This way, they can take something that's just lying around and swap it for something they can take home and make love, not war with," she told the reporters. A video posted on its website said the shop, housed in an old bank building in Huntsville, "is trading guns off the street for fun between the sheets." As soon as Pleasures opened its doors on Tuesday, a customer came in and exchanged an Iver Johnson revolver for a $40 gift certificate to be spent in the shop, which stocks everything from steamy videos to naughty negligees. The gun was inspected by licensed gun dealer and gunsmith David Smith, who happens to be Williams' husband. Guns can be exchanged at Pleasures from Tuesday until February 15, the day after Valentine's Day. Firearms found to have been stolen or used in a crime will be handed over to the police, while others will be auctioned off, with proceeds going to victims of gun violence, said Williams, who said she is not looking to make money out of the deal. "I'm in it to help people enjoy Valentine's Day in a tough economy," she said. "I'm also in it to get guns off the street -- to take them out of the hands of people who would potentially do harm with them, and put them in the hands of collectors." Williams conceded that the guns could be resold at auction, in which case they might end up back on the streets, but said the effort still is worthwhile. "We might just change one person's mind," she said. "You never know, maybe there will be someone who says, 'I've got this gun that I could go rob a liquor store with, or maybe I can get me a blow-up doll for Valentine's Day, instead. '" (Read by Nelly Min. Nelly Min is a journalist at the China Daily Website.) (Agencies) |
美國阿拉巴馬州的一家商店周二推出了一個(gè)情人節(jié)特別活動:顧客可以用槍來交換性玩具。這家店希望在疲軟的經(jīng)濟(jì)形勢下,這一活動能夠引起廣大的反響。 “樂趣”情趣用品店店主雪莉?威廉姆斯說:“在當(dāng)前的經(jīng)濟(jì)形勢下,這能夠幫助那些在情人節(jié)買不起東西的人?!痹谖磥硪恢苋藗儗⒛苡瞄e置的槍支在這家店換取各種各樣的情趣用品。 她對記者說:“這樣,他們就能夠用閑置的物品換回家能夠用來做愛的東西,而不是用來打架?!?/p> 這家店位于漢斯維爾的一幢舊銀行大樓里,商店網(wǎng)站上發(fā)表的視頻稱,“來本店,在街頭就能用槍換取床上的快樂?!?/p> 周二這天,“樂趣”商店一開門,就有一位顧客走進(jìn)來,用一把伊夫約翰遜左輪手槍交換了一張?jiān)谠摰晗M(fèi)的價(jià)值40美元的禮品券。這家店從色情錄影帶到女性情趣睡衣應(yīng)有盡有。 槍支由特許槍支經(jīng)銷商兼槍匠戴維?史密斯負(fù)責(zé)檢驗(yàn),而史密斯正是威廉姆斯的丈夫。 從周二起到2月15日(情人節(jié)過后一天),槍支可以在“樂趣”店進(jìn)行交換。 威廉姆斯說,她并不是為了從這一交易中獲利,這些槍支如果發(fā)現(xiàn)是偷來的或是在犯罪案件中使用過的,將被送交給警察,而其他槍支將被拍賣,拍賣所得將送給槍支暴力事件中的受害者。 她說:“我這么做是為了幫助人們在嚴(yán)酷的經(jīng)濟(jì)形勢下享受情人節(jié)?!?/p> “我也是為了讓槍支從街頭消失,從那些可能會用槍造成傷害的人手中拿走槍支,把它們放在收藏者手中。” 威廉姆斯承認(rèn)說,槍支將會在拍賣會上再次被賣出,這些槍也許還會在街頭出現(xiàn),不過這一努力依然是值得的。 她說:“說不定我們可以改變一個(gè)人的想法?!?/p> “這很難說,也許有人會想,‘我可以用這把槍去搶劫酒類專賣店,或者我也可以給自己在情人節(jié)換一個(gè)充氣娃娃。’” 相關(guān)閱讀 (中國日報(bào)網(wǎng)英語點(diǎn)津 陳丹妮 編輯:馮明惠) |
Vocabulary: assorted: of various different sorts(各種各樣的) erotica: literature or art intended to arouse sexual desire(色情用品) cast-off firearms: 廢棄不用的槍械 lying around: 閑置的 between the sheets: 床第之間 naughty: connected with sex(色情的) negligee: a woman's dressing gown made of very thin fabric(質(zhì)地輕薄的)女式晨衣,長睡衣 gunsmith: a person who makes and repairs guns(造槍工;修槍匠;軍械工人) proceeds: the money that you receive when you sell something or organize a performance, etc.; profits (售物或演出等的)收入,收益,進(jìn)款 |